Seated L to R: Madison Hunter, Tolin Irby, Patricia Ann Kelley, Emma Theriault.
Front Row Standing L to R: Erin Kistner, Lauryn Samuelson, Olivia Carroll.
Back Row Standing L to R: Greyson Baumann, James Robinson, Jason Trigg
Photo by Lake Land College.
Each spring semester in the Broadcast Communications department, students are required to take COM 175, Broadcast Sales. They earn their certifications by completing a four-week course, complete with video classes, tests and assignments, as part of the broadcast sales class in the Broadcast Communication program on campus.
Greg Powers, who since 2006, is the Department Chair of the Broadcast Communications department as well as the General Manager of WLKL-FM, Lake Land’s on-campus student-run radio station, teaches many Broadcast Communications courses, including COM 175.
Powers stated, “The Broadcast Sales course was offered before I started teaching here in 2000. We (Broadcasting Communications Department) have transitioned from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) certification to the P1 Learning certification several years ago.”
P1 Learning is a small entity that specializes in training. They are two different companies. Students who pass the P1 Learning exam earned the certificate and the minimum score is 80%. Students who did not pass the exam the first time will have an opportunity to do so after watching the videos again.”
He specified, “We trained the students for the workforce for the Broadcast Sales certification with some credentials under their belt. A third of the course during the semester is devoted to the certification, the training videos, quizzes, visits with professionals in the broadcast sales industry. In the course, we talk about ratings, sales promotions and other concepts related to the sales industry.”
The students who have completed the sales certificate program are: Greyson Baumann, Mattoon; James Robinson, Robinson; Jason Trigg, Charleston; Erin Kistner, Witt; Lauryn Samuelson, Mattoon; Olivia Carroll, Mattoon; Patricia Ann Kelley, Mattoon; Emma Theriault, Charleston; Madison Hunter, Assumption and Tolin Irby, Charleston.
Powers explained, “Broadcast Communications was formerly known as the Radio/TV Broadcasting Department until this past fall semester. The reason for the name change is having a better description of what the industry has become and where it is moving in the future.”
Next year, there will be another group of students who will attempt to complete the sales certificate program. If interested, contact Greg Powers through e-mail at [email protected] or via campus phone at 217-234-5335.
