Remote The  remote  interview  is  either  the  informative, personality or “man on the street” type of interview and it  is  often  conducted  at  a  specific  event.  The  major disadvantages of a remote interview are the limitations in  station  equipment  and  the  lack  of  control  over  the environment. Nevertheless, this type of interview gives you the advantage of timeliness. Telephone The telephone interview can be either an opinion, an  informative  or  personality  interview.  Good  audio levels  are  sometimes  hard  to  get  during  a  telephone interview,  so  make  sure  you  consult  your  engineer before  airing  the  interview  live.  Furthermore,  make  sure you  inform  the  interviewee  of  your  intentions  before you air the discussion live. TAPED INTERVIEWS The  taped  or  “canned”  interview  is  the  preferred method  of  presenting  a  radio  or  television  interview. Although   it   usually   lacks   action,   presence   and spontaneity, the taped interview gives you total control of timing, format and content and it allows you to choose the means or location to bring out the best in your guest and  subject. When  you  tape  an  interview  from  a  remote  site, make sure the background noise enhances the interview, rather than disrupt it. Your knowledge of the directional capabilities  of  microphones  and  selecting  the  correct one will help you in this area. You can respond quickly to news events by taping interviews over the telephone. Use only portions of the interview  as  news  inserts  or  actualities  because  the audio  quality  is  generally  poor  and  would  become distracting over a long period. If your questions are to be used as part of the interview or actuality, make sure the audio levels are balanced. You  may  have  no  choice  as  to  whether  you  do  a television interview in the studio or as a remote. If you do   have   a   choice,   the   studio   is   preferred   for   a self-contained interview program. The studio provides a controlled environment. The sets are ready, shots and camera movements are planned, audio is checked well in  advance  and  the  crew  is  prepared  long  before  the interview begins. As you learned in Chapter 14, the set determines the tone of the interview. Viewers form their first impression from the set. It should complement the interview and not compete for the viewers’ attention. Many of the radio or television interviews you do will not be in a studio. By recording an interview on location,  you  add  excitement,  realism  and  a  sense  of being there. Often an interview subject is much more comfortable in his own office or surroundings — rather than  in  a  studio  —  and  this  usually  leads  to  a  better interview. Before   you   tape   a   remote   interview   (if   time permits), survey the location to avoid problems. Your primary  consideration  should  be  checking  the  acoustics and deciding if ambient noise will be distracting. The use of background noise can enhance the interview if it is  unobtrusive  and  blended  at  a  level  that  does  not overpower  the  conversation.  Remember  that  your equipment may record noise you are not aware of from air conditioning or other electronic equipment. Identify an  alternate  location  if  you  think  you  will  encounter problems. INTERVIEW PREPARATION LEARNING   OBJECTIVE:   Identify   the preparatory   considerations   of   radio   and television   interviews. The   preparation   considerations   for   radio   and television   interviews   are   similar.   Whether   you   are assigned an interview or tasked to develop the program yourself, thorough planning is essential. In this section, we cover the following four basic interview planning steps: l  Arranging  the  interview .  Researching  the  subject .  Formulating  questions l  Arranging  transportation ARRANGING THE INTERVIEW Before  you  arrange  an  interview,  make  sure  the potential interviewee is an expert on the subject. Just because Ens. Isobar works in the weather office does not mean   she   knows   the   most   about   hurricanes   and tornadoes. Once you know who you want to interview, call that person and identify yourself by name, rank and office. Tell him what subject(s) you want to cover and suggest a time, date and location. 15-4