Radio and Television Programmes
Senior 6 · English (Languages)
Radio and Television Programmes
Lesson 2 of 4
30 min
Let's begin
Live radio is the most exposed form of public speech. There is no editing, a caller can say anything, and thousands are listening. In this lesson you will listen to a phone-in programme and study how a responsible presenter keeps it fair, then analyse the features of broadcast speech, and finally design a poster that persuades people to tune in.
A radio script written for this lesson; the station, presenter and callers are imagined. Read it in groups of four. As you listen, note every time the presenter does something to keep the programme fair.
PRESENTER (ALINE): Good afternoon, and welcome to Youth Line. Today's question: is social media making us better or worse at talking to each other? Lines are open. Let's go straight to Claudine in Musanze. Claudine, you're on air.
CLAUDINE: Hi Aline. Er, so, I think it's made us worse, honestly. People write things in comments they'd never, never say to your face. Last month someone in my class posted a photo of a girl with, like, a horrible caption, and she didn't come to school for a week.
ALINE: That's a painful story, and thank you for not naming anyone. So, Claudine, what should have happened?
CLAUDINE: The people who shared it should have, I don't know, stopped. Reported it. Not laughed.
ALINE: Thank you. Let's hear from Jean-Paul in Huye. Jean-Paul, good afternoon.
JEAN-PAUL: Good afternoon. I disagree with Claudine. Social media helps young people find information. And by the way, everyone knows the head teacher at my school, Mr …
ALINE: Jean-Paul, I'm going to stop you there. We can't name individuals on air or repeat claims about them that haven't been tested; that wouldn't be fair to them, and they're not here to answer. Can you make your point without the name?
JEAN-PAUL: OK, sorry. My point is that online, students can ask questions about bad decisions at school, and people listen. Before, nobody listened.
ALINE: So you're saying social media gives young people a voice they didn't have. That's an important point. Claudine said it can be used to hurt; you're saying it can be used to hold people to account. Both may be true. We have time for one more: Esther, in Kigali.
ESTHER: Hello. I think the problem isn't the app, it's the habit. On the radio, you've got rules. Online, we have to make our own rules.
ALINE: And that's a good place to stop. Three callers, three views: social media can wound, it can give a voice, and, as Esther says, the difference is the habits we bring to it. After the news, our guest will tell us what the law says about online harassment. Stay with us.
Definition
Key terms
| What Aline says | What she is doing |
|---|---|
| "Let's go straight to Claudine in Musanze. Claudine, you're on air." | Allocating the turn: naming the speaker and the place |
| "thank you for not naming anyone" | Praising responsible behaviour, so other callers copy it |
| "I'm going to stop you there. We can't name individuals …" | Interrupting firmly to prevent possible defamation, and giving the reason |
| "Can you make your point without the name?" | Letting the caller keep his argument: correcting, not silencing |
| "So you're saying …" | Reformulating, to check meaning and help listeners |
| "Both may be true." | Neutral, balanced judgement: the presenter does not take sides |
| "Three callers, three views …" | Summarising before the break |
| Feature of spontaneous speech | Example in the script | In formal writing |
|---|---|---|
| Fillers and hesitation | "Er, so", "like", "I don't know" | Removed |
| Repetition for emphasis | "they'd never, never say" | "would never say" |
| Shifting pronouns | "People write things … they'd never say to your face" | Kept consistent: "to the person's face" |
| Contractions | "it's", "can't", "you're" | Usually written out in formal texts |
| Incomplete sentences | "Reported it. Not laughed." | Full clauses: "They should have reported it instead of laughing." |
| Direct address | "Stay with us." | Rare, except in instructions and adverts |
The presenter's own lines are more planned than the callers': she uses complete sentences and clear signposts because listeners cannot see her or read back.
A poster has a few seconds to stop someone walking past. Plan it with AIDA and design it so that the eye travels from the largest words to the smallest.
| Element | Advice |
|---|---|
| Title | The programme's name, the largest text on the poster |
| Hook or tagline | A question or a short rhythmic phrase: "Your questions. Your voices. Live." |
| Content | Three short bullet points on what the listener gets, in the second person |
| Practical details | Day, time, station or channel, frequency, presenter: complete and exact |
| Call to action | An imperative: "Call in", "Tune in", "Send a text" |
Worked example
Improving a weak poster text
Weak: "There is a programme on the radio which is about farming and it is on in the mornings sometimes, it is quite interesting."
Strong: "FARM FORWARD / Better harvests start here. / ● Expert advice on seeds, soil and storage ● Market prices every week ● Your questions answered / Monday to Friday, 6.30 a.m., Radio Inkingi 98.4 FM / Tune in tomorrow!"
The strong version has a name, a hook, three benefits, exact details and a call to action, with no full sentences at all.
Warning
Practice
Sources and credits
