RSWB Lecture

RADIO
SCRIPTW
RITING
&
BROADCA
STING
ELIZA G.
ABELON PhD
Lecturer
Radio
-an intimate, personal medium and the listeners like to
think that the broadcaster is personally talking to them
(Alkuino, 2024)
Radio scriptwriting
- Writing for the ears of the listeners
- Should be brief, simple, and fast pacing
- Emphasizes on the human-interest angle to capture
the interest of the listeners
- The ears can only receive 160 words per minute
Advantages of the Radio
1. Fastest transmitter of news and other information
2. Can be used even in areas with no electricity
3. Production cost is less costly
4. Illiteracy is not a barrier
5. Actual reporting from the field where the news
happens is easier
Disadvantages of the Radio
1. Relies mainly on sound
2. Subjected to atmospheric interference
3. Can only have clipped news
4. News and other information are highly perishable
Principles of Radio Broadcasting
1. It is spoken.
2. It is timely.
3. It is person-to-person.
4. It is heard only once.
5. It consists of sound only.
General Guidelines on Radio Scripwtwriting
1. Know the nature of radio.
2. Write to be heard, not to be read.
3. The newscaster is heard only ONCE.
4. There is lack of immediate feedback from the audience.
5. There is a possibility of a mass audience of small
and diverse group.
General Guidelines on Radio Scriptwriting
6. Know your audience, age, gender, occupation, educational
attainment, economic status, etc.
7. Set communication objectives.
Steps in Radio Scriptwriting
Proper planning
1. Decide what gets priority. What are the emerging
issues?
2. Look at the people who will use the information.
3. Prepare a “case” proceeding after identifying the
script.
4. Include monitoring and evaluation plan.
5. Know your intended audience to help narrow the
focus.
Preparing for a Newshole
1. Planning a radio newscast actually begins earlier
long before the actual airtime. (special reports,
infomercials, teasers, bumpers, station ID and
others)
• A radio newscast is a summary of news events
read by a newscaster or produced with a
combination of reading and audio tape.
Timing the Newscast Program
• List down all the parts of the radio newscast then
rehearse the timing.
• If you are overtime or undertime, edit and
rehearse your script again.
Bumper, Teaser and Billboard
- Bumper’s function is to tell the listeners that there is a
break but that there will be some more news coming up.
Example:
“We’ll be back for more news after these reminders from our
sponsors…”
- Teaser stimulates the curiosity so that listeners will stay
tune in to hear what it’s all about.
Example:
“Walingwaling to replace sampaguita as national flower?”

- Billboard is usually heard after the news. It reminds the
listeners of what product sponsors the said news.
Example:
“This news is brought you by Dunkin Donut, and pasalubong

ng bayan.”
Final Step in Radio Scriptwriting
- Prepare it for microphone presentation
1. Type it or write it out clearly so you don’t have to
struggle to read it.
2. Lay it out on one side of the paper so that you don’t
make unnecessary noise when turning pages.
3. Double-space it so that when you read it, you will have
a space to write in any corrections that you want to make
during rehearsals.
4. End each page on a full stop (end of a sentence, or
even better, end of a paragraph) so that when you move
from one page to the next, you can do so with a natural
pause.
5. Leave wide margins so that there is room to write in
production or technical notes.
6. Number the pages clearly.
7. Indicate the source, in CAPITALS, for each part of the
program in the left-hand margin (or the right-hand
margin if you write from right to left). For example:
ANNOUNCER, MUSIC/CD, SIGNATURE, etc.
8. Identify the pre-recorded sources briefly. For example:
In the margin, write CUE IN. In the body of the script,
write “Sounds of livestock feeding”.
9. Hand-mark the script sparingly (e.g., underlining key
words or phrases, using a slash to indicate a pause) if you
feel it will help your delivery.
Things to Remember in Radio Scriptwriting
1. Double or triple space-typewrite all lines and
paragraphs.
2. Type copy in big letters so that the newscaster can
easily read it.
3. All spoken lines should be typed in big and small
letters.
4. All instructions and non-spoken lines should be typed
in big or capital letters.
5. Have a duplicate of each copy.
6. Make each sentence a paragraph.
7. Words should not be split at the end of the line or
margin.
8. Write a page number on each script.
9. End each page with a paragraph before using another
paper.
10. Make your script clean.
11. Mark “x” or cross-out erroneous word.
12. Make the script short and simple.
13. Do not use words which are hard to pronounce.
14. Don’t text-write.
15. Avoid being wordy (verbal deadwood or redundancy).
Example: united in matrimony – married
16. If possible, each sentence should not exceed 12 words.
17. Attribute the source of your story at the beginning of
the sentence.
18. Round off number to the nearest. For example, 2, 570,
000, you can say “over two million five hundred thousand”
or if it is 2, 475, 000, you can say, ‘less than two million
and five hundred thousand.”
19. Using a tape-recorded statement from interview adds
credibility to the story.
20. Length of script
10 seconds- 25 words
Structure of the Radio Broadcast Script
Date of the report
Slug
Time of the broadcast
Body
Source
Radio News Script with an Audio Insert
Speech Style
1. Pronunciation
2. Emphasis or stress
3. Inflection
4. Articulation
- good supply of air for diaphragmatic breathing
- a relaxed throat
- resonance in the head, throat, and chest
- good movement of the tongue, lips and jaw
, a radio automation software
, a radio automation software
, for audio recording and editing
• Presents needs, illustrates benefits and calls for an action to

solve some sort of problem
q Determine the target audience and choose a setting
q Define what the problem is and why the audience
should be worried about it
q Emphasize what a great value of the campaign is
q Repeat the campaign every six sentences so it will
stick into one’s mind
q Should not be more than one minute
Criteria for Judging (Overall)
QUESTIONS???
WORKSHOP
REFERENCE:
• Alkuino, G. (2024). Campus Journalism in the New Generation (pp. 243-
268) GenSan RFM (Motong) Printing Corporation, Sampalok St., General
Santos City.

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RADIO

“Walingwaling to replace sampaguita as national flower?”

“This news is brought you by Dunkin Donut, and pasalubong

, a radio automation software

, for audio recording and editing

• Presents needs, illustrates benefits and calls for an action to

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