Posted by David Huffman on Fri, Oct 29, 2010 @ 03:38 PM
Ok, so can I just tell you that we have some tremendously generous on-air personalities in the Columbus, OH market?
In an effort to help Broadcast Idol contestants do a bit of practicing before the big event on November 6th - we reached out to several Columbus area talent types to see if they would share 3 tips for folks interested in pursuing broadcasting as a career.
And they did. These super busy people took some precious time to sit and and type out some pointers.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
In the next couple weeks we will be publishing tips by:
- Andrea Cambern of WBNS 10 TV
- Johnny DiLoretto of Fox 28
- Bob Kendrick of ABC 6 and Fox 28
- Anglea An of WBNS 10 TV
All on camera talents. All with great tips to share with you.
Enough blabber by me though. Check out what super pro Andrea Cambern has to say about performing on camera
OCB: What’s your trick to a great on camera performance…with no nervousness?
AC: The trick is to be prepared…when you are you will be much more confident. But some nervousness is always good, it keeps your energy up!
OCB: What’s the best advice you ever got regarding your on-camera presence?
AC: The best advice I ever received was to “just be yourself.”
OCB: Ever have an embarrassing moment on camera? How’d you handle it?
AC: I’ve had dozens of embarrassing moments…and have found the best way to handle it is to just laugh it off, everyone else is!
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On Monday, we'll run a batch of tips from Johnny DiLoretto aka Johnny D aka John Wayne. Ok, I just made up the John Wayne part.
Posted by David Huffman on Tue, Oct 26, 2010 @ 03:07 PM
As you can imagine, once a potential student figures out she wants to pursue a career in broadcasting, a lot of questions start to arise.
- Where do I need to go to get training in radio & television?
- Do I need a degree to work in broadcasting?
- Are there even jobs?
For the students who eventually settle on attending one of our broadcasting schools at the Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting, we have found the nine questions below to pop up the most.
So, with the help of Miss Tish Hevel at our Columbus, OH campus as well as some of our admissions folk (i.e. Lisa Rich in Cincinnati) we rounded up some answers to those top questions.
Here they are!
The Top 9 Questions Potential Students Have About the Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting
1. Will I qualify for Financial Aid?
Answer: The only way to know is to complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The Federal Department of Education determines your eligibility based on several factors including your income and the makeup of your household. You’ll need your taxes (and maybe your parents, too) to complete it. This is the same method used by any post-secondary School, College or University that participates in the Federal Student Loan program. The Financial Aid Administrators at each of our campuses are happy to answer any questions you may have on this topic.
2. What times and days do classes meet?
Answer: All of our classes meet three days a week for four hours each day, and you’ll need to contact the campus closest to you to find out which upcoming class(es) may be available. Each starting group has set days/times, and we’re starting new classes regularly at each of our campuses.
3. But what if I’m working? Will I have time?
Answer: Many of our students, maybe even most of them, have jobs. Even full-time jobs. Some also juggle responsibilities as parents. It all depends on your willingness to commit to an intense, but brief, ten-month program. And every student is different. Are you able to take on additional responsibility as an investment in your future? Or would you need to adjust your schedule to be successful? Our Admissions Representatives at each campus will be able to help you consider your options.
4. How much money can I make as a broadcaster?
Answer: As you might expect, there’s a wide variety of salary and pay structures in this field. Entry level can be very minimal, part-time or freelance. But there are generally a lot of personnel changes, as employees are promoted or move from market to market, creating new opportunities quite frequently. Qualified employees in broadcasting who’ve demonstrated strong skills and a willingness to work hard don’t stay in entry level positions for long. How much money you can make depends on those factors and others, like your willingness to relocate.
5. What’s the job market like right now?
In a word: fluid! It’s no secret that many traditional radio and television have found the current economy challenging. At the same time, there’s always a need for talented newcomers, and candidates with a variety of skills are the most attractive. That’s why our program includes instruction in many aspects of broadcasting, so our students can wear several hats at once. Change is the name of the game in this business, and it’s hard to predict what new technologies will emerge. Think about it: it wasn’t that long ago that there was no internet! Now, nearly every company or organization needs an electronic version of its message, if not for its web presence, then for training or marketing. That demand for content is not only growing, it’s exploding. And people with the skills to create it, or narrate it, or host the message will continue to be in high demand.
