RADIO BROADCASTING

Radio is sound communication by radio

waves, usually through the transmission of music,
news, and other types of programs from
single broadcast stations to multitudes of individual
listeners equipped with radio receivers.

early in the 20th century, broadcast radio

astonished and delighted the public by providing
news and entertainment with an immediacy never
before thought possible. From about 1920 to 1945,
radio developed into the first electronic mass medium,
monopolizing “the airwaves” and defining, along
with newspapers, magazines, and motion pictures, an
entire generation of mass culture. About 1945 the appearance of television began to transform
radio’s content and role. Broadcast radio remained the most widely available electronic mass
medium in the world, though its importance in modern life did not match that of television, and
in the early 21st century it faced yet more competitive pressure from digital satellite-
and Internet-based audio services.
The first voice and music signals heard over radio waves were transmitted in December
1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts (just south of Boston), when Canadian
experimenter Reginald Fessenden produced about an hour of talk and music for technical
observers and any radio amateurs who might be listening.

Salient Features of Radio

Radio is a sightless or viewless medium. It is also called blind medium as the performer
doesn’t see his audience and the listeners cannot see the performer.
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The main characteristics of radio are:

1. A Medium of Sound: It is an auditory medium, a medium of the sound. The 3

elements of a radio broadcast are the spoken words, Music and Sound effects.
Sounds must be pleasant, simple, easy to understand for the listeners.
2. A Medium of the Voice: Radio is the medium of the voice. The procedure mixes
his/her voice with music and sound effects. A radio listener has a highly
developed ear and so the broadcaster shouldn’t sound fake or untruthful. A
 truthful vocal expression wills commonly touch if the whole person’s mind, soul,
psyche, imagination and his body are all in the tune with one another.
3. A Link between Speaker and Listeners: Microphone is the only instrument
through which a radio broadcaster speaks to his listeners. It is a hi-fi instrument
that catches the safest sigh, the finest rustle of the people. It exposes all vocalist,
and tells all, the truth from alive.
4. An Intimate Medium: A broadcaster must imagine as if the listeners, are
listening from the sound box or the transistor. The best subjects for radio
broadcast are those which intimately concern the listeners. The words and the
manner of their expression must be intimate as the conditions in which broadcasts
are received are very informal.
5. A Mass Medium: Radio is a medium of mass communication. It broadcast reach
hundreds and thousands in one go. The task of the performer is to find out the
lowest common denominator to communicate well with the largest number of
listeners. It is a much cheaper medium of mass communication. Thus, it is very
relevant to developing countries like India.
6. Simple Language: Large number of people are illiterate or semiliterate in India
and other developing countries. So, the language of the radio broadcasts must be
simple and should be closer to the spoken language that the common people use.
7. A Mobile Medium: Radio is a mobile medium, and so it is a most convenient
medium for anybody. It doesn’t respect unites of time, place and action.
8. A Cheap and Quick Medium: It is a medium of the “here and now” as it can
respect the events almost instantly. Radio is a much cheaper and quicker medium
than TV for production of programs thus it can produce a wide variety of
programs.
9. No shared experience: Radio listeners are sitting alone or with one or two
members of the family, and not like the stage where spectators are sitting in a
crowd. Thus, the psychology of reception for a radio broadcast is much more
informal. The radio listener will not accept any informal. The radio listener will
not accept any untruth in a radio performance nor does he see any glamour
personality to be impressed

Types of Radio Broadcasting

With the most recent generations having primarily grown up on FM radio, there is an abundance
of people who don’t realize the vastness to radio broadcasting like AM, FM, Pirate Radio,
Terrestrial digital Radio, and Satellite. Here is a brief overview of the differing types of radio
broadcasting:

1. AM: AM (amplitude modulation) was the earliest form of radio broadcasting. This
specific type of broadcasting got it’s name for how it emits radio waves by manipulating
the amplitude of the signal in conjunction with the amplitude of the signal that is being
transmitted. What is known as a ‘medium-wave band’ is what is used worldwide to
 deliver AM broadcasting across the globe, while other parts of the world (like Europe)
also use ‘long-wave band’ broadcasting. A great advantage to AM radio is that is fairly
simplistic and the sound that is emitted from this type of signal can be easily detected.

