The first thing most community broadcasting volunteers are taught is how to operate the studio equipment. To many, this is scary stuff indeed.

But in fact, once you get the hang of it, operating the gear is the easiest, most straightforward part of broadcast presentation. It is also the single most important aspect of any radio program, because without it there is no program.

Painstakingly prepared, potentially excellent programs can be destroyed in seconds by sloppy presentation. So how do you ensure that your programs are well presented from an operational perspective?

1. Understand how the individual pieces of studio equipment work.
2. Learn how they operate in unison.

The objective of broadcast operation is to deliver content to your listener in the best possible way. The manner in which "best" is achieved will depend to a certain extent on the type of program. However, the following apply in every situation.

LEVEL - the electrical equivalent of volume or loudness

It is essential to send a correct and consistent average audio level to the transmitter. Very low average levels will be poor in quality and difficult to hear. Very high average levels can sound distorted. Consistent peak levels of -5 to +1 on analogue broadcast consoles, and -18 to -12 on digital consoles, will generally produce an acceptable average audio level.

That said, it is not necessary to compensate for very low level passages within, say, a classical music track, even though they may be almost inaudible.

Also, if you find yourself constantly adjusting levels, you are being too fussy. Most stations will have some sort of processing device installed between the studios and the transmitter to compensate for minor operator errors.

FLOW - getting it together

Imagine for a moment you've planned a leisurely drive in the country. What you won't be doing is accelerating hard, going around corners sideways and then jumping on the brakes. Why? Because it is unsettling and distracting for the passengers who have come along to enjoy the scenery.

By planning your program carefully and then delivering it smoothly, the listeners are given every opportunity to appreciate the content. Indeed, content delivery is what broadcast operation is all about.

So when putting your show together, think about the practical aspects of delivering the content. Here's a checklist that may help.

How long? Make sure that you have more content than you actually need. It is simple to drop items, but tricky to find suitable fill at the last minute while you're on-air. Check the length of recorded material yourself, including music tracks. Remember, you'll be back-announcing or starting the next track well before a fading track has ended.

What's next? Prepare a running sheet for your show listing every item chronologically. Include times, in and out cues, and cross-references to your copy (coloured dots work well).

Where is it? Decide where to physically place material for broadcast, and where it goes after you've finished with it. Read scripts from a copy stand. If your station doesn't have one, or the one supplied cannot be adjusted to hold your script at head height, buy your own.

What to do? Assuming you thoroughly understand how to operate each piece of equipment, the next step is to figure out the best way to operate the controls in unison. For instance, if you want to back-announce a music track, read some copy, and then play another track, you will need to decide which controls should be operated by which fingers in what sequence. The objective is to avoid having to make operational decisions while announcing. Placing your hands in the right locations before speaking means you can keep your eyes on the copy. Also, work out a system of console switch and fader positions so that the status of the equipment connected to it will be obvious at a glance. In other words, which gear is ready for broadcast and which isn't? What equipment is currently on-air?

What not to do? The elements of a radio program should be connected so that they produce a cohesive whole flowing smoothly from beginning to end. Silence has the effect of bringing a program to a complete stop, so avoid air gaps (certain music styles excepted). Overlap them in appropriate circumstances. For instance, a fading music track should progress to the next event well before the end of the fade, otherwise there will be a gap (silence) in the average listening environment.

For air-check purposes, don't record your programs in the studio. The recording you will receive will be different to what the listeners are hearing, which will make your air-check inadequate for evaluation.

A better idea is to record your programs off-air. If necessary, take your own portable radio cassette recorder to the station, or ask a friend to record your air-check at home. The audio processing equipment connected between the studio and transmitter, not to mention the transmission of the signal itself, can have a significant impact on the overall sound of your program.

When evaluating your operational techniques, do so in a typical listening environment. That is, listen to it in the way you would listen to any other radio program. If you're satisfied, pass the recording to a friend and ask for their opinion too.