Radio Formats INTRODUCTION Format is the basic structure of a programme. Over time, a variety of radio formats have evolved. In this chapter, we will study different formats (see Figure 5.1) involved in radio production. nTERVIEW &2) be” wi DocyoRAMA «)) = GAME SHOW (( ») TALKS DOCUMENTARY ) = \ S RADIO MAGAZINE DISCUSSION -Oio~ FIGURE 5.1 Radio Formats. 3738 Radio Programme Production DIFFERENT FORMATS OF RADIO Announcement Fi ic and simplest format in radio. It may be ey, basic ieeas Oe “You're listening to Alll India Radio, Che or stating ‘The News follows’. Announcement 1s very important in radio, compared to TV. Because, radio is an audio medium where the listeners should be kept reminded about the radio station they are tuned in to, the programme they are listening to and the name of the person i amme, etc, pethe ance like ‘This is rainbow FM, This is Preethi talking to you in ‘Listener’s Choice programme’ are very common in Radio, is, in a way, is also advertising a Radio station, That's why the channels keep Tepeating their names with frequency, with the aid of ena the radio channel and in its programmes. Hence, announcement is a basic and one of the formats of radio. The announcer keeps interacting which very much minimizes the absence of visuals. Radio Talk A talk is a typical radio format. Even though talk is the main forte of radio and radio jockeys, radio talk is the format that represents a continuous talk for a parti time period (15 minutes or 39 mins). Mostly it is 8iven by an expert on a Particular Subject. Also, the leaders of the nation ve made very wide use of the radio medium in the al © Of TV. Ra ks given by the Prominent nations of the world had Played a great role in determining the world’s history. President Franklin ‘ame the first president to understand the power of radio, He regularly Conducted “fireside chats” over the radio between 1933 ang 1945, informal talks helped ‘ies ae eu POt for his policies. Fireside chat’ woe the term Maviieas Dan a Roosevelt addressed the People on 7 ks. Wine nS World War IL radio was extensively used for giving talks, inston Churchill, the ime Mi iste of England werful Speeches to the People through Tadio, a In India too, the talk format is effect r : effective) used by the leaders. tt China ve 1962, Jawahar Lal Neha talk and appeal z hee. fami} i united the Indians in the face of cee ae seo Most essential with the audienceNews Radio Formats P39 Radio Ne’ News is one among the most important formats of radi i pecupied a special place in radio schedules throughout te neg ne Jong time. In India, till the recent growth of television, radio news play iad a key component in informing the people about the latest teppei, All India Radio had regular news followers for each of its news bullee, throughout the day. People used to tune into the radio whenever a national debacle or adventure took place. Only after the TV became « major attraction in the 1990s with various channels and with hourly news bulletins, radio news has lost its dominance in the nation. Stil, in the rural areas and for migrant labourers, radio is the major medium reachable and radio news keeps them informed of the vital issues. Radio Interview Interviews with experts or achievers are done in radio interviews. A famous sport star might be interviewed regarding his winning performance or an expert in disaster management could be interviewed on the ways to safeguard in times of earthquake. Though the visual appeal is not there, ie., the listeners are not in a position to see their favourite actor or admire a scientist—which the TV alone can give them, they can get the satisfaction of listening to them and getting to know the facts from them. Radio Vox-Pop Vox-pop is derived from the term vox-populi. The meaning of the term is ‘voice of the people’. Vox-pop is common for all the mass media. In the case of radio vox-pop, the journalists go to the street to meet the common people. Vox-pop is conducted among the people to know their opinions and reactions. Journalists go to the street, randomly select some members of the public and pose queries to them on matters of public concern. Sometimes, the vox-pop is conducted before the event and sometimes it is conducted after the event. For example, vox-pop on the national budget is conducted after the budget is presented in the parliament. The objective here is to know the reaction of the public to the annual budget of the nation. In some cases, the objective is to get the opinion Of the public to predict certain outcomes. In such an instance, vox-PoP would be conducted before the event. For example, before the start of the World Cup Cricket, vox-pop would be conducted among the public to know their predictions and create a kind of interest among the people for the tournament. Similarly, before the General Elections, the vox-pop is conducted to know the decision of the people.10 Radio Programme Production Vox-pops generally feature along with the radio news, Though j the past there have been programmes exclusively featuring voxpqp" as of now, they form part of news, news features, radio magazin” radio documentaries, etc. Vox-pops are also included in book and fig, reviews, along with the review of the critics. Running Commentary A running commentary is radio’s equivalence of TV’s live telecast, When TV medium didn’t exist, radio did very good service of bringi to people the live happenings. Sports programmes, religious functions, sworning in of the national leaders, funeral of national and international leaders, etc., were some of the events provided to people with running commentary. That is, the people giving the commentary would be present in the place of happening and