To provide students with a foundation in radio which may serve as a common basis for the exploration of radio related issues under discussion throughout the rest of the course.
To develop understanding of the creative, practical and regulatory concepts (media law, editorial policy and
Media Ethics) and procedures involved in radio production.

Indicative Session Content

Lecture 1 : Studying Radio
Radio is a constantly changing medium. Throughout the last century, it has adapted to cultural and technological change to remain a popular and distinctive medium despite the growth of television, cinema, cable and satellite services, the ubiquity of recorded music and the internet. Radio's distinctiveness as a mass medium is that it addresses the individual. It creates a unique intimacy with its listeners who can interact with it through their imagination. It is an available, responsive and immediate medium. These are some of the issues explored in this introductory lecture.

Lecture 2 : An overview of the Production Cycle
The production cycle overview explores the production route the students will have to understand and undergo from the initial concept to realising the radio production and its delivery.

Lecture 3 : Editorial Guidelines Part 1
All radio programmes broadcast in the UK are subject to rules and regulations. In the case of the BBC, the corporation has a set of editorial guidelines which must be followed by all producers - both in-house and independent. These guidelines are kept under continual review by the BBC's Editorial Policy department, and adherence to the guidelines forms an integral part of a producer's contract. In this session, students will be taken through the main areas covered by the BBC's editorial guidelines and will learn how to ensure compliance in all stages of programme production.

Lecture 4 : Editorial Guidelines Part 2
Students will examine the other regulations which producers have to be across and which must be adhered to as part of the programme making process. The role of the regulatory body Ofcom will be examined, in relation both to the BBC and non-BBC broadcasters. Ethical questions and moral dilemmas will be explored here. Other areas covered during this session will be health and safety, and programme delivery requirements.

Lecture 5 : Media Law
From copyright to contempt and privacy to public interest, content producers need to be aware of the laws relating to programme making. This lecture will be led by an expert in the field of media law.

Lecture 6 : Editorial Decisions and Scheduling
Radio output is not just a random selection of programmes or segments but a carefully considered blend of audio designed with a particular audience in mind, in a way that will meet the audience's basic requirement for information and entertainment without switching off. Radio editors and controllers try to complement the real-life activities of the listeners with content that suits their needs and moods at a particular time of day, while at the same time providing a schedule that appears new every day and at the same time has a routine that is natural. These issues will be examined here.

Lecture 7 : Branding and Identity
Every radio station strives to achieve an identifiable style. The most obvious way a station declares its identity is through its choice of music, or lack of it, the style of its presenters and its programmes or programming. The identity of a station is also detectable in the station's jingles, its logo, the kind of competitions it runs and all its promotional material. In other words the radio station is more than just its output. It is a set of attitudes and values that constitute its brand. Radio is not just a form of information and entertainment; it is a product to be consumed by the audience. These issues will be explored during this session.

Lecture 8 : Costs and Budgeting
An introduction into the different ways in which the BBC and commercial radio stations receive their money to fulfil their editorial commitments. An insight into the disparity between sums allocated for BBC radio network stations and budgets for programmes produced in the nations and regions. An exploration of what makes some radio genres more expensive than others.

Guest Lecture - Industry Expectations

More than 20,000 people are