Posted by David Huffman on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 @ 02:41 PM
Every week when I do these "round-ups," images of rodeo flood my head. So I'm taking care of it this week by inserting a rodeo image instead of some doctored up "Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting blog round up" thing.
I'll spare you the rest and get right into the review.
As always click the titled links to visit each post you may have missed.
Our friend and guest poster Cheryl Harrison graciously shared a story with us about her time as a Digital Content Manager where she was responsible for generating, collecting, and posting engaging content via the social nets for a radio station in Columbus, OH.
This is a position of the future in my opinion. Sadly though, a lot of stations do not currently see it that way.
That's gonna change.
Our own Columbus campus' Tish Hevel wrote a nice little tribute piece to Andyman that served as a snapshot of the mark he made on the Columbus, OH community and beyond.
I really think it's a testament to not only following your passion and pouring your heart into your work, but lifting others up around you and building your community.
Something Andyman was dedicated to.
One of our Cleveland campus grads J.G. Spooner has REALLY become an example of what can be achieved when you combine the training of our program with hard work and LOVE for the work.
I'll spare re-telling the original post. Just click the link above and read his latest email to us about the awards and promotions he has recieved in the last year or so.
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Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 @ 06:35 PM
If you have been to one of our campuses, especially one of our longer standing locations - you have no doubt seen the success letters lining the walls,
We love those.
All the grads that get placed and go off to start their career, staying in touch, letting us know how they are doing. Makes us feel all fuzzy inside.
Today, we received a bit of a different on though. Our Cleveland campus rep Brian Travalik forwarded this on today from Cleveland grad J.G. Spooner who has already been shouting our praises - he's written his testimonial and recorded a couple follow up videos for us.
Now he's moving up the ladder.
And quickly.
I know we beat you over the head with this in this blog, but your options are not just limited to on-air jobs with radio or television. There are tons of options and as J.G. outlines below, Program Director and Operations Manager are just a couple of them you can throw into the bag o' plenty careers. Or yea - something like that ;)
Read on.
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Brian,
Just wanted to touch base with you guys back home and let you know that things are going great here in Wyoming. In just over a year and a half here I have not only won 5 Wyoming Association of Broadcasters awards but just yesterday I was promoted to Operations Manager / Program Director of all 3 of our stations that make up The Big Horn Mountain Radio Network.
Just wanted to say thanks a bunch to you and the rest of the gang at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting. You guys helped start me on this path and I am greatful for all the advice you have continued to provide post graduation!!
J.G. Spooner
Operations Manager / Program Director
Big Horn Mountain Radio
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Posted by David Huffman on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 @ 01:07 PM
By Tish Hevel
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
Columbus, OH
You've surely heard that this is a small business.
Everyone says that.
Partly because people move to different stations and there are always intersections that we find remarkable. Some of us even joke that there are only a dozen or so people who work in broadcasting and occasionally someone will say, "Okay..everybody switch!" But it's also a small business in another way.
It's possible to really make a mark with your work.
And if you champion the thought that all that really matters is what we mean to each other, you can't help but be drawn to it.
You may have heard what happened last week in Columbus, Ohio. A guy who went by "Andyman" on the radio died. Young. He'd been working at the alternative station for 16 years, CD 101's Program Director. He was really generous to charities, young broadcasters, and emerging musicians. It's very sad. Three young boys lost their dad. That's really sad, too.
But this little industry has power. And the people who work in it used their power to shout the story of Andyman.
They got everybody together: the charities, the listeners, the broadcasters and the musicians. Couple thousand people. They wanted to tell stories about him and do something nice for his family. So the concert hall donated the beer and liquor sales. The musicians traveled and performed for free. One young band just met him a week before, had beers with Andyman after visiting his station, then went on to California. When they heard he died, they turned around and flew back to perform, at their own expense.
Hell, the wait staff donated thousands of dollars in tips! And Andyman's competitors, other radio hosts at different stations, took turns telling stories about why he was one of a kind. No doubt Andy was a shout-worthy guy. But that kind of noise is remarkable. Could be that he channeled the power of this little industry to make some things better. Could be that this wonderful small business made him better.
Maybe both.
Somehow, sometimes, this nutty tiny business is simply able to amplify effectiveness far beyond what's reasonable.
How great is that?
