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Top Sports Broadcasting Schools
Sportscasters Mentoring Group (SMG) FAQ
- What is SMG?
- Do you have a sports broadcasting school near me?
- Why should I choose SMG?
- Do I have to move to California?
- Can I keep my job while training?
- What exactly does SMG do?
- What exactly is a "Sportscasting Apprenticeship"?
- Aren't Apprenticeships really just Internships?
- Which radio stations do you work with in my area?
- How Often Will I meet with my mentor and go into the station?
- How many hours per week should I set aside?
- How does SMG's Job Placement compare with the others?
- How do your costs compare with broadcasting schools?
- How much does it cost?
- Do you offer financial aid or financing?
- Do you accept credit cards?
- What are the age requirements?
- How long will my training take?
- Is there a "best time" to get started?
- How do I get started?
What is SMG?
SMG is the only all sports broadcasting school in the US, which is structured differently than a traditional broadcasting school. SMG uses a mentor-apprentice model for learning, in which your "mentor-instructor" is a working professional sportscaster, and your "classroom" is a real radio station near you. No boring lectures to sit through or cramped classrooms to deal with.
Do you have a sports broadcasting school near me?
If you have radio stations or teams within acceptable driving distance that employs sportscasters, then SMG has a school near you. Think of SMG as a different type of Sports broadcasting school.
Your "classroom" is inside of a radio station, and your "professor" is a working sportscaster from that station or local team. Technically, SMG has sports broadcasting schools wherever there are radio stations throughout the US or Canada.
Why should I choose SMG?
SMG is a better fit for the type of student who learns best in a hands-on, one-on-one learning environment, while progressing at your own pace. If you're the type of learner who benefits most from a classroom, lecture, and note-taking learning environment, then a traditional broadcasting school would be a better fit for you than would SMG.
You should also only choose SMG if sports broadcasting is your passion, and you're looking to make a career out of it. While more traditional broadcasting schools offer sportscasting as a small portion of their training, SMG's entire emphasis is on sports broadcasting.
Sports broadcasting is a specialized niche that requires specialized training. If you were interested in becoming a play-by-play announcer, sports talk host, anchor, or sideline reporter, you wouldn't benefit much from learning DJ skills that traditional broadcasting schools force you to learn.
You may want to consider our award-winning radio broadcasting school offered by our sister company, the Broadcasters Mentoring Group, if you're interested in becoming a radio DJ, general talk show host, or newscaster.
Do I have to move to California?
No. You train in your local community. No relocation required. California is simply where our headquarters are located.
Can I keep my job while training?
Yes. As a matter of fact, we recommend that you keep your full or part-time job until your income can be replaced with a sports broadcasting job. SMG will arrange your training days and times to work around your schedule.
What exactly does SMG do?
- SMG provides you customized sports broadcasting training as either a show host, play-by-play announcer, anchor, or reporter.
- Assists you in selecting a nearby radio station or team to train with in your city.
- Places you with a local working sportscaster for training.
- Provides all of your proprietary training materials.
- Offers lifetime job placement assistance for students.
- Designs your training time to work with your schedule.
SMG will first set up your initial placement interview with your prospective mentor. If accepted for training, your training occurs either at that local radio station, or with the team you chose. SMG also provides you with ongoing support and oversight of your training program from start to finish. You're not in this alone.
What exactly is a "Sportscasting Apprenticeship"?
Think of a regular apprenticeship. You sit at the foot of the master and directly learn their skills through observation, hands-on training, and discussion - all while under their watchful eye and supervision. It's the same thing with a sportscasting apprenticeship.
In a SMG apprenticeship, a skilled sportscaster will train and guide you, either in their radio station or through the team for whom they announce games. You will become a sportscaster through observation, hands-on training, and broadcasting your own show during training.
Aren't Apprenticeships really just Internships?
Not even close. Typically, internships are only available to currently enrolled college students. In exchange for free labor, radio stations will give college credits to student interns.
Radio stations will usually assign interns where the need is greatest - which could be anything ranging from performing administrative duties, to handing out tee-shirts or bumper stickers at events, or even setting up for remote broadcasts the station is holding. You may even be sent on a coffee and donut run.