2. FM: FM radio (frequency modulation) was invented in the 1930s as a way to counter
the interference issues with AM radio. FM radio stations happen on VHF (very high
frequency) waves and are much more common thanks to better sound fidelity, which
allowed stereo broadcasting to thrive on this specific type of broadcasting network. FM
ranges are much shorter than AM ranges, despite the high frequency, meaning that the
FM radio is much better for local radio stations. When this technology was originally
developed, there wasn’t a specific threat to AM radio because FM radio required people
to purchase a different type of receiver. It wasn’t until after World War II that there was a
change in frequencies that allowed FM radio to be more accessible, thus toppling the
popularity of AM radio.
3. Pirate Radio: This type of radio refers to ‘illegal’ or un-regulated radio transmission.
Often, this sort of radio broadcasting is used for political reasons, for entertainment, or as
an exchange of two-way radio. While the origins of pirate radio can be linked to a general
unlicensed use, history suggests that there have been moments that ships out at sea have
used this mode of communication (i.e., pirate) as a base for broadcasting. While rules and
regulations depend on where a person is at in the world, this type of broadcasting
normally refers to an FM, AM, or short-wave signal transmission. Even more interesting
is that the origin of the broadcast may be legal, but where the broadcast is received may
be construed as illegal (i.e., if a broadcast goes across borders).
4. Terrestrial Digital Radio: Digital radio surfaced in the mid 1990’s in Europe, making its
debut in the UK in ‘95, in Germany in ’99 and eventually emerging in the United States,
France, Netherlands, and South Africa shortly after. A simpler term to describe this type
of radio is DAB Digital Radio (Digital Audio Broadcasting). Digital radio is still an
evolving form of radio that has a strong foothold in Europe, but is still lacking in a lot of
countries (specifically in the US).
5. Satellite Radio: As the name suggests, this is a radio broadcasting service that is
produced via satellites. Satellite radios are able to broadcast to a very large geographical
area compared to all of its counterparts and was developed to be used primarily in cars.
Most often, satellite radio is only available through a subscription, meaning it isn’t a free
service. An interesting note about satellite stations is that ground stations often send
signals to satellites that are in turn projected back to radio receivers in both cars and
homes. This particular signal not only has scrambled broadcasts, but also retains meta-
data regarding particular broadcasts. These signals have to be sorted by radio receivers
that display the information. This type of technology allows for a radio station to be heard
nation and worldwide.
 5 Script Writing Tips and Techniques for Radio

Scriptwriting is a fundamental technique of being creative either for content production,

copywriting, or art direction. Florida International University offers a Master of Science Creative
Track in partnership with world-renowned portfolio school, Miami Ad School. If you aspire to
be a copywriter, the program is designed to hone your writing skills for various communication
styles and media such as writing for video and audio content, television and radio commercials,
and the web.

Here are a few tips to become a better writer for audio-only content.

Writing a script will allow you to control the program content, structure, and flow. If the show is
unscripted and organic, the host will have talking points as a reference. In addition to the script,
you can also play with music and sound effects.

1. Prepare an Outline

The thought of writing a 2000-word audio script may overwhelm you. Start this daunting task by
outlining. Armed with an outline, carry out your research, and prep your script.

2. Setting the Scene

Whether you are breaking a news story or telling a joke on your show, you have to remember
that your listeners don’t have the same visual aid as opposed to television or online video. Give
your listeners enough detail to set the scene.

For example, introduce shows with an “anchor intro”. It quickly sets up your show or a story by
putting it into context without going into detail or giving too much away. Listeners know what to
expect and are engaged to continue listening.

3. Make It Sound Conversational

Audio programs are at their best when they sound natural, whether they are fully scripted or not.
Ensure your grammar is concise and succinct, as it will allow you to improvise and expand on
what you have written.

Write the way you speak. A well-written script, read word by word, should be invisible to the
listener. Your script has to sound natural and relaxed. Read your script aloud or have someone do
the reading.

Can’t find humans ready to help? No problem, put your script in a text-to-speech program.
Microsoft Word has a text to speech feature. If you catch your breath in the middle of a sentence
then shorten your sentences.
If words are too hard to articulate well or their meaning could be lost to the listener, try using
simple words wherever possible. Also, take advantage of free online tools like the Hemingway
Editor to help you identify complex sentences.

4. Keep Your Scripts Clear

Write a script and try to keep it as simple as possible. Do not add unnecessary words to sentences
that will not add to what you are trying to say.

Reading from a script can sometimes make you sound a bit unnatural and you can come off stiff
and robotic. That’s a big mistake. A script should sound natural when reading aloud. A more
formal approach and style can result in an unnatural sounding and boring show.

5. Pay Attention To The Rhythm

To create rhythm and pace in your script, use long and short sentences. As a rule of thumb, short
sentences should add tension and longer sentences should be relaxed.

Whether your radio program is scripted or unscripted, with or without music or special effects, it
makes sense to plan in advance so you can produce the best content possible. Follow a well-
structured plan and script to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.