Enrollment Procedure

Upon receipt of your completed information request, an NBTN admissions representative will contact you by phone to schedule an initial consultation.

Our goal is to learn about you, about your goals and aspirations with regard to getting started in broadcasting. We'll want to learn which stations in your area you're most interested in. We'll discuss the actual curriculum and training process in more detail. We'll answer any questions or concerns you have about the NBTN program in general.

If, as a result of this initial consultation, you would like to proceed - and your NBTN admissions representative feels you're ready to proceed - you will be given an opportunity to submit an enrollment application which will include submission of your actual station preferences along with more detailed information.

After reviewing your Enrollment Application we'll evaluate it to ensure eligibility and compatibility with the goals of our program. If both parties are comfortable moving forward, we'll review your station preference list and discuss your potential mentor/station placement options, tuition arrangements, and start date.

Personal Placement Process

During the enrollment process you'll need to decide on a direction regarding what you want to do in broadcasting. If your desire is to become a DJ for a rock station, we're going to do our best to place you into a favorite local rock station, with a mentor/instructor who is a DJ there. If your goal is to become a sports radio host, we're going to do our best to place you in a favorite sports station with a mentor/instructor who is currently working as a sports radio personality in your area.

Selecting Your Station

Keep in mind, National Broadcasters Training Network has been in existence for over twenty years. In that time, we've worked with literally thousands of station across North America at one time or another. Our current membership base at radio/TV stations from coast to coast includes some of the top broadcasters in the world and has never been larger. However, we'll need to determine which station(s), and which mentor(s) are available to you at the time you're ready to get started.

Ultimately, we'll work together with you to select the station and the actual person at that station who we think will be the best match for you based on everything we've learned about you, your location, your station preferences, and your goals. We're usually able to place you into one of your top three choices. Very often we can get you into your number one choice. However, please remain flexible during your placement process. Often the biggest or most popular stations aren’t the best choice for a beginner looking to break into the business.  We may know, for example, that we have a terrific mentor who's been able to hire his last two students, or knows of an opening you might qualify for. Even though he or she works at a station further down your preference list, they might present the best opportunity for you. In short, we encourage you to work with your Placement Director during the placement process.

Your training will focus on the particular area you've chosen — DJ, sports, news, etc. However, the Broadcast Communications Curriculum enables a strong overall understanding of all aspects normally expected of anyone working in the programming department of a radio/TV station. All students are required to complete the assignments and pass the tests for each segment in order to graduate. There is a certain amount of flexibility allowed, but a basic exposure to all areas is strongly recommended for all new broadcasters and is a requirement for graduation.

Graduation takes place and a formal diploma is issued upon satisfactory completion of all eight segments in the curriculum. Hopefully, you've been able to catch on at the station where you trained and are hired there. Many NBTN students are hired before their training is even completed. However, as a graduate, the connections and resources of the National Broadcasters Training Network are available to you forever - whether it's for your first job or for a new job ten years from now.

If at any time during the course of training the assigned mentor should become unable to complete the training process as agreed herein, NBTN shall assign another qualified mentor at no additional cost. In the event the student should request a different mentor, or require a new or different mentor due to relocation, extended leave of absence or other circumstances, NBTN reserves the right to charge a $1000 re-placement fee prior to the commencement of re-placement activity.