6. What are the classes like? Are there set courses?
Answer: The program is a combination of radio, television and production. And the classes are taught by experts in the field, professionals working in broadcasting in the same markets where our campuses are located. The curriculum is very hands-on. Our students are trained to perform the tasks and duties that’ll be expected of them in the broadcasting industry, so the projects and exercises are designed to replicate the real-world experience. You’ll get a better feel for this once you tour the campus and see the professional broadcasting equipment on which our students are trained.
7. What about internships? Do you offer them?
Answer: No. We require them! Working at their internships helps our students actually know what it’s like to be in broadcasting, and there is no more valuable experience than actually contributing. Our best students are routinely hired directly from their internship experience. And since this is a business in which networking is critical, personal recommendations from internship supervisors are super meaningful. Internships are such a valuable part of our students’ training that we cultivate strong relationships with valuable internship partners who often turn to us either first, or sometimes exclusively, for extra sets of well-trained hands.
8. Are you accredited? What exactly does that mean?
Answer: Yes, we are accredited, by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, or ACCSC, which monitors many aspects of our business. Both OCB and the ACCSC are determined to achieve the best outcome for our students, so our goals are absolutely in line. One of the benefits to students of our accreditation is that we’re able to offer financial aid to those who qualify.
9. Will you help me get a job when I graduate?
Answer: We definitely help qualified graduates get hired into the broadcasting business! In fact, there’s a Placement Coordinator located at each of our campuses for just that purpose. We maintain close relationships with hiring managers in our local markets and beyond. And we help our students put together the best samples of their work to impress people looking to hire emerging broadcasters.
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Posted by David Huffman on Thu, Oct 21, 2010 @ 12:49 PM
Photo credit: blog.contentmanagementconnection.com
By Lisa Rich
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
Cincinnati Campus
rich.l@beonair.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm not really sure about the actual numbers - but I'd bet a large majority of the students at the Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting enroll a bit far out in relation to when their class actually starts.
Meaning - you enroll in February. Your class doesn't begin until April or so.
But you are REALLY itching to get going and working towards that career in radio or television broadcasting.
So what do you do?
[sound the horns] Do-do-do-dooooooo!
Lisa Rich at our Cincinnati Campus has a few good answers to that question. Yesterday she sat down and put together 5 ways for you to stay engaged and actually sort of jump start your learning process along the way.
Here they are!
5 Ways to Stay Engaged After Enrolling at Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting
#1 CLASS SHADOW!
You have four hours of class shadowing that you can take part in before your class begins.
You are free to attend all four hours at once. However, may we suggest:
- If you are not sure which Broadcasting career piques your interest: Take two hours with a class that is in TV and two hours with a class that is in radio. That way, you can meet more instructors and see a variation in class topics/projects. Really try it on, you know?
- If you are interested in TV careers: Spend two hours with the TV class of your choice and attend a two hour tutoring session on video editing or operating the Tri Caster. Experience the one-on-one attention that is available to you as a student at OCB.
- If you are interested in radio careers: Spend two hours with the class of your choice and attend a CincyUnderground.com air shift with the producer of the station. You will be enthused—trust us!
#2 READ OUR BLOG!
You should become a member of the OCB Careers blog: www.blog.beonair.com. This is a great resource for future broadcasters to stay with the trends of the business! Leave your comments and thoughts to participate! Sign up via email or RSS feed right here on this page. Upper right corner of the browser.
#3 GUEST SPEAKERS!
Watch our website. You should make yourself available to come to the school and hear every guest speaker that you can before you start class.
Not only will it make you more well-rounded, but it will help you meet staff and students who you will be counting on for the next ten months-not to mention possible internship contacts!
#4 STUDY YOUR CRAFT!
You need to familiarize yourself with the terminology and history of this business. If you are in it to win it, you will do your research! Pick 10 news sources daily (TV, Radio, Web) and get to it! Then, leave relevant links at our Facebook page! You did “Friend” us, right?
#5 NETWORK!
It is never too early to start! When you are out and about, walk up to a TV station or Radio station remote tent at a concert or community event that they will sponsor. Tell them your name and where you will be attending school. Then ask some questions about internship opportunities. You never know what kind of inside information you can get from those conversations!
Look at everyone as a potential contact to further your career! You never know who you are talking to.
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Not enrolled at one of our radio & television career training centers just yet? Still thinking about it?
Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Oct 20, 2010 @ 11:03 AM
So, I'm hoping we can eventually score a guest post from Ohio Center for Broadcasting Cleveland graduate Timothy Johnson. He's fairly busy - so for now, I'll just kind of make one up based off of what I DO know about him.
- Yes he's highly touted by Nate Riggs of NateRiggs.com and Social Business Strategies.
