How to write programme descriptions for Radio 4

1. How to write programme descriptions for Radio 4

2. How to write drama programme descriptions for Radio 4 • Things to remember • Everything in your descriptions can be seen by the public (7 days before TX) including formatting and CAPITALS. • The audience only ever see (a) the programme title and (b) one of your 3 programme descriptions. They need to be self–standing texts. • Descriptions need to sell your programme – so remember to include presenter, writer and/or talent if relevant. • The programme description will remain on the Radio 4 website and will generate the metadata to enable people to search for your programme.

3. Who reads your descriptions • MC&A – information for press release • Red Bee – Press (RT & PA) – listings etc • Red Bee – PIPS – iPlayer and web • Red Bee – EPGs

4. DeadlinesPrint (RT & Press Association) • To hit the print deadline for Radio Times you need your title and descriptions entered and approved in Proteus by at least 3 weeks before transmission. • To be exact - because Radio Times compiles a whole week at a time - you need to have them entered and approved in Proteus by the Tuesday of the week 3 weeks before transmission. • Press outlets are open to updates until the online deadline opens up.

5. Deadlines • Promotion deadline (including trails) Five Weeks prior to tx. (For a short series eg Book of the Week, if you do not have the information for each episode at this point just fill in the first form. But make sure you make amendments/ add info for all the episodes to meet the print deadline 2 weeks later.

6. DeadlinesOnline - EPGs, Digital Platforms, websites • The publishing day for EPG and online is 8 days before transmission. • Anything entered into Proteus and approved before that date will be sent to EPGs and online. • Digital platforms are updated continuously untilone week after TX. Publishing delays mean it takes up to three hours before a change in Proteus appears on a webpage.

7. Writing Programme Descriptions • STOPthinking promo notes, billings and trails… Now you need to supply programme descriptions of 3 different lengths. • You might find it easier to write the medium description first. Then sub it down to form the short description. • Add more detail and the producer’s name for the long description (plus cast list and music details if required).

8. Programme descriptionsShort description (90) • Appears next to the title on 'lists' of programmes such as EPGs. • A pithy summary of your programme. It needs to sell it to listeners so include talent / writers / presenters if relevant. • It should describe the episode only. • Don’t just put the subtitle/episode title as your short description.

9. Short Description - 'lists' of programmes

10. Programme descriptionsMedium description(180) • Provides information for people listening through their TVs or the “pop out” iPlayer. • Expand on the short description - include the same key information and add detail. • Include the presenter’s name (but not the producer’s name)

11. Medium Description – iPlayer console

12. Programme descriptionsLong description (1800) • Appears unedited on the Radio 4 website and is used for press information and trails. • Despite the name, it doesn’t need to be long – it just needs to provide more detail. Think of it as like a book blurb without the hype. For books and dramas avoid plot spoilers. • It is self-standing so include the same information as in the medium description. (You can just start with the medium description and then add another paragraph giving more detail) • Aim for an information-rich description of the themes / people / places / stories your programme is about. And provide more detail about talent/writers if relevant. • Use short sentences and avoid too many commas. Remember it is web/print copy not a radio script so write appropriately. Don’t copy and paste the top of your script or the original proposal summary.

13. Programme descriptionsLong description • No Spoilers! - don't give away the plot. • For series – for the first episode include a series description as well as an episode specific description. For the remaining episodes just include episode-specific information, add series info if that would help with the context. • For dramas include your cast list & possibly music details. • If you want to include a producer/director credit end with the producer's name as follows: Producer: (name) • Check your descriptions before submitting. Spelling errors/misspelt names will look embarrassing on the website.

