Table Of ContentMaking Radio and Podcasts
Making Radio and Podcasts is a practical guide for anyone who wants to learn how
to make successful programmes in the digital era. It examines the key roles in
audio and podcasting: announcing, presenting, research, copywriting, producing,
marketing and promotions. It also outlines what is involved in creating different
types of programmes: news and current affairs, music, talkback, comedy and
features, podcasts, as well as legal and regulatory constraints.
With contributions from industry experts, the fully updated fourth edition is
global in focus and reflects the impact of podcasts and digital radio, including
multi-platform delivery, listener databases, social media and online marketing.
It also examines how radio stations have reinvented their business models to
accommodate the rapid changes in communications and listener expectations.
This is the ideal text for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking
courses on radio, audio and podcasting, media production and digital media,
with broader appeal to professionals and practitioners in the audio industries.
S teve Ahern, OAM, has been in radio for over 40 years, working in all sectors
of the Australian radio industry. He is currently the Head of the ABU Media
Academy. Steve was previously Director of Radio at the Australian Film
Television and Radio School and also ran his own international radio and new
media training company, as well as radioinfo, a website for audio industry
broadcast professionals.
Making Radio and Podcasts
A Practical Guide to Working in Today’s
Radio and Audio Industries
4th Edition
Edited by Steve Ahern, OAM
C over image: © Getty Images
F ourth edition published 2022
b y Routledge
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a nd by Routledge
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R outledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2022 selection and editorial matter, Steve Ahern;
individual chapters, the contributors
T he right of Steve Ahern to be identified as the author of
the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual
chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A ll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publishers.
T rademark notice : Product or corporate names may be
trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
F irst edition published by Allen & Unwin 2003
T hird edition published by Allen & Unwin 2011, Routledge 2020
B ritish Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
L ibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
I SBN: 978-1-032-02070-9 (hbk)
I SBN: 978-1-032-02072-3 (pbk)
I SBN: 978-1-003-18173-6 (ebk)
D OI: 10.4324/9781003181736
T ypeset in Granjon
b y Apex CoVantage, LLC
A ccess the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9781032020723
I dedicate this book to my wife Serena and our two
children Daniel and Liam.
I also remember my dad and my uncle Cec who were
both strong examples to me in my life.
Contents
Author Page ix
List of Contributors x
Preface xv
1 History of Radio 1
Steve Ahern, Wayne Mac and Phil Charley
2 The Future of Radio Internationally 30
James Cridland
3 Making Podcasts 41
Britta Jorgensen
4 Broadcast Laws and Regulations 56
Steve Ahern and Joanna White
5 The Studio 73
Steve Ahern and Rod Pascoe
6 Radio Announcing 109
Steve Ahern, Dave Cameron, Greg Byrnes, Fyona Smith
and Dean Buchanan
7 Presentation 125
Steve Ahern and Dave Cameron
8 Interviewing 140
Jen Oldershaw and Lucienne Joy
9 Researching and Producing 158
Steve Ahern and Dan Ahern
viii Contents
10 Talkback 174
Steve Ahern, Greg Byrnes and Kevin Brumpton
11 Copywriting 188
Kevin Best
12 Audio Production 194
Phil McNab and Kevin Best
13 News 202
Russell Powell and Glenn Daniel
14 Audience Research and Promotions 221
David Rogerson
15 Radio Sales 234
David Maxwell, Pat Bryson and Brett Van Heekeren
16 Programming 247
Barry Keohane, Steve Ahern, Dave Cameron and Greg Byrnes
17 Features and Comedy 270
Ian Heydon, Tony Barrell and Steve Ahern
18 Transmission 279
Gorden Smith and Richard Palmer
Glossary 299
Index 313
Author Page
Steve Ahern has worked in the radio and audio industries for nearly four decades
and has trained hundreds of people who have helped those industries to evolve.
He is currently the Head of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union’s Media
Academy, an international training organisation headquartered in Malaysia. He
was previously the Director of Radio at Australia’s elite media university, the
Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).
Steve has consulted to broadcasters on four continents, helping their leader-
ship teams to evolve their businesses and adapt to the changing media landscape.
Through his company Ahern Media & Training (AMT Pty Ltd) he trained
broadcasters in social media strategies, mobile journalism (MOJO), smart tech-
nology and podcasting, as well as the traditional skills of presenting and produc-
ing for radio and television.
Steve founded the radio and podcast industry trade publications radioinfo.
com.au and podcastinfo.com.au and later expanded them to Asia (radioinfo.asia)
and Africa (radioinfo.africa).
During his career Steve has begun a number of media tech start-up companies
and has steered the boards of media and communications companies around the
world to commercial success. He was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in
the 2009 Queen’s Birthday honours list for his contribution to media and training.
Steve began his media career as a presenter, producer and announcer at vari-
ous commercial and community radio stations in Australia, then joined the Aus-
tralian Broadcasting Corporation where he managed radio stations in Newcastle
(2NC), Canberra (2CN) and Melbourne (3LO).
He was the founding consultant for South Africa’s National Electronic Media
Institute (NEMISA) and Afghanistan’s Nai Media Institute (NMI), and has
developed training curricula for universities and media companies in Singapore
and India.
Steve has also worked in teaching, international public relations and executive
management.
Contributors
Dan Ahern is a producer at ABC Radio. He was previously Program Director at
FBi Radio in Sydney, which increased its audience by 70 per cent during his time
at the station. At 2SERFM he was Assistant Music Director. Dan was a board
member of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia and has pre-
sented and produced programs on various community radio stations. He is a law
graduate and a musician with an EP released on the Future Classic label.
Tony Barrell was a highly respected feature and documentary producer who had
a long and successful career at ABC Radio National. Many of his specialist
feature programs won international awards for their creativity and innova-
tive subject matter. RIP, Tony.
Kevin Best is the proprietor of Lightbulb Films. He was previously an award-
winning producer and copywriter at various radio networks. He regularly
travels internationally to deliver consulting and training presentations on
high-level creative copywriting techniques.
Georgia Brown is a voice-over artist and radio presenter. She has worked as an
announcer at metro stations including 2SM Sydney, and has guest lectured in
voice-over techniques at AFTRS. Before her work in voice-over and radio
she had a successful singing career.
Kevin Brumpton is a successful freelance writer who has worked in both the
television and radio industries. He was an editorial writer for the John Laws
show and a comedy writer for Doug Mulray’s breakfast program, and has
written comedy for many television shows.
Pat Bryson is an internationally known speaker and trainer specialising in training
salespeople and managers. She has consulted stations in the United States, Can-
ada, Australia, Europe and Central Asia. Her career has included on air, salesper-
son, sales director and general management. Since opening Bryson Broadcasting
International, she has travelled extensively and has spoken at most major radio
conventions on three continents. Her bi-weekly newsletter is published in Aus-
tralia and the United States. Pat is the author of two books, A Roadmap to Success
in High Dollar Broadcast Sales and Successful Broadcast Sales: Thriving in Change.
She may be reached at www.patbryson.com or [email protected].
