A WBA Foundation program is preparing college and high school students for careers in broadcast marketing.
Ten years ago, your WBA Foundation initiated a pilot project aimed at identifying and training new sales personnel for Wisconsin radio and television stations. The Radio Marketing Professional Certification Program is a two-day intensive broadcast sales training program conducted by Ken Beno, WBA Education Committee Chair, in cooperation with the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). Beno conducts two days of training based on RAB training materials and then administers a test which, if passed, results in a student/trainee receiving his or her certification as a Radio Marketing Professional from the RAB. Ken conducts the courses on university, college and technical college campuses around the state. The students in these classes are mainly students from the hosting school. Although the RMP is aimed at radio, Beno talks about TV sales, as well.
Beno presented the seminar to high school students this year. The objective was to interest them in a career in marketing/sales in broadcasting as they go to college, and to do follow-up with the instructor to determine if any of the students go into broadcast marketing. All of the students were part of the Willems Student Marketing Team which is an innovative, one-of-a-kind, dual credit, and college credit offering to seniors in the Appleton Area School District. All students involved were going on to college to pursue a two or four year degree. The students passed the exam with a higher average score than some of the college students who have taken the exam. The students were well prepared and participated during the seminar.
During the 2016-2017 school year, two sessions were held:
UW-Oshkosh: 40 participants, 35 certified as RMP’s
Appleton North and West High Schools: 12 participants, 11 certified as RMP’s
Since the beginning of the seminars in February 2007, 759 students have been certified as Radio Marketing Professionals. A total of 47 seminars have been offered through May 2017. Ten have been presented at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, nine at UW-Stevens Point, eight at UW-Madison and UW-Oshkosh, and seven at UW-River Falls. UW-Green Bay has hosted two and UW-La Crosse, Nicolet Area Technical College in Rhinelander, and Appleton North and West each hosted one.
The WBA is open to suggestions or comments on the WBA Foundation’s RMP program.
