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RADIO FEATURE:Personality Features, Features on Events

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Introduction to Broadcasting ­ MCM 411
VU
LESSON 07
RADIO FEATURE
A regular feature of radio programs is broadcasting radio features. This broadcasting product
meant giving a detailed look to subjects, which are not possible to be covered by other
programs. In radio features a production team is engaged and assigned various tasks starting
from selection of the topic to conducting research and updating it, if required before sending
things for post-production.
These features can be placed in four separate columns.
Personality Features
Perhaps the common most radio features could be placed here. At time you wish to provide a
detailed view of a person, its life achievements, living style, and contribution to the sphere of
his profession. For Instance, Dec 25 is approaching and the broadcasting house is mindful to
produce a feature on Quaid-i-Azam. A team would be set up much before that day to prepare
a feature to be aired on that date. The feature will comprise a complete profile of Quaid's life,
his thoughts, struggle, campaigns, political odds he faced, parleys he held with the Raj and
congress party, his leadership qualities, research done by various scholars and references of
books and articles written on him and with the conclusion which is relevant today. And if the
feature is on Mirza Ghalib we must be passing through a similar exercise with the only
difference that instead of political aspect, we would be emphasizing more on the literary side
of his personality, his contemporary poetry, and how he has been understood by towering
literary persons afterwards.
Features on PLACES
An interesting point in features is the introduction of new and old places to the listeners.
People are always keen in knowing about places. A radio feature comes handy in knowing so
much in a brief time about the spots one wishes, either to go for the purposes of visiting or
staying there for other reasons. Other than such places, there are spots of historical
importance people want to know about.
There may be a feature on the city of Lahore which will include its old civilization, growth,
battles, invasions, cultural transition, recent history and the living style of people. There may
be a feature on the same pattern about Peshawar and the historical Khyber Pass. A feature on
Shalimar gardens, Murree hills, Minar-e-Pakistan, Texila remains or Mohenjodaro will be of
immense interest.
Features on Events
Human life is full of events. Some events stand out distinguished for their far reaching
impressions on societies. Like the Lahore resolution on March 23, 1940. Great world wars,
and in the recent memory, 9/11. Radio feature on events would tell listeners about all the
background and the consequences on societies of these events. These events need a lot of
care and mentioning one wrong fact may spark a controversy, difficult to handle later!
And it is not just about the current situations, a radio feature could be on some historical
events like the Second World War. How it all begun and how the early events of Germany like
taking control of neighboring countries created panic among the other European nations? The
surrender of France but defiance by the British, and involvement of Russia. It would all mark
some very interesting points for the people who know very little about this mad war killing; over
six million people all around the world, not to ignore dropping of the atomic bombs by the USA,
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Introduction to Broadcasting ­ MCM 411
VU
on two cities of Japan. And the end of war when Allied forces almost after a dreaded war for
six years were able to push German forces back into their country but occupying the Germany.
There is no dearth of historical events to make a radio feature from the subcontinent. For
instance the war of liberty by the united Indian forces against the Raj of East India Company in
1857 and its failure.
Occasional Radio Features
These features come in broadcasting life once. If president of a country is visiting to an
important foreign city, especially first time, a feature would be a great help in explaining
various aspects of life there and the reasons why that city has been picked for the visit.
This area makes a large scope for the new producers who want to make radio features
because in these features there is no fear of mis-reporting a historical fact. Since more of the
facts are brought in the knowledge of listeners for the first time, a producer is in a safe position
relatively, to handle various aspects of the program. But it is always advisable to check the
facts before they are aired, for the broadcasting is irreversible ­ once a program with all its
elements has been broadcast, there is no way to cancel those points which have been mis-
reported. And even if at some later stage a correction has been made, you are never sure that
the listeners who heard the first transmission also heard the other part in which corrections
were announced.
That is not end of the road as far as producing radio features is concerned. There is much
more which could still be done in this area like doing this exercise to discuss ideas, laws, role
of parliament, primary or higher education, visits of troupes from other countries, a novel
feature film creating ripples in the cinema world etc.
But when ever a radio feature is produced it is mandatory on the producers to check the facts
twice and make sure that nothing goes against the ethics for it may invite a very strong
reaction if some thing is mentioned against the common belief of the people, where the
program is heard. Similarly, there is a need to make clear that nothing goes against the legality
of the facts to be mentioned in the feature. A good producer always makes his/her presence at
the time of editing of the program to further ensure that the final cut of the program has been
done just in accordance with the original script.
