Com 240: P-2 Assignment

Radio News-Interview Program

Dr. Janet McMullen

DUE: ________________ (see calendar for date)

FORMAT OF THE PROGRAM:

• Formal Opening: (10-20 seconds) This is the PROGRAM OPENING for your show. It should be recorded or cartridge tape or disktrak. Begin with an instrumental musical theme (never use a vocal selection behind a voice over). You will
• bring it up
• establish the music
• fade it under
• do the voice over
• when voice over is completed, bring the music back up and establish it
• fade the music slowly under and out
• INFORMAL OPENING: (10 to 20 seconds) This is the EPISODE OPENING of your program, telling the audience what this particular show is going to be about. You will do this part live. Prepare your script in advance. When you hear the music begin to fade out (or see it on your VU meter), open your microphone and begin your informal opening. It should say something like, "....Hi, I'm __________, and welcome to our program. Today our guest is....."
• During the informal opening, you will want to do the following:
• identify yourself and re-identify your program
• welcome your guest
• identify your guest
• establish your guest's credibility by giving us a BRIEF introduction which establishes the guests credentials for discussing the topic at hand.

• BODY OF THE INTERVIEW: (approximately 3.5 minutes) This is the question-answer portion of your program. Have all questions prepared in advance, and be sure to prepare EXTRA ones. It is very obvious when an interviewer is Unprepared and runs out of questions. (Grades DO tend to suffer in these case.....) When you discuss your program in advance with your guest, do NOT give him/her the questions in advance. Doing so destroys the spontaneity of the of the interview.
• INFORMAL CLOSING: (10-15 seconds) This should occur when there is approximate 60 to 50 seconds remaining in the program. Prepare the same way your prepared your informal opening. This section should involve
• thanking the guest
• thanking the audience
• promoting the next program

• FORMAL CLOSING: (10-15 seconds) This is the PROGRAM closing to the show. It includes the title and identified the host with copy some what like..."This is ___________ with your host ________. Tune it tomorrow for more ....." (But not specific episode information!) When you record, produce this in exactly the reverse order that you produced the formal opening. Fade IN music on a count of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9....Establish music for a period of 3 to 5 seconds and then take in under and begin your voice over. When the VO is concluded, re-establish the music and hold it for another 15 to 20 seconds or however much time is remaining on your 70-second cart less 5 seconds. This allows you to have a little "pad" incase you conclude your program a few seconds too early. You don't want to bump the music right up against the first cut on your cart or you will get a "whoop" sound at the beginning of that cut. Watch the clock and time what you record.

When you get into the studio:

• Turn down the program monitor
• Place your cart in the cart machine (it should have been cued earlier)
• Check your levels
• Return your program monitor to the proper position
• NOTE THE TIME YOU WILL BEGIN AND END and write it down!!! (Students frequently become confused and run long or short and their grades suffer.)
• Provide proper hand signals during the sacred minute
• Begin recording and say your name at - 15 seconds to air
• Be sure you get on the air within a minute and 30 seconds after you get in the studio. You don't have a lot of extra time!
• Make sure the cart is keyed and start it at the appropriate time. If the level has been pre-set, all you have to do is start the cart. It will stop and cue itself for the next cut automatically.
• When the music fades, open YOUR mic and begin talking (remember, you will no longer be able to hear the cart because of the muting system).
• As you do your informal introduction, open your guest mic.
• Begin the interview. Be SURE to stay on mic and watch the clock and watch levels.
• WATCH your time. (Your guest can see the clock more easily than you can in our studio, so he or she may give you a one-minute hand signal when the program has only a minute left.)
• Close the guest mic as soon as the last question is answered.
• As you begin your last sentence, start the cart. When the card fades up, close your mic. Look at the CLOCK and keep your hand on the card fader. Fade the cart out on time and pause the recorder.

Materials which go to the instructor:

• A typed list of questions in the order of presentation or an outline of topics to be covered. (Follow-up questions need not be included. This is to give the instructor an idea of your pre-program preparation.)
• Script for opening and closing

Don't forget your hand signals.

• Don't ask the toughest question first. You can antagonize your guest and make them not as relaxed as they might be. It's better to ask an easier, less controversial at first. Build toward the controversial question and you'll get better results.
• Interviews should be like a discussion not an interrogation. Both parties should be relaxed, and follow-up questions are important to clarify the issues. THINK about what is being said. LISTEN and respond accordingly. NEVER just merely read a list questions.
• Be careful about your style. If you're too low-key or serious, your guest is likely to adopt that style. The result could be deadeningly boring. While you don't want to be flip or silly, a friendly, relaxed style is important and it's a good thing when the guest adopts that style as well.
• Don't try to be someone else - even Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace or Barbara Walters. They are who they are; YOU are who you are. While you may learn from them, trying ti BE them comes across as fake and insincere. You listeners won't take you seriously, won't trust you, and make even think you are foolish.
• Don't use vocalized pauses!! You don't have to say "uh huh," "I see," or "okay" to let your guest know you're paying attention. Those habits may not be noticeable in person but are maddeningly irritating on radio or tv.
• Don't constant repeat what the guest says......We heard it already.
• Don't try to get the guest to agree with you. You're an interviewer not an interrogator.
• Don't ask "yes and no" questions unless you want a very short and boring interview. Instead, ask open-ended questions which necessitate a more extensive answer.
• Don't ask compound questions; keep it simple.
• Don't try to hog the show and take attention away from your guest. It's inhospitable and impolite, and makes you look small.
• If the guest gives you an unclear answer, try to rephrase your question and maybe you'll get a better answer. If you still don't get an answer, try again.
• Know your guest and enjoy the interview. If you don't act like you're having a good time, your audience sure won't have one and they won't stick around long enough to see if that changes.

There are lots more tips for good interviews, and we'll talk about some of them in class. Be sure your notes are clear and thorough!

Copyright, 2000

Dr. Janet McMullen

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