- Yes he's super saavy with social media.
- Yes he graduated from the Ohio Center for Broadcasting Cleveland campus
What I love about the last bullet point is the fact that for a couple years now we've been touting the new reality of our training: That it's not just for radio and television careers anymore.
You see - Timothy Johnson is a Content Engineer for Incept Results in Canton, OH. He also does some work with Nate Riggs and Social Business Strategies.
What Does A Content Engineer DO?
Well, to put it simply a content engineer facilitates and helps distribute web content in the form of shooting and editing videos, blogging, and possibly podcasts - among other things.
As Nate Riggs so eloquently put it via twitter: "a content engineer = channel agnostic media making..."
And THAT is what we ultimately teach at the Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting. How to identify and capture content. Then how to take that content and use it to tell a story. Whether it be on television, the radio, OR the web.
Storytelling is a valuable skill - one that has become more so with the explosion of the social web. An individual that can not only tell a good story, but also identify one, then capture it and present in a compelling way is an individual that will not only have a career in broadcasting, but in business and marketing as well.
Way to go Mr. Johnson. And I hope it was cool that I published a little about ya ;)
PHOTO CREDIT: NateRiggs.com
Posted by David Huffman on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 @ 10:13 AM
November 6th is a big day for the Ohio Center for Broadcasting schools for radio and television career training. Each school in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Denver will be doing something special, different, and most of all fun.
Below are links to the pages where you can save your spot and register to attend the event closest to you.
Go ahead! We'd love to see ya!
Broadcast Idol : Columbus and Cincinnati Campuses
Contestants jump in front of the camera to "get their Ron Burgundy on" in an effort to test their anchoring skills. Winners will have $500 awarded to their high school broadcast or media program and have their video posted online for voting.
Click here to register and save your spot!
Play in the shiny new Cleveland campus studios, jump in front of the Tri-caster, and just overall experience THE Ohio Center for Broadcasting Experience. There will also be panel discussions from area pros about careers in broadcasting.
Click here to register and save your spot.
The Denver area gets a brand new indie music station on November 6th. And the name of thy station is MileHighUnderground.com. Playing all unsigned Denver area and regional music, MileHigh's main focus will be nurturing the independent music scene in the Denver area while serving as a tool to train our future music loving broadcasters.
Click here to register and save your spot.
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Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Oct 13, 2010 @ 11:19 AM
Brianna Brown | Promotions Coord. | US 99.5 Chicago
Brianna Brown, a March 2010 Illinois Center for Broadcasting - Lombard graduate landed her first gig in the field of Broadcasting back in August. US 99 in Chicago accepted her application and hired her on as the new part time Promotions Coordinator. She is enjoying her new position and learning new things about the business every day. While there are plenty of Broadcast opportunities available throughout the Chicago land area, competition for these jobs is fierce. The Illinois Center for Broadcasting provided Brianna with the tools she needed to succeed in this business, and she was at the top of a long list of qualified applicants for this particular job. Without her hard work and dedication, this would not have been possible for her. Best of luck to Brianna.
Emily Keene | Production Assistant | ESPN
Emily Keene, a January 2010 Illinois Center for Broadcasting-Lombard graduate has been hot on the job trail for the past eight months, applying for leads all over the country. She has a passion for sports and her goal is to one day work the sidelines reporting the country’s top athletic news. She took her first step towards this goal mid September when she accepted a Production Assistant position with ESPN in Bristol Connecticut. After several weeks of interviewing, she was finally selected as the appropriate candidate and is now planning her relocation with a start date of October 12th, 2010.
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Posted by David Huffman on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 @ 09:54 AM
By Atom Smasher
Host of the Atom Smasher Morning Show
HOT 96 - Evansville, IN
twitter: @atomsmashershow
Editor's Note: Over the last year or so, Atom has done some blogging for Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting. Covering topics like syndication, and generally sharing stories from his years on the air.
So...
I asked him if he'd mind sharing his reasons why he loves working in radio. He's been super duper major market (Houston, Dallas) and smaller market (Evansville, IN).
Which means he's seen a lot. Namely, the processes that exist at different market sizes.
But, I figured at least 5 things remained fundamentally the same at each and hoped he would share. And he did...
And here they are!
