WINOL Radio - Week 4

This was a particularly good week for WINOL Radio as we had a lot of content so were able to create three very strong podcasts.

I really enjoyed listening to this podcast. Emma has a very natural voice for radio and comes across as being very well educated on the subject, which makes her opinion seem worthwhile.
The discussion flowed nicely between Emma and Tom and felt like an actual conversation - not scripted. The fact that Tom took the role of a less informed person worked nicely as it feels like he is someone the listener can relate to.
The only small criticism I have is that there was no sound clip in this podcast, however in all honesty I don't think that I missed it on this occasion, it was still very enjoyable to listen to.

Once again The Volt has created another high quality podcast. The main thing that makes The Volt podcasts so listenable is the fact they have so much content and lots of sound clips. This really breaks up the podcast and keeps the listeners attention.
The only bit of advice I have from this week is that the stings breaking up the podcast were a little bit too harsh, so it may be worth making them a second longer so you can soften them.

This was the Travel and Adventure podcast so it is still a little bit rough and ready as it had to have a presenter lead the podcast which I felt made it seem a bit unnatural. It wasn't a particularly content heavy podcast so it acted more as a promotion/advert for Adventure and Travel, but I think that overall it worked well.

WINOL Radio - Weeks 2&3

I chose to summarise the past two weeks in one blog post as the podcasts have crossed over slightly.

 The Access Winchester podcast was uploaded on 29.10.13 but it was actually finished and ready for the 22.10.13, however due to technical issues it never got on the website.

The podcast went well but I think it would have benefited by being presented purely by the Access Winchester team as they know all about the events they're reviewing and both of them will have been to them so it will flow more naturally.

 The Absolutely podcast was a really good finished product but it took a little bit of time to get there. At first the podcast lacked structure but after some tweaking and a little bit of re-recording Megan and Katherine created a clear and natural sounding podcast. I think that now that they know the structure and how things should sound they will be able to produce their next podcast with ease.


The Volt podcast went together very quickly and sounded very professional. But because they had so much content their podcast could have been a lot longer than the three minutes and still have been very listenable.

WINOL Radio - Week 1

This week was the first week of podcasting and it went a lot better than I expected. Although we only managed to get one podcast completed by the Tuesday deadline it has set a very good template.

I was very impressed by Karina and Emma's podcast and Emma definitely has a voice for radio! There are just a few tips that could help make their next podcast even better; explain Turandot a little at the beginning. As you are discussing such a niche topic some of your listeners may not know what Turandot is, so you could have benefited from giving a brief piece of information so that they can really appreciate your review. You could also make a bit more of the opera singer, she really injected some life to the podcast and she is one of us so it would have been nice for you to have highlighted that a little. Maybe consider bringing her in for an interview sometime in the future also.

I decided to give the New Winchester Review podcasts a different bed and intro/outro than every other features podcast as I felt that you were reaching for a different target audience so needed something a little less cheesy and a little more classy.

Over all I am very pleased with how this week went and I look forward to seeing what we come up with next Tuesday.

Podcast Advice

It is still very early days so over time it is very likely things will change, but for now I am trying to keep it as simple as possible.

•   Make it timeless – The podcasts will be treated as a weekly digest. They will go up on the website on Tuesday, and stay there until the following Tuesday. This means it is incredibly important to ensure that your podcast is timeless. Your podcast needs to be as relevant on Sunday as it was when it was first put up on Tuesday.  Avoid making it too topical or too centred around current events as these will date quickly.
  
•  Keep your podcast to around 3 minutes - People get bored easily and struggle to stay focused when they are listening to one voice. The best way to keep a podcast interesting is to use sound bites and clips of interviews, as these break it up and help to refocus your audience. This also helps your attract your audience, if you advertise the fact you have an “exclusive interview” with someone, then more people will be inclined to listen to your podcast. Unfortunately none of us are as interesting as we would like to think, so unless you are Stephen Fry, try to keep your talking down to 45seconds as studies have shown that people tend to zone out after that point. Another tool you can use is having more than one presenter on the podcast, the back and forth banter and communication helps to give a podcast a bit of life. This leads me onto my next point.
  
•  Use your personality!  - Give your podcast some character. Unlike WINOL you do not have to be objective, you can be yourself and the more you put that across the more the audience will like you.
  
• Give your podcast a running order - This is a list of all of the things you intend to discuss during your podcast and it helps you to avoid lulls and stops your podcast going off on a tangent.
  