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Table of Contents:
  1. BROADCASTING:Historical Facts about Radio, Wireless and Radio
  2. CLASSIFICATION OF PROGRAMS:NEWS, Language, Sensationalizing
  3. CURRENT AFFAIRS:Talk Shows, Discussions, Seminars, Live Shows
  4. OUTDOOR BROADCASTING I:VIP Movement, Suddenly Assigned Events
  5. OUTDOOR BROADCASTING II:Pakistan Day March Past, General Elections
  6. CURTAIN RAISER:Political, Financial, Sports, Academics
  7. RADIO FEATURE:Personality Features, Features on Events
  8. MUSICAL PROGRAMS:Classical Music, Light and Film Music, Folk Music
  9. RADIO DOCUMENTARY:Narrative, Dramatized, Imagination, Close to places
  10. DISC JOCKEY:Women in Focus, Daily/ Weekly Division, Making Titles
  11. VOICE IN BROADCASTING:Speech, Accent, Loudness, Stress
  12. NOISE:Physical, Medium itself, Problem at sender’s end, Semantics
  13. STUDIO:Drama Studio, Studios for Talk Shows/ Discussions, Music Studios,
  14. RADIO DRAMA I:Stage Dramas, Early Radio Dramas, Ethics, Classification
  15. RADIO DRAMA II:Selection of director, The Playwrights, Script, Voices
  16. ADVERTISEMENT – INCOME GENERATION:Similarities, More Analysis
  17. ADVERTISERS’ APPROACH:Dramatized, Dialogue based, News
  18. FM – A NEW GENERATION IN BROADCASTING:Low Cost, The Difference
  19. MICROPHONE TO TRANSMITTER:Amplifiers, Modulator, Transmitter
  20. WRITING SCRIPT FOR RADIO BROADCAST:NEWS Script, Interviews
  21. INTERACTIVE BROADCASTING:On-line, E-mails, Interview, Views in News
  22. REVISION:CURRENT AFFAIRS, RADIO FEATURE, MUSICAL PROGRAMS
  23. HISTORY OF TELEVISION:Early History, The Black & White Images, Color Television
  24. PAKISTAN TELEVISION (PTV):The Excitement, Timing, Live Broadcast
  25. BROADCASTING LAWS:Laws in the 19th century, Press Council of Pakistan
  26. REPLICAS OF RADIO BROADCAST:The Staff, News Reading, Programming
  27. NEW SCRIPT WRITING AND DIRECTION TECHNIQUES:TV Script
  28. SETS:Permanent Sets, Hot & Cover Sets, Special Sets, Economical
  29. CAMERA SHOTS – THE VISUAL LANGUAGE:Angle Shots, Movement shots
  30. LIGHTS IN VISUAL BROADCASTING:Light Temperature, Light and Distance
  31. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR:NEWS and Interviews, Dramas and Music
  32. BROADCASTING AND MEDIA IMPERIALISM:The truth in the debate
  33. ENVIRONMENT OF TV BROADCAST:Optical Illusions, POV, Depth of Field
  34. BUDGET:First Part, Second Part, Third Part, The Sponsors
  35. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF DIFFERENT RADIO AND TV FORMATS:TV NEWS
  36. CURRENT AFFAIRS – FROM RADIO TO TV:Seminars, Interviews
  37. PRE-PRODUCTION:Brain Storming, Scripting a new program, Approval
  38. PRODUCTION & POST-PRODUCTION:Booking Shifts, Rehearsals
  39. TV ADVERTISEMENTS – MONEY WITH ENTERTAINMENT:Early Phase, Getting Spots
  40. ENIGMA OF MORE CHANNELS:The Investment, Fresh Ideas, Closure of channels
  41. ANCHORPERSON:Appearance and Confidence, Job Opportunities
  42. COMPARISON BETWEEN RADIO AND TV BROADCAST:The Difference, Script
  43. TERRESTRIAL TO SATELLITE TO CABLE TV:Cable Network, CD Channels
  44. CAREER IN BROADCASTING:Production, Direction, Lighting Director, Script Writer
  45. REVISION (LESSON 23 TO 44):Broadcasting Laws, PEMRA, Budget