Mass media in the Philippines, with its oligarchic and

liberal nature has evolved along the fusion of

principles and theories of Western (American and
European) traditions of liberal ethics and practices.
The task of effectively delivering messages
(information and entertainment) is over and above
practitioners and individual personalities.
Everybody in the media industry is a slave to such
ethics and practices indeed.

 Filipino radio broadcasters schooled in the western

tradition but faced with unique local context have

institutionalized ethical principles and discipline on
time observed through the years
Late submissions of scripts, materials, execution,
preparation, among many others, are met with
stringent sanctions----------suspension or job loss!
Power holders in the radio industry put primary
emphasis on urgency through live on the spot
coverage or intermittent flash reports of days
news.

Academic institutions teaching radio production must therefore

reflect such realities in the industry.
No student should pass courses on media production
without strictly understanding the value of time.
In media, TIME IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN GOLD
Newsworthy events neglected by undisciplined broadcasters
are profits lost for an enterprising broadcasting company.
Death is the only reason a broadcaster can explain his/her
tardiness or absence. NO REASON IS REASONABLE FOR
ABSENCE OR TARDINESS IN MEDIA PRODUCTION
In class, mentors must subject tardiness and absence as
misbehavior getting conditioned or failed mark!

 Cue needed soundtracks 3-5 seconds before

the target sound

Based on its sequence in the script, record
soundtracks alternately in two disks (e.g. MSC 1
in CD1 and MSC 2 in CD 2). Back-up these in
at least another pair/s of disks.
Rehearse, record, and wisely revise script, at
least five times before actual prod with all
needed materials, complete cast and crew.

 Manual SFX and soundtracks must be placed

and sequenced as they appear in the script.

Prepare them without inviting accidents such as
choking and electric shocks.
Always remind everyone of their major roles and
additional tasks.
Begin and end rehearsals on time using hand
signals and cue cards rather than loud shouts
and nonsense laughs.

 Wise revisions of the script means minor touches during

rehearsals and major modifications after group

brainstorming sessions.
Retain the 5Ws and 1H of news and information scripts.
Retain the creative elements of narrative scripts (normal
conditions, problem-conflict, heightening of the problem
until the climax, resolution and reversals). All creative
revisions should retain such elements whether it goes for
compression or expansion.
Directions should be well-thought and planned as one
re/writes the script. Poor timing are partly due to nonsense arrangements and transitions of soundtracks.

 In a group of more or less 8-10 members, 5 will do the

role of the production crew and cast, the remaining 3-5

will be ADs to maintain the IDEAL LEARNING AND
COMMUNICATION FLOW in class.
As the production crew does the exercise, the ADs will
prepare the critique of the performance. Other class
members uninvolved may prepare their critique as well.
Other than the instruction from the professor, all
communication once the activity begins should be done
in hand or cue-card signals.
SANCTIONS WILL BE STRICTLY OBSERVED.

 During production examinations, reflecting the actual

radio-airing of a produced material, the professor will

determine the group grade------EVERYONE GETS THE
SAME GRADE. Reasonably, the group deserves the
freedom to assign roles to capable and excellent
members.
The logic for group grade comes from the fact that in real
radio programming, actual airing or productions are done
only once. Success or failure, it happens only once.

 Oral examinations will be graded individually.

Questions will be based on the experiences learned,

principles applied, and theories understood by students

from lectures, discussions, and production exercises.
Moreover, a special emphasis will be given to students
awareness of the actual production conditions reflected
by realistic radio programs in major station------DZMM,
DZBB, DZRH, AND OTHER REIGNING FM RADIO
STATIONS.
Students are thus advised to voluntarily research or fulfill
assigned interviews of the reigning production practices
in the industry.

 Radio news is technically less complicated but demands

accurate content and requires the in-depth practice of

broadcast journalism
Radio news greatest challenges are in the gathering of
the news content, writing it into an effective script and
airing it on time.
Poor stingers and wrong choices of theme/signature
MSC/SFX may prove news program ineffective though.

 Live radio prod requires spontaneity while recorded ones

requires further creativity

Radio news and musical programming are mostly done
live while narrative programs are usually recorded.
Production crew and talents for live prod are required to
be flexible and spontaneous while the well-rehearsed
nature of recorded narrative are well-written and
performed following brevity and well chosen wordcontent that warrants replaying.
In the radio, all productions aired are recorded anyway

 Stingers should be produced from the combined music,

SFX and voice that mentions the slogan, program title, or

the popular name of a radio news anchor
Stingers must sound striking, provoking, and stimulating.
Theme or signature music/SFX are supposed to reflect
the urgency and compelling nature of radio news and
public affairs program. As BG, it must be lively and worth
ones attention and memory.

 In a group of 8-10 members, formulate a proposal plan

of a radio news program with complete parts as

rationale, objective, conceptual strategy/method, airtime,
budget, etc.
Submit a recorded stinger (3-5 seconder) and a theme
music/SFX (30-seconder or 1-minuter)
Proposal should be defended and critiqued in class
Stinger and theme music/SFX will be evaluated as to its
relevance to the proposal and its technical and creative
aspects.

 In a group of 8-10 members, conceptualize

A) a 30-seconder ad-commercial about an existing

product exclusively assigned by the mentor and;
B) a one-minute flash-report/newsbreak which details
will be given a few minutes before the production.
Group members must have different concept,
strategies, format, and genre for the ad.
Both ad and flash-report/newsbreak must use distinct
and different BGM and SFX.
Entire production ends at exactly one minute and thirty
seconds.