Posted by David Huffman on Mon, Jul 26, 2010 @ 12:27 PM
EDITOR'S NOTE: Below is a bit of a case study Cheryl put together highlighting her two months as a Digital Content Manager for a radio station.
We share this story because #1 Cheryl was gracious enough to put it together for us and #2 because one of our goals with this blog is to highlight different positions throughout the broadcasting industry.
The Digital Content Manager position is fairly new and misunderstood. In fact, some stations use the title as a way to "dress up" a digital sales position as opposed to investing in a position that generates engaging digital content for listeners. Read more below.
p.s. Longest editor's note ever.
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By Cheryl Harrison
twitter: @cherylharrison
beingcheryl.com
For 2 months, I was the Digital Content Manager for a station that shall remain nameless for this post. Actually, let's call them XYZ-Station. They should have some kind of name, right?
Basically, I did some cool stuff while I was there. Ahem. Here is a case study :)
Situation: As of
March 22, 2010, XYZ-Station did not have a (valid) Facebook presence. XYZ had a Facebook PROFILE, which was a clear Terms of Service Violation and was subject to removal. The profile had fewer than 700 “friends” and had posted almost no content.
As of
May 22, 2010 (2 months later), XYZ had 2,030 fans on Facebook and was adding approximately 20 new fans each day. The fans of XYZ’s Facebook were extremely active, engaging an average of 150 times each week with the content I posted.
So how did I get XYZ from 0-2,000+ fans in two months, with no budget and very limited time with which to focus on Facebook?
Here's how:
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Added targeted messaging to the XYZ-station home page directing listeners to the facebook page
-
Created contests that required listeners to engage with and share the facebook page
-
Encouraged listeners to share the page with their network
-
Posted content frequently that listeners WANTED to engage with. XYZ posted between 3-5 pieces of content each day to the page.
I also created a comprehensive plan for when and what would be posted to the page, revising based on fan interaction and click-through rates:
MONDAY-FRIDAY
6:45AM Today’s Morning Show Guests
10AM Mid Day Show Rock Notes
11AM Link to Daily Blog Post
11PM One O’Clock Request Hour Call for Requests
2PM Today in Rock History
4PM Jock appearances for the evening
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
2 hours prior Jock appearances
MONDAYS AT 1PM Blue Monday Teaser
THURSDAYS AT 7PM Rogaine Rock Teaser
SATURDAYS AT 8PM Saturday Night Block Party Teaser
We had an active Facebook presence and a lot of people clicking the
"like" button, but what did that mean to the station?
Facebook became the #6 source of referring traffic to XYZ's website in exactly 2 months.
Had XYZ charged for banner advertisements on their sites, this increase in traffic would have directly led to more dollar signs, however, they gave all online advertisements away as "added value."
In addition to traffic to the station's site, several of XYZ's advertisers had begun to take notice of the stations active social media presence and were interested in getting their brands in front of our Facebook community, which would have also presented an opportunity for new revenue for the station.
Attracting fans to your station's Facebook page can attract a lot more than eyeballs. It can attract engagement, promotion and, most important to the higher-ups, dollar signs.
Of the two contests I ran on XYZ's Facebook page, 48 people entered a contest that lasted only 30 minutes, and 29 people entered a contest that ran 2 hours (during off-peak times.) Most of the contests on the station's website that ran for weeks, with significantly larger prizes, did not attract even close to that much interest.
Posted by David Huffman on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 @ 10:59 AM
By Dave Huffman
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
twitter: @davemhuffman
huffman.d@beonair.com
Nice little weeky week of blogs I must say. It was more of a Rudy-ish inspiring 'YOU CAN DOOO IT!' week of posts more than anything I think. Although we did share some information on careers in television and video production and kept our How to become a radio personality post series going.
Check out the bloggy blogs.
Let's be honest. When most think of a career in radio or television thoughts of stardom, money, endorsements, and fame all sit at the forefront of the dream.
And that's fine. You never want to sell yourself short.
You graduate from a broadcasting college or radio school or some type of video production training and you want to hit the ground running, right?
Well - we propose a shortcut that has worked for a ton of our grads.
[Hit up that smaller market first. Get a TON more experience].
Follow the link above to read a post from OCB grad Tony Galloway and how he got his resume to look 10 years old after only 1 year.
Every once in awhile we like to step up and show you the other side of the coin. Like we've said before - most think "On-Air, on-air, on-air" but there is a ton of stuff you can do behind the scenes.
