The Radio Broadcasting Certificate serves to fill an educational gap in offerings at Central Washington University. As the Communication department works to serve the needs of Television and Print, the third pillar of traditional media is served only at the volunteer level with the Campus Life student radio program (KCWU-FM).
The importance of radio as a medium beyond simple entertainment is under represented in current educational offerings. For launch of The Radio Broadcasting Certificate the optimal structure would be to offer the self-sustaining courses through the Communication Department but incubate the Program in Continuing Education with the possibility, once performance and viability are proven, to consider moving it under the Communication Department.
Using polling data compiled by the American Press Institute in their research document titled “How Americans get their news”, published in March of 2014, their research shows “The most frequently utilized devices include television (87 percent), laptops/computers (69 percent), radio (65 percent), and print newspapers or magazines (61 percent).”
While the Pew Research Institute reported in their 2012 State of the News Media report “By the most basic measure, traditional AM/FM radio’s has retained a place in people’s lives. The vast majority of Americans use or own an AM/FM radio, and at a level that has remained largely unchanged over the last 10 years.”
While the hands on experience and industry standard laboratory of KCWU-FM meet specific Campus life outcomes…
• Teamwork/Team-building
• Servant Leadership
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Management and Leadership
• Group Dynamics and Interpersonal Skills
For those students who choose to participate, beyond the initial on-air training and workshops offered, there is no formal teaching nor collegiate credit currently offered except the occasional approved internship offered by other departments.
By utilizing the experience (Educational and Professional) of the staff at KCWU-FM, and capitalizing on the Industry-Standard radio broadcast facility at CWU, there is now an opportunity to strengthen and formalize the educational offerings to current and future students who have a desire for formal instruction about the field of Radio Broadcasting.
That formal education would be comprised of specific coursework.
- Radio Programming Application – A rotational laboratory focusing on the individual methods, principals, and best practices of Radio Broadcasting. Students will learn and execute real life Radio Broadcast programs of various formats on KCWU-FM, taking on a rotation of responsibilities.
- Radio Studies – Fundamental survey of the Radio Broadcast industry. Emphasis on understanding cultural history, corporate hierarchy, industry standards, economic conditions and types of audiences.
- Radio Production Skills – Fundamental understanding of sound propagation and audio production software. Assist in producing audio packages for KCWU-FM.
- Radio Ratings & Revenue – The basic concepts of creating and executing an effective multimedia Radio Promotions campaign for a large-scale event. Students will comprehend radio ratings and their significance to the revenue structure.
These courses, in total, represent a comprehensive, entry level education for an industry and product/service the majority of Americans consume, thus providing both need and value for potential broadcast students with a path toward Radio. As you can see by the courses offered the emphasis on Programming, Production, Promotions and Sales with a basis in the fundamentals of History, Hierarchy and best practices successful students in the program will graduate with a broad skill set that will set them apart from the myriad of less specialized entry level applicants in a highly competitive industry.
Potential entry level position that successful graduates could pursue would include, but are not limited to:
- Account Executive
- Air Talent/Co-host
- Assistant Music Director
- Assistant News Director
- Assistant Program Director
- Audio Documentarian
- Board Operator
- Brand Specialist
- Call Screener
- Copy Writer
- Desk Editor
- Desk Journalist
- Entry Level Anchor
- Field Reporter
- Master Control Technician
- Production Director/Assistant
- Promotions Assistant
- Radio Producer
- Sales Associate
- Social Media Marketing Associate
- Street Team Member
- Studio Assistant
- Technical Director
- Voice Over Talent
CWU is geographically located between three sizable markets, based on the latest Nielson Ratings. Seattle is the 13 th largest market in America, with Portland at 24 and Spokane at 94. Those markets are 3 represented by dozens of Corporate Radio Companies and many smaller, locally owned stations and clusters.
Based on a survey conducted of a cross section of student employees and volunteers of KCWU-FM, 67% of those surveyed would be interested in enrolling in a Radio Broadcasting certificate.
