If you’re exploring your Broadcasting Career options, you’ll inevitably be faced with the choice of whether traditional Radio Broadcasting Schools are a viable option for your learning style, budget, and schedule.

The big question becomes…do they even work anymore in the fast changing world of radio broadcasting?

FWIW, for the sake of this post, a “traditional radio broadcasting school” is a stand alone brick and mortar facility. They usually have a set faculty comprised of retired or out-of-work broadcasters, with a smattering of a few working broadcasters employed to maintain their credibility.

A few examples of these types of traditional radio broadcasting schools would be the Connecticut school of broadcasting, Columbia school of broadcasting, and the American broadcasting school.

OK, I’ll admit: I’m NOT a big fan of traditional Radio Broadcasting Schools at all – with reason.

Nothing personal, I’ve just had too many of their graduates come to me AFTER they’ve completed their ‘training’ and were extremely sour on the experience and expense.

Their biggest gripe always centered around false claims of job placement assistance, and their inability to get their foot in the door of the real broadcasting industry once their training was over.

After all, what good will having broadcasting skills do you if no one in the industry knows who you are, and how great your skills, work ethic, or personality may be?

Face it, regardless of what new field you may be looking to enter, it all boils down to a common sense, age old truism:

It’s not just WHAT you know….But WHO you know.

Don’t park your common sense at the front door on me now, but think about it…

Traditional Radio Broadcasting Schools will have at least 15- 20 people in each class, who all serve as your competition when it comes to landing your first radio job.

Just how do you plan to stick out to a prospective employer from all your job-hunting classmates?

Sure, your broadcasting school may stick you in a radio station to do an internship, only to learn…

That radio station also has 10-15 college students doing internships, who ALSO serve as your competition for whatever job opens up.

Why would or should station pick you out of all of these candidates when a job opens up? They may, but always remember… you’re just one of many when the hiring decision is being contemplated.

You may be good, but it’s a numbers game at that point. A certain element of timing and luck has to factor in if you hope to be “the chosen one”.

Is luck or fortuitous timing  a sensible foundation on which to build your broadcasting career?

For instance…say a job opens up right after you begin your internship.

Three other college students have been there for 6 months now – which is way longer than you – and have been able to leave a positive impression with the PD.

You may be better than they are, but the boss just doesn’t know you as well. Who likely gets that job?

Then, if nothing becomes available during the rest of your internship….

You’re stuck – and on your own – with few or no industry related relationships to build upon.

The Broadcasting School has cashed your check by now, and has moved on to making the same lofty promises of job placement services to their next enrollee, as they did with you!

Nonetheless, let’s partially review traditional radio broadcasting schools:

So Much Money  - There are several regional and national broadcasting schools  throughout the US and Canada.

These brick and mortar facilities offer broadcasting courses much like a college, and their price tags are much the same, too. Tuition usually ranges between $9,000 and $15,000! (Yep, you read right: nine thousand to fifteen thousand dollars! There’s one in Minnesota that’s over Thirty thousand dollars and one in Florida which approaches that)

. . . So Few Results:  Because broadcasting schools are just stand alone schools, and are not connected with actual working radio stations, little or no insider radio contacts are available to the student.

This should be of concern, because most jobs come from having contacts in the business.  Without having a chance to make these contacts, all the other students from the school end up competing for the same limited openings.

Your real chances of becoming hired upon graduation from a traditional Radio Broadcasting School are sadly, very slim.

How do radio industry decision-makers view them? (After all, this is whose opinions REALLY matter).

Bob Thornton, General Manager of KXOJ Radio in Tulsa, once told me how most general managers and program directors feel about broadcasting schools:

“We’ve found in the past that students of broadcast schools are often taught outdated or irrelevant techniques that get in the way of training. In fact, I speak at radio seminars all over the country, and work extensively with some of the top consultants in the industry, and I have never met, in all my years, a single graduate of broadcast schools working in radio.”

Certainly, some have had success through broadcasting schools, and are gainfully employed today. Bob just hasn’t met any.

SUMMARY: The people who do well in traditional broadcasting schools tend to be “classroom type learners,” who have a sizable amount of discretionary income, or are willing to go heavy in debt through their financing programs. If you’re the type who learns best through the classroom lecture method, then traditional radio broadcasting schools may be for you.

on the other hand, it’s fair to call Broadcasting Schools ‘the $10,000 gamble’, I’d say.

Next, we’ll cover another aspect of traditional Radio Broadcasting Schools that is rarely spoken about – for a reason.

Michael Madden