Production in Modern Radio (Ch. 1) – What is the sound of a station? What are examples of radio formats? How do target audiences affect format? How are formats constructed? What are examples of dayparts? What do syndicators do? Name examples of syndicated radio programs. What role did the networks play in the early part of radio? What role do they play now? Name three sources of programming in radio. Where do noncommercial radio stations receive most of their funds? What about commercial stations? What is the role of the producer in radio? What is a combo operation? What is an airshift? What is the largest system of noncommercial radio stations? What is the theatre of the mind?

The Console (Ch. 2)-What is a console? What is sound? What is audio? What are the three functions of the console (briefly explain each)? What is a preamplifier? What is a potentiometer? Fader? Key? What does it mean when a source on the board is in program? What does VU stand for? What does a VU meter do? What is signal-to-noise ratio? If something is at 100% modulation, what does that mean? What is "in the red?" What is "in the mud?" What is a monitor? Explain the difference between input and output. What is dead air? How do audition and cue channels differ? What does the muting system do? Why are headphones useful? What is the master pot? Describe the delegation switch. What does it mean to ride the levels? What is a virtual console? What are the advantages of a virtual console? What are the advantages of the real console? What is a submixer? Be able to describe the function of a patchbay.

CD Players and Turntable (Ch. 3)-What is the difference between analog and digital recording. How is digital information stored on a CD? What is a sampling frequency? What are the advantages of using CDs in a radio station? Disadvantages? What is phonograph record called in radio? What is the plate? Switch? Speed control? Drive wheel? Tonearm? What do the stylus and cartridge do? What does rpm stand for? What 3 speeds are phonographs record at? What is backtracking? What is the procedure for spinning the plate? What is wow? What is the procedure for spinning the disc? Explain slipcueing. Why would you use slipcueing? What is a disadvantage of slipcueing? What is dead-potting? Hot-potting?

Tape Recording and Playback Units (Ch. 4)- Are audiotape and magnetic tape the same thing? What is audiotape made of? What are the parts of a reel-to-reel machine? What are their functions? What is the supply reel? Take-up reel? How many inches per second does audiotape travel on a reel-to-reel machine? What order are the heads in on reel-to-reel machine? What are their functions? What is leader tape? Compare a full-track recording to two-track and quarter-track recordings. What is a cart machine? What is the purpose of a cue tone? What are some advantages of a cart machine? Special problems? What is a bulk eraser? What does a digital cart machine do? Describe the process of intentionally putting sound-on-sound on carts. Describe digital processing. What are the pros and cons of digital in radio? What are the advantages to using digital audiotape? Briefly explain tapeless recording.

Chapter 5 (Microphones and Sound) – Know that a microphone is a transducer and know how microphones change sound energy into electrical energy (compression and rarefaction). What represents a pure-tone sound? What is a cycle? Define frequency? Define amplitude. What frequencies do human ears hear? Know how frequency shapes sound (p. 99). What is a decibel? How is loudness measured? What is pitch? Know 4 other characteristics of sound. What is echo? What is reverberation? Know the different elements within microphones and how they work. Be able to note advantages and disadvantages of each (p. 115). Know the characteristics of the pickup (polar) patterns of microphones. Be able to choose an appropriate microphone if given a production scenario. What is phase? What are the two components of the frequency response of microphones? What is a flat response? What does high fidelity mean? What is proximity effect? Know the various physical types of microphones and their use. Name the 5 factors considered in microphone selection and use.

Chapter 6 (Physical and Electronic Editing) – What is the difference between splicing and dubbing? What is the difference between destructive and non-destructive editing? Describe the process of making an edit by cutting and splicing (i.e., find first edit point by rocking reels, mark with grease pencil, etc.) What is the editing block? When do we use diagonal splices? Vertical splices? What is leader and timing tape used for? What is the head? What is the tail? What are some problems associated with dubbing? Advantages? What factors contribute to the increased speed with which edits can be performed on computer? What does it mean to establish music, music under, voice up? What happens when you directions call for voice out, music up? What is a music wrap? What is a voice wrap?

Chapter 7 (Recorded Program Production) – What three elements must be considered in order to choose between live, on-air production versus recorded? How is production studio typically laid out and what equipment might be present? What are three sources of material used in radio production? Which organizations license music to radio stations for airplay? What does a production library typically contain? What is a music bed? Music must (blank) the message, not (blank) or (blank) from it. The style has to (blank) and the (blank). Name various styles of music and their characteristics. The most important goal of recording voice is (blank). How do we achieve this goal (4 ways)? What are popping and sibilance? Be able to describe an appropriate miking technique if multiple speakers are involved. Know the hand signals for communicating with speakers. What two sources of sound effects are available to radio producers? What is an actuality?

Radio History (Appendix C) - You must know what these men did to advance wireless or radio: Maxwell, Hertz, Marconi, Sarnoff, de Forest, Fessenden, Conrad, Paley, and Armstrong. Specifically, what was the role of Marconi in the development of wireless? Why did American Marconi cease to exist as a company? How and why did General Electric, Westinghouse, and AT & T become involved in wireless? (It has to do with the creation of RCA.) How does wireless telegraphy differ from wireless telephony? In what ways did World War I affect the development of wireless? Why was patent pooling such an important factor? Know the name of the first radio station and when it went on the air. What was the purpose of early radio programs? Which station first tried to sell advertising? What was the Golden Age of Radio?