Radio Broadcast Offers Several Career Options
In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi changed the
way the world communicates when he conducted the first successful
transatlantic experimental radio communication. This was a breakthrough
in the way people heard news from faraway places and communicated with
one another. Today, radio broadcasting employs millions of people around
the world in varying positions (writers, producers, production crews
and studio executives, among others) as it continues to use the airwaves
to share everything from music to sports games and, of course, news. In
addition to radio broadcast, television broadcasts and film are also
used as popular mediums. In order to enter one of the many positions
available in radio broadcast (or the other areas), students should attend a post-secondary broadcasting school.
At
Centennial College in Toronto, Ont. students can attend a three-year
Broadcasting and Film undertaking, which not only covers radio but TV
and film as well. “I would not be sitting here at CityTV without the
Broadcasting and Film program. Centennial allowed me to try every aspect
of the film, TV [and radio] industry,” revealed Shannon Loftus a 2004
graduate who today works as a unit assistant at CityLine/ City TV. But
what makes Centennial College’s broadcasting schools so special? Let’s take a closer look.
In
the undertaking students: develop a balance between the artistic and
commercial aspects of the industry and become exposed to a variety of
industry practices and players; gain experience in the school’s unique
HDTV broadcasting studios and the Centennial College Wallace studios;
spend 15 weeks in a full-time industry field placement; participate in
student films and TV, as well as the JOURNAL, a student-produced
newsmagazine TV show that airs live and online; and more. Priceless
experiences also occur through broadcasting school courses such as:
Radio Production (provides students with general information on the
structure and operation of radio stations, production companies and
other related companies); On-Air Promotions (offers an A to Z guide to
being a successful on air promotions television producer); Broadcast
Career Management (this class is based on a combination of classroom
instruction, weekend workshops and one-on-one visits with the course
supervisor); and more.
In order to apply, students must have
completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or
equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. They must also have completed
compulsory English 12C or U, or a skills assessment, or equivalent. In
addition potential students will have to attend an admission session,
complete a writing test, prove their English proficiency and present a
portfolio of work. The portfolio should demonstrate their skill and
ability to tell a story using two of the following: videotape/ DVD,
audiotape/ CD/ mini disc/ digital images/ photographic prints, scripted
material in any format that was used. For more detailed information,
visit the broadcasting school page.