Develop your voice and production talent for a career in radio and podcasting.

The two-year Broadcasting - Radio and Podcasting Ontario College Diploma program prepares you with the creative production, hosting, and technical operation skills needed for a career in radio broadcasting and podcasting. You gain practical experience working at Algonquin College`s two radio stations - CKDJ 107.9 FM and AIR AM 1700. With the help of a second-year mentor, you are on the air within three weeks of starting the program.

Find your passion in on-air performance, audio production, and creative writing for radio and podcasting. Courses cover all areas of these two industries including:

• on-air performance
• audio production
• podcasting
• voiceover announcing
• broadcast journalism
• basic video production and photography
• creative writing and storytelling
• promotions and marketing

While working at the campus radio stations, you put the theory you learn into practice. In the first level of the program, you study alongside Journalism and Broadcasting - Television and Streaming Video students, building a strong foundation in transferable media skills while exploring these related fields. As well, during your first level, you are scheduled for weekly shows on CKDJ 107.9 FM and AIR AM 1700. The importance of teamwork is a focus while operating both Algonquin College stations. In this program, you are given the opportunity to work on interprofessional teams with other media programs. In the second year, you will have the opportunity to choose a specialty elective course that aligns with your media interests. Towards the end of the program, you continue to expand and apply your skills during a field placement in the industry.

There are many different career options after graduation. Graduates may find employment in:

• music, talk/sports radio, and news
• fiction or non-fiction podcasting
• digital audio content creation for web and streaming

There is also the option for entrepreneurial and freelance opportunities.

This program is a member of the Canadian Media Educators, the National Campus and Community Radio Association and the Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Canada.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Thrive in a creative performance environment.
• Are interested in audio production technology.
• Have strong language skills (oral and written).
• Can perform under strict deadlines and time constraints.
• Are self-reliant and enjoy challenges.
• Enjoy working in a dynamic environment.
• Have good interpersonal skills.

Careers

Graduates may find employment in radio or podcasting as announcer; show host; reporter; news caster/anchor; audio editor/producer; technical producer, broadcast technician or operator; post-production technician; sound mixer; sound technician; commercial or content producer; advertising sales or account executive; promotions coordinator; and digital and/or social media coordinator/producer. Entrepreneurial and freelance opportunities also exist.

Pathways

Please note: There may be more pathways available for this program than are listed here. Please use our Pathways search tool to see every option.

1. Create radio productions and audio content, in studio and on location, using relevant broadcasting equipment and related industry technologies.
2. Deliver, support and promote radio broadcast content via multiple platforms using a variety of media.
3. Participate in the planning and preparation of programming content for a variety of radio formats.
4. Monitor and evaluate the quality of radio broadcasts using appropriate relevant resources, tools and equipment which meet current industry standards.
5. Assist in promoting a station`s brand and generating revenues through a variety of marketing and advertising sales activities.
6. Plan and prepare interviews, scripts and reporting content for use in radio broadcasts.
7. Use business skills and accepted industry practices in the completion of tasks and projects.
8. Keep current with the needs of the broadcast industry using strategies that enhance work performance and guide professional development.
9. Perform all work in compliance with relevant statutes, regulations, legislation, industry standards and company policies.
10. Present live programming on air to relay various types of information and stories in different formats.
11. Plan, perform and produce podcast content to meet diverse audience needs.
12. Assess the quality of podcast production and content using metrics including audience engagement and cultivation to recommend sustainable improvements to the creation and delivery of podcasts.
13. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitm and environmental stewardship.

Application Information

BROADCASTING - RADIO AND PODCASTING
Program Code 0380X01FWO

Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:

ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228

Students currently enrolled in an Ontario secondary school should notify their Guidance Office prior to their online application at www.ontariocolleges.ca.

Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term admission received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.

International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/.

For further information on the admissions process, contact:

Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro

Program Resources

The federal government is encouraging radio stations to hire more broadcasters from the following categories:

• racial or cultural minorities
• Canada`s Indigenous people
• persons with disabilities
• women

Algonquin College`s Broadcasting - Radio and Podcasting program encourages applications from these under-represented groups.

Before you apply to the program, we invite you to come in for a day and talk with students about their experiences in the program, and meet with professors one-on-one. To arrange a visit, contact Dan Mellon at 613-727-4723, ext. 5523.

This program has a field work component that must be completed in order to graduate. Finding and securing an approved fieldwork opportunity is a shared responsibility. Your faculty and field work supervisor/coordinator have contacts in industry and, where feasible, will assist you in finding an approved field placement, on- or off-campus.