Development Lec 3

3.
4 Basic Elements of Radio Production
Haven seen the different types of formats that can be used when you want to
present an issue of concern. Now, let us turn to factors that should be
considered if you want to present the issues effectively. According to
Mefalopulos and Kamlongera (2004), these can be divided into three
categories: technical, content and presenters. Technical factors are:
 Sound quality: Is the audio recording clear? Are music levels balanced?
 Special sound effects: You might need the sound of rain, or wind, etc. as
they relate to the issue of the programme's focus; and
 Accents: You make sure that certain passages are emphasised, (usually by a
higher level of volume).
Content and its organisation include a number of factors such as:
i. Opening and closing: The way you introduce a programme is very

important, as it will provide the basis upon which a listener may decide
to go on listening or not. Similarly the end of the programme is supposed
to provide a punch line that will make the listeners reflect upon or
remember the main message or issue;
ii. Slogans-themes-logos: Radio programmes can include certain slogans
or recurrent themes as a distinctive mark, as people are likely to
associate the slogans with the programme. Similarly these may also be
used to promote and reinforce a certain idea/message. You can see this
done very effectively in the advertising world. If you are not sure about
it, just turn on your radio or your television!
iii. Jingles: These are similar to the ones above, only that they are usually
musical slogans that can be easily sung by everybody. Jingles serve to
identify a certain programme, message, product to promote and reinforce
a certain idea or message;
iv. Humour: According to the format you have selected humour can play
an important part. But you should not abuse it, as humour in certain
instances may be offensive to people and counterproductive to the
objectives of the programme;
v. Simplicity of presentation: This is especially true in the development
context. Avoid jargon and complicated treatment of concepts and
messages. Always keep in mind the KISS formula - Keep It Simple and
Straight-forward;
vi. Accuracy: Make sure that the content you are presenting is accurate, and
simple to understand. Once broadcast, any inadequacy may have a
negative impact on many aspects of the programme;
vii. Repetitions and summaries: It is usually a good practice to repeat more
than once the crucial points your programme wants to get across. Try to
repeat the same points without duplicating them. That is, treat the point
in different ways so that the listeners are exposed to the message more
than once but in different ways. At the end of the programme, you might
also want to summarise the main point/s. Remember to do it in a concise
and effective way;
viii. Pacing: This has to do with the speed of the radio production's
presentation and the way you order and balance the different parts or
segments. A well-paced programme should be neither too fast nor too
slow and have all the different segments ordered in a logical and
balanced way. Pausing is also part of pacing, as pauses are an important
factor and can be accomplished either through music, jingles, slogans or
even silence; and
ix. Interactive capability: Programmes using a participatory approach must
provide an interactive capability, as seen for instance in the case of the
Radio Listening Clubs in
Zimbabwe. Phoning, where it exists, can be another way of providing
interactivity to a radio programme. This means that you must take into
account this factor not only when discussing and presenting the issue but
also where there is the possibility for immediate feedback. Presenters
and their style of delivery can be another crucial element determining the
success of a programme.
Factors associated with presentation include:
 Clarity of speech: Do not assume every person, just because he or she knows
how to talk, can be equally good as a radio presenter. A presenter needs to
articulate his talk well and in an understandable way. He/she also needs to follow,
or guide, the pace of the programme, using his/her voice to emphasise crucial
points;
 Source credibility: If the presenter of the programme has a high credibility rate
among listeners, this will certainly help the message to be accepted more easily.
Consideration should also be given to the presenter's background (do the listeners
consider him/her an insider or an outsider by). Gender is another factor to consider
(for instance a woman is more likely to give higher credibility to another woman
talking about breast-feeding practices than to a man); and
 Role models: Closely related to the above point is the question of role models. If
your presenter is somebody people would want to be associated with, or a popular
figure that is highly respected, the message in the radio programme will be
regarded highly. Again to see how popular people can effectively give prestige and
credibility to a product, look at the way the advertisement world uses sports
champions as testimonials which associate them to products that often do not have
anything to do with their field of expertise.
3,5 Basic Principles of Radio Scripting
Another significant element of radio production that should be noted is scripting.

When you are ready to work on the radio script before anything else, define the
subject, the purpose, the primary audience and the intended duration. Then go
through the material you have researched and recorded in the field. Ideally, in a
good number of cases this process should be done in the community, with the
community. Here are some tips when you engage in, or supervise the writing, of a
radio script:
 Write for the ear, not for the eye; Spoken language and written language can
differ greatly and this needs to be borne in mind all the time. Each word on the
script should therefore sound right not necessarily read right. Avoid the use of big
and complicated words, too many adjectives, and any word that may be unfamiliar
to your audience;
Use imagery: While trying to keep your language simple and straight forward, try
also to be creative and allow your audience to visualise what you are talking about;
 Use relevant facts: Facts, especially if listeners can relate to them, help in
drawing attention to the message. Facts can be the familiar, something the listeners
have experienced directly, or memorable, or something extraordinary or known to
everybody;
 Speak your word as you write them: As mentioned earlier on, you are writing
for the ear. It is good practice therefore to speak the words as you are writing them
on paper. The suggestion here is “Think it, Say it, and Write it!”
 Get straight to the point: Do not cram information and when needed do not be
afraid to repeat the information using different ways. Most likely the audience will
listen to the programme only once, therefore you need to make sure that they will
get the main point/s; and
 Be informal: It usually helps to keep the programme, person to person, talking to

him/her as you would talk in a normal conversation. Say it the way people say it!
3.6 How to Evaluate a Radio Programme
By now you have seen some of the basic characteristics associated with a good
radio programme. On page 63, you will find a prototype Pre-test Checklist Sheet
for the audio production that should give you an idea of what to look for when
producing a radio programme. Criteria upon which a good programme is evaluated
are: the relevance and the accuracy of the content; the interest it generates; the way
information or points are treated and transmitted to the listeners, the technical
quality and, most of all, how it has achieved the intended objectives. Evaluation,
based on these criteria, should be done systematically. It must begin with the
script, since it affects a number of factors such as the content accuracy and
relevance, pace and message treatment. Once the script has been written it should
be read aloud and timed.
Whenever possible you should pre-test the programme to make sure it is accurate
and easy to understand. The questions below are intended to provide you with a
guide for revising and pre-testing a script.
 Is the main point/message coming out loud and clear from the programme?
 Have I done justice to the issue?
 Is the information accurate?

 Do I have a strong introduction and a strong ending?
 Have I chosen the right words and the right language (for the ear)?
 Could I have used fewer words and say it more effectively?
 Is it easy to follow?
 Is it interesting to follow throughout the entire programme?
 Does it have a good pace?
 What response do I expect?
 Do the listeners get what I intended to?
 What response do I expect? and,
 Did I use effective slogans/jingles?

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3.

4 Basic Elements of Radio Production

Content and its organisation include a number of factors such as:

i. Opening and closing: The way you introduce a programme is very

3,5 Basic Principles of Radio Scripting

Another significant element of radio production that should be noted is scripting.

 Be informal: It usually helps to keep the programme, person to person, talking to

3.6 How to Evaluate a Radio Programme

 Have I done justice to the issue?

 Is the information accurate?

 Could I have used fewer words and say it more effectively?

 Is it interesting to follow throughout the entire programme?

 Does it have a good pace?

 What response do I expect?

 Do the listeners get what I intended to?

 What response do I expect? and,

 Did I use effective slogans/jingles?

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