Plus - you don't necessarily have to work in radio or television to have a nice little career on your hands.
See our list of 5 video production careers.
So yea, got a little crazy super blogger on Wednesday and posted not once, but TWICE!
Not really - I just dropped the ball on Tuesday ;)
This one is a bit of a self-indulging post, but I really believe in it so hey, at least it's honest.
Say what you want about broadcasting schools - we really do provide great hands-on training and experience that get people up and running in a short time.
But there is something in my opinion that we help with that is so much more important that that...Read More Here
A lot of these posts are not rooted in just broadcasting. Some of the concepts apply across different sectors, businesses, or disciplines.
This post is no different.
You know that REALLY GREAT idea you had that went no where?
Maybe it just needed a little tweak.
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That's it for this week. Great guest posts next week from Atom Smasher of the Atom Smasher Morning Show in Evansville, IN and a short case study from Cheryl Harrison on her stint as a Digital Content Manager.
Posted by David Huffman on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 03:26 PM
Ever found yourself just kind of stuck with something?
Maybe it’s a clever promotion that didn’t quite pan out or maybe a segment on your show that you thought would be completely hilarious.
How about a bit that was hilarious but has become dry and boring?
Tweak it.
I’ll button my suit up for a second here and drop some serious knowledge - well, kind of… In Malcom Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point, he discussed that most massively popular goods or services do not usually take off until a very minor tweak in their design or their message caused them to “tip.” And by “tip” he means fall over into massive popularity.
In other words, just because something doesn’t work initially doesn’t always mean it wasn’t a great idea.You may have just missed one or two pieces of the puzzle.
Blues music, as great as I think it is, didn’t gain tremendous popularity until someone came along with an electric guitar and a Pop song structure. Two small tweaks overall.
Some biographies suggest that Jerry Springer’s show didn’t take off until they came upon the realization that people LOVED the fights and the drama. A couple tweaks here and there to showcase those elements more and BAM…superstar.
If you have the time, read Malcom Gladwell’s the Tipping Point. No use in me reinventing the wheel here. Just remember: Before you scrap it, tweak it.
Measure it.
Then tweak it again.
Working in broadcasting or the media isn't going to be easy. To land that dream career in radio or television or sports broadcasting, you'll have to take some chances and make some changes. Just don't give up.
[tweak it]
I had to slip it in there one more time for good measure.
Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 09:11 AM
[Image Note: That guy is technically "stoking a fire". I apologize for the literal image CREDIT: National Geographic]
By Dave Huffman
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
twitter: @davemhuffman
Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting graduate testimonials. We love them. Personally, I just like to hear where our students came from, what clicked in them to tip them into pursuing their dream career.
The video below by OCB Denver campus grad Oren Lomena always sticks out in my mind when I think of what our program REALLY does for people. When we talk of all the great ways - there really isn't a better real-life example.
Sure, we give you:
- Hands-On training from industry pros
- An internship from one of our many partners
- Job placement
blah, blah, blah ;) Ok, not "blah, blah, blah..." That stuff is priceless...It's what we do and we're very proud of it.
However, the single MOST IMPORTANT thing I think OICB does is "stoke your fire."
I stole that directly from the mouth of Oren in this video. We stoke your fire, fuel your passion, PLUS we give you the tools to help you when following through.
There is no more powerful combination than a strong desire to do something AND the tools to make it happen.
Some people get by on straight passion, that's the strongest factor of the two, I think. Some people get by on talent only. But the folks who really get where they want to go combine BOTH. Passion and Know-How.
Give the video a view. It's only about 3 minutes or so. Ok, I lied - 4 minutes.
Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 05:48 AM
About once a week or so we like to post a "what can you do with training from a broadcasting college slash radio school" -ish post.
This week, video production takes center stage.
Personally, when I used to think of video production, I mainly thought of editing...however, just like other careers we list, there are some other behind the scenes type jobs as well as other out in front creative positions.
Columbus campus' Tish Hevel to the rescue on this list.
Cha-cha-check 'em out!
List of 5 Video Production Careers Below:
- Video editor: takes the raw visual material that's been shot and arranges it artistically into the story being told.
- Videographer: Captures events and visual elements to best tell a story. Must be part artist/part grip/part McGuyver/part electronics expert. Helps to be quick on your feet.
- Studio camera operator: at the command of the Director, frames shots in a television studio for live broadcast or to be recorded.
