Radio Production Training Manual

"Some of the chief qualities that make a good radio producer are: curiosity, a love of stories, a love of meeting people and talking to them."

This radio production manual was published by BBC Media Action to inspire and instruct producers working in radio in Ethiopia. It is designed particularly for understanding how to produce pre-recorded magazine programmes, covering issues related to maternal and child health, which have high impact and provoke changes in thinking and behaviour. It was developed to be a work of reference for producers who already have some experience, and to be used as a training aid for senior producers and editors working in BBC Media Action and those working in partner broadcast stations. However, the manual can be adapted to serve other organisations and themes, both in Ethiopia and in other countries.

As explained in the manual, “[M]aking good radio programmes is not a science. Some of the best, creative ideas in media come like a brain wave - intuitively, or instinctively; some ideas come when talking to people in the rural community, some by talking to colleagues or bosses. Radio production is both an art and a craft, which improves with time and experience. This manual tries to address creative approaches, but also the craft of putting together radio programmes, which are logically structured and of technically high quality. The combination of both sides of radio production results in radio of high impact.”

The manual contains the following sections:

1. Power of the Media
2. What makes good radio
3. BBC production values
4. Finding the story
5. What is the top line?
6. Sound - rhythm of life
7. Sound - how it's used in radio
8. Sound - the impact of music
9. Interviewing - technical quality
10. Language - to communicate .
11. Interviewing - Who? What?
12. Other formats
13. Recording in the field
14. Logging what you've recorded
15. Links and intros
16. Scriptwriting
17. Script reading (presentation)
18. Studio direction/production
19. Editing in single track
20. Mixing in the multi track
21. Research
22. Glossary of broadcast terms
23. Glossary of maternal and child health (MCH) terms
24. Health quiz

At the end is an appendix with answers to exercises, a health quiz, a glossary of broadcasting terms, and an example of creative programming for a Maternal Child Health project in India.