I took the Television option through SAIT, and the best part for me ended up being the fact that those years counted towards two years of a Communications degree at the UofC (I think it's called a 2+2 program). I know the radio program worked the same way, but things may have changed over the last 7-8 years. Anyways, I was working in the television industry part-time right out of SAIT so I decided to stick with the schooling and got my degree as well. About a year after I graduated from UofC I decided I was done with television, and my degree opened the door to an entirely new industry. I'm not saying you need a degree, but it's nice that it's available through the SAIT course should you decide to go back to school.
You make it sound like there is ZERO money in radio, like everyone makes 30k a year or something. When I went into the parking garage a couple hours ago, I saw a few new BMW's, a Range Rover, a new Camaro and a slick Audi. I'm not a huge car guy, so I don't know the models, but I can't imagine those cars came cheap. There is money to be made in the industry.
How many of those flashy cars are owned by the station management and sales people? That's where the money is. Also, IIRC, you're at one of the bigger stations in Vancouver, so, I assume most of the people working there have already done their time toiling away in the horrible one-horse towns of radio.
I would have killed to make $30,000 a year at any point during my broadcasting career. Of course, that was over a decade ago, so inflation (and increases to the minimum wage) would have driven the salaries up, but the money is pretty bad, especially when you're starting out.
I took the Broadcasting course at Mount Royal back in the 90s, and left the industry in 1999, so I'm out of date at this point, but my first job was an evening shift while I was still in school and it paid $6/hour at a time when the minimum wage was $5.50. My first full-time job was in Lloydminster (where many broadcasting careers got their start) in tv, and one time someone posted a McDonald's want ad from the local paper on the staff bulletin board because the starting wage was greater than what our starting wage was.
Now, oddly enough, having the broadcasting experience on my resume played a big role in me getting the two jobs I've had since I left the industry, so it worked out well for me.
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How many of those flashy cars are owned by the station management and sales people? That's where the money is. Also, IIRC, you're at one of the bigger stations in Vancouver, so, I assume most of the people working there have already done their time toiling away in the horrible one-horse towns of radio.
I would have killed to make $30,000 a year at any point during my broadcasting career. Of course, that was over a decade ago, so inflation (and increases to the minimum wage) would have driven the salaries up, but the money is pretty bad, especially when you're starting out.
I took the Broadcasting course at Mount Royal back in the 90s, and left the industry in 1999, so I'm out of date at this point, but my first job was an evening shift while I was still in school and it paid $6/hour at a time when the minimum wage was $5.50. My first full-time job was in Lloydminster (where many broadcasting careers got their start) in tv, and one time someone posted a McDonald's want ad from the local paper on the staff bulletin board because the starting wage was greater than what our starting wage was.
Now, oddly enough, having the broadcasting experience on my resume played a big role in me getting the two jobs I've had since I left the industry, so it worked out well for me.
I'm not trying to imply that the industry is giving out huge salaries, not by any stretch. I was simply commenting on the previous posters claim which I found to be a tad exaggerated. There is money to be made and you can also use radio as a stepping stone to another career.
Yes, starting out in radio can be pretty brutal money wise. But you pay your dues and eventually it pays off. You can make a very comfortable living and doing it in a job that you love. Or you can use the radio job to land you a bigger one. I currently love my job and have no regrets about getting in the radio business.
To answer your question about the cars in the garage, you're right, the really nice ones are owned by sales, management and on air folk, but these people have been in the business for awhile so it's proof if you stick with it, you can have a very nice career.
I took the 2 year program at BCIT in radio broadcasting. Loved the course, was a lot of fun and I learned plenty. The last 6 months kinda dragged and I just wanted to get out into the industry. I was relatively lucky and got a part time job with a Vancouver station while I was going to school which led to a full time job when I graduated. I would say 80 percent of the people from my graduating class that took jobs in broadcasting took those jobs out of market. Plenty of small market cities. Lots of country stations up north. If you're willing to move away from home, if you're willing to be poor for a bit, then go for it.
Something that I always tell people who are interested in doing the course is you may go into thinking you wanna be on air and on air only. After two years, learning the industry and what else there is out there, you might change your mind. Before I went to BCIT, I was convinced I wanted to be on air and wouldn't change my mind about it. Through the two year program, I realized that the behind the scenes stuff was more suited for me. Working at a station while going to school also made me aware just what it takes to be on the air, and frankly, I just didn't have it. I love being behind the scenes as a producer.....Yes, it's not all that glamorous, but I love it.
Good luck to you.
You've been behind the board at the Team for a while now from what I recall. I'm curious to know what your long-term radio goals are? Where would the next logical step be if you don't want to be on-air?
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You make it sound like there is ZERO money in radio, like everyone makes 30k a year or something. When I went into the parking garage a couple hours ago, I saw a few new BMW's, a Range Rover, a new Camaro and a slick Audi. I'm not a huge car guy, so I don't know the models, but I can't imagine those cars came cheap. There is money to be made in the industry.
It is all in Sales.
The only people who get paid any sort of decent salary are the morning show on most radio stations and guys like Kerr on talk radio.