- Director: Issues commands to entire studio crew for production of program or broadcast. Is responsible for visual/technical look of the show. Makes sure camera shots are usable, effects are set correctly, and output is accurate.
- Technical director (or switcher): Pushes the buttons at the command of the director to air different elements of the program. Switcher's execution is key to the technically "clean" feel and look of a program. This is the ultimate hot seat for an adrenaline-fed person; whether a live program or for delayed broadcast, switchers are the final element of a well-crafted production.
Follow that link or GO HERE to connect with us.
Posted by David Huffman on Mon, Jul 19, 2010 @ 02:33 PM
By Tony Galloway
960 KFLN(AM) 
100.5FM The Rock KJJM
BAKER MONTANA, BAKER MONTANA.
What in the world is a Baker Montana?
If you we’re me a year ago, that’s probably a response you heard on a regular basis. After I told ones close to me about my first job in Baker Montana, for the most part little support was there. But when all the associates around we’re spinning the class globe trying to figure out where Baker MT was, I was seeing a bigger picture.
I wasn’t seeing Baker Mt, I was seeing Chicago, NYC, LA, and whatever giant market you can think of, because I am taking the “ShortCut”.
It’s no Oprah secret, ask anyone in the profession. Small market experience early on in your career is a gem. Do some research, if you get a job in a big to medium sized market for your first radio job, unless you extremely lucky, you going to be working from the ground up. It may take a few years to get around elite status. Then again, you may just go from the new guy who does sales, to the new guy that runs the board, to the new guy that works the weekend over nights, and so on.
That’s ok, paying dues is very important. But life is short, and I don’t want my radio prime to be in my late 30’s and 40’s. So I took the shortcut. Some maybe scratching your heads wondering,“What can a small market do for me”. Well that depends on your heart.
Pulling from my situation below is all the experience I've gained in just the past year:
- I’m a Morning Show host with a show that reaches 4 states and Canada (MT, ND, SD, WY)
- I have my own hour long Noon all request hour over on the flip side of the dial.
- Worked Mid-Days, Afternoons leading up to me Mourning show shift.
- Assistant Production Director
- Assistant Sport’s Director
- A 1/4 engineer [funny, but true ;) ]
All in one year!! Now don't get me wrong - all this stuff just didn’t come to me either because I’m in a small market, I also busted my butt in that year to get all that.
But, now I have a resume like the movie “Jack” it’s 1 year old but it looks 10 years old.
Posted by David Huffman on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 10:20 AM
I'm really proud of our posts and content this week.
The goal of this blog is to consistently provide you with either information about our program at Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting OR help current students and grads go a little deeper with some thought provoking material.
I kinda' think we hit the mark on that this week.
Click the links to go back and read the posts that you missed.
We've been doing this for awhile (the broadcasting training thing) and most who come to us want to be on air. That's great, being on the air is incredible if you really strive to do that.
Some don't though.
This eBook is for you ;) Something like 12 of the 17 careers listed are behind the scenes creative-ish fun stuff.
We're fortunate to have such great staff. All of whom have worked or, like our instructors, currently work in the business.
Jodi Franks at our Cincinnati Campus worked as a morning show producer for awhile and had some nice foundational tips regarding show prep. That, in my opinion are really applicable to just about any type of show.
I wrote this post, so I'm going to refrain from tooting my own horn. Just know that networking is the lifeblood of your career. Especially in the radio/tv/media/broadcasting world.
Oh, something I left out of the post: DON'T BURN BRIDGES.
You know the morning show guy or production director at that small market station in Iowa that you think doesn't matter? Think again - your resume WILL come across his desk again someday.
Not unlike the Sports Careers post, we really wanted to showcase a different route grads can take with our program. Sure, Radio/TV is the "main focus" when entering our program - but the skills you gain totally feed into other areas - like video production careers, for example.
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That's it for this week! If you're new to looking at the Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting you can connect with us via the image below.
Posted by David Huffman on Thu, Jul 15, 2010 @ 10:01 AM
Letter from Ohio Center for Broadcasting Cleveland campus grad Dale Brown of Twilight Productions in Los Angeles, CA.
PHOTO CAPTION: Not a photo of Dale Brown. We just wanted to show off one of our BE Team Members ;)
Well this letter is coming later then I have ever anticipated and I do apologize for the delay in communication, but I have been working very long hours waking up at 5:00am and maybe getting a power nap in through out the day.
