Broadcast Center - St. Louis - Professional Training for All Positions in Broadcasting

Since graduating from Broadcast Center, I've been very busy doing things that a year ago I only dreamed of. Broadcast Center was definitely the tool I needed to launch my career in radio. Only after I graduated, did I realize the high level of respect Program Directors give to graduates of BC. Needless to say, it's easy to pick out a jock on the air that did not attend BC. I would definitely refer anyone serious about a career in broadcasting to BC.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Broadcast Center for the training and assistance I received. I started attending BC in July of 2000 and from the very beginning I learned a great deal about the broadcast industry from everyone there. No matter what it was, I always know my money was well spent. I am in the business I always wanted to be in and I can't say enough about how that feels. I would specifically like to thank Tim Wilund and Larry Conners for the one-on-one instruction. If anyone is interested in going into news, I highly recommend Larry Conner's Electronic Journalism course. It game me a clear indication of what would be expected of me. And finally, thanks to Jim Bland for all his efforts in the placement process. Thanks for all the advice and support.

I feel that without my training at Broadcast Center, I would not have been able to work at a station of this size in this market and with such a great time slot. I would advise anyone who wishes to pursue a career in radio to go to the Broadcast Center. It's a great feeling to know what you're doing in such a competitive field.

I work at a great station with some wonderful people. I haven't seen all the sights here yet but some of the girls from the station did take me out to see an all-male review my first week here as my initiation. That was interesting. When I first got here, my Program Director took me into his office, showed me a box of tapes, and told me that if I ever started doubting my ability to succeed in radio, I should remember that box of tapes. I was a little confused at first, but then he told me that all those tapes represented the people that applied for my position and did not meet the qualifications necessary for the job. Now that was encouraging! I just wanted to say thanks to all the instructors at Broadcast Center for helping me get such a head start in my new career. In addition, I want to encourage current students to get those demo tapes out there as soon as possible. Because as fun as BC is, it is nothing compared to the fun you will have in the real world of radio!

I am very pleased to say the BC students here surpass the "communications majors" from various colleges by leaps and bounds!!

I believe that I have an edge over some of my co-employees from all the things I learned at BC. I even heard that some other employees were intimidated slightly by myself and another graduate working here because of our education. With the exception of learning a few new things at the station, going to work is just like going to BC. The only difference is now I get paid. Ride students hard like you did me!! After being forced to perfection at BC, the same strife for perfection carries into your job and it's invaluable to the station if you've already been taught not to half-ass anything. I think the curriculum at BC is excellent. It was the best learning experience I'd ever had.

Every other air personality at my station is at least 7 years older than I and have been "in the biz" for a lot longer than myself. However, my personal Arbitron ratings for the fall were higher than everyone else's at my station. I attribute this to a number of things, one being the advice and critiques of the established professional broadcasters teaching at BC.

I wanted to write to update you. As you know, this is a dream come true for me. I have been a hockey fan for a long time and my dream of getting to the NHL took one giant step towards that goal. It's hard for me to imagine that in just over two years graduating from the Broadcast Center that I would be at this point. I just goes to show that hard work and patience does really pay off.

It's pretty amazing to think that less than one year ago, this was just a dream for me. But, thanks to Broadcast Center, and the goals that I set for myself, I am now a DJ on a great radio station (Number 1 in Mid-Missouri). I want to thank all the instructors for all the help and encouragement that they gave me. The Broadcast Center is a fantastic training ground, and I feel privileged to have graduated from such a reputable school. Thanks again, and keep up the good work. I love my new career.

I have just finished my first month and it has been an experience of a lifetime. Everybody that I work with is wonderful. During my short time, I have learned many new things but most importantly I have jumped right into the routine of working in radio. I owe all of that to everything that I learned through my experience at Broadcast Center. Everything that I learned from Broadcast Center, I use every day here. I would like to thank everybody that helped and pushed me while I attended Broadcast Center. There will always be a special place in my heart for all my friends I made at the Broadcast Center. Thank you once again.

I have been given the title of Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations. The job consists of broadcasting all 70 games and playoffs if necessary, reporting to the league office, and writing the press releases. I feel very lucky to be here and I'll give the team and fans 100% commitment. I must thank all instructors for their time and advice. I would bring tapes from hockey games I did off TV and the instructors always took the time to hear my tapes. When I found out the school was offering a course in play-by-play and Dan Kelly would be the instructor, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Dan was very pivotal in helping me with play-by-play. Dan gave me his own personal advice and advice that had come down from some of the game's finest announcers. I would like to thank Dan for all his help and his continued help even after the play-by-play course had finished. I would recommend Broadcast Center to anyone wanting to go into broadcasting because they gave me the knowledge and confidence to succeed. Everything the school said it could do for me, it did that and more. I feel I've come a long way since last year when I was working in landscaping.

Broadcast Center has taught me all the information I needed to know to pursue the career in broadcasting. The training was just like the real thing. It's like I already was working at a station while attending Broadcast Center. Thank you for everything. Thanks for your effort in finding this job for me.

