At the end of each radio news day, we produced podcasts which reflected on the most topical news of the day.
Our first podcast, for South Coast Radio, sounded very scripted. We were all uneasy about going live on air without having a script in front of us, so we all made sure we each had a script.
I think that it lacked entertainment, and seemed to cram too much information in. It sounded far too regimented and we decided that in future we would improvise more, and not bombard listeners with information.
Our podcast for Talbot FM however was much more successful. We were much more confident this time, and decided to focus on just three topics. We would have a few snippets of information about the story and then a few people would discuss it. For example, Hayley was presenting, and she anchored the podcast. She introduced the story on the Brit Awards, for example, and me and Adam debated the show. Because this was ad lib, the podcast flowed much easier, was lively and was more interesting.
Both podcasts were successful because the presenter acted as an anchor and so there was a definite structure to the broadcasts. Both podcasts also included a variety of extended clips which we had gathered throughout the day, including vox pops, professional opinion and IRN sound bites. The topics we discussed in both podcasts suited the target audience; in particular the podcast for Talbot FM was aimed at younger listeners, discussing jobs and the Brit Awards. However, a weakness of the broadcasts is that we focussed too heavily on the Dorset region and neglected other areas which the radio station covers. In future, the podcast should be structured so that it appeals to all listeners.