14. Programme descriptionsLong description - iPlayer

15. Programme descriptionsLong description - /programmes

16. General Formatting AdviceCast Lists • Cast Lists should be laid out as follows: • Character Name ….. Actor Name (Name, space, five dots, space, Name) • Jill Archer ..... Patricia Greene Kenton Archer ..... Richard AttleeDavid Archer ..... Timothy Bentinck • If you want other credits to be published place them under the cast list and lay them out as shown below: Incidental music: composed by Steve Faux. Written by Caroline HarringtonDirected by Rosemary Watts Producer: Julia DurbinEditor: Vanessa Whitburn

17. General Formatting AdviceCast Lists example

18. General Formatting AdviceParagraphs • Separate your paragraphs with TWO line spaces (so there's a blank line between paragraphs on the website).

19. Paragraphs example (no spaces) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s50lz

20. Paragraphs example (spaces) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rz5vt

21. General Formatting AdviceCAPITAL LETTERS • Never use CAPITAL LETTERS for emphasis. • We find it harder to read capital letters as they have less distinctive features than lower case letters. • When writers put important info in capitals we tend to skip it.

22. General Formatting AdviceCAPITAL LETTERS

23. General Formatting AdviceCharacters • Don’t use accents or foreign characters, as some platforms can’t display them. Use the nearest English equivalent. For example, use e instead of é.

24. Don’ts • Don’t make your long description too long • The marketing team only need c.200 words which accurately describe your programme; anything more is a waste of effort on your part.

25. Too long

26. Don’ts • Don’t put your brand title (e.g. Book of the Week) in the long description. It will automatically be provided to all platforms by Proteus.

27. Things to remember • Don't repeat the 'Brand' title in the episode/series title

28. Don’ts • Don’t enter the programme TX details in the long description e.g. day, date, repeat, or time – this information is provided automatically. • Join us this afternoon at two fifteen for our afternoon play • (rpt)

29. Don’ts • Don’t include time-specific references • next month • this week • Next week will look at … • It won’t make sense on the website. Especially post TX, and when the page becomes an archive page.

30. Don’ts • Don’t include references to episode numbers • In this final episode, we witness gunshots … • In five episodes for … • In show 1 of 4: … • Part 2: the shocking truth … • The episode number and total are already published on the webpage under More Details. Also, where no text based title is available Red Bee will assign a default episode title, e.g. Episode 1.

31. Don’ts • Don’t use these words in your long description. • PROMO NOTE • NOTES • DESCRIPTION • BILLINGS • These terms mean nothing to the audience.

32. Episode titles • Production Users can now edit the public-facing programme title via the Episode Title field in Proteus.

33. Episode titles • The episode title no longer needs to be in the programme description.

34. To edit the Episode Title log on to Proteus as normal, find the episode you want to edit, click on ‘Core Details’ and then click on the ‘Edit’ button: Fill in the Episode Title and click on ‘Save’. Editing episode titles

35. Episode titles & Google A good Episode Title adds another layer of information. Anyone searching Google for a guest or subject will be much more likely to find your programme if you include the subject or guest’s name in the Episode Title than if you only have it in the description.

36. Episode titles & Google

37. Episode titles & Google

38. Episode titles & Google

39. Episode titles & Google

40. No episode title? If you don't edit the Episode Title either the TX date (05/05/2010) or the episode number (Episode 3) will appear. If that's what you want you don't have to enter an Episode Title at all.

41. No episode title = Episode 1(A series with total number of episodes broadcast)

42. No episode title = TX Date(An ongoing Brand - without a total number of episodes)

43. Things to remember Consider your potential audience • What will they be searching for? • What would make them want to listen to your show? • Get those words into the title.

44. Consider your potential audience(example)

45. Consider your potential audience(example)

46. Things to remember Be as short as possible • Be as short as possible – the Episode Title will appear on a number of different platforms, some of which will cut off after 34 characters. Let your short, medium and long Programme Descriptions cover the detail.

47. Things to remember Be consistent • Either edit all your programme titles consistently, or only edit the Episode Title when you want a particular episode to really stand out from the rest.

48. Consistent episode titles example

49. Stand out episode title example

50. Things to remember • Anything longer than 34 characters will be cut short on some platforms