Is there any 'stencil' on how to make a radio program?

Question

what needs to be in it, how the talking and the music should be balanced out, style of dialogue, any important features etc.

Answer 1

Well, stencil is an interesting word, but we call it a format and the format usually requires that we follow a "clock." The clock is also accompanied by a log that tells us where to play what.

You can be a PD! Here's how: (If you're ahead of me here, that's ok, maybe some of the other folks will find it interesting how a programmer runs his station.)

Set up a clock. Yup, just a circle with increments lined out. In your clock you put the "segments" which are made up of "elements". Elements are what makes the content of the show - in various segments. Got it so far?

OK, here's an example. Don't have to do it like this, but it may point you in the right direction: So you start at the "Top" of the hour, let's say 12 noon, (the top is straight up at 12, the bottom, is at 6 - and so on). You open with a 15" spoken introduction of your show. At 7" (we're going to use ' for minutes and " for seconds) you start the intro to the first song which is 9" total. So, by the time you finish your first 15" rap, the vocal will be just about ready to start with 1" to spare - that's called a run-up, or talk-up to the vocal. Don't "STEP ON THE VOCAL." (That's what happens when a jock mis-times it and talks after the singing starts.)

You didn't know there was math involved? Well get used to thinking in increments of 60's if you want to do radio.

Let's say that song runs 2:53 (two minutes, 53 seconds); when the song ends you're 3' into your hour and you have completed a segment that contained two elements (your rap and the song). There's 57' left in your hour. Plug in the remaining elements and segments. Whether they are talk, news, a pre-recorded element or music - or a combination, such as when you are talking over the intro to a song as we did with the first segment.

Lay out your hour to include the segments of entertainment, music, talk, news, features etc. Add the elements like intros, jingles, commercials (even pretend commercials that usually come in 15", 30" and/or 60" versions like Public Service Announcements or fake comedy commercials).

Continue until your first and any subsequent hours are complete. Now you've got a clock which is to radio what a script is to a play or TV show - or a stencil to a sign maker.

-a guy named duh