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5 Reasons Atom Smasher Loves Working in Radio
- I can wear whatever I want. Now I am not a sloppy dresser (so I think) but I know people (my co-host) who come to work in pajamas and it’s perfectly acceptable. She calls it active wear from Target but they’re pajamas. I have a neck tattoo. They call that one a job killer. Who’s gonna hire you with ink on your neck? The entertainment business that’s who. Thanks radio! Can you imagine wearing a suit to work everyday in the summer? (maybe you can, but I can’t)
- It’s fun. No really it is. I get paid to come in the studio for 5 hours a day and goof off with my friends and we call it entertainment. Now sometimes it may fall short of “entertainment” but we try. I can’t imagine having to push papers all day or something like that. I have no idea what it’s like nor do I want to. Did you know in radio we get paid to go hang out at a bar for 2 hours and they pay us a “talent” fee? It’s true. The fee varies from city to city but some large markets get $200-$250 an hour. Easiest $500 you’ll ever make.
- You’re sort of a celebrity. Even though sometimes it makes me uncomfortable, it’s kinda cool when people come up to you and want to take a picture or get your autograph. Not to mention receiving some VIP treatment at local establishments. I must admit it’s nice and I never take it for granted.
- The money. Now I’d lie if I told you money doesn’t matter. It’s how we live. It’s how we pay our bills….mortgage, car payment, diapers for my baby. And I must say working a job that’s fun and getting paid well for it is pretty awesome. Now depending on what market you’re in and what shift you’re doing, the pay varies. Some people will say the pay sucks, but that’s just because they haven’t paid their dues. Once you do that and get your career going the payoff can be quite rewarding. I know some morning guys who are raking in the cash and loving every minute of it.
- The hours. I typically work my show then have a few things to do afterwards and am done by lunchtime. That means the rest of the day I can hang out with my family. Being in mornings you have more duties than other shifts. Now when I did nights or afternoons, I could walk in, do my shift and leave. Seriously….4 to 5 hours a day. That’s it! Screw you 8 to 10 (even 12) hour workdays. Radio rocks.
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Posted by David Huffman on Thu, Oct 07, 2010 @ 09:12 AM
We share many different topics on this blog. How to become an on-air personality, how to become a sports broadcaster, how to shoot better video...blah, blah, blah.
Ok, not blah, blah, blah. We think that stuff is awesome. It's what we do. It's what we LOVE.
But sometimes we think it's important to step outside the realm of thought-leader and showcase some individuals that have had success with the training that Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting provides.
We'll do that in the form of Graduate Success Stories. Sometimes with video. And now today, we can add personal testimonials to the list.
Below are 8 tips and testimonials from Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting Graduates. These particular ones are from our Columbus, OH campus. We'll be featuring more as we go.
" I am working in an industry that I have always loved and I don’t really call it work, for I get up every day looking forward to going to the ballpark or to the stadium. I can actually say that I love my job..."
-Paul Gilliland, July '09 Nights,
"... so if you’re a new student, standing there reading my letter on the wall, here’s my advice: network, network, network. It’s not who you know…it’s who knows you!
-Shawn M. Burrs, February '09 Nights
"This program requires you to motivate yourself. The rewards you reap from a strong work ethic and a committed attitude will land you a job in this business as long as you’re willing to give it all it takes."
-Dallas Lambert, August '09 Afternoons
"When I wake up in the morning, I now look forward to going to work. I meet new people every day. I look forward to going as far as I can go in radio."
-Gigi Cooper, June '08 Days
“ During the course of my ten months here, I loved it, I hated it, I found it challenging, frustrating and exciting all at the same time. Bottom line: do what they say and you’ll start getting a paycheck.“
-Tyler Stevens, January '09 Days
"I was in the first class at the Columbus campus, which graduated in December of 2008. OCB taught me what I needed to know. In fact, here’s how well it prepared me. I was the only employee recognized for outstanding performance by the company owner at our Holiday Party."
- Rob “BaRob” Mutchler, March '08 Days
" I just want to say that I wasn’t expecting to be where I am now so fast. During the time that I attended OCB I have met and made many contacts. Within a month of graduating, I attended the Inauguration of Barack Obama, contracted to the Oprah Winfrey Show, and the Super Bowl! "
- Dmitriy Kotlar, March '08 Nights
“I would like to thank everyone who helped me realize why people in this industry love what they do, and work hard to stay on top. My advice: Utilize everyone in this building, that’s what they get paid for.”
-Nick Johnson, March ’08 Nights
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Posted by David Huffman on Tue, Oct 05, 2010 @ 01:38 PM
Call All High School Media & Broadcasting Instructors!
Got students with on-air aspirations? And maybe some talent to go along with it? Now's their chance to see how they stack up against the other Columbus-area high school students who've got the same plans. They could win a cash prize for your school!
