Radio Broadcast: A Career With 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 school 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.