•   Make sure you don’t waffle -  Keep what you have to say to the point, people don’t care about what you had for breakfast, keep your podcast focused.
  
•  Only keep in the good bits - When you’re editing your podcast this is your opportunity to take out those rambling moments you may have had or any of those technical glitches. Use stings and beds to make your podcast as polished as you can. The more professional it sounds the better. 

The beginning of the end.

The first semester of our final year has kicked off. The second years are embracing their new roles and the third years are clinging on to what will be our final months on WINOL.

This semester I am taking the role of Political Editor and Radio Editor. As Political Editor I will be taking a step back from the weekly cycle on WINOL and try to reel in some bigger fish. So far I am feeling somewhat lost as my deadlines are now longer than a week but I'm sure I will soon get back into the swing of things. My first big interview I have set up is with UKIP member Diane James, who I'm sure all of you remember from the Eastleigh by-election. I will be reporting from Brooks Mews next Tuesday, when UKIP announce their candidates for the 2014 MEP elections. I will cover my interview with Diane James there also.

As Radio Editor I have already faced a few headaches and made the decision to cut our ties with the radio society. Unfortunately it came to the stage last semester where we couldn't depend on the existing radio station to even stream online regularly which was damaging our credibility. However this gave us the opportunity to create something entirely new and exciting, our features podcast. By utilising the use of podcasts the features team can have another platform to promote their work. We will be creating a podcast every week which will function as the features equivalent of WINOL. It is still in its very early stages of development but the basic idea is that we have a presenter who will bring in members of the features team to discuss their work, whether it be a review, fashion tips, or travelling anecdotes, there will be a place for it all. This will all be recorded "as live". It will then be refined and edited in post production to make it pretty and flamboyant enough to go on the website at a set deadline, in the same way WINOL goes "live at five". This podcast will then live on the website homepage until the following Tuesday when it will be replaced by the next show.

Tuesday Takeover

WINOL has officially kicked off its radio take over! Every Tuesday between 10am and 2pm WINOL will be producing live shows with our enthusiastic team of presenters, and news at the top of every hour.

10am- 11am Myself and Kirsty Phillips kick off the take over with a female orientated show. Every week we will be joined by Dr Fashion (Georgia Spears) to discuss the fashion do’s and don’ts of the season and she will be keeping us up to date on her search for her latest fashion victim. Our show will also be jam packed with music, chat, and gossip from all of those guilty pleasure TV programmes everyone secretly loves.

11am- 12am The Sportsweek team take over and pack their show full of their expert opinions and reports on everything that is happening in the local sports world. From football to ice hockey, this is the show to tune into for your sports fix.

2am- 2pm Harry Parkhill makes the most of our last two hours and gives you a show crammed with music, chat and a flavour of what’s coming up from the features team in the upcoming weeks. You couldn’t ask for a better soundtrack to your lunchtime.

Radio News Recap

What sets radio apart from other methods of broadcast is that it is immediate, intimate and personal.

·         Grab people’s attention immediately and focus on the main point of the story.

·         Think “Headlines”. Don’t use 10 words if 2 will do.

·         Avoid long fancy words and complicated sentences. Keep it as simple, clear and concise as you possibly can.

·         Avoid clichés and emotive language. Don’t make stories sound more dramatic than they need to be.

·         Check your grammar, check it again, and then check it one extra time because if you get it wrong it will completely alter the meaning of your story. This also applies to your sentence structure.

·         Remember your target audience. The audience we are aiming at are students at the University of Winchester, this means you can afford to be a little more informal with your choice of words and sentence structure.

·         Make sure your story can be carried by the words alone, as there is nothing else to fall back on in radio.

When producing radio it is important to keep in mind your target audience, this is organised in terms of social grade:
A (Upper Middle Class)
B (Middle Class)
C1 (Lower Middle Class)
C2 (Skilled Working Class)
D (Working Class)
E (Casual/Lowest Grade Workers)

Tips to a successful radio interview:

·         Ensure you are fully acquainted with the controls on the audio equipment and as simple as it may seem, make sure it is fully charged and is recording.

·         Microphones are sensitive so keep them still and avoid rustling paper around them. They should be held about six inches from the mouth so you shall have to forget about your love of personal space.

·         When recording don’t keep turning the equipment on and off, or pausing it, just keep it running, this will be far easier to edit.

·         At the end of the interview keep the equipment recording for a few extra seconds as this adds ambience and avoids an awkward, abrupt stop.

