The news bulletin is the most important part of any radio station’s broadcast. It is an opportunity for the station to keep in contact with its audience and it should reflect their interests, concerns and anxieties. It should also provide a balanced mix of news and current affairs stories and, where possible, feature articles of interest to the community.
The way the news bulletin is organised is essential in ensuring its success. It should start with an interesting lead story. Then, in order of importance, it should include all the news items that your audience will want to hear. This includes weather forecasts and traffic updates. However, it is vital that these are not padded out with unnecessary information.
It is a good idea to include one or two dramatic stories in your bulletin. Headlines for these should be attractive enough to ensure that listeners will remain tuned until the end of the bulletin. The final story should be a light or humorous item. These, often called ‘tail-enders’, help to relieve the tension of a hard-news bulletin and make it more entertaining to listen to.
It is a good idea to use short music inserts between stories (sometimes known as stabs). These may be used to introduce the next story or to separate different segments of the bulletin. A special theme for the bulletin is often used at the start and the presenter should read the opening lines to the audience as part of the announcement.
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