Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts
Encyclopedia
The Specs Howard School of Media Arts is an educational institution, dedicated to preparing people for a career in radio and television broadcasting. It is based in Southfield, Michigan
, USA and is named after its founder, Specs Howard
.
was born 8 April 1926, in Kittanning, Pennsylvania
. In 1948, he received a B.A. degree in history/political science and radio speech and dramatics from Allegheny College
in Meadville, Pennsylvania
. That same year, he opened his own radio station in Pennsylvania. Later, Howard moved to Cleveland and continued his broadcast career there. In 1962, he joined forces with Harry Martin, launching The Martin and Howard Show, which remained on the air in Cleveland until the duo moved to Detroit in January 1967. The show aired for another year in Detroit.
In 1970,Howard purchased The Lee Alan School of Broadcast Arts and renamed it the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, with the purpose of training aspiring professionals in the varied and broad range of career paths associated with the radio and television industry.
In 2009, the school changed its name to the "Specs Howard School of Media Arts" to reflect the broader scope of training offered.
Classes, called RTV, are named by the class number and the year of the class; i.e.: RTV-10-06 is the 10th class of the 2006 year. Now the classes are called RVF, which stands for Radio, Video, Film. So it is now RVF-8-11 instead of RTV-8-11.
Students spend the first two quarters of the eight-month program (or 12-month depending on whether the student focuses on both audio and video) taking classes that touch both radio and TV. At the end of the second quarter students decide on which side they want to concentrate, radio or TV. The students split up into radio classes and video classes which go into depth on their subjects.
In addition to the audio and video training, RVF students are taught how to be professional-sounding disc jockeys, announcers, and professional-sounding TV talent, and how to write in the broadcast style.
Additionally, students are lectured on commercial and news copy writing, and are taught the basics of the transmitter operation, a subject that is covered in much greater technical detail later in the video course.
Students also learn about the industry from instructors such as Dick Kernen, who has spent 50 years, as of 2006, in the industry.
“Specs” graduates can be found in all levels of the entertainment and information media—both on the air, and behind the scenes.
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
, USA and is named after its founder, Specs Howard
Specs Howard
Specs Howard is a radio pioneer who spent three decades entertaining audiences in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. He achieved notice as one of the members of the Martin and Howard Show in Cleveland during the 1960s before moving to Detroit. In 1970, he created the Specs Howard School of...
.
Background
Specs HowardSpecs Howard
Specs Howard is a radio pioneer who spent three decades entertaining audiences in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. He achieved notice as one of the members of the Martin and Howard Show in Cleveland during the 1960s before moving to Detroit. In 1970, he created the Specs Howard School of...
was born 8 April 1926, in Kittanning, Pennsylvania
Kittanning, Pennsylvania
Kittanning is a borough and the county seat of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River. The name means "at the great stream" in the Delaware language...
. In 1948, he received a B.A. degree in history/political science and radio speech and dramatics from Allegheny College
Allegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the town of Meadville. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.-Early history:...
in Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
. That same year, he opened his own radio station in Pennsylvania. Later, Howard moved to Cleveland and continued his broadcast career there. In 1962, he joined forces with Harry Martin, launching The Martin and Howard Show, which remained on the air in Cleveland until the duo moved to Detroit in January 1967. The show aired for another year in Detroit.
In 1970,Howard purchased The Lee Alan School of Broadcast Arts and renamed it the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, with the purpose of training aspiring professionals in the varied and broad range of career paths associated with the radio and television industry.
In 2009, the school changed its name to the "Specs Howard School of Media Arts" to reflect the broader scope of training offered.
Educational focus
Students at Specs Howard obtain a broad spectrum of skills and techniques in both television and radio broadcasting. Students can choose one of two separate career path concentrations: the radio/audio-focused course or the telelvision/video-focused course.Classes, called RTV, are named by the class number and the year of the class; i.e.: RTV-10-06 is the 10th class of the 2006 year. Now the classes are called RVF, which stands for Radio, Video, Film. So it is now RVF-8-11 instead of RTV-8-11.
Students spend the first two quarters of the eight-month program (or 12-month depending on whether the student focuses on both audio and video) taking classes that touch both radio and TV. At the end of the second quarter students decide on which side they want to concentrate, radio or TV. The students split up into radio classes and video classes which go into depth on their subjects.
In addition to the audio and video training, RVF students are taught how to be professional-sounding disc jockeys, announcers, and professional-sounding TV talent, and how to write in the broadcast style.
Additionally, students are lectured on commercial and news copy writing, and are taught the basics of the transmitter operation, a subject that is covered in much greater technical detail later in the video course.
Students also learn about the industry from instructors such as Dick Kernen, who has spent 50 years, as of 2006, in the industry.
Alumni success
Graduates of the school work in all aspects of television, radio, corporate video, and even the movie industry. Several have achieved varying degrees of stardom, anchoring or reporting on major media networks and appearing in films and syndicated radio shows.“Specs” graduates can be found in all levels of the entertainment and information media—both on the air, and behind the scenes.
Notable alumni
- Shaffee Abraham host of WKLS's morning show in Atlanta, GA.
- Jay Hudson, 89X CIMX-FMCIMX-FMCIMX-FM — branded 89X — is a commercial active-leaning alternative rock radio station based in Windsor, Ontario. 89X serves both Essex County, Ontario and Metro Detroit; its 100,000-watt signal reaches most of southwestern Ontario, southeastern Michigan, the Toledo metro area and the western Lake...
Radio PersonalityRadio personalityA radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
Music DirectorMusic directorA music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head... - Sam Parkson of BK-OW Burger King's drive through king.
- Dave Hunter and Chuck "The Freak" Urquhart, hosts of 89X's morning show Dave and Chuck "The Freak"Dave and Chuck "The Freak"Dave and Chuck "The Freak" is the name of self-titled radio morning show that broadcasts on weekdays from 5am to 10am on CIMX-FM in Windsor, Ontario. The show is hosted by David Hunter, Charles Erkhart, and Lisa Way...
. - Tony OrtizTony OrtizTony Ortiz is a sportscaster and sports talk show host for CBS Radio owned sister stations WXYT-FM, WXYT-AM and WWJ in Detroit, MI.-Education and early positions:...
of WXYT-FM and WWJWWJ (AM)WWJ is Detroit, Michigan's only 24-hour all-news radio station. Broadcasting at 950 kHz, the station is owned and operated by CBS Corporation subsidiary CBS Radio. The station first went on the air on August 20, 1920 with the call sign 8MK...
. - Akil Anderson of Pilgrim Films/TV and SyFy Networks.