·          Avoid rooms with noticeable echo but also consider what sounds around you will add texture to your audio.

·         A good interview will sound like an unscripted chat, so rather than have a long list of set questions, just have a few and then have key points you want to focus on.

·         Avoid closed questions and do your research so you understand what your interviewee is saying.

Script Structure:
1 ½ line spacing.
One side of the page only (they will rustle if you turn them over)
Always typed, NEVER hand write your story or script.
Audio cuts must be written as:
NAME: Mr Blog
IN WORDS: I have always…
OUT WORDS: …can never happen
DURATION: 0’14’’


Our news bulletins will go out at 11.00am, 1.00pm, 3.00pm. They will be updated in between those hours as news comes in. We are aiming for the finished bulletin to be 90seconds long, but the absolute maximum will be 2minutes. There should be an audio cut in at least one story in the bulletin. Audio cuts can be of interviews, expert comment, press conferences etc. Or you can use vox pops, however they don’t always add much to a story so make sure they’re relevant and don’t depend on them.


We are aiming for at least 4 News stories per bulletin, 1 sports story, and a quick recap on weather.

Radio Bulletin Link

For some reason Soundcloud isn't always working on my blog, so here is the link to my radio bulletin just incase...
http://soundcloud.com/nadineforshaw/radio-bulletin-2

Radio Bulletin

Winchester police have shut down a property after a crack house closure order was approved.
The police have closed the city centre property from the public for three months after neighbours reported antisocial behaviour and blatant drug abuse.
The police are now encouraging residents with similar problems regarding antisocial behaviour to contact them.

Three pay and display parking meters are to be removed from the streets of Winchester.
The council has revealed that the meters have begun to cost more than they earn, so have proposed to replace them with a payment by phone system.
However this has been met by concerns that some people, especially the elderly, may have difficulties using the new system.
Audio Cut: Parking Changes
In Words: I hate that…
Out Words: …big advantage cause you never have coins.
Duration: 25 Seconds

Hampshire based Caracoli, has been awarded the “Best small shops in Britain 2012” in the food category.
The awards set up by the Telegraph magazine focus on the small, independent shops in Britain who are nominated by their own customers.  
Camalla Lama, a member of staff at Caracoli, stated her delight about their achievement.
Audio Cut: Caracoli Interview – Camalla Lama
In Words: Yeah we are feeling very great…
Out Words: … really different from other shops.
Duration: 16 Seconds

A Winchester schoolgirl has raised money for a new MRI scanner for the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.
11 year old Kitty Martin and friends managed to raise £131 at a cake sale in Western Primary School.
The students decided to help after a fire in the MRI unit at the hospital last December.

SOC: I’m Nadine Forshaw, there’s more at four.

Parking changes in Winchester

Three pay and display parking meters are to be removed from the streets of Winchester.

The council has revealed that the meters have begun to cost more than they earn, so have proposed to replace them with a payment by phone system.

However this has been met by concerns that some people, especially the elderly, may have difficulties using the new system.

Radio Article 1

David Cameron has offered Scotland more individual power if they vote no on the upcoming referendum.

However the Prime Minister then stated that the extent of the power would not be revealed until after the results of the referendum.

This has sparked an angry reaction by Alex Salmond, Scotland’s Pro Independence Minister, who maintains that David Cameron should make his offer clear now, so that Scotland can make an informed decision in regards to their independence.

Radio Voice Test - Audio Blog

My Audio Blog.
Apologies to those of you who cannot stand the Essex accent, just be happy that you don't have to sound like this. Hopefully, despite my stutterings, I've managed to do vaguely the right thing here!

Want to make some good radio?

When producing radio it is important to keep in mind your target audience, this is organised in terms of social grade:
A (Upper Middle Class)
B (Middle Class)
C1 (Lower Middle Class)
C2 (Skilled Working Class)
D (Working Class)
E (Casual/Lowest Grade Workers)
Tips to a successful radio interview:

·         Ensure you are fully acquainted with the controls on the audio equipment and as simple as it may seem, make sure it is fully charged and is recording.

·         Microphones are sensitive so keep them still and avoid rustling paper around them. They should be held about six inches from the mouth so you shall have to forget about your love of personal space.

·         When recording don’t keep turning the equipment on and off, or pausing it, just keep it running, this will be far easier to edit.

·         At the end of the interview keep the equipment recording for a few extra seconds as this adds ambience and avoids an awkward, abrupt stop.

