Books

 

 

 

Books about radio broadcasting

Books about radio broadcasting, programming, production, personality & music topics. The following radio books are resources for program directors, creative directors, radio personalities, music directors and other radio industry & media production pros. Shop below and give your book shelf more weight, and your brain cells more inspiration! Includes links to Amazon.com. [ Also look for radio movies ]

 

 

Beyond Powerful Radio

A Communicator’s Guide To The Internet Age

 

Broadcast consultant Valerie Geller talks about ways of communicating in a digital era. Beyond Powerful Radio is a sequel of Creating Powerful Radio about effectively presenting interesting content. This 2011 edition captures the essence of her previous work, but also includes chapters on marketing and promotion, sales and copywriting, research and ratings, team building and job hunting, and traditional broadcasting versus new media. Read this book

 

 

Broadcast Announcing Worktext

A Media Performance Guide

 

This book is an introduction to radio, television and online broadcast platforms from the announcer perspective. It shows how to communicate effectively through these different channels, and teaches how to develop your broadcast delivery. The authors also discuss podcasting, webradio and other forms of online announcing. Broadcast Announcing Worktext includes a CD-ROM that contains audio bits and visual examples. Read this book

 

 

Broadcast Voice Handbook

How To Polish Your On-Air Delivery

 

This voice training book has been written for broadcasters and covers basics (like how to breathe correctly) and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. It also shows how to improve resonance, articulation and intonation, and sound more warm, natural and conversational. There’s a separate chapter on how to deal with stress when being on air. Most chapters include practical exercises and tips (like how to warm up your voice before speaking). Read this book

 

 

Creating Powerful Radio

Getting, Keeping & Growing Audiences

 

Although it’s focusing on news, talk, information and personality, Creating Powerful Radio is a radio bible – followed by the new Beyond Powerful Radio. Broadcast consultant Valerie Geller explains how radio audiences listen and how to engage them (no matter where they live). Some of the topics: how to coach radio talent, interview people effectively, clarify complex stories, promote your station, and produce your show. Read this book

 

 

Essential Radio Skills

How To Present A Radio Show

 

This complete guide about how to present (and produce) a radio show is focused on the UK radio market, but includes many universal principles. From the pros & cons of radio presenting and producing to the ins & outs of radio theory and practice, this standard work covers everything between audience analyses and radio programming, voice training and interview techniques. It also explains much of the radio jargon. Read this book

 

 

Essential Radio Journalism

How To Produce And Present Radio News

 

This is a source for anyone who’s looking for a job in radio journalism or would like to develop his professional skills. Essential Radio Journalism covers the entire production and presentation of radio news. From news gathering and reporting, to writing and editing, to interviewing and presenting. Apart from that, the authors address law and ethics, and offer a user guide for technical equipment for radio journalists. Read this book

 

 

Future Radio Programming Strategies

Cultivating Listenership In The Digital Age

 

What do listeners really want from radio? David MacFarland is using research data from less usual sources to answer this. He talks about listener-friendly production and announcing styles, and little known music scheduling techniques based on audience moods. This book includes two tapes that illustrate, for example, the perception of the announcer’s distance from the listener, or the impact of vocally expressed emotions. Read this book

 

 

Howard Stern

A Biography

 

Shock Jock Howard Stern is different from any other radio personality out there. His legendary battles with the Federal Communications Commission raise a question. Rich Mintzer is asking us all: if there is a line between the constitutional freedom of speech, and responsibility and decency, where is it? Howard Stern: A Biography looks for the answer while it covers the life and career of the self-acclaimed King of all Media. Read this book

 

 

Introduction To Radio

Production & Programming

 

This work has been written in 1994, so for today’s readers it has to offer (besides timeless radio fundamentals) many historical radio pictures. Back then, we still used CDs, DAT tapes and NAB carts – digital audio storage & editing was just starting. The book covers production and programming basics, but rather for students than for professionals. Still, its historical value could still make it a nice collector’s item. Read this book

 

 

Making Radio

A Practical Guide To Working In Radio In The Digital Age

 

Making Radio is about techniques for presenting, researching, copywriting, producing, marketing and promoting radio. All for several different program formats. Author Steve Ahern also examines how radio has reinvented itself to keep up with today’s audience behaviour. He talks about Radio 2.0 skills that one should have in this digital world, including today’s hot topics: multi-platform delivery and social media marketing. Read this book

 

 

Media Programming

Strategies & Practices

 

An introduction to different techniques and strategies used in the programming industry. The book covers how content is selected, programmed, promoted and evaluated – while considering technology, financing, regulations, policies and marketing aspects. It highlights trends, such as the media concentration, cluster selling of content, and impact of digitalization. Media Programming offers a glossary of media terminology. Read this book

 

 

Modern Radio Production

Production, Programming & Performance

 

A standard work about production and programming fundamentals to increase station performance. Use of the latest technology and techniques is being combined with basics of traditional equipment and practices. Instead of focusing on theory and terminology, the approach is rather practical as the writers provide many examples. This makes Modern Radio Production a suitable textbook for introduction courses as well. Read this book

