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MUSICAL PROGRAMS:Classical Music, Light and Film Music, Folk Music

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Introduction to Broadcasting ­ MCM 411
VU
LESSON 08
MUSICAL PROGRAMS
Music is undoubtedly lifeline for any broadcasting station. You can hardly recall a radio station
devoid of music, or musical programs. The fact remains that an average radio station has
around 50 per cent of its broadcast based one way or the other on music. It is not the hallmark
of routine noncommercial programs but the commercials, the advertisements are difficult to
believe, to be made without music. For centuries music has been providing entertainment to
people in some form but with the arrival of radio in the last century, it is reaching to common
people in all its forms, and vigor. Not the youth but all the nine categories of radio listeners are
hit and influenced by musical entertainment.
To produce musical programs for radio is a real challenge to producers, but you can work with
some ease if you understand its various categories mentioned as follow:
Classical Music
Well, it is perhaps the most tedious program to produce. Although few people understand the
depth of classical musical, they know it so well that a producer can't take liberty to overlook
even a minor thing. Secondly, the people who perform in classical music are generally master
{ustads} of their skills and very touchy about so many things - from handling them to various
other arrangements in the studio. It is mandatory on a producer of classical music program to
make certain arrangements before the artists appear in the studio. For instance the producer
should be very strict about the time of recording. He/she should have completed all the
formalities like the placement of microphones, the platform for the artists, the lights inside the
studio, the compere of the program and the recording equipment must be in ready form. An
artist usually comes occupied about his/her performance and if they are made to wait long due
to very small reasons, they may get annoyed and there is a possibility that a program is not
recorded at all.
Semi - classical Music
This is relatively easier then the classical music programs. This includes production of thumry,
kafi, ghazals, etc. but still a great care is required in handling semi classical music for this type
of program provides basis for light and modern music. There is so much of recordings
available to choose from to produce a desired program according to the need of the time. If the
semi classical performers have been invited for preparation of a program, all those areas have
to be carefully watched which we have already mentioned in the production of classical music.
But the producer must understand the difference between the classical and semi classical
music and the elements which are very essential in the recording of programs, meant for the
two very important categories.
Light and Film Music
The larger part than others belong to this category of music entertainment. All day various
radio stations remain busy in airing musical programs based on this category of music. At the
same time it provides a better opportunity to the producers to involve more people in their
program by answering their letters, or airing songs of their choice or these days taking calls to
play a desired number. The film music is also a little risky area in the sense that all the songs
produced by the feature films are not up to the mark of broadcasting. In a film they may fit in
according to the context of the story but for a radio listener these songs are an independent
piece of music. In the early age of radio, there had been complaints about airing songs which
were not in keeping with the social norms of society. Consequently those songs were axed
from the list of songs which were found suitable for their inclusion in various radio programs.
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Introduction to Broadcasting ­ MCM 411
VU
Folk Music
For the folk singers the radio turned out to be a great blessing. Before radio, the fork singers
had to sing all nights in front of a limited number of people in some countryside melas and
repeat their performance every evening to be known among masses for their skill. When the
folk songs were broadcast from radio and the folk singers were invited at the radio stations to
get their numbers recorded for the purposes of broadcasting, it opened new vistas for the
performers to capture their audience and be known in a relatively short period of time for their
skill to render music.
National Songs/ Arifana Kalam/ Qawwalies
There has been a great demand in the world of music to produce national songs which have
always been very popular especially the songs sung by Madam Noor Jehan during the
September 1965 war in which Pakistan gave an appropriate answer to the Indian army which
had attacked Pakistan all of a sudden. The national songs which got popular overnight are still
cherished by the music lovers. Equally popular have been the Arifana Kalam of Sufi poets and
the Qawwalies on various subject matters. Radio's role has been very important to look after
all areas of music.
Rock, Pop ...and what not
Change in the traditional music was visible in 80s when western music started casting
shadows on the music in subcontinent. New experiments were inevitable. This led to an
introduction of rock, pop, remix, bhangra music, and album-music- a sort of free-for-all. Some
got so popular that broadcasting houses cannot overlook them. Programs, especially on FM
radios, are based generally on this stuff.
Different Recording Mood
All music programs need different recording mood, atmosphere, treatment and orchestra. The
arrangement of microphones at appropriate points perhaps keeps the technical team in the
spin till final take is done. Still it leaves much to be desired.
New Voices
Most difficult part for a producer is to introduce new voices - the voice quality, music
knowledge and the will of performers must come together to justify the launch of a new voice
in the world of music. Most producers arrange separate programs for the newcomers... but
some time down the line they have to join the main stream and appear in regular shows.
Musical Conferences
Such moots are getting popularity these days. Here, the program may last almost a week, with
a change of music categories almost every day. With the presence of audience, the job of a
producer to justify managing and airing these conferences is a real challenging job.
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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