LO3: Codes and conventions

RADIO TALK SHOW: Where are the following positioned in your script/ why are they important based on knowledge of scripts/ target audience/ radio talk shows: 

1. Slugline 

2. Margins and breaks 

3. Presenter names 

4. Timings 

5. Dialogue 

6. Music 

7. Sound effects 

8. Jingles 

9. Interviews/ features 

10. News 

11. Adverts 

SLUG LINE

The slug line in my script is justified to the top left of the page to inform the production team of the name of the show, the presenters who are involved in the script and the location of where the recording is going to take place ie: in the studio. This is an important element of a radio script as it gives an indication of who is going to be available for part of the production and where they need to be - this is similar to the BBC radio Sheffield script I have looked at previously as they have theirs justified to the top of the page in bold writing.

PRESENTERS

The presenters names on our script are justified in a column to the left of the page, this gives an indication of which presenter is talking and how long for. This is a convention that I have seen on the BBC radio Sheffield script , they keep their presenters names in turn at the left of the script page. This makes it easy for the presenters and personnel on set to read and understand who is talking at all times , especially as the presenters take it in turns.

MARGINS AND BREAKS

I have included several margins and breaks throughout the script to clearly define where the different elements of the script for example dialogue and sound effects begin and end . This makes it easier for personnel to read and understand the script so the show can flow better. This layout will benefit all the people who use the script as they will be able to clearly define when each effect needs to be used in the queue.

MUSIC FEATURED

Music featured on the script for Sunday Sessions will be featured regularly throughout the show after jingles, adverts, competitions talking points and phone ins. These short previews of music will be played after the jingle to introduce the beginning of the song - this Is a convention I have followed closely to BBC 1Xtras Charlie Sloth show. I will use mellow songs such as 'Ezro' by Murda Musik which will prove the intention of the show to start the listeners Sunday night off with an easy listen , this is the genre of music which is likely to be played by my student target audience. Following that we will be playing new releases from Presedant T-' Fury' this will show our shows versatility within grime and the underground English music scene. Showing how we have related it back to the conventions of traditional grime radio shows , with BBC 1Xtra as the example.

Dialogue

The dialogue throughout the script has been written to suit the area from which the show is being broadcasted for example using colloquial dialect from the area and sayings which those who live in Sheffield will understand. This is justified to the right hand side of the script, this is clearly divided up by the margins and breaks as mentioned before making it easy for the personnel to read and understand. The dialogue has been written with the target audience in mind as there are occasional interjections of local dialect and phrases such as 'That’s gas, big up the Sunday session' and 'Put us on'. I included informal speech because my target audience will resinate with this speech because it's British slang my target audience use in day to day life, making for an easy listen.

Sound effects

Sound effects featured within the script are justified to their own coloumb or  in bold text and highlighted in yellow making it easy for both the production team and presenters to read and understand. This would be most valued by the sound editors as it shows them clearly when and where the effects need to be played. This is a convention I have seen in the BBC script. Examples of the sound effects we have chosen are classic DJ sample sounds when talking about a staple subject or wanting to add exaggeration to a statement or start/end of a section. These are sounds that the listener will associate with the Uk underground music scene and popular radio shows which the listeners will be familiar with such as Capital Xtra.

Timing

The timing for the script is one of the most important aspects of a script as it gives us an estimation of running time, the timecode is justified to the left hand side of the script next to the presenters names so that we have an indication of how long it is going to take for each section to be said. This helps both the presenters and production teams and has proved useful for the BBC in their scripts as it helps the team stay on track and evaluate their usage of time throughout the duration of the show.

Interviews and features

As opposed to interviews , I have included a segment within my script which gives listeners the chance to phone in to submit a piece of music they have made, this segment creates a platform for small producers to promote their music on theshow. This is a direct reflection of our target audience as the younger demographic of listeners are likely to enjoy listening to new, unique music they have not heard anywhere else. The purpose of my show is to entertain the audience and create a community, therefore by including this segment we are showing how we have taken the convention of giveaways and put our own take on it. This makes for content within the show and repeat listenership because the show gives back to the community we have made. The feature I have chose 'Ice Box' has a simple catchy name so my audience become familiar with the section quickly. This convention is seen in the BBC 1Xtra show 'Fire in the booth'. Focussing it around the Sheffield area allows us to create a niche platform to promote new Sheffield talent, this will bring in new listers because we will attract the artists  fan base.

News

I have not included a news section on my show because it was not necessary.  I felt It would take away from the music my show is heavily orientated around and would break up the flow of the show. Instead I have just included the time at the start and end of the show as this sticks to a common convention you hear in almost every BBC radio show.

Jingles

I have justified the jingles to their own column of  the script, this makes for an ideal location for the production team to read because they are bold and not easily confused with the rest of the script. This is helpful for the presenters as it serves as a form of cue for the next song or segment.  By including regular jingles we are following the conventions of a music talk show as this is something I have seen on shows of this genre such as BBC 1Xtra and Capital Xtra.