Mar
29
Written by:
3/29/2011 2:28 AM
Brett Moss is gear & technology editor.I’ve got to give Loyalist College of Belleville, Ont., credit. The Canadian school has a Broadcast Engineering Technology degree program and is in the last semester of its first class of “pioneer” broadcast engineers.
It’s just not often you see a new broadcast engineering program. The college’s Web page describing the program notes: “This new, one-of-a-kind program was designed with input from the industry, based on today’s requirements and their expectations of future directions.” And it adds, “Many broadcast engineers are retiring now and in the next several years, creating a great need for new graduates who are trained on the latest systems.”
Real-world broadcast internships with the CBC, CHUM Radio, Corus Entertainment, et al. provide for hands-on experience. Not surprisingly, the
program has a component of IT technology.
Eric Heidendahl, professor/coordinator of broadcast engineering for Loyalist College, wrote a
commentary in Radio World this month in which he describes broadcast engineering as “a solid career choice for those who are technically inclined; but for now it is a well-kept secret.” Programs like his help get the word out.
The Loyalist program is accredited by SBE, too. Society of Broadcast Engineers Executive Director John Poray tells us that there are now a dozen SBE-certified schools (as well as an SBE tie-in with the U.S. military education program). So the next time someone asks, “Where will the next generation of engineers come from,” you can point them to
this list.
Kudos to Loyalist College, and to SBE, for advancing the cause of developing future engineers.
1 comment(s) so far...
Where the Next Generation Will Come From
As more and more broadcast operations consolidate and bottom line, the engineer has more and more responsibilites piled upon him/her with little or no increase in pay. If you don't want anything close to a family or personal life, by all means do become a broadcast engineer. I am now semi-retired and take care of two stations, one in which the GM is very technically savy and handles a lot of the problems before they ever reach me. The other, an FM, I do only studio work for them. I find the two stations an acceptable work load and I actually have a life. As the industry has now progressed, I doubt I would ever go into the field now. There are other jobs out there that pay more with half the headaches and grief. Also, the management doesn't expect you to walk on water and resurrect the dead. Sorry, but everyone has a breaking point. I reached mine sometime ago. The job was fun and rewarding at one time, but not anymore.
By Mike S. on
4/6/2011 9:45 AM
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