Researching for television and radio

187 Pages·2002·0.982 MB·English

by  AdeМЂle Emm

Researching for
Television and Radio
Researching for Television and Radio is an essential guide to working as a
researcher in the television and radio industries. It explains the stages of pro-
gramme making, identifies the main areas of production, details the important
role of the researcher and explores key areas of the job.
Researching for Television and Radio offers practical advice and instruction on
technical, ethical and legal issues which affect researchers. Beginning with
suggestions on how to think up programme ideas and devise treatments,
through to general research methods and techniques, and guidance on filming
and recording on location and abroad, it uses real examples of good and bad
practice from the industry. Written by an experienced researcher and pro-
ducer, Researching for Radio and Televisionincludes:
• tips on finding contributors from contestants and audiences to experts and
specialists
• advice on filming, video recording and using music
• how to find photographs, pictures and film clips

• a discussion of risk assessment, codes of conduct, ethical behaviour and
safety issues
• a guide to essential directories and reference works
• a glossary of television and radio terms, further reading and a list of
helpful websites.
Adèle Emm teaches at Hopwood Hall College in Manchester. She has
worked in film-editing at the BBC, as a freelance researcher at Thames and
Tyne Tees Television, and staff researcher and producer at Granada.
Media Skills
SERIESEDITOR: RICHARDKEEBLE, CITYUNIVERSITY, LONDON
SERIESADVISERS: WYNFORDHICKSANDJENNYMCKAY
The Media Skills series provides a concise and thorough introduction to
a rapidly changing media landscape. Each book is written by media and jour-
nalism lecturers or experienced professionals and is a key resource
for a particular industry. Offering helpful advice and information and
using practical examples from print, broadcast and digital media, as well
as discussing ethical and regulatory issues, Media Skills books are essen-
tial guides for students and media professionals.
Also in this series:
English for Journalists, 2nd edition Scriptwriting for the Screen
Wynford Hicks Charlie Moritz
Writing for Journalists Interviewing for Journalists
Wynford Hicks with Sally Adams and Sally Adams, with an introduction and
Harriett Gilbert additional material by Wynford Hicks

Interviewing for Radio
Reporting for Journalists
Jim Beaman
Chris Frost
Producing for the Web
Jason Whittaker
Ethics for Journalists
Richard Keeble
Find more details of current Media Skillsbooks and forthcoming titles at
www.producing.routledge.com
Researching for
Television and Radio
Adèle Emm

LONDON AND NEW YORK
For Pasqualle
First published 2002
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2001
© 2002 Adèle Emm
All 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.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Emm, Adèle, 1953–
Researching for television and radio / Adèle Emm.
p. cm. –– (Media skills)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Television––Production and direction––Vocational guidance––Great Britain. 2.
Radio––Production and direction––Vocational guidance––Great Britain.I. Title. II.
Series.
PN1992.75 E48 2001
791.44'902'93––dc21
2001019894
ISBN 0-415-24387-4 (alk. paper)
ISBN 0-415-24388-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN 0-203-19407-1 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-19410-1 (Glassbook Format)
Contents
Acknowledgements vi
Disclaimer viii
Introduction ix
1 What is a researcher? 1
2 Ideas 11
3 General research methods 18
4 People 34
5 Pictures, photographs and film clips 67
6 Prizes, question setting, props and sets 83
7 Music and music programmes 93
8 Filming on location 106
9 Filming abroad 125
10 Radio research 136
11 A summary of legal issues 141
12 Copyright 147
Appendix 1 Guidelines 152
Appendix 2 Risk assessment and health and safety 156
Appendix 3 Organisations 158
Appendix 4 Directories 160
Appendix 5 Websites 163
Glossary 165
Index 171
Acknowledgements
BBC Television for reproducing extracts from their Producer’s Guidelines.
Broadcasting Standards Commission for reproducing extracts from their
codes.
Independent Television Commission for permission to reproduce part of their
Programme Codes.
The Radio Authority for permission to reproduce part of their Programme
Code.
The Health and Safety Executive.
Ro Barratt, producer and writer.
Shazna Begum, researcher, BBC.
Violet Berlin.
Steven Blyth, Stockport Council Elections Office.
Chris Cowey, Executive Producer, Top of the Pops, BBC.
Sharon Dean, Head of Licensing Services, MCPS.
Bob Dickinson, BBC radio producer, for helping me with Chapter 10.

Dawn Evans, Film and Television Commission, North West.
Ken Everett, Health and Safety Officer, Granada TV.
Jacquie Farnham, researcher, BBC.
Wendy Franks, Equity, for information from the Equity Television Agree-
ments 2000.
John Fleming.
Roy Greener and the Reader Admissions Office at the British Library.
Bill Kerr, Musicians Union, for helping me with Chapter 7.
ITN Archive.
Sheila McCormick, floor manager.
Luke McKernen, Head of Information, British Universities Film and Video
Council.
Glen Marks, Library Manager, Rex Features Picture Agency.
Christine Mummery, Manchester Council Education Welfare Office.
Charlotte Ross, Top of the Popsresearcher, BBC.
Acknowledgements vii
Don Trafford, TV production manager, for vetting the content of Chapters 8
and 9.
Nick Tyrrell for support, reading the hard parts of the manuscript and just
being there.
Disclaimer
A lot of care has been taken in researching this book but certain issues such as
copyright are extremely complicated. Readers should be aware that specialists
such as in-house experts or copyright lawyers should be consulted whenever
possible. The book is devised to offer advice on a number of issues but the
author and publishers cannot accept responsibility for accidents or other
health and safety issues.
Introduction
What you do as a researcher depends very much on what you make of the job,
the effort you put into it and the programme you work on. It has never been
and never will be 9 to 5, and it has never been a doddle. But it can be the
most amazing fun and it should be incredibly rewarding.
This book is designed as a handbook to point out potential pitfalls so that the
media professional is aware beforehand of anything outrageous – and expen-
sive – that might occur. It is not possible to anticipate all contingencies, but
many professionals working in the industry today have read the manuscript
and added their own helpful pointers.
The chapter titles speak for themselves. Readers are not expected to begin at
the beginning and work through, although the book can be read in this way.
The Glossary and List of Abbreviations cover more than is specifically men-
tioned in this book.
For those working in rad io, many of the challenges faced are the same as for
their television counterparts and it is common for researchers to migrate
across the media. Although Chapter 10 is specifically aimed at the radio
researcher, Chapters 2, 3, 4, 11 and 12 are also relevant, as are the Appen-
dices. The use of music is far simpler in radio so a cursory glance at Chapter 7
should suffice.
Enjoy yourself and your job.
Adèle Emm