WMHS 88.1 FM
"The Boss"
Pike Creek/Wilmington

Academy of Radio and Television Broadcasting

This comprehensive program prepares students to enter the exciting career of broadcasting through intensive classroom instruction and hands-on training in McKean's on-air radio station, WMHS, 88.1 FM. Advanced students may also work with Mckean's closed-circuit TV station.

The broadcasting curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of those students who are planning to attend college as well as the needs of those who will be entering the job market immediately after graduating from high school. The courses have been created to allow students to select a "career pathway" that is most appropriate to their goals and objectives. All courses have been structured around the broadcasting/marketing field.

For more information about the Academy of Radio and Television Broadcasting, contact Mr. Kulas via e-mail or call him at Thomas McKean High School.

Radio Broadcasting I-A and I-B (First Year)

Broadcasting I-A is designed to give students an overview of how a radio or television station operates. Students will learn the different departments of a radio or television