One word of advice to the students that are in their classes right now that are thinking that they will get out and get their “dream job” and work a 9-5 Monday- Friday job well think again.
If you want to "make it" you need to beat the pavement and go after what your heart tells you to do.
I walked into OCB with one thing on my mind, that was to be an on air personality on any radio station that would hire me. After careful consideration, I took a leap of faith and decided to take my life savings and open my own production company, Twilight Productions.
At first it was slow going until one day I got a phone call that would change my life forever. It was an opportunity that would only come once in a lifetime. So I packed my bags and headed out to L.A and did a 02:00 min voice-over for a upcoming film and attraction for Universal Studios. That was the beginning of the end for me so I thought, two weeks in California changed my life for good.
I flew back home and got a phone call a few days later from Lions Gate films and I am now producing films for Killer B movies in association with Twilight Productions.
No this letter is not to brag about the things I have done but to show you not to give up on your dreams and to push yourself and open your mind to new possibilities. You will go through a lot with your instructors, you may not agree with all that they say (I know because I went through that myself) but listen to them, they actually know what they are talking about.
One more thing do not burn any bridges because once you do that they take a hell of lot of time to rebuild.
I will close by saying this Thank You to all the staff there at OCB for giving me the confidence to follow this career path. Now to the future Grads of Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting, follow your dreams and push yourself to all possible limits.
Sincerely Yours,
Dale A. Brown
Posted by David Huffman on Wed, Jul 14, 2010 @ 12:24 PM
By Dave Huffman
Ohio Illinois Center For Broadcasting
huffman.d@beonair.com
twitter: @davemhuffman
Well, almost.
You kind of have to know what you are doing first ;) However, after that - you need to know people. You really do.
Then once you understand that aspect, you need to understand what networking IS and what it ISN'T. You need to understand things like you can't walk into an event and start asking for favors - among other things.
Look, this is important for all aspects of life. Broadcasting especially, because the world is SO SO SMALL. It's ridiculous how small the world of broadcasting is...I can't even begin to sum it up without constantly just repeating myself as to how small it is.
Ok enough, I'm sure you get it.
#1 Networking ISN'T a business card hand-out party
Easy there ghost rider. I know you're anxious to get your name out there - but I promise you, if you are quick draw McGraw with the business card, it'll end up in the trash.
Then the person who threw it in the trash will walk away with a bad taste in their mouth.
So put it away, the right time will present itself - I promise. Just be ready for it.
#2 Light The Path For Others
You know the old saying, it's "not what you know, it's who you know?" There is a lot of truth to that - except I think it should be something like "it's not what you know, it's who you've helped."
THAT'S how you network - leverage your contacts and abilities to help others inside your network or once removed (acquaintance of someone inside your network) - always keeping in mind a win-win situation for all parties involved. Those parties then truly understand your value and will remember you...
Maybe not today or tomorrow. But they will. And when they need work, you'll be top of mind. Especially if you...
#3 Stay In Touch With People
When was the last time you wrote a hand-written thank you note. Never? For shame! I've actually never typed the words "for shame" until now...that's how "for shame" I'm feeling about that.
Seriously though, all these do wonders:
- hand written thank you notes [most important]
- little birthday notes
- a facebook note or "Poke"
- twitter @-reply or Re-tweet
- Quick "How You Doin'" email
You know that hiring manager/P.D. that says they do not care about their birthday? THEY ARE LYING TO YOU.
Ooh wait, how about these? Old Skool works better I think:
- A quick phone call
- A simple dinner invite
- Small gifts
- Coffee invite where you DO NOT talk business
Point is: Do not just amass a group of contacts and only reach out to them when YOU need them. I know all too many people who do this and guess what? When they approach a table at a dinner or conference - all heads turn away.
Which leads into my last point...
#4 Networking IS about building REAL relationships.
I know, I know. Nothing is more "buzzword" these days than "conversation" and "relationships" and "listening" - thanks to social media, etc.
BUT...
It's so very true. To totally get the most of your network, you need to cultivate it, nurture it, and turn these people into genuine friends. Read that again: Genuine Friends.
A broadcasting college or school for radio can teach you all the tech skills in the world. We even start helping you find your first contacts through internships - but you'll really need to work them, help them, and continue to strengthen it on your own.
