RADIO FORMATS AND TERMINOLOGY

1.0 INTRODUCTION

In radio broadcast the term Programme stands for the various and properly organised sounds that the listener gets from the station through the air. The radio is generally referred to as the “blind medium” principally because the sound that emerges from this medium are consumed through the ear and not the eye as is opposed to the television, the newspaper and the magazine.
In an effort to communicate with the audience members the medium relies heavily on the use of imagery to deliver its message. The listener simply visualises as soon as he hears the message. Since the medium is meant for the ear only, words and phrases are used in such a manner that they aid in the visualisation of meanings. The terms used have to be precise, concise, cogent and concrete. They should be everyday expressions that the listener is quite familiar with.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

1. define Formats and Terminology 
2. define On–Air Recording 
3.  define Radio Hand Signals 
4.  discuss the Choice of Words and Phrases 
5.  explain Conversational Tone.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Definition of Formats

Generally, the various aspects of radio programmes are popularly known as the programme format. They include documentaries, features, magazines, discussions; phone ins, interviews, news, drama, and even sports.

All programmes that are aired on radio, to some extent, have similar formats in that they share the same characteristics. They use simple language, and are all meant for the ear and not for the eye. The listener is carried along through the use of imagery that creates reality in the minds of the listener.

In the radio version of the programme, word economy is exercised. The choices of these words, which paint the mental picture of the reported activity, are encouraged. They enable the mental picturisation of the events in the programme (Owuamalam, 2007:242).

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

1. Give a definition of radio format and terminology. 

3.2 On–Air Recording 

When the studio is on–air, it means production is going on at the moment. Lights are normally located outside the radio production room or studio.
According to Reese, Gross and Gross (2006:9), the lights are wired so that whenever the microphone in the studio is turned on, the on-air light comes on. A light outside a production studio will often indicate “recording”, other stations simply light the red light to indicate that recording is going on. In either case, a lit light be it blue or red indicates a live microphone.

By and large, good production practice dictates that when an on–air light is on, one never enters the studio and, if one is within the vicinity of the studio, one is expected to be quiet.
Inside the studio, another alert light may be put on when the microphone is turned on. As soon as the floor manager or whoever is in charge of the studio and production announces “Stand by” to alert both the artists and the studio crew in the studio that production is about to start, he intends to switch on the microphone. The floor manager should not announce his intention to start production at the wrong time, as too many “Stand bys” mar its meaning, and he would not be taken seriously by those in the studio as they may not know when actually he wants the programme started.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

1. What do you understand by the term “on–air production”? 

3.3 Radio Hand Signals

With the advent of modern technology in broadcasting, radio hand signals no longer play a major role. However, there are situations when vocal communication is not possible and hand signals become the next necessary option. For example, if an announcer and engineer happen to be working on an on–air programme from adjacent studios with a window between them, they must be able to communicate with each other. There are also times when, for instance, two announcers have to communicate in a studio, but a live microphone prevents them from doing so verbally. As a result of situations of this nature, hand signals have been employed to communicate some basic production information.

In most cases, hand signals are used to either start or stop production. A Stand-by signal, for example, is given just about to go on-air by holding one hand above the head with the palm forward.
The Stand-by signal is immediately followed by the Cue-talent signal by pointing the index finger at the artist who is supposed to go on-air.
Reese et al (2006:9) state that, the common hand signal for stopping a programme is the Cut signal, which is given by drawing the index finger across the throat in a slitting motion. This signal terminates whatever is happening at the moment and usually “kills” all live microphones and stops all recorders.

To get an announcer to give microphone level, put your hand in front of you with the palm down and use the thumb and fingers to indicate that the announcer should talk into the microphone. Furthermore, to indicate that two minutes are left in the programme, you should hold up the index and second finger of one hand in front of you. When things are moving fine, the thumb is up with clenched fists.

There are no universal hand signals. It could be found out that they may differ from station to station.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3

Why is it necessary to sometimes use hand signals in radio production?

