How to start a radio speech?

[noemi]

I have to write a RADIO speech for English and it has to be on the subject ''Old people have no respect for youngsters.''
I just need guidance on how to start the speech, like a good greeting opening for listeners.

[N♥]

Try saying hello.

[Zyzzyx]

President Lyndon Baines Johnson always said "My fellow Americans . . .".

[Aunty Joyce]

Begin with a scene in which youngsters are purposely being disrespectful to senior citizens. Then switch gears and show the seniors respectfully addressing this problem. Then do another switch and talk about scenes in which the youngsters are respectful, while the seniors are disrespectful. Show both sides and end with a compromise in which they need each other and are mutually respectful.. End it on a good note. Everything isn't bad. Try starting with LOUD rap music and ending with a senior giving piano lessons to a teen. REALLY!

[Mizz G]

Hi there! That's a pretty cool school assignment Too bad you didn't mention how long the radio show is meant to be, what type of target audience it's meant for, whether you're expected to write the speech for the entire show as the host, for a segment of the show as a guest speaker, whether the show is meant to allow callers to interactively participate with the guest speaker and host, whether commercials or songs will be aired, and details like that.

As a rule of thumb, when you're going on air on the radio, you need to have an excellent command on your subject and be able to communicate it eloquently with your listeners. You need to deliver it in a way that makes your listeners feel that you're like a good friend who's keeping them company, and that you have awesome things to say about that subject.

There are different ways to do this, depending on your show's format and target audience. If songs are played, then you may want to have the playlist beforehand, study the song's lyrics and moods, and plan your speech according to the song's themes. If commercials are ad libbed, then you may want to connect the qualities / images / possible usage of the brands advertised to the subject you're presenting to your listeners. If callers are involved, then you might want to present them with questions that initiate hot discussions on the subject. If you're airing solo, then you'll want to do some thorough research and shock your audience with statistics, share mindboggling or heartwarming stories related to your subject, talk about some personal experiences, or just throw some questions that get them thinking. If you'll be interviewing a guest speaker, then research thoroughly so that you can ask some intelligent questions on the air.

How to start the speech?
1. Say hello (good morning/afternoon/evening) to your audience (in the style which that particular radio station commonly addresses its listeners)
2. Introduce yourself (first name and last name, or stage name), the name of your show, the name of the station that's airing this show, what this show is all about (the program, not the subject), and until what time will it be airing.
3. Ask your audience how they are doing.
4. Make comments on how a huge chunk of your audience might be feeling by relating it to some newsy buzz that just happened, some trend on Twitter, how the traffic or weather is when this show is airing, you get the point. Use this part to bridge the listeners into today's topic.
5. Introduce today's subject and how it will be explored on today's show. Introduce the show's format, guest speakers if there will be any, and let the audience know whether they can participate. If people can call or Tweet into this show, then numbers and URLs should be announced here.
6. Take the first plunge into the subject. You can do this by presenting some shocking facts, asking a question to muse on, telling someone's story or a joke, etc... something that leads to a point which spells out the importance of this subject.
7. Suggest that there are more enthralling points to discover about this subject that the listeners would not want to miss. Do this as though you're offering something too good to resist, but don't be too explicit or obvious. Leave the listeners curious and hanging on to that feeling, then cut them for a commercial break or song to bridge you into the next segment.

Hope this helps!