RADIO SCRIPT: FEATURES, PARTS, EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

A radio script or radio script is a text where the guidelines or annotations that will be followed during a radio broadcast are placed. This script is a tool that allows you to plan what will be discussed in the program, taking into account various elements such as advertising breaks, sounds and musical interludes.

The purpose of radio scripts is to facilitate the development of programs and serve as a guide for the broadcasters (that is, the presenters); in this way, listeners can efficiently receive the information that communicators want to convey.

It is important to note that there is no single structure to create a radio script; This happens because there are various script styles, which will depend on the type of content you want to address. For example, a script can be journalistic, musical or dramatic (radio soap operas, series, among others).

Likewise, sometimes radio presentations are based on improvisation or audience participation; this implies that the script structure is much lighter and uses an open layout.

In conclusion, the structure of a radio script is not rigorous, since it may be subject to change according to the theme or perspective that you want to give it. However, every radio script uses a series of words and is made up of some of the parts that will be discussed below.

Radio script features

- It is an organized script

A radio script works as a kind of script where the steps to be followed during the broadcast are arranged in an organized way. A script is a concise piece of writing that contains the instructions or the dialogues that will be necessary during the program.

A brief example of a script might be the following:

- Start music (20 seconds).

- Announcer's introduction: Hello! Welcome once again to today's show. My name is Eduardo López and it is March 10, 2020. We go to commercials and then we return to the most important news.

- Commercials (15 seconds).

As can be seen in this example, radio scripts contain information regarding sounds, music, the announcer's words, and even commercials and advertisements.

Radio scripts work like scripts because they organize and structure the program. Source: pixabay.com

- Avoid confusion

A radio script is characterized by avoiding possible confusion, since its organized structure allows both announcers and producers to stay focused on the program.

In other words, radio scripts make the programs run smoothly, avoiding ramblings or other inappropriate elements that make it difficult to understand what you want to transmit.

For example: if a radio program does not use a script, the announcer could stray from the topic; this would cause confusion or displeasure in listeners. Likewise, the lack of a script could cause the music to be placed at an inappropriate moment or to forget to place the commercials.

Although there are programs based on improvisation, anyway a script is always used where the general guidelines are placed.

- It is divided into three segments

Generally, radio scripts are divided into three segments or columns:

• In the first one, the time or duration of the program blocks is entered (example: "10:40 to 11:20 am" or "20 minutes").
• In the second, the activities that the technical operator will perform (such as: placing the music, sound effects, among others) are placed.
• Finally, in the third segment, the topics that the announcers will deal with are placed (example: “interview with singer Ricardo Montaner”).

Types of radio scripts

According to their content, radio scripts can be classified into:

- Dramatic

They are those radio scripts intended for artistic entertainment, which is why they are used in radio soap operas, radio plays, stories, fables and monologues.

- Journalistic

They are the most common radio scripts; Its objective is to provide important and up-to-date information to listeners on any subject (economics, politics, education, among others). They are made up of: chronicles, newsletters, interviews, reports, surveys, among others.

- Musicals

They are scripts whose objective is to promote a certain musical genre or a particular author. They are used mainly in musical debate programs or during the premieres of current artists.

Likewise, radio scripts can also be classified according to the way in which they distribute the information:

- Literary

Literary scripts are those that focus on the content that the announcers will deal with, leaving aside technical dimensions.

- Technicians

In these scripts, the main focus is on the technical elements. For this reason, verbal content is not given much importance (that is, that treated by the speakers), but rather focuses on other aspects such as sound, volume, among others.

- Technical-literary

These hyphens are a combination of the two previous types; They specify both the verbal content elements and the technical aspects.

Parts of the radio script

Radio scripts are a tool for broadcasters and producers. Source: pixabay.com

Generally, a radio script is structured as follows:

- Initial sound or tune

In this part, a set of sounds or musical notes are placed that serve as an indication that the listener is tuning in to a particular program. The tuning can be repeated several times throughout the broadcast.

