Produce a Program
8b2.
Prepare a program schedule for radio station “KBSA” of exactly one-half hour, including music, news, commercials, and proper station identification. Record your program on audiotape or in a digital audio format, using proper techniques.
Planning Your Program Schedule
A professional radio program is carefully timed. Every second is accounted for. Here’s a sample 30-minute schedule you can adapt:
| Time | Segment | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Station ID: “This is KBSA” | 0:10 |
| 0:10 | Welcome / show intro | 0:50 |
| 1:00 | Song #1 | 3:30 |
| 4:30 | DJ talk / song back-announce | 0:30 |
| 5:00 | Song #2 | 3:30 |
| 8:30 | Commercial break (2 ads × 0:30) | 1:00 |
| 9:30 | News update | 2:00 |
| 11:30 | Weather | 0:30 |
| 12:00 | Song #3 | 3:30 |
| 15:30 | Station ID (FCC requires ID at or near the top of each hour and half-hour) | 0:10 |
| 15:40 | DJ talk / topic segment | 1:20 |
| 17:00 | Song #4 | 3:30 |
| 20:30 | Commercial break (2 ads × 0:30) | 1:00 |
| 21:30 | Song #5 | 3:30 |
| 25:00 | Community calendar / PSA | 1:00 |
| 26:00 | Song #6 | 3:00 |
| 29:00 | Show outro / sign-off | 0:50 |
| 29:50 | Station ID | 0:10 |
0:00
- Segment
- Station ID: “This is KBSA”
- Duration
- 0:10
0:10
- Segment
- Welcome / show intro
- Duration
- 0:50
1:00
- Segment
- Song #1
- Duration
- 3:30
4:30
- Segment
- DJ talk / song back-announce
- Duration
- 0:30
5:00
- Segment
- Song #2
- Duration
- 3:30
8:30
- Segment
- Commercial break (2 ads × 0:30)
- Duration
- 1:00
9:30
- Segment
- News update
- Duration
- 2:00
11:30
- Segment
- Weather
- Duration
- 0:30
12:00
- Segment
- Song #3
- Duration
- 3:30
15:30
- Segment
- Station ID (FCC requires ID at or near the top of each hour and half-hour)
- Duration
- 0:10
15:40
- Segment
- DJ talk / topic segment
- Duration
- 1:20
17:00
- Segment
- Song #4
- Duration
- 3:30
20:30
- Segment
- Commercial break (2 ads × 0:30)
- Duration
- 1:00
21:30
- Segment
- Song #5
- Duration
- 3:30
25:00
- Segment
- Community calendar / PSA
- Duration
- 1:00
26:00
- Segment
- Song #6
- Duration
- 3:00
29:00
- Segment
- Show outro / sign-off
- Duration
- 0:50
29:50
- Segment
- Station ID
- Duration
- 0:10
Station Identification Rules
The FCC requires broadcast stations to identify with their call sign and city of license at the top of each hour and at a natural break closest to the top of each hour. For your program, include a station ID at or near the beginning and at or near the 15-minute mark.
A legal station ID sounds like: “This is KBSA, [City, State].”
Recording Tips
- Use a quiet space. Background noise ruins recordings. A closet full of clothes makes a surprisingly good improvised recording booth.
- Smartphone apps work. The Voice Memos app (iPhone) or a free recorder app (Android) produces acceptable quality.
- Speak clearly and at a consistent distance from the microphone (6–8 inches).
- Pre-record your music segments using royalty-free music or have them ready to mix in. (You can narrate around them.)
- Write a script for your news, commercials, and DJ segments. Real broadcasters use scripts — it’s not cheating, it’s professional practice.
- Time each segment with a stopwatch as you record. If your total is not exactly 30 minutes, re-record segments to adjust.