Radio pros seek to cultivate radio talent

Introducing the National Radio Talent System and its adjunct Radio Talent Institutes, both of which are being formed to give professional radio the farm system to train and nurture young talent. In on the initial foray onto a college campus are a state association, a former broadcaster and a consultant.

The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters is the state organization; Art Kellar is the broadcaster and Dan Vallie is the consultant.

Appalachian State University in Boone NC is the venue and the initial offering is called the Kellar Radio Talent Institute.

The Kentucky Broadcasters Association is set to follow suit with the WKU Radio Talent Institute in very short order at Western Kentucky University

The Institute is said to be a ten-day course designed to prep aspiring radio broadcasters for immediate entry-level employment at a commercial radio station. The goal is to set one up in every state and/or region so radio professionals everywhere have access to fresh talent.

“For decades, the radio industry has talked of the long-standing need for a farm system that would identify and bring new talent into the industry,” explained NRTS. “Now, the National Radio Talent System is designed to be the ‘go to’ place to find new, young, passionate, well-educated, entry level talent qualified to excel in radio stations across America.”

NRTS continued, “Due to the advent of voice-tracking, automation, syndication, and labor laws that minimize or prevent the opportunity for young people to just ‘hang around’ the radio station, the radio industry has lost much of its training ground. The radio industry needs the National Radio Talent System more than ever as the System delivers enthusiastic young adults who are ready to walk into a radio station and not only be comfortable, but ready to perform in various areas of the business, from on-air to sales to traffic, news, sports, promotions, production, copy writing and interactive.”

Vallie, the Founder and President of the venture, added, “It’s the broadcasters who have vision, passion and love for the business that recognize this long-standing need and the importance of finding young, entry level talent, and the National Radio Talent System® is the solution to that need. Most know that, while it’s imperative that we continue to have advances in technology and insure that radio is ubiquitous, success in our industry and the future will always depend on people. We have to attract the best and the brightest who have the talent and desire to get into radio to insure we not only hire great young talent today, but also to insure we have great leadership well into this 21st century…and that is not only possible, it has already begun. This is a noble effort.”