ABSTRACT
The role of the researcher and the producer in radio is to support the radio presenter and to supply the program with content that is important and relevant to listeners. Whether a program is light or heavy in its approach, whether it has talkback elements or personality presentation, the same fundamental skills for researching and producing that program are used. Good producers have a number or sources to which they can refer to check facts and points of view. Each telephone call in the research process should deliver another angle and another point of view. When the program is on air the researcher and producer roles switch from preparation to live production. The skills for producing a live show include maintaining calm under pressure and the ability to make quick decisions and follow through. Digital radio producers will be required to edit and insert weather briefs, names of competition winners or details of interview subjects and topics.