would keep commenting on the event. The commentators would be quite knowledgeable in the field. For example, cricket commentaries by sports experts, commentaries of religious functions by religious people, etc. The commentaries would reach the people live and the people would derive the same level of pleasure that is attained out of television's coverage. Even today, there are people who prefer to listen to radio commentaries to know the latest score and happenings in a match. Music Traditionally, music has been occupying a very important role in radio’s different formats. All types of music, like film music, classical, western pop, western classical, etc., form a staple part of the radio stations all over the world. In India, Carnatic music and Hindustant music are promoted through the All India Radio. Right now, after commercialization of radio, film music is given the most importance by private FM channels in India. Radio Drama Radio drama could be designed for one to two hours for @ single day’s slot or it could go on continuously for weeks together iy serialized radio dramas are called ‘soap operas’ as they were originnnat sponsored by the soap companies. But ‘soap opera’ is the term fall refers melodramatic, exaggerated and unreal kind of drama. No! the serialized dramas in radio follow such a routine. There are 400" set of dramas aired in radio that are real and intend to a 3 society in positive ways. Such types of radio drama are ref ‘serial drama’.Radio Formats FP 41 Radio Documentary Documentary provides a non-fictional narrative on various topics. Great personalities, cities, history of world cup, noble laureates, and in short, anything and everything could be documented on radio. Radio Feature Like documentaries, radio features are also non-fictional accounts. In some countries, the terms radio feature and documentary are used interchangeably. The main difference is that a documentary provides an investigative and journalistic approach. When there is a dramatic or creative interpretation or effect, then it is termed ‘feature’. Docudrama Docudrama is a combination of drama and documentary. It is nothing but conveying an important message in a light and interesting way. It can be a full drama with message at the end or starting with a small drama, and then following it up with statistics and details. For example, to raise awareness of rain water harvesting, a drama depicting water scarcity can be enacted. Then the details on water, reasons behind it and the importance of rain water harvesting could be given at the end as voice-over. Combination of studio and outdoor recording would add some yariety to docudrama. Example: interviews, field trips to meet the public, etc. Phone-in Phone-in is a format that has gained immense popularity in recent times. Phone numbers are provided by the radio station and the listeners are invited to make a call to the station. The objective varies from discussing ‘a matter of public concern on phone, posing queries to the expert in the studio, posing a question to the celebrity in the studio, taking part in the game show or it could also be simply to ask for a favourite song of the listener to be broadcast. Discussion Radio discussions take place aound a topic that is current and public- oriented. For example, the importance of voting would be an apt topic for discussion during the election time. There would be a group of people who indulge in the discussion. Sometimes, the topic would be to choose between ‘yes’ or ‘no’, good or bad, etc. For example, the topic could be, ‘which is better:42% Radio Programme Production chine or voting through ballot papey? ae Bie Miscuesion takes the form of debate, with the iat divided over the two topics. There would be a moderator te _ the show. The role of the moderator is to pacify emotions and to ‘an gaps in the discussion. Nowadays, phone discussion is much pre et There would be a guest in the studio. The radio jockey would ke rs moderator The given topic would be discussed between the gue the callers. FIGURE 5.2 Radio Discussions. Game Show Radio game shows are based on music, general knowledge, sports, et Either participants are invited to the studio or they are given the phone number to be called for the purpose of game show. Sometimes, un winners are awarded with some incentive, Or the participation itse is taken as an incentive by the Participants. Situational Comedy Sitcom or situational comedy is one of the most entertaining foo of radio. The comedy Sequence is based on a particular situation. F 6 example, the situation could be based on home atmosphere, WO" in office atmosphere or an imaginary situation such se an alieNS to the earth, etc. The success of the television sit coms has reatRadio mats FP 43 the reach of the radio sit-coms, still it is popular among the die-hard radio fans. Radio Magazine A radio magazine is a combination of different radio formats such as radio feature, interviews, music, etc. Much similar to the printed magazines, radio magazine comprises of different formats in a single edition. Docudrama is derived out of documentary and drama. Similarly, formulate some new radio formats. And for each "format, draft sample program/episodes. REVIEW QUESTIONS Short Answer Questions 1. What is radio talk? . What is vox pop? . How valid are running commentaries today? Discuss. What are ‘serial drama’? ; What is the difference between radio feature and documentary? . What is docudrama? . Discuss the role of the moderator in radio discussion. - What is sit-com? eXNaueon Long Answer Questions 1. Explain the different formats in radio with suitable examples. 2. "Phone-in-programs” are the most popular among the many radio formats. Discuss.