With a rapid growth recently in the number and nature of television and radio stations, broadcast media has become ever more important in delivering news developments and promoting activities, events and issues.
However, while it seems a quite simple, straightforward media to handle  – after all, you might say, one needs only a few seconds of decent sound byte  – accomplishing that both for reporter and community or business leader can be extremely difficult and challenging.
As with all skills, greater success is achieved through applied coaching and – following that – through actual practice.
With comprehensive broadcast experience in both mediums in Ireland, the UK and the US, FIOS provides the kind of hands-on coaching whose lessons will stay with you – mainly because general communication theory is kept to a minimum while practical ‘doing’ exercises are maximized, in sound and TV studios on simulated and real situations followed by expert analysis and guidance.

Working with Radio and TV

The FIOS broadcast media skills program will provide community and business leaders as well as funding agency representatives with the fundamental means to master with confidence communication opportunities through the electronic media.

Such communication will create a ‘ripple effect,’ helping leaders to amplify their key messages. It will also help them attract better local and national recognition and support for the issues and activities they consider important. The training also helps officials with funding agencies perform better in highlighting their organization’s successful community support efforts and ongoing initiatives.

Goals

By the end of the course – which can vary in terms of time – each participant will have learned the fundamentals of effective broadcast communication. By understanding the needs of broadcast journalists and how mainstream radio and TV news stations operate, a significant number of community, business and funding agency leaders will have the necessary tools for stronger campaigns in the media. This will be reflected in a higher quantitative and qualitative level of media coverage – both local and national – during and following the courses. Such free accessing of radio and TV outlets for promotion is even more important in these frugal times of tight, recessionary budgets.

Structure and methods

Believing strongly in an engaging, interactive and participatory style of teaching and learning, FIOS provides a wide-range of practical activities including mock interviews, simulated press conferences as well as discussion on illustrative examples and real case broadcast scenarios as integral elements of the overall program to complement ‘how-to’ printed education hand-out materials and formal teaching methods.

The purpose is to show participants how the electronic media works and how participants can formulate and deliver specific messages with clarity and confidence and without microphone fright or camera intimidation.

Topics

* Understanding how radio and television news operations work
* Journalists’ needs: the ‘hook’ and ‘angle’
* Your role in interacting with broadcast correspondents and their programmes

* Basic rules for radio and TV interviews
* Advance preparation for such interviews
* Knowing how to handle leading questions
* Presenting your organisation/activities in a positive manner

*  Radio interviewing – phone-in and live in-studio
* TV – using the all-seeing camera for your benefit
* Specific and personal critique of radio and TV interviews
* Basic rules for organizing successful press conferences;
* Simulated press conferences with role-playing for on-camera assessment.

Please note – For TV training, mock interviews and press conferences are videotaped and then followed by detailed critique with positive reinforcement. Radio coaching exercises are conducted in sound studios.

Expectations
By the end of the broadcast coaching course, participants will be able to –
•   Understand the nature of radio and television

• Appreciate how close relations with broadcast media can benefit community awareness and business activities
•   Develop  a strong and precise database of broadcast media contacts
•   Organize successful press conferences
•   Prepare effectively and efficiently, including succinct sound bytes for radio and television
•   Take editorial control of interviews
•   Control nerves in broadcast media situations
•   Learn ‘best appearance’ techniques including body language and posture, makeup and dress
•   Be interesting, understandable and memorable.

Contact us to arrange a course tailored to your needs.