 

 

No Static

A Guide To Creative Radio Programming

 

How to build a solid and creative team that brings fun and excitement on the air, is one of the topics in No Static by Quincy McCoy. He offers leadership development exercises to help you motivate your staff to work productive and as a team. Radio programming aspects are discussed as well, such as: highlight your brand, create stronger programming, and have personable deejays – to achieve better ratings and more revenue. Read this book

 

 

Private Parts

Autobiography

 

The most notorious (and successful) jock ever reveals it all in this classic radio industry biography. The offensive language and outrageous content may not be your cup of tea, but still Howard Stern’s personal life and early career story is entertaining and inspiring. Private Parts (also see the movie) is more than the story of a self-concious nerd who becomes a media superstar. It’s also a good observation of American radio in the 1970s and 80s. Read this book

 

 

Process And Practice Of Radio Programming

 

 

This radio student textbook is based on interviews with veteran program directors and consultants. Topics include targeting listener demos, designing format clocks, developing music rotations, coaching on-air talent and marketing radio stations. Besides programming fundamentals, the work includes sections on how to deal with the FCC, record companies, and radio consultants. Many thoughts in this 1998 book are timeless. Read this book

 

 

Programming For TV, Radio & The Internet

Strategy, Development & Evaluation

 

This book is an overview on programming for three different media and starts with the history of programming. The main part covers developing formats, testing audience responses, using programming strategies, evaluating content performance and implementing schedule changes. In the book’s final chapter, broadcast programming ethics are being addressed. Radio is included, but the majority of this work is about TV. Read this book

 

 

Radio Programming

Tactics & Strategy

 

This book offers insights on translate audience behaviour into successful strategies. Key points are: the major importance of creating and fulfilling listener expectations, and programming consistency, because this beats competition inconsistency. The writer uses a lot of practical examples to get you thinking. Chapters include: creating station identity, using music & news strategically, analyzing radio ratings, and more. Read this book

 

 

RADIO The Book

For Creative, Professional Programming

 

This book offers practical advice for programming both talk and music formats. From art (programming, marketing, branding) to science (music testing, audience studies, ratings analysis). Included are forms for daily operations (PSA schedules, format clocks, etc.) and ideas for cable, satellite, and Web based programming. Last but not least, there are suggestions on how to find radio broadcasting jobs and how to negotiate with employers. Read this book

 

 

Something In The Air

Radio, Rock & The Revolution That Shaped A Generation

 

Groups like Clear Channel own many local stations and often air standard programming through automatic satellite feeds. This book is about the time before syndication and automation took over radio: the time of Alan Freed, Todd Storz, Wolfman Jack, and Hunter Hancock who paved the way for today’s radio talents. The book ends on the positive side: really local, personal radio still exists – and may come back on a larger scale. Read this book

 

 

Starting Your Career in Broadcasting

Working On And Off The Air On Radio and Television

 

This book is intended as a guide to break into broadcasting, both on air and behind the scenes. It features interviews with media personalities such as Larry King, but also station managers and their staff share stories about how they started. Chris Schneider (a sportscaster for CBS Radio) reveals what news and program directors seek in talent. He also shares tips on how to develop yourself once you’ve landed a job in radio or TV. Read this book

 

 

Television And Radio Announcing

50th Anniversary Edition

 

A guide for everyone who wants to be a radio or television presenter, featuring both basic and advanced techniques for delivering commercials, PSA’s and news, sports, and music programming. Professional announcers share experiences (about, for example, improving the personality of your voice) and there are student essays about today’s YouTube and MTV culture. The author also addresses ethical media responsibilities. Read this book

 

 

The Radio Producer’s Handbook

 

 

A practical book for producers of radio content. Topics include developing content ideas, booking celebrity guests, crafting interesting interviews, and creating great phoners. Other aspects are more internal, like how to write & pitch material, and cope with the pressure of producing a daily show. Radio personality John ‘Records’ Landecker wrote the introduction for the book (Kaempfer has been his producer for years). Read this book

 

 

The Radio Station

Broadcast, Satellite & Internet

 

A classic radio broadcasting book that is in print for 25 years now. Michael C. Keith explains who does what, when & why at a radio station. He also looks at the consequences of clustering stations and management, and new ways of content distribution for radio – such as weblogs, podcasts, and mobile multimedia devices. The book offers ideas on programming for new radio formats that evolve thanks this new digital technology. Read this book

 

 

This Business Of Radio Programming

“The Best Book On Radio Programming Ever Published!”

 

This classic radio programming book covers the history of contemporary radio, based on interviews with legendary programmers like Bill Drake and Ron Jacobs, about the birth of Top 40 and Boss Radio. There’s also an interview section with American radio personalities, such as Don Imus and Robert W. Morgan. Further, the book mentions promotional ideas from this radio era (of which some might even work again today). Read this book