Good news is: It's really not as hard as you think. Just takes a little patiencem, persistance, and a genuine attitude.
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Interested in working in radio or television? Click below to connect for more information.
Posted by David Huffman on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 @ 11:47 AM
By Jodi Franks
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
Cincinnati Campus
franks.j@beonair.com
Just a few days ago while driving from Shell Knobb, Missouri to Cincinnati; I was listening to a local radio station (call letters withheld to protect the innocent) The personality started to talk about “a hotdog eating contest and how one of the previous contestants jumped on stage was arrested immediately after the event”. That was it, the entire story. I looked at my boyfriend and said, “You mean Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog eating contest, held each 4th of July? You mean Kobayashi, who has a contract dispute with Major League Eating and didn’t compete this year? He jumped up on stage after the contest to do a little “hot dogging” and was arrested and taken off the stage?”
Look… I’m a who, what, when, where, and how gal. Why share a story with no details?
Prepping for an air shift, morning shows in particular, can be absolutely daunting if you don’t know your demo, how to gather compelling, relevant content, and most importantly:
You never want to sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about.
When I first started producing, most radio stations paid for “prep services”. It was one stop shopping for everything you needed, news, entertainment, audio from all the top shows, parodies, practically anything under the sun.
Unfortunately, when the cutbacks started to roll in, prep services were one of those little luxuries we learned quickly to live without. Although it was challenging at first, establishing “go to” sources to gather show prep not only improved me as a media professional, it helped me become pretty savvy when it came to politics, world issues, sports, and just the day to day issues that we felt were an important part of our listeners lives.
As an instructor I have always insisted the students MUST listen to at least one radio station each day they don’t normally listen to, and, they MUST have a list of at least 5 places they go each and every day to stay on top of current events.
You want one of those careers in radio or television? You better know what you’re talking about, because trust me, although the term “listener” is an oxymoron at best, people are listening, and there’s nothing that makes someone happier than being able to call you up and list all the reasons why you have no clue what you’re talking about.
Here are my top 5 “go to” sources: (Listed in no particular order)
1. TMZ.com- Look, they get the hottest gossip before it happens. It’s always topical and conversationally written. Excellent for rip and read dirt.
2. ESPN.com- For me there’s only two seasons, the Draft and Football Season. If I need to become a quick expert on any other sport, I’m hitting ESPN first; they’re the experts ya’ know.
3. Cincinnati.com (enter your city name) - I live in a TriState area, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. They do a great job of representing all three states, plus it takes the guesswork out of which TV affiliate website has the best news coverage.
4. Mashable.com- It’s a brave new world out there, if you don’t know what the hottest apps for your android phone, or how to decide what dashboard to use with your pc for your twitter account, you may as well go back to using dial up.
5. NPR.com - It’s news, art, politics and everything in between. As nerdy as it seems, NPR is my dream job. It’s “brain-food”, the antacid for overindulging with too much Reality TV.
Trust me, no one is ever going to criticize you for “knowing too much”. Secrest out.
For some of you radio folks out there that may be reading this, what are some of your sites?
Posted by David Huffman on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 @ 02:00 PM
I have to admit to you, every day I talk to people that are interested in working in the sports world and as I'm telling them the ways Ohio Illinois Center for Broadcasting's radio and television training schools can help them - I still have never been totally clear on all the different types of jobs that are out there.
What I mean is, aside from the John Maddens and the Chris Bermans of the world - there is A LOT more you can do, there are many more options regarding the types of sports broadcasting careers that are available.
So, I knocked on the doors of a few of our pro staffers and they helped me come up with a list of 17 Sports Broadcasting Careers to compile into an e-book for your consumption.
There is nothing ground-breaking about it. We literally just listed 17 different careers that you can get your hands on, what each one entails - then we lay out a 3-step plan for how you would go about doing that.
[hint: It involves calling us and getting trained, if you're ready]
I'll cut to the chase - here it is or rather a link to the page where you can grap it:
Posted by David Huffman on Tue, Jul 06, 2010 @ 11:25 AM
By Atom Smasher
Atom Smasher Morning Show
HOT 96 Evansville, IN
Just a rant on local radio:
We've lost touch with local radio. Every day I see a prime time job being filled by a big market morning show they just pipe in from another city. They know nothing of your hometown nor do they care. Trust me, I know some of these guys. They are in it for the money and exposure and who could really blame them right?