Since my graduation, I have been working at an award winning news/talk/sports station in Springfield, Illinois. I am currently the news anchor Monday through Friday from one til six. My duties include news and sports casts, weather updates, writing news, covering news stories, interviewing important people in the area, and producing commercials, liners, and promos. I also plan to do color commentary and play by play in the fall and winter. I would advise students to work on every phase of the radio industry that the Broadcast Center so amazingly presents and teaches. My versatility in the industry has really paid off and I foresee it really paying off further down the road. I thank every advisor who helped my through the programs at the Broadcast Center. A special thanks goes to Jim Bland for teaching me the wonderful world of news reading and writing, Dave Miller in all he taught me through production, Dan Kelly for my interviewing skills, and of course, Janet for greeting me with a smile almost every day for a whole year. Thank you very much for everything you have done for me! I am greatly appreciative.

I have absolutely no regrets about entering this business. I think this is the best job anyone could have - that is, if you love sports. I have enclosed a copy of a letter of recommendation I received from my news director in Billings. I think it will illustrate how well prepared I was for my first job in this medium. I think this speaks well of Broadcast Center and its instructors.

I'd like to thank each one of you old and new instructors for all of your patience, guidance, encouraging words, and expertise instruction. Unequivocally, your genuine concern, persistent teachings, and immense knowledge of the broadcasting world, has certainly given me an edge both in radio and in television. Without BC, I would not have acquired my internship and employment at KSDK. I am impressed with BC and its employees for the professionalism, and integrity they exemplify. I am pleased to say that my experience was a pleasant and insightful one.

Let me start by saying "Thank you"! Thank you so much to all the BC staff for helping me prepare for a career in broadcasting. From the first day here, I felt like I was at home. I work with a great group of people who are more than helpful to answer any question I might ask, although there are very few problems I can't handle just with my BC knowledge. It's come in handy from the word "go"! Everyone here has been surprised by my voice skills, copywriting ability and production knowledge. I've even taught a few production tricks to my Program Director!! The only advise I have for other BC students is this: Be yourself, be honest, keep it short and simple and for God's sake DO YOUR HOMEWORK! The instructors at BC know what they're doing and wouldn't ever steer you wrong. So any advice you might receive, you should soak up like a sponge.

Greetings from Albany, Georgia! I am now the 5:30, 6 & 11pm anchor for WALB, the number one station in south Georgia. When I think about the path that I've taken to get here, I realize that I didn't do anything unusual. I followed the advice of the instructors step by step. The BC courses and my internship helped me land my first job as a reporter in Lubbock, Texas. In Lubbock, I had only been on the job five days when the 10pm anchor called in sick one night. In a clutch situation, I was asked to fill-in. Two weeks later I found myself anchoring the weekend newscast. The next thing I knew, I was promoted to anchoring the weekday 5pm show. That was great because it allowed me to report for the 6 & 10 pm shows. In my brief time there, I reported on several hard news stories like homicides and fatal accidents, and put together several "feature" pieces for ratings sweeps. I was thrilled when I had a few pieces make the NBC national news. Albany is only one market size bigger than Lubbock, but here, I am anchoring three shows a day and my salary has almost doubled. Hopefully, I won't get too comfortable here and I'll be giving you another update in a year or so. Thanks again for your help. If there is ever anything I can do for BC, let me know. Speaking of which, my station is short a reporter. If there are any fresh grads that you think fit the bill, I'd be glad to put in a good word.

I just thought I would drop you a line to say "hi" and thanks so much for your help in getting my broadcasting career off to a flying start. This station is state-of-the-art. I hope the rest of the students at BC get so lucky. If this is considered "paying my dues", I can't wait to see what comes next. Thanks again.

When I came out here, I was told I'd be reading the news. I didn't realize until I started that I would be the News Director. I continue to learn each and every day. The main thing is that I'm just having fun. I look at this as a dream come true. I'd like to thank the staff at BC for all the help and critiques. Your help has been very beneficial to me. Thanks again to all of you who were responsible for molding my abilities, and fine tuning my errors.

Well, I have been here two months now and this is one of the best working experiences I have ever had. I must admit, at first I was completely blown away with everything I had to learn about the station. But after a couple of weeks, I caught on and things have been going fairly well. If I had not received the kind of intensified training that I received at Broadcast Center, I would have been completely lost and no help to the station whatsoever. I remember sitting through most of the seminars and thinking "why am I sitting through this… I will never use this information". I am here to apologize and say that I could not have been more wrong. I am very glad that I paid somewhat close attention in the seminars, because I have used almost every bit of information that was taught during the seminars. I want to thank all the present and past instructors that helped me when I was at Broadcast Center. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

All in all, I feel well equipped for the job I'm doing, and VERY glad to be doing it. I love doing mornings, love doing news as well as all the silly stuff. And I hope I'll be able to stay in a morning time slot forever. The talk all the time here about trying to keep me in Qunicy as long as possible, which is very flattering, but I do hope I'll get to come back to St. Louis after a year. I hope all is well at BC, and I really do thank all of you for teaching me so much and so well. I really love it!