We're hosting a contest here at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting in Columbus and Cincinnati to see what sort of broadcasting talent exists in our areas. Some of the pros you see on the news every day will be here to help coach and we're going to award $500 to the high school behind the best broadcaster.
Here's how it works:
Each contestant must register in advance at www.beonair.com/broadcastidol .
Then, show up for the contest, which will take place Saturday, November 6th beginning at 12N at our East Main Street location in Columbus and our Madison Road location in Cincinnati.
Students will be given a couple of minutes to look over a script, then must read it on camera, with the help of a teleprompter in only one take. Judges will select the best performances as nominees to post online, and voting will determine who takes home the prize.
We'd appreciate it if you'd share this with your classes. As always, it's our goal to foster the development of the next generation of broadcasters, so if there's anything we can do to help you and your students, please say the word.
And we'd love to see you on 11/6!
Best of luck!
Tish Hevel
Posted by David Huffman on Mon, Oct 04, 2010 @ 09:59 AM
By Jodi Franks
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
Cincinnati Campus
franks.j@beonair.com
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wickedly “AMAZING” this way comes. ~Shakespeare (With an extra word added by me!).
When I was given the opportunity to become the Marketing Coordinator with The Ohio Center for Broadcasting, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind this was the right decision. Not only would it give me the opportunity to utilize the skills I had acquired years ago when I attended the Cincinnati campus, I was going to be able to “give back” to the school that had helped set me on my career path working in radio and television.
There was also another bonus to take the position; I could also be the Program Director for CincyUnderground.com.
What is CincyUnderground.com? We are an internet radio station, staffed by current broadcasting students, “who strive to cultivate Cincinnati’s music scene one artist at a time”.
It just makes sense on so many levels. As a student, who wants to work “behind the mic”, you become familiar with a diverse library of genre’s that prepare you to work for any radio station format. You are also supporting the musicians in your community who are doing the exact same thing, perfecting their craft and marketing their product, with the hope of a long and successful career doing what they love, making music.
When we launched in April, we had 126 Facebook “likes”. Just 5 months later we have over 1100. We have great support on MySpace, Twitter and ReverbNation. We have received overwhelming support from the music community, as well as our “terrestrial” radio partners.
It gives us a pretty fantastic rush at the end of the day when we get a “thank you”, or a “Hey, can you guys come to our show this weekend?”
I love checking our site traffic to see that CincyUnderground.com gets views and submissions from all over the world, and although our primary goal is to support local and regional unsigned artists, we will most certainly support any and all Indie Artists who want to submit their work to the station.
From here, there is nowhere to go but up. With the upcoming launch of our newly revamped TV Studio, we’ll be able to take our support of the music community to a whole new level, cutting edge technology for the new media world.
Spread the word, spread the love. Upload your music today and become part of the Underground, CincyUnderground.com!
Oh yeah…it’s not just the Cincinnati Campus that is working to support our local music scene, take some time and enjoy our “sister internet” underground stations.
UndergroundColumbus.com
MileHighUnderground.com
WindyCityUnderground.com
TheEdgeonair.com
Peace
Mama J….lol.
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Posted by David Huffman on Fri, Oct 01, 2010 @ 09:57 AM
Hey OCB! (insert cheese face with thumbs up here)
Time for me tell you what’s happened since I graduated in October of 2009. First a little background. I started at a two-year college, with the intention of getting an Associates’ Degree in technical theater. After just one quarter, it was clear that it wouldn’t be the career for me. So I did a little research and chose Ohio Center for Broadcasting to dive into training for a career in radio.
During the course of my ten months here, I loved it, I hated it, I found it challenging, frustrating and exciting all at the same time.
I’d had a little experience in audio production, but pretty basic stuff. The turning point for me came when I started getting into learning about radio production. I found that was exactly the sort of thing I wanted to do!
I got an internship at WLVQ-FM pretty early in the class… I was the first in my class to get one. I worked on remote appearances and promotional events for the station…it got me in the door at the right place. They wound up hiring me before I graduated, so it’s true what they say about internships leading to a job, if you work hard.
It’s really great to come back as a Graduate Assistant now, because I feel like I can truly help out…especially in the audio production area. And I’m helping Kristin get some OCB promotions up and running, which comes second-nature now.
Glad I came here, took it seriously and got the job I wanted. The advice I got here is solid, especially in my case. Bottom line: do what they say and you’ll start getting a paycheck.
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