Reporting And Writing Class Fall 2010

BSU Mass Communications Students Get Hands-On Experience

Audio Production students have their own air shifts on FM90

By: Taylor Klinke

Word Count 755

College is all about learning about your chosen career path and getting your first real hands-on experiences – and that’s just what BSU Mass Communication’s majors get to do. One of the very first classes Mass Communication students are required to take is called Audio Production. Students in this class learn about the history of the radio and the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). But most importantly they gain practical skills in the operations of audio equipment and are introduced to digital audio editing. Each student is required to have a three-hour time slot on the campus radio station – FM90.

“My favorite part about being on FM90 is that I’m in control. I like being able to play whatever music I want to play, and being able to say whatever I want,” said BSU sophomore Melissa Morrison, who is on the radio every Thursday night.

Students can to bring in their laptops, CDs, or Ipods and play whatever music they want. Bluegrass, rap, metal, hip-hop, pop, and reggae – You can play whatever as long as it’s censored. You can also have people call in to answer trivia, make song requests, ask advice, or just to talk in general. Something different and fun that students also enjoy doing is inviting in guests – like inviting in a local band and conducting an interview.

“One Sunday I went into FM90 with my band, A Day of Plague, and we did a 25 minute interview,” said BSU sophomore Anthony Lamb, “DJ Tay even played one of our songs.”

Being on the college radio station is rewarding on many levels because you get a lot of experience. You are able to mess up on air and make all the mistakes without fear of punishment. It’s kind of a “learn by your mistakes” type of atmosphere. It’s also good for students to go in where they can play any kind of music and talk about whatever they want – because they won’t experience that out in the job field. Most radio stations have a certain program or structure that requires them to only play certain singles of a specific genre. And they can only talk about what’s acceptable by their work place.

“We have every type of insurance or coverage that’s available for radio stations,” said audio production professor Roger Paskvan. The coverage costs thousands but the college needs it incase a student forgets to censor a song or makes any other mistakes that the FCC finds fineable.

Upon finishing the audio production course, you can continue being a DJ on the campus radio station if you want to. If there are enough slots open you can do a show by yourself or you can have a show with a friend or two. “Even though I finished audio production last semester – I still do a radio show with two other students every Thursday night,” said Melissa Morrison, “ It’s better than doing it by myself because now I have someone to talk to.”

Audio production students learn a lot more outside of the required lab too. They learn how AM and FM radio got started, how it works, what it takes to run a radio station, and one of the most covered topics is ads and how companies pay to have airtime. Each student is then required to use digital editing software to record and edit a given ad. They receive hands-on experience for how to mix background music and a voiceover – and how to edit and watch the levels of each track. In this process they learn how much work it takes to put together a good quality advertisement.

Many mass communication's students go on to successful careers. Eric Nelson graduated from Bemidji State in 2008 and since then he's moved to Iowa where he works as the master control operator at a ABC station. "FM90 taught me to think on my feet. From being on-air, to making ads. Things never really went as planned and that helped me -- because now I'm able to help others understand that nothing in work or life works out the exact way you plan it to," said former FM90 student manager Eric Nelson.

Mass communication is the primary means by which our society relays news, information, and entertainment to the public – Bemidji State University majors receive a lot of hands-on experience that will help grow skills and confidence for their future careers.