All Broadcasting Schools In Washington, D.C. are not the same!
Here’s a quick summary of what’s on this page:
- The two things you need to break into D.C. radio.
- How, under BMG’s unique mentor-apprentice program, you are trained by a working broadcaster in an actual radio station in your local area.
- Why BMG’s program is superior to brick and mortar broadcasting schools.
- Why BMG costs so much less than traditional schools.
- How to get a free radio career consultation, with no obligation.
Are you seeking a broadcasting school to start you on a radio career in Washington, D.C.?
If so, you’ve picked the right place to start your career. Washington is a broadcasting hub, with dozens of local stations, but also studios for national news organizations like NBC and CNN along with broadcasting operations run by various government agencies and international groups.
And all of them need on-air talent.
Two things you need to succeed in Washington, D.C. radio
If you’re reading this page, you’ve probably got the talent, but that alone won’t get you on-air in the super-competitive world of radio broadcasting. You’re also likely to need these two items in your toolbox:
- Radio skills. These include professional level vocal and presentation skills, and familiarity with radio station rules and equipment.
- Insider contacts. These are people already in radio who know you and are willing to recommend you for a job.
Two very different broadcasting skills training programs
Radio skills training is readily available in the D.C. area. Two kinds of programs provide it:
1) Brick and mortar broadcasting schools. These are stand-alone buildings, sometimes part of a college campus. You learn by attending classes, listening to lectures, taking notes, and passing tests. You practice broadcasting, but it’s often in a simulated studio not actually on the air. Your teachers may be retired broadcasters or former radio business executives.
Attending a brick and mortar school can present challenges. These schools are usually in a large city, so if you don’t live in the District, Baltimore or Richmond, you may have to commute or even move. Also, classes and semesters are on a rigid schedule, so you may have to quit a present job or otherwise change your routines. And buildings and staff jack up costs, so brick and mortar training can cost up to $50,000 when it’s part of a college degree program.
2) Radio apprenticeship training, as offered by Broadcasters Mentoring Group (BMG). You’ve probably heard of apprenticeships, in which a working professional trains a newcomer one-on-one, right on the job. BMG has adapted this concept to radio training. It has many advantages over brick and mortar programs .
Here’s a brief look at how BMG’s program works:
- When you apply, you are linked with a working broadcaster (your mentor) in a radio station you select right in your area. No need to travel or relocate.
- The broadcaster is in your chosen specialty: DJ, sportscaster, newscaster or talk show host.
- You meet with your mentor weekly, on a schedule that fits your needs. No need to quit a present job while you learn. And you can start whenever you wish. There are no set semesters.
- Your meetings are right in the actual radio station, and you practice on the same equipment the broadcasters there use every day.
- You follow a carefully thought-out curriculum, including producing and hosting your own radio show.
- Over time, with your mentor’s feedback and encouragement, your skills grow and grow.
- You can choose either a three month or six month program. At completion, BMG certifies you as being ready to go on-air. And we operate a lifetime job placement program to help you keep your dream going long after training is completed.
Contacts: The make or break factor in breaking in
If you’ve already tried to land a job in radio, you know each opening attracts a horde of applicants. What will make a hiring manager choose you over the others?
Often it’s having someone already in the business … an insider contact … recommend you. But how do you make such contacts?
Apprenticeships build contacts automatically
As you train in an actual radio station, the professionals get to know you. More importantly, they get to watch your skills develop. Work hard at your training and they become willing to help you advance your career. They’ll tell you about openings that come up before they tell any outsider, and when you apply, you carry their recommendation with you.
How often does this help?
An industry study showed that six of every 10 new broadcasting hires happen through contacts.
No wonder California radio host Jona Denz Hamilton recommends the apprenticeship route. “Mentoring will put you on the fast track into radio,” she says. She could have added that it’s also the inside track.
Separated from the day-to-day world of radio, brick and mortar schools just can’t build contacts in the same way.
Works best, costs less
Apprenticeships offer another advantage over traditional schools: Because BMG need not pay for buildings and staff, we can pass major savings to you. BMG programs cost up to 20 times less than typical brick and mortar schools, when part of a college degree program.
Start your career … for free
These advantages won’t help launch your broadcasting career until you make the first move. And it won’t cost a dime.
Read the rest of this website and especially the FAQ page. Or even easier, click on the radio specialty that interests you below or fill out the contact form on this page. Or simply call BMG at (818) 879-0858.
There’s never a cost or obligation of any kind to learn more.
If you’re serious about getting your career moving, we’d suggest that D.C., in this case, means Do Contact BMG … and do it today!