Well I've thought long and hard about syndication and if it's something I'd want to do with my show in the future. I mean, money is great but I think your show loses something. It loses a connection to your community. Radio was created to serve the community. If severe weather hits, it’s our responsibility to get the correct info to our audience.
Yep, good old fashioned weather. Sure we’re there mainly to entertain but we also have responsibilities as broadcasters to our community. At least that’s the way it used to be.
But let’s get back to the entertainment part and how syndication affects your show. Let’s say you're out on the West side of Evansville here at a bar on Franklin and something really crazy happened. You met the girl of your dreams and she threw up on your shoes and attempted to make out with you with vomit breath (actually happened). If you want to talk about it as a syndicated show - you have to cut out the local references and make it generic. Well, congratulations…you’ve just missed a connection with your local audience.
They think it’s cool when they hear you talking about the places and things they too enjoy.
It makes you
one of them and trust me, you want to be one of them. That local connection ties you together and without it your show will not live up to it’s potential. I am speaking from a non-news talk radio perspective of course. We all know Rush, and Glenn Beck, and Hannity can succeed in syndication but news-talk is a whole different ball game.
I knew a syndicated show that had to change their local format and stay on the air an extra hour in their hometown after the syndicated show was over to pump up that localism because they couldn’t do it during the normal show. Nobody in Charlotte wants to hear some guy who lives in Dallas talking about how he loves the Mavericks.
Now secondly, you are seeing a surge of syndicated shows because radio is in the toilet financially and it’s way cheaper to pump in a show from another market than hire a good, capable, talented morning show and pay them what they deserve. It’s the cheap way out and trust me, I’ve been fired by two of the cheapest companies out there.
They will do anything to save a buck. Including sacrificing good local morning radio that people can connect with. So will I ever go syndicated? Never say never. Pay me enough money and I’ll do a lot of things I normally wouldn’t. But I’m more concerned in perfecting my show in my home market and making sure it’s the very best it can be. If syndicating will affect it in a negative way then my answer would be no. We need to get back to the basics of radio.
Posted by David Huffman on Thu, Jul 01, 2010 @ 11:46 AM
By Lisa Rich
Ohio Center for Broadcasting
Cincinnati Campus
We have all done it. Nobody’s perfect! Heck, a quick call and a sincere apology can make it right. I am not talking about missing a friend’s birthday or your anniversary! I am talking about running late.
There are some who do it rarely. And there are some who do it often and without shame. You know who you are! We have heard all of the sayings…Rather an hour early than a minute late. A stitch in time saves nine…read on!
The broadcasting industry is arguably one of the most competitive in the world. And I am not just talking about people wanting to be famous. I am talking about one traffic light towns needing traffic reporters! If you are always late, you may be undermining your chances for a career in this industry in 60 second increments…and not realize it!
Here are 7 Reasons Why 15 Minutes Could Cost You Your Job:
#7 Being late is disrespectful and self centered.
Think about what goes through the head of the person waiting for you. You know why you are late…they have no idea what is going on. Put their shoes on for a minute! You don’t want to send the message that you do not value their time.
#6 Being late makes you appear indecisive and disorganized.
There is nothing worse than adding unneeded stress to your life. Living on the edge may appeal to you, but employers want notice—you don’t need to be resigning to give notice!!!
#5 Being late signals immaturity.
How many times did your mom say, “If you want to be treated like an adult, act like one!” Same concept with employers!
#4 Being late makes you look undependable!
If you can’t make it to work on time, do you really expect to get included on the big project at work? Do you think that your employer is going to ask you to travel for the company? Planes and trains don’t wait!!!
#3 Being late shows lack of commitment and passion.
Nothing, NOTHING, makes you look like more of a slacker than habitual tardiness. A “give-a-care” attitude will get you a pink slip!
#2 Being late brings accountability into question.
Not showing up when you say you will is a strike against accountability BECAUSE YOU'VE TAKEN THE FIRST STEPS IN PROVING THAT YOU DON'T HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE.
And the Number One reason Why 15 Minutes Could Cost You Your Job:
You are in the business of minutes and seconds now! Late = Fired. Period.
It seems preachy and somewhat a “gimme”, but when students considering our program ask me what it will take to be successful, I tell them to be on time. Every time. It is a competitive industry-don’t go thinkin’ that you are indispensible! There are five people waiting to take your job-they will find someone to replace you! And I bet that person will be on time.