Radio Music Programming Course

Lesson 1 • Radio Formats and Their Audiences

Examines major format categories and the listener demographics each targets. Connects format identity to every programming decision made throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Dayparts and Listening Behaviour

Defines broadcast dayparts and explains how listener habits shift across the day. Provides the scheduling framework used in all subsequent programming chapters.

Lesson 3 • The Music Programmer's Core Responsibilities

Outlines daily, weekly, and long-term duties of a music programmer. Sets expectations for the competencies developed across the entire course.

Lesson 1 • Creating and Managing Song Categories

Explains how to group songs into rotation categories and configure category properties. Proper categorisation drives scheduling accuracy and format consistency.

Lesson 2 • Navigating the Scheduling Interface

Introduces the core workspace, menus, and toolbars common to professional scheduling software. Reduces the learning curve before students begin building actual logs.

Lesson 3 • Troubleshooting Common Scheduling Errors

Identifies frequent software errors and teaches systematic diagnostic approaches. Builds confidence in resolving issues before they affect on-air output.

Lesson 4 • Generating and Exporting Music Logs

Walks through the full log-generation process and export options for automation systems. Students produce a broadcast-ready log as a practical deliverable.

Lesson 1 • Audio Processing and Loudness Standards

Explains loudness normalisation, dynamic range, and broadcast-level audio standards. Ensures every song in the library sounds consistent on air.

Lesson 2 • Metadata Standards and Tagging

Teaches correct metadata fields and tagging protocols for broadcast databases. Accurate metadata enables precise scheduling rules and listener-facing display accuracy.

Lesson 3 • Music Licensing and Rights Compliance

Outlines broadcast performance rights, licensing bodies, and reporting obligations. Protects the station from legal and financial risk through proper compliance practices.

Lesson 4 • Library Auditing and Pruning

Provides methods for identifying outdated, duplicate, or low-performing tracks. A clean, current library improves scheduling efficiency and listener satisfaction.

Lesson 1 • Daypart and Demographic Targeting

Explains how to restrict or prioritise songs by daypart to match audience profiles. Connects rotation strategy to the listening behaviour patterns introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 2 • Managing Currents and Recurrents

Covers the lifecycle of a song from current to recurrent to gold and the rotation adjustments each stage requires. Keeps the library dynamic and format-relevant.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Music Rotation

Defines rotation theory, including turnover rates and the relationship between category size and play frequency. Provides the conceptual foundation for all rule-setting decisions.

Lesson 4 • Configuring Separation Rules

Teaches artist, title, and sound-code separation rules that prevent repetitive scheduling. Separation rules are the primary tool for maintaining perceived variety.

Lesson 1 • Reading and Interpreting Research Reports

Teaches how to read burn scores, familiarity ratings, and favour ability indices. Accurate interpretation prevents misreading data and making counterproductive changes.

Lesson 2 • Ratings Metrics and Their Meaning

Explains audience measurement metrics such as average quarter-hour, cume, and time spent listening. Links ratings performance directly to programming strategy.

Lesson 3 • Competitive Analysis and Format Positioning

Covers monitoring competitor playlists and positioning the station's music mix for differentiation. Ensures research informs strategic format identity, not just individual song decisions.

Lesson 4 • Types of Music Research

Surveys callout research, auditorium music testing, and online panel methods. Establishes the research toolkit programmers use to validate song selections.

Lesson 1 • Specialty and Niche Format Programming

Covers programming strategies for jazz, classical, gospel, and other specialty formats. Addresses unique cataloguing, rotation, and audience engagement challenges.

Lesson 2 • News-Talk and Spoken Word Music Beds

Explores the limited but critical role of music in non-music-primary formats. Covers production music libraries, music beds, and transition elements.

Lesson 3 • Country, Rock, and Urban Format Strategies

Addresses the distinct artist loyalty, subgenre complexity, and community identity of these formats. Adapts rotation and research methods to genre-specific listener expectations.

Lesson 4 • Contemporary Hit Radio Programming

Covers the high-turnover, current-heavy rotation model and tight playlist strategy of CHR. Demonstrates how format rules translate into specific clock and category configurations.

Lesson 1 • Diversity, Equity, and Representation in Playlists

Examines how playlist curation reflects and shapes cultural representation. Encourages intentional, data-informed decisions that serve diverse listener communities.

Lesson 2 • Drafting a Station Music Policy

Guides students through writing a formal music policy covering content standards, rotation rules, and approval processes. A written policy ensures consistency across all staff.

Lesson 3 • Broadcast Content Regulations

Covers regulatory requirements around indecent, obscene, and profane content in broadcast music. Ensures programmers understand legal obligations and enforcement consequences.

Lesson 4 • Payola, Plugola, and Ethical Standards

Explains the history, legal definition, and modern forms of payola and plugola in radio. Builds ethical decision-making skills to protect the programmer and station.

Lesson 1 • Portfolio Development and Demo Reels

Guides students in assembling a professional portfolio including logs, research reports, and audio samples. A strong portfolio is the primary tool for securing programming roles.

Lesson 2 • Navigating the Radio Job Market

Provides strategies for identifying opportunities, networking, and advancing within the radio industry. Prepares students to transition course skills into a professional career.

Lesson 3 • Building a Long-Term Format Strategy

Teaches how to develop a multi-quarter programming roadmap aligned with ratings goals and market conditions. Moves students from reactive scheduling to proactive strategic planning.

Lesson 4 • Measuring Programming Success

Defines key performance indicators for music programming and methods for tracking them over time. Enables data-driven accountability and continuous improvement.