·          Avoid rooms with noticeable echo but also consider what sounds around you will add texture to your audio.

·         A good interview will sound like an unscripted chat, so rather than have a long list of set questions, just have a few and then have key points you want to focus on.

·         Avoid closed questions and do your research so you understand what your interviewee is saying.

Tips to writing for radio:

·         Grab attention immediately, think headlines, grab their attention immediately.

·         Avoid long words and complicated sentence structures, don’t use ten words if two will do.

·         Avoid dangling modifiers, make sure your sentence means what you want it to mean. Just because something is clear on paper this does not necessarily mean it will be clear when said aloud.

·         Layout:
1 ½ line spacing (never hand written)
E.g. Mr Cameron has defended his position
Audio Insert-NAME: Cameron Euro Veto
IN WORDS: I have already…
OUT WORDS: …key role in Europe.
DURATION: 0.13
Also your SOC (Standard Out Cue)

The Format of Radio

Now is the time for us to begin our exciting new module, so hold on to your hats as we enter the world of radio.
The three characteristics of radio, which make it the unique form of media it is, are that it is immediate, intimate and personal.
Radio Journalism:
Headlines: A one line summary of each of the main stories which can either precede a bulletin, or stand alone.
Bulletins: Conventionally a bulletin will be two to five minutes duration and they usually begin with the headlines. They may contain a voice piece where another journalist summarises the story, this is pre-recorded and is around 20 to 30 seconds long.  There may also be a two-way with another reporter who is speaking live. Or audio cuts of interviews, press conferences, expert comment or vox pops.
News Programmes: Often begin with the headlines and/or a short bulletin. These programmes explore the top stories in further detail and include additional stories, which may be related or unrelated to the top stories. They often provide interviews either live or pre-recorded and are filled with debate, comment or commentary.
Magazine Programmes: These may be either niche or have a broad range, but generally they will have a specific remit. They are less likely to include headlines or bulletins, but they may react to the top stories of the day. Often cover issues both topical and timeless, or may use a topical example as a peg on which to hang an otherwise timeless issue. They may also include other features such as phone ins, for listener interaction.
Packages: The cue is read by the presenter, but the introduction and conclusion may be made by the reporter or participant. They can include reporter links either in the studio or at another location, interviewees, vox pops, etc. Which are then all “packaged” together.
Documentaries: These are extended packages or features which explore a specific topic or issue in much greater depth than a news or magazine programme.
Target Audiences: This is defined by age and social demographic, measured by RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research Limited). The style and format of a program will be dictated by the target audience to which the station aims its output.

Radio Article Attempt

Aimlessly wandering the hallway I couldn’t suppress the nervous feeling that had taken up residence in my stomach. It was so quiet; I couldn’t be the only person there surely… It all seemed so foreign to me. The emptiness and clinical style furniture made me feel like I was in a doctor’s waiting room. Could I really live here for a whole year? Standing in what would be my room, I tidied myself up and got changed from my crumpled travel clothes, hoping to make a good impression on whoever it was that would be filling the five other rooms. As someone who is permanently awkward, with the social skills of a chair, I was dreading the impending weeks of trying to convince people they should be friends with me. Was university really the best idea for me?

Fortunately whilst I was in the kitchen, two girls came in bright eyed and eager to introduce themselves. Unfortunately I was stood with my head in the bin, not quite the impression I had hoped to make. This happy and enthusiastic introduction gave me hope that perhaps this would work and I could belong here after all. As we chatted and gave the standard information to one another; what we’re studying, where we’re from, I discovered that I was living with a girl from my hometown, Braintree. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life. What were the chances that of all the thousands of potential flatmates, I would be living with a girl who had for the past eighteen years lived five minutes down the road from me? This was the defining moment when I felt like flat fifty two could be my home.

Unpacking my things I came to the sudden realisation of how much stuff I had, and how little shelf and cupboard space I had to fit it into. Words cannot begin to describe how excited I then became when I realised the mass of storage space under the mattress of my bed. I then came to the realisation of how lame I was for finding this mundane discovery quite so exciting. As her parting gift to me, my mum, bless her, made my bed and reorganised all of the unpacking I had done. Apparently my form of organisation has no logic, and it is impossible to deny the fact that everything is better if a mum has done it.

Although my awkwardness has not improved, whilst being at university I have developed my social skills, learned to cook, learnt much pointless yet interesting information about America from my Californian flatmate, and gained thighs of steel from the hills. So maybe with time university will kick the gawkiness out of me.