Some call them station IDs, others call them sweepers or liners or better still jingle. They tell more about the radio station programme or the host.
Their purpose is to make listeners to easily identify a brand, product, radio personality, radio personality, radio porgramme or radio station. These are short recorded sound bites.
Every radio station has jingles and they need to be played (that is why they are created). However, jingles are not played anyhow on radio.
Of late, you listen to radio and people play jingles ‘by heart.’ I wonder why people play station IDs when someone is talking on the radio. A lot of radio stations do this and it is very annoying. When someone is making a submission in a studio discussion, you hear them play the IDs as the conversation is ongoing.
Most times, they do so to prevent people from ‘stealing’ the recording without giving them credit but the truth is that it is very distractive to the listener. At that moment, it is what the person is saying that matters and not the jingle. You can play the jingle at the end of the speech or when you break. Even when playing music, it is wrong to be playing IDs ‘by heart’ when the song is playing. At least you play one at the start and one at the end. Too many jingles mar beauty of the song and the show. Of late, I have noticed another bad practice. The presenter slots in an advert and when the ad is playing, he plays the station’s ID at the same time.
Certain things are not even a matter of ethics. They are a matter of common sense. This shameful practice must stop!
<<Print>>