Atlanta Broadcasting Institute training

[talkster]

I think everyone on here has made a valid point.  I attended ABI in 2003 and was in the business for 5 years working in Atlanta, Athens, and Virginia.  If you choose to attend, one thing you have to understand is the school will teach you the basics which help, however when you graduate, don't expect to land a job in a major market on a morning show.  Also, if you limit yourself to one city and say you will not move, well that will make it even tougher for you to find what you probably want to do.  You have to be open to moving around in this business to make it work and working your way up through the ranks.  Realize as you walk into an intership or a job, take on the metality that you know nothing about the business, and show them what you have by doing, not telling.  Also know, that this industry seems to not pay that well and if you are like me, making a career move in your 30's, it is more difficult to do when you have a family than when you are younger.  Knowing what you want to focus on will help you out as well. Overall the school was beneficial for me as I met some great people in the industry which helped me land my first job.  Yes, you will have some program directors out there that will not look at your resume since you went to a broadcasting school, but you have others that will as well. 

[chelcie3]

I appreciate all the input. I personally am looking for a career change after being laid off back in Jan.  I actually have a few choices in which training to try and get whether it's culinary or web design.  Being an aspiring stand up comedian and considering my father has been in radio in my hometown for over 40 years, I have an idea about what it takes to be successful in radio.  So believe me I'm not looking into this blind.  As I said I'm trying to get money from the DOL through WIA so I need to be sure. 

I checked out ABI yesterday and the Thea and the owner were very nice and answered the few questions I had.  The thing that I do get is that something has kept this school around for a long time.  I remember back when the Art Institute used to teach audio recoding and it turned out that kids were graduating from that school and getting jobs at Turtle's (dating myself) Basically the industry changed and away went that program in many of their locations.  So for ABI to keep at it says something because I know the radio industry has changed.  When was the last time you heard a record skip on air?

So any way...I'm still thinking

[jennyG]

Anyone who is looking to make radio a career right now is CRAZY! Yes you can attend broadasting school and they will tell you about all the "GREAT JOBS" out there..and yes there are jobs out there.. in small markets.. with NO pay.. I mean yea you can get a job in radio... and get paid 7-10 bucks an hour... I've got 10 years radio exp... large and major market...and made some great money along the way.. but I know what is out there right now.. I'm currently not working (by choice) but I know that even in medium market it is hard to support yourself , let alone a family... Radio training is a waste of time... get trained in a field that is in demand..a field where you don't have to worry if you are going to have a job next week..ANYONE who tells you radio is the way to go is only trying to get tuition money from you.

[CompleteGame]

Just for grins, how many "local" personalities (not including anybody who's syndicated) would this board think is making decent money -- $50-75,000 a year? I'd say more than 50 and maybe as many as 75. Do you think relative newcomers like Chuck Oliver or Rich Sullivan or Elle Duncan wish they were working at the paint store? Or even those like Sam Radin or Orff or Erin at 100.5 -- they may not make that kind of money, but you can be certain they aren't bashing the business. They're doing a good job and getting opportunities to shine when their break comes along.

Radio is not a career for fools and suckers. If you can do a lot of things well and have a little talent, there are lots of folks doing just fine, if not to everyone's current liking.

I'm in the process of buying a stick in the Atlanta DMA right now and am thrilled at the thought of building a promotions, marketing and public affairs operation from our graduate base.

[Knowsnews2]

I used to be an instructor at ABI, beginning when Bill Pearson ran the place.  Yes, the student's drive matters.  If you're willing to work at it, you've got a chance.  But the downfall for ABI, to me, was the new ownership.

When Bill ran the school, he'd screen applicants to make sure they had a chance.  If their talent level was severely lacking, he'd have the spine, and the decency, to tell them.  Under the new ABI ownership, the interview process consisted of determining whether your check would clear.

The number of students who had absolutely no talent was alarming and a great hinderance as an instructor.  I fould myself having to decide whether to try and help the student who was far behind the rest of the class, or help the other students and, basically, let the unqualified student flounder.  As time went on, there were more and more of those students who clearly could not figure it out.  But, they had money so they remained.

I don't know anything about the "new" ABI, but I hope the screening process is more than a credit check. 

[Twitch]

I don't know anything about the "new" ABI, but I hope the screening process is more than a credit check. 

...you mean, like CSB's? 
"If you've got money and/or credit, YOU can enjoy a fun and rewarding career in broadcasting!"

I originally auditioned for Bill Pearson (before his unfortunate passing). I believe his family (wife) still owned it by the time I actually attended several years later. I can tell you that the ownership after Bill (and before it's most recent incarnation) actually did care about it's students and graduates and wanted them to succeed...and many of them did (like Jeff mentioned in an above post).

Again, it comes down to the drive and passion of the individual.

[CompleteGame]

I don't know anything about the "new" ABI, but I hope the screening process is more than a credit check. 

That's an excellent take, knowsnews. Indeed, we had to gently turn away someone just this week for the July CGB sports class.

I do have to remind myself, though, that a lisp, stutter, or "natural falsetto" in the demo shouldn't preclude a student from getting into a production or promotion career. The true red flag really is someone who is terrified of computers.

And twitch is also right: drive is everything.

[OutOfTheBiz]

Just for grins, how many "local" personalities (not including anybody who's syndicated) would this board think is making decent money -- $50-75,000 a year? I'd say more than 50 and maybe as many as 75.

50 to 75 decent paying jobs in a metro of more than 4.5 million people. 

Let me repeat that.

50 to 75 decent paying jobs in a metro of more than 4.5 million people.

And THIS is a career you're seriously considering spending, what?  10-15k just to get ENTRY LEVEL qualified?

No thanks...

[CompleteGame]

Yeah, but the fact that there aren't as many radio stations as McDonald's restaurants isn't a recent development or 'sign of the times.' People think of 1970s and 80s as being the golden era of radio, but there are as many on-air people making 'decent money' today in Atlanta than there were in 1985.

I feel better. 

[FloydB]

I don't believe in luck. And, yes, drive and passion are highly vital in making it in this business. But, it's also a matter of being in the right place at the right time. How many talented people have we seen/heard have been overlooked for thier "big break" just because they weren't in the right place at the right time? However, isn't this also true about any business? There are the haves and the have-nots will always want to be the haves.

Here's also another factor: Being willing to do what you need to do as opposed to what you want to do. Not everybody can be the hottest morning personality in the market. But, that morning personality needs a second-banana. They need a producer or two. The producer(s) may be blessed enough to be budgeted with an associate producer or two, not to mention the promotions people for the station. They're all vital cogs, but the further you go on the totem pole, the less on-air time you'll have.