A practical request-to-air workflow for radio commercials.
Use this seven-stage process to reduce missing information, unclear ownership, outdated scripts and last-minute traffic surprises.
1. Capture a complete commercial brief
Require the advertiser, station, flight dates, spot length, offer, call to action, mandatory language, tone, pronunciation, supplied assets and approval contact. Allow drafts, but do not mark the order ready until required information is complete.
Start with the free production order template.
2. Assign ownership and the next action
Name the account executive, writer and producer. Give the order a real due date and priority. The workflow status should describe what the team is waiting for now—not simply that the job exists.
Useful stages include requested, writing, internal review, client approval, revision, production, traffic-ready and complete.
3. Control script versions and approval
Keep each revision with the order and identify one current approval version. Record who approved it and when. If the client changes the offer afterward, return the job to revision instead of editing the approved version invisibly.
4. Produce from approved direction
The producer should receive the approved script, talent direction, pronunciation, length and due date together. If any essential element is missing, move the order back to the correct owner instead of managing the gap privately.
5. Confirm the traffic handoff
Marking audio complete is not the same as confirming the commercial is ready to air. Use a checklist for file delivery, naming or cart information, stations, flight dates, required versions and traffic acknowledgement.
6. Preserve billing context
Keep purchase-order references, invoice lines, confirmed activity and advertiser history tied to the commercial. This reduces month-end reconstruction and supports consolidated billing by advertiser.
7. Review the workflow monthly
Measure incomplete requests, approval delays, urgent revisions, overdue production and traffic corrections. Fix the recurring cause rather than asking the team to “communicate better.”
AirCreative provides a shared record for each of these stages while working beside your specialized traffic and automation systems.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main stages of radio commercial production?
A practical workflow is request, writing, review, client approval, production, traffic handoff and completion or billing reconciliation.
Who should own a radio commercial order?
Ownership changes by stage, but every stage should have one clear responsible person and one visible next action.
When should a job be marked traffic-ready?
Only after approved production is delivered and the relevant file, station, flight and traffic requirements are confirmed.
How can a station reduce missed production deadlines?
Require complete requests, assign ownership immediately, track approval separately from production and surface overdue work before the flight date.
Put the seven stages into one shared workspace.
AirCreative makes the request-to-air process visible to sales, creative, production, traffic and billing.
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