This document provides guidance on scriptwriting conventions for radio. It discusses the purpose of scripted material to ensure all necessary content is covered. It also outlines several linguistic conventions for radio scripts, such as using abbreviations, writing out numbers, expanding acronyms, and using punctuation to guide presenters. Additional conventions covered include using formal vs. colloquial language, including jargon definitions, and phonetically spelling difficult words. The document also discusses writing for the ear, following a station's house style, using standard cues and signposting, and different genres of radio scripts like music, documentaries, speech packages, and live features.

1. Scriptwriting
for Radio

2. Introduction ….
• The purpose of scripted material is to make sure that all the
content that needs to be covered is on the script. The
variety of dialogue that is pre-scripted is ,
underestimated, particularly in music sequence
production where music track introductions and backannouncements are sometime scripted and distributed
via the internet daily to radio stations, leaving often only
a small amount of time in the middle of a link available
for the presenter to ad-lib.

3. Linguistic Conventions
• Abbreviation - An abbreviation is a shorter way to write a word or phrase. People
use abbreviations for words that they write a lot. The English Language
occasionally uses the apostrophe mark ' to show that a word is written in a
shorter way.
• E.g FM – Frequency Modulation , SFX – Sound Effects
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• Writing Numbers – In radio script writers write out numbers to make it easier for
the presenter to say them in case it is a long number and they are unable to
translate it .
• E.g 1998 - One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety Eight
• Expanding Acronyms – By expanding an acronyms in radio is so the whole
audience can understand what the presenter is talking about e.g RSPCA – Royal
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

4. More Linguistic Conventions……..
• Punctuation – By using Punctuation in radio it guides the presenter on
how to present the script.
• E.gThe ‘!’ tells the presenter that
he/she needs to present the
opening line with enthusiasm.

5. • Formal and Colloquial Language - Colloquial English is English as it is
spoken, as compared to formal English which follows all of the rules
of grammar - written English tends to be more formal than spoken.
E.g - "My old man's wheels are fully sick" which would translate to
"My Dad's car is great".
• Jargon – Jargon is like a type of shorthand between members of a
particular group of people, often words that are meaningless
outside of a certain context.
• E.g – Milatary Jargon - TD - Temporary duty , AWOL - Absent
without leave
• Phonetic Spelling of Difficult Words – This is breaking the word up so
the presenter can pronounce it properly
• E.g Ono-mato-poeia

6. Style
• Writing For The Ear – For listeners of the radio , they want to be able
to listen to the radio and keep up with what the presenter is talking
about , so this is why they ‘write for the ear’.
• E.g –
Read this out loud …….
Does it make any sense?
This is an example off Media Training
Read this out
loud…..Makes a lot
more sense , this is
writing for the ear!

7. More examples of Writing For The
Ear……
• I got this off ‘Media training’

8. • House Styles – This is the general style of the station, for example on
BBC Radio 4 there house style is proper English and quite a smart
genre to the station whereas if you went for an interview to work
there with ‘cockney-slang’ accent you probably wouldn’t get the job!
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• Standard in-and-out Cues- On radio they use in-and-out cues to inform
the audience of what song just played and who sings it, or for news
who presented the news and what time the news is on again.

9. • Signposting- This is where background music is played to set the
scene of a certain situation. Such as if there was a scene set on a
documentary in a cave with water dripping off the ceiling … a sign
post will be used in the background to create this sound.
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• Language Style- There are lots of different types of language styles , a
popular style is ‘persuasive’ which is used on a daily basis.
• This is Barack Obama’s persuasive speech ‘Change’ to Washington• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVyDi-iwuNY
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10. Recognised Genres….
• Music Scripts –
• http://www.docstoc.com/docs/24269480/Sample-radio-script
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This are the documentaries on BBC R4
• Documentary Programmes – This is a radio programme which is documenting real life for example on BBC
Radio 4 they are well known for their documentaries –
• Here’s one of the documentaries ‘ Thinking allowed , Backpacking’
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03brqlf
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11. • Speech Packages –
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• Live Feature Material- This is material which is recorded live , such as
live celebratory interviews on BBC R1 or Talk Sport Live where
football commentary is broadcasted.
• E.g – Here’s Fearne Cotton interviewing Katy B and Ellie Goulding
Live
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03bn510