- Fixed titles or mask

The mask can be defined as an extension of the tuning. The titles or credits of the program are placed there. It can be accompanied by a piece of music.

- Brief or indicative intervention

In this section the names of the announcers and the title of the program are mentioned. Likewise, it usually includes the exact date or time (if the program is being broadcast live). For example:

- Presentation or lead

In the lead, the presenter or announcer announces the topics that will be covered in the program that day.

- Sections

They are the sections in which the program will be divided. For example: first there is the political news section, then the economics section, and finally the sports or culture section.

- Wedges or sound montages

Wedges are a kind of short and sonorous montages that serve to advertise a certain product or service.

- Independent spaces or micro spaces

They are sections of the program that have independent content or approaches, which are integrated into the program. An example of a microspace could be a broadcaster's brief opinion on a current topic.

- Partitions or curtains

The curtains function as partitions between the sections. They are generally only used in shows that were previously recorded (that is, they were not broadcast live).

- Musical effects or hits

This part refers to the sounds that are placed during the broadcast of the program to accentuate a certain situation or headline. The blows are also called points.

How to make a radio script

To develop a radio script it is recommended to follow the following steps:

1- First, you must establish the idea or theme you want to develop in the broadcast, that is, what will the program be about? For example: it can be a cultural interview, an economics program, among others.

2- Subsequently, the structure of the program is established. In this step, the duration of each section, the speakers, the music… In other words, the libretto is written. Likewise, during the elaboration of this step the following must be done:

- Enter the name of the announcers.

- Establish the approximate duration of the parliaments, interactions and sections. (Example: 15 seconds of advertising, 20 minutes of interview, among others).

- Place the necessary indications for music or sound effects.

- Musical sounds must have volume indications. That is, if the music will be high or low. For example: it must be established if the music will only be a background companion or if it will be heard alone for a certain time.

Examples of radio scripts

- Example 1

Program: Curious mornings.

Announcers: Elisa Méndez and Pedro Hernández.

- Tuning (50 seconds).

- ELISA MÉNDEZ: Good morning, dear listeners. We are once again in the Curious Mornings program, to offer you the most interesting curious facts. Elisa Méndez greets you from the 95.6 FM station.

- PEDRO HERNÁNDEZ: Good morning. We remind you that today is Friday, March 21, 2020 and it is 8:30 in the morning. Welcome once again to our program. Pedro Hernández greets you.

- Curtain (10 seconds).

- ELISA MÉNDEZ: We start with the first curious fact of the morning: Did you know that our smell is as unique as our fingerprints? So is! Each person has a distinctive smell thanks to the pheromones they produce.

- Hit (three seconds).

- Example 2

Program: World News

Announcer: Eugenio Romero.

- Tuning (20 seconds).

- EUGENIO ROMERO: Good morning, dear family of 99.9 FM, Eugenio Romero speaks to you in one more broadcast of Noticias del mundo, exactly at 11:30 in the morning. Before we start with the most outstanding news of our era, we go to commercials and we return.

- Wedge (30 seconds).

- Curtain (5 seconds).

- EUGENIO ROMERO: We begin this section with the fact that candidate Joe Biden beat Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party primaries, specifically in the states of Arizona, Florida and Illinois. It will be interesting to hear Sanders' response to such an event.

- Curtain (3 seconds).

- Example 3

References

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2. Gardey, A, (2014) Radio script. Retrieved on March 21, 2020 from Definicion.de
3. Pabón, O. (sf) Know what a radio script is. Retrieved on March 21, 2020 from: EDU digital media: edudigitalmedia.com
4. SA (2010) How do I make a radio script? Retrieved on March 21, 2020 from Radialistas.net
5. SA (2015) What does a radio script look like? Retrieved on March 21, 2020 from NPR Training: training.npr.org
6. SA (2016) How to write a Radio script thats Works. Retrieved on March 21, 2020 from Radio.co
7. SA (sf) 8 tips on how to write a radio script. Retrieved on March 21, 2020 from CloudRadio: cloudrad.io
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