Here are some thoughts to help you make your break in radio, produce a compelling demo and write for radio like a professional. Let me know how you go forward in your journey!

Breaking into radio session

• Answering the telephones
• Spot the opportunities
• Do not give up
• Passion for radio
• Latching onto someone
• Right place at the right time, finding the place
• Relatable, tight and focus
• Know where you want to go
• Understand the nuts and bolts of the station, managing, the accounts and engineering
• Do what you say you want to do
• Connecting with listeners
• Reithian laws – educate, entertain and inform
• Local, regional, national and international
• The way we tell a story
• Independent production companies
• Research
• Think about what your going to say
• Catch people at the beginning
• Lean forward radio (radio that makes you want to keep listening)
• Wild track
• Using breaths to assist with bad edits
• Tone – right for the audience
• Content – what is in the programme
• Colour – sound effects
• Brainstorm with others
• Be interested in everyone you meet
• Make podcasts and vodcasts

Demo workshop

• Intro – good hook
• Summarise demo
• Relevant to the station
• Variety of content
• Well produced
• Contact details on cd
• 2-5 mins
• Clarity
• Put yourself in the shoes of the person that you are sending it to
• News bulletins and or montage
• Get the best part of the material
• Contact programme controllers – find out what they want to hear
• More of the presenter – not just the basics
• Do not waste time setting up the demo in the first 30 seconds
• Attention to detail
• Experience then education, try to fit on one page, make relevant to what your applying for
• Name, number and email on cd
• Name and number on mp3
• Make absolutely perfect
• Edit out links of music (do not play more than 30 seconds of music)
• Creativity – convey ideas – lively – interesting

Writing for radio

• The only creative boundary is the imagination
• The pictures are clearer on radio
• Audio colour
• The extra dimension – thought
• The orchestra
• The audience – write and speak on personal one to one basis

Radio is not just words

• Music
• Sound effects
• Voice variety
• Silence

The basics

• Plan ahead – intro needs to be concrete
• Write for speech – less proper, more friendly
• Punctuate for pace
• Include clear directions/ cues
• Write to time
• Read you script aloud
• Edit, edit and edit again

Use the listener’s mind

• Imagination
• Emotion
• Tension/ anticipation
• Repetition

News bulletins need to change, not remain the same

Audience and style – writing for target audience and house style