Frequently Asked Questions

What stations are available in my area?

In the last twenty years, NBTN has worked with thousands of radio/TV stations throughout North America at one time or another. Keep in mind however, that broadcasting is a fluid business. Stations change formats, call letters, and ownership frequently. We're usually able to place you into one of your top two or three station choices. It really has more to do with the availability of our mentor(s) at the station(s) you're most interested in.

Our membership base of working professional broadcasters who are interested in mentoring, number in the thousands. Our mentors take on student apprentices by choice, sometimes they are too busy, and sometimes the timing is perfect. It really depends on what stations and which mentors are available at the time you're interested in getting started.

We encourage you to work with your NBTN Placement Director as station and mentor options are discussed during your individual placement process.

Why do radio/TV stations work with NBTN?

First, because it's a win-win relationship. Fact is, many student apprentices end up being hired at least part-time by the station they trained with. Broadcast organizations don't hire people, regardless of where they were trained, unless they want to hire them. Together, through the NBTN apprenticeship program, we're finding and training the new talent this industry thrives on.

NBTN student apprentices receive 24 full course credits toward graduation and therefore broadcast organizations are able to take on student apprentices in much the same way as they can choose to take on interns from local schools.

Do I need a college degree to work in broadcasting?

No. Obviously higher education can only benefit an individual and is encouraged, but it isn't required.

Would I be better of going to college and getting a Communications degree?

If you're thinking about college you will be far better off getting an English degree, an Arts degree, a Political Science degree or a Music degree. Educate yourself in other areas. Learn about the world around you. Give yourself something to say once you are on the air. Education is certainly important - whether you gained it formally, through life experience, or a combination of both - but try to get your broadcast specific training in the real world.

The results speak for themselves. Even the best broadcasting schools and colleges don't place more than ten to twelve percent of their communications majors into paid, on-air positions in broadcasting. When you do graduate and apply for a broadcasting job with that communications degree and resume in hand, you find yourself one of a hundred other applicants for the same position. Never mind that you have a great personality and you're a hard worker. You don't know anybody. Nobody knows you. You still don't have any experience in commercial broadcasting!

Most school curriculums simply don't provide students with the experience necessary to benefit a commercial radio/TV station. They are "pretend" environments and can't effectively communicate the economic realities of having to attract documented ratings to be sold to advertisers.

Many Program Directors believe the bad habits learned while "playing radio/TV" in school, give such an unrealistic picture of the real business they are often considered worse off than someone with no previous training at all!

The difference between the school atmosphere, and real commercial broadcasting is so great it has always been necessary to retrain these graduates when they come to work for a real station. Not only do radio/TV stations have to retrain these graduates, but they actually have to undo many of the bad habits picked up at broadcasting school. It's so much easier for radio/TV stations to simply take on their own prescreened NBTN apprentice, from their local community, and train them personally in the real world of commercial broadcasting!

How is an apprenticeship different from an internship?

NBTN apprentices on the other hand, enter the station differently. They're in a contractual relationship with their mentor who has literally been hired to train them personally. The NBTN curriculum is specific in its intent to develop performance skills leading to on-air work. The goal, from day one, is employment. The required components in the program lead to the eventual production of an aircheck or demo to be used when applying for work. Your mentor is even given a cash financial incentive, paid only when you find work in this business, at the station where you trained, or at another station across town where your mentor “knew somebody”.

Does NBTN provide job placement assistance?

Yes. Everything about the NBTN program is designed with employment as the ultimate goal. Hopefully you'll be hired by the station you're training with and never need placement assistance. But, if there simply aren't any openings at the station where you trained, NBTN provides job placement assistance to graduates. NBTN maintains many resources to help match grads with current published openings. In addition, NBTN representatives talk with broadcast organizations from coast to coast every day. Our relationships continually uncover openings that are not advertised or even available yet.

NBTN seems to stress radio, what if I'm more interested in TV?

NBTN does place students into TV stations as well as radio stations. However, in all but the smallest of markets, on-air TV jobs are not entry-level jobs. Most TV stations in big cities will want to see video samples and a ratings history from the last couple of major markets you worked in before even considering hiring you. NBTN strongly recommends getting started in radio. Announcing for television isn't much different than announcing for radio. The obvious difference is camera, the added visual medium. Our advice is to develop your ability to work as a broadcaster first, and then pursue your career ambitions wherever you want to go with them.

Getting started in radio isn't easy in itself, but it's much easier than getting started in TV. Again, our advice is to establish yourself as a broadcaster first, develop your on-air ability, and make your mistakes. Then, once you've gained some experience and have developed more to offer to broadcast organizations, move on as you choose and desire.

How likely am I to get a job after my training?

NBTN has enjoyed unprecedented job placement success for over twenty years. It isn't that our training process is so much different. The difference is the fact that the station you're training with is able to hire you! Schools don't hire broadcasters, they have no openings. NBTN grads often get hired before their training is even completed because they're there, they're available, they're already a familiar face, they know the other staff members, they're already comfortable with that particular stations policies and procedures.

How do I know if I have the right voice to work in broadcasting?

While it's true that some people have more to work with than others, the emphasis on voice quality is over-rated. In the "old days," the quality of radio itself was so bad it required big, deep, dynamic voices just to compensate for what was lost in the transmission process. Today, the opposite is true. Today's broadcast equipment, from the transmitter on down, is so good it actually enhances the quality of the voice rather than taking away from it. Therefore, voice quality alone doesn't have nearly the importance it once had. Instead, what you have to say is far more important than the voice saying it.

How much does this cost?

The total cost of an NBTN apprenticeship – including all placement research, online curriculum access and management, all mentor/instructor compensation and in-station training, and BroadcastPRO training materials– is $4995.00. Tuition is due in full upon formal acceptance and prior to beginning your apprenticeship.

Why, when compared to schools, is NBTN's tuition so much less?

NBTN uses existing, fully equipped radio/TV stations, rather than expensive-to-maintain schools and classrooms. Keep in mind, the station you're training with is generally a multi-million dollar facility complete with the very latest state-of-the-art digital equipment. The big difference is that you're not paying for it. That station already exists. At a school, student tuition must cover these significant costs. In the NBTN program your only real cost is for the administrative process of running the program and for the actual compensation to your mentor/instructor.

The NBTN program is far and away the most affordable way to reach your broadcasting career goals, and we invite you to compare cost and job placement success with other options.

Is financial aid available?

Yes, NBTN's preferred lender is Sallie Mae, the nation's foremost provider of student loans and tuition financing options. Click here for more information.

NBTN also accepts VISA, Mastercard, and Discover Card for your convenience.

How long does the actual training take?

The NBTN apprenticeship program is a self-paced program designed to be completed in approximately six months. But keep in mind, this is a one-on-one training process. Some students have more time to dedicate to their training, other students have less time available. Employment in broadcasting is our goal, not just graduating. We're not interested in rushing toward completion.

Do I get paid during my apprenticeship?

No. Participation in the NBTN apprenticeship program should be thought of as an alternative to schools or other means of gaining training and experience in broadcasting. You won't be paid until you're hired and you won't be hired until you've trained yourself to the point of having something to offer the station you're working for.

Do I receive a diploma when I graduate?

Yes. The curriculum utilized in the NBTN program consists of eight individual courses, or segments. Completion of each segment earns 3 credits toward a requirement of 24 credits required for graduation.

Can I talk with other students in my area who've gone through the NBTN program

Yes. In fact the purpose for the references and testimonial letters already in place on this website is to enable you to get a better feeling for how the program works. Feel free to contact any or all of the current and former mentors and students featured on this site, that's why they're here.