At no point in time, however, does radio station management imply, state, or promise that interns will be trained specifically for eventual on-air broadcasting jobs. An apprenticeship is different in that you're working one-on-one with a specific sportscaster to develop your on-air broadcasting skills.
Which radio stations do you work with in my area?
SMG doesn't just work with a select few radio stations in each area, and force you to train where we have established relationships. Since our students are choosing their radio stations in which they want to train, we are daily developing new relationships with radio stations.
Here's an overview of how the process works:
- Every radio station with a sportscaster is a candidate to work with you.
- You'll submit 5 station preferences where you'd like to train.
- You choose training days and times, based upon your availability.
- SMG will set up an interview for you with a prospective mentor from one of your station preferences. If accepted after your interview, this is who you'll train with, and the station where your training will occur.
How often do I go into the station for training?
The beauty of the apprenticeship model is the flexibility it offers students, based upon your schedule and availability. Most students will typically go into the station 1-3 times weekly, schedule permitting.
It's important to note that a portion of your training occurs outside the station, as well. All students are required to host their own sports radio show while training, as well keeping up with your study assignments. Your sportscaster-mentor is also working closely with you in developing your radio program, which helps to shorten your learning curve.
How many hours per week should I set aside?
You would be wise to set aside a minimum of 10 hours per week to devote to your training. This includes time spent with your mentor in the station, preparing for and hosting your radio program, as well as studying your training materials.
How does SMG's Job Placement compare with other broadcasting schools?
SMG's comprehensive and strategic five-point approach to job placement is what separates it from ANY other radio broadcasting school or program out there. Besides paying your mentor a cash bonus for recommending your hire, SMG is the only sports broadcasting school that owns our own job board for students. We invite you to compare SMG with any other broadcasting school out there to see the difference.
While others talk a good game about job placement, we'll show you our tangible job placement plan we have in store for you.
How do your costs compare with other schools?
SMG's sports broadcasting apprenticeships are $4000-$8000 less expensive than the average broadcasting school, and are competitively priced with other apprenticeship programs. Our price is lower than others simply because you're not paying for the cost of running a facility, or the salary and health benefits required for a large faculty.
You're paying for your own private instructor, and the radio station pays for their own facility.
Equally important to cost, remember to compare the value and volume of services that SMG offers over any other broadcasting school. You'll soon realize that SMG provides a higher quality training at a lower cost than anyone in the marketplace.
How much does it cost?
It depends upon which training program is a better fit for your needs and budget. Your three month "Supreme Insider" training tuition currently costs $5,997 ($500 discount available), while your six month "Ultra Insider" training tuition currently costs $7,597 ($600 discount available).
Financing is available for both training programs.
How long will my training take?
Most "Ultra Insider" students complete their in-station apprenticeships within 7 months, while "Supreme Insider" students will be expected to complete their training in 3 months.
However, another major benefit SMG provides its "Ultra Insider" students is the flexibility offered in the amount of time your training requires.
Since no two people grasp this information at the same pace, if it takes you longer than six months to complete your course...so be it. Unlike other sports broadcasting schools or University programs that generally have a set start and completion date, SMG allows you the freedom to progress at your own pace.
Do you offer financial aid or financing?
SMG DOES offer financing, but does NOT offer financial aid. Our financing is a credit based loan through a private company who requires a minimum $750 down payment. We have other flexible financing options you may want to inquire about, as well.
Do you accept credit cards?
Yes. We accept the following credit cards:
What are the age requirements?
SMG has trained students between the ages of 15 to 72. All students under 18 years of age must have parental approval, who must give verbal authorization to an SMG staff member to speak with their child before any conversation can take place. We encourage parents to place the first call to SMG.
Is there a "best time" to get started?
The "best time" to get started is when you're finally ready to become a sports broadcaster. Since SMG doesn't operate on a semester or college-quarter basis, it's best to begin when you're ready to make a commitment to your sportscasting future. Remember, you have one chance to make a first impression. When you've made a decision and you're fully committed to your training, you're likely to make a favorable first impression.
How do I get started?
You can either fill out the Question-contact form or call us directly at 888-307-2346 (US only), or 818-879-0858 from Canada or the US. We promise you'll speak to a real person who will be happy to answer any questions you may still have.
Or call 818-879-0858