My brother in law took broadcasting at Mount Royal and it's gotten him basically nothing. At one point I think he was offered a position in Cold Lake Alberta but didn't want to move. Currently he does security at the dome.
I'm not ragging on him by any means, he's pounded the pavement, done volunteer work for experience and gone all out with it, but hasn't been able materialize anything in a year or so since he graduated.
I think freelance broadcasting is a great fit. I no longer work full time in broadcasting - I am back to a 9-5 job that pays better, gives me way better life/work balance and doesn't leave me 100% exhausted all the time. But I'm still doing a number of different things in broadcasting that pays me some extra coin and where I can set the terms and stay in control. It is basically a paid hobby for me right now - if it grows to something more gain that would be great, but if not so be it.
My priorities shifted when I got married and started thinking about kids and what not. If you are young its easier to cope with the challenges of radio I think.
I just finished my first year of Radio Broadcasting at SAIT. I will let you know that you're in for a world of fun. The course is amazing, they teach you every aspect about radio. From on air, to producing, to writing.
I went into the course thinking I was going to be the best Sports Broadcaster in the business. That is, until the first time I had to do an on air shift. Now, I'm thinking I might enjoy being behind the scenes, either producing commercials or even writing them. Either way, the odds of landing a solid gig right away as a sports broadcaster are very slim.
My advice is to sign up to do the broadcasts of the SAIT Trojans hockey games, I was the first one to sign up and I loved the experience that those games gave me.
Feel free to send me an email, and I will answer any questions that you might have. Plus, I will give you all kinds of tips that will help further your career.
Look forward to meeting you Beerfest..
Jesse
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Dated a couple of journos and radio people, the message I took from them was it seems to all be a dying industry, local papers are getting killed by mostly Craigslist and radio is less and less profitable, therefore cuts costs by using canned feeds.
Not a field that looked like a decent earner long term, if you are going to invest several years of your time in education along with its associated costs and then another 4 or 5 years getting established, you kind of want their to be a pay off in 7 or 8 years, I'm not sure there will be one to have in radio the way things are going.
Last edited by afc wimbledon; 05-28-2011 at 12:50 PM.
I took the electronics side of broadcasting at SAIT, radio and tv. Ended up working in Dawson Creek BC, had no idea where it was. Hated it to start but ended up loving it. Made some great friends in that small town and a lot of the people I worked with went on to bigger and better things as well. There are a few working in Calgary in radio and tv some of us in Vancouver and Victoria and things generally worked out well for a lot of the people I started out with.
It can be tough work but I always enjoyed radio, especially when it is live and not voiced tracked. Give it a shot and if you're willing to move often and to small towns than you will have no problem.
Is the teacher at SAIT still Pat Pearson or something like that?
I took the broadcast journalism program at BCIT, co-oped out for my last semester because I got a radio gig here in the West Kootenay as a news/sports reporter.
In the year and a half I've been here I've gotten plenty of experience (covering murder trials, federal elections, hockey play-by-play, a sportswriting gig with the local paper) that I never would have had if I'd stayed in Vancouver, so I wholeheartedly agree that a small town is the place to start based on my own experience.
Feel free to shoot me a msg if you have any questions.
Is the teacher at SAIT still Pat Pearson or something like that?
Pat Pearson is a name I reccognize, only because my pops is an instructor at SAIT... not anywhere close to the Radio/Broadcasting side being talked about.
He hasn't been involved in almost a decade now. The program is being run by Steve Olsen, Richard "Big Dick" Stroobant, and Louise Lutic.
Richard wasn't there when I took the class, but I managed to work with him when he was a producer at CJAY and Vibe.
Thing is for me, I chased that carrot, and hated what it made me become. Getting out of the industry when I did in 2006 was one of the hardest things to do. I worked in the banking industry for three years, and always itched to get back in. I'm based in a small market outside of Calgarty right now, and love it.
Who knows if I'll ever get back into major market. But I know I'm happy now, but it took finding myself down some dark avenues to get there. But I'm a husband and father now, and as Jiri said... it's not the easiest path, but that's my job. I just go play for 8 hours a day now, and collect the paycheque that comes with it.
OP, if you want to work in Sports radio...follow your dream! I promise that your 2 years of college with radio students will be 2 of craziest and fun years of our life.
I finished up at Mount Royal about 4 years ago, and among my class of 60ish, I'd estimate that half are currently employed in either radio or TV including myself. Our jobs range from promotions directors, promotion coordinators, tv news anchors, tv news reporters, radio news reporters, talk radio producers, DJ's, camera operators and creative writers.
Don't let stories of "the big bad radio monster" scare you. There are more jobs than ever despite consolidation, automation and voice tracking. New stations are popping up all the time and believe it or not radio revenues continue to rise. I've had work for 5 years now doing all sorts of things. Early on the pay was pretty bad ($10 an hour) but I live comfortably (not extravagantly) now and I know I have plenty of room to advance from where I am.
The only real advice I'll give you is to keep an open mind while you're in school. Don't go in with the only goal to be the next Rob Kerr. I went into school wanting to be a TV sports guy, and I ended up a radio DJ and have had a few different duties since I entered the industry. But I love my job, I love the industry and at least for now it's been good to me. Good luck!
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