Iwanted to take this opportunity to officially thank all of you for the excellent training and guidance that was given to me while a student at Broadcast Center. A special thanks to Brian Miller for helping me to keep my education in the foreground, and assisting me in my broadcasting career.

Just a quick not to say thanks and let you know how well things are going. I must thank the faculty and staff for the invaluable guidance given to me while I trained at BC. Every day I am applying the concepts that were taught to me at Broadcast Center and it is a nice feeling to be familiar with these things as a result of my training. When I tell people that I attended Broadcast Center, they recognize the name and are impressed with the know-how the students coming from Broadcast Center are equipped with. Thanks again for your support, guidance, and fun!!!

I couldn't have dreamed of a better situation or a better profession than television and I couldn't have done it with YOU! I will see my third promotion in a couple of weeks to Assistant Promotions Manager / Promotions Producer. My passion is in promotions and after landing this job I can pick and choose until the perfect opportunity presents itself. Once again, thanks for everything and I will definitely keep everyone informed.

I could not have found a more suitable starting place for my career. I have the opportunity to learn three different formats, as well as write and produce commercials for all three. The people here, especially my Operations Manager, could not have been any nicer or more helpful. It has been a challenge, everything from moving to getting started at work, but I love it!!!! I hope this letter finds everyone doing well and good luck to all students. It is a challenge but I have a feeling if you keep your head on your shoulders, you will reap the benefits in the long run.

I owe a ton to BC. They schooled me in all of the necessary aspects of my job extremely well. All of the instructors were patient and wonderful.

I think I have an advantage here because there are several people here who have not had the (Broadcast Center) training. I can do several tasks, which makes me feel very useful. Broadcast Center has given me a step up on the competition because I had the training for the job.

They say I'm the best news writer they've ever had. A. Lohr The school did a lot for me in learning the fundamentals of broadcasting and getting prepared for the workforce. The one on one student teacher ratio is wonderful.

I am forever grateful for the training I received at BC and I would recommend the school to anyone interested in broadcasting.

Broadcast Center has proven a very worthy training center and I personally owe several instructors a great deal of thanks.

I'm entering my second week as Sports Director and enjoying every minute of it. All of this fun and excitement is made possible thanks to Rick Wallace, Dave Miller, and Favazz! Thank you to all of the instructors and front desk secretaries!

The skills I learned at the Broadcast Center proved to be such a valuable asset. I commend you and all the instructors at the Broadcast Center for sharing your knowledge with me. To future graduates - soak up all the knowledge and information that you can. Work hard and take pride in what you do. This is a great but highly competitive business.

I seem to be enjoying working so much that I find I have very little free time. Basically, I'm LOVIN' it! I'm performing as a reporter for the most part with scattered newscasts throughout the day. I think I'm fitting in well and getting in on the ground floor for many things to come. I also find myself running into several other alumni. I just thought I'd take this chance to send you all a letter of thanks and appreciation. Thanks to all of you.

There are so many things happening for me and I love the experience. The newswriting skills I've learned at Broadcast Center and in taking the Electronic Journalism course have really prepared me for this job. It is a lot of hard work but it is really worth it. I recently reported on a so-called assassination list found at one of the nearby high schools and sent the story into CBS news. They used it and I made a little extra cash. I highly recommend Larry Connors' Electronic Journalism course if news is your fancy. Every station is different and some situations will require you to feel your way through, but practice all writing, reading and voice skills. I want to send a big thanks to you for always supporting me and helping me whenever I need it.

In a nutshell, I'm pretty busy and loving every minute of it. I had no idea when I finished school just under a year ago that I would have covered over a hundred live (sports) events in my first year in the business. The only thing that's hard for me to get used to is being approached in public. Luckily I've heard more good than bad, but I still need a ton of work. Fortunately, I'm getting it. Thank you to the entire Broadcast Center staff for preparing me for this opportunity.

All I can say is thanks...TONS! The instructors were tough, but they were inspirational to me. They made me feel like there was nothing I couldn't accomplish. Please tell them I appreciate their attitudes and sincere attitudes.

I owe a ton to BC. They schooled me in all of the necessary aspects of my job extremely well. All of the instructors were patient and wonderful. The rest is up to me.

BC taught me how to write news and sports. The writing tips have helped immensely. My familiarity with Audition made the transition into this job much easier, too. The play-by-play class at BC helped me improve my interviewing techniques, which has aided me as a reporter.

I can't thank BC enough for what it did for me. Without it I don't know where I would be.

All of the operations staff regard me as the 'Production Guru'. If a spot needs to be done quickly, but needs to be PERFECT, it comes to me. It's a blast!

Everyone at BC was absolutely wonderful! The critiques are definitely underrated - they are probably the times when you learn the most.

I feel that 98% of the training I received has really prepared me for this job. I feel very lucky to have gone to Broadcast Center and to have had the instructors I did.

Letters and comments from graduates are on display or filed at the Broadcast Center building.