3.4 Choice of Words and Phrases

According to Nworgu and Nwabueze (2005:170), broadcast presentation requires speed and conciseness because the broadcast programmes are usually time bound. Excesses in terms of words, sentences and phrases and their expressions should be avoided.

Sambe (2005:52), opines that what you read when you broadcast should not only be completely natural but should be like a piece of spoken speech. The good broadcaster does not read to the listener but talks to the listener. The words used should be every day words and phrases. Avoid starting construction with a subordinate clause, for example, “Following his success in Argentina, where he scored four goals for Nigeria, Kanu Nwankwo has taken his country into the African Cup quarter finals with his superb hat trick against Uganda.”
It is better to state that:

1.  “Kanu Nwankwo has taken his country into the African Cup quarter finals with his superb hat trick against Uganda. This follows his success in Argentina where he scored four goals for Nigeria”. 

Radio programmes, especially news, should be in active tense. Radio is all about something taking place, or people doing something. The active tense is also more concise than the passive tense. For example, it is better to say, “The government is taxing everyone who has a second house” rather than, “Everyone who has a second house is being taxed by the government”. Avoid acronyms as they cause more confusion. Acronyms that are internationally recognised such as the UN, USA and WHO, should be spelled out. Do not assume your listener knows or is a master at deciphering acronyms. Do not use abstract phrases. Everything you say should sound real, for example the word “biodiversity” which means ‘wildlife’.

Figures should be written in full, for examples, “1,355” instead of “one thousand three hundred and fifty-five”. Do not mix percentages with figures. And avoid giving vague quantities in a report, for example, “Some people are protesting”, or “a number of people turned down the offer”. Find out what numbers are involved and convey that information as plainly and clearly as you can.
Avoid the use of jargons for it is a language used by a group of people with a certain expertise, for example “food insecurity”, “under-nutrition” instead of “lack of food”.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4

Why does the announcer need concise and precise language in radio broadcast?

3.5 Conversational Tone

Using a conversational tone does not mean that we speak as if we were on the football pitch or at a social gathering with friends. Broadcast is a bit less formal than print writing. The goal of the radio news or programme is to tell a story to someone who knows less about what happened than you do. Use common words, but use them very well (Tuggle et al 2001:3).

Talk to the listener, but do not try to talk above his or her head. If you are fond of using certain words incorrectly but think you have been using them correctly, then think how your listener is feeling or what he or she is going through. By doing so, you have already distracted your listener momentarily and he or she may lose track of what you want him or her to listen to.
When we talk, we do not often think about the rules of grammar and sentence construction. But when we are on air, we have to think about these things because radio news flows one way only with no immediate interaction between the listener and the anchor man. The listener has nothing he can re-read to make sure he understands it. As such he is unable to ask the person speaking what he or she meant by what was just said.

Using short, simple and declarative sentences is closely related to using conversational tone. When complex sentences are used, it is very easy for our meaning to get lost in the shuffle. Also keep the subject and the verb as close to each other as possible. For example, “This morning, police arrested a suspect” is easier to follow and sounds better than “Police this morning arrested a suspect’. The listener is bound to get lost if too much information hits him or her in a short amount of time.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 5

1. Why is it more advantageous to use short simple sentences than long windy ones in radio broadcast? 

4.0 CONCLUSION

By and large, we have treated the definition of radio formats and terminology, on-air recording, radio hand signals, choice of words and phrases and the use of conversational tone in radio broadcasting. We have taken a deep look at the ability to craft language, not just use it, to tell stories in ways that will grab attention, impart information and leave the listener with the impression of having been at the event himself or herself.

5.0 SUMMARY 

The basic element in radio broadcast is, do not task the listener to work to get the information. As the writer or broadcaster, you should or it is your responsibility to do all the work, so that your listener does not have to do anything other than to listen to what you have to impart to him. If you shift the responsibility to him, he is likely going to turn to another programme that requires less effort.
In doing your job, you should be clear and concise, write like people talk and above all be very careful with the use of pronouns.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Radio programme production can be carried out without the use of hand signals. Discuss. 
2. Why are long, windy sentences unsuitable for radio broadcast? 
3. Past tenses are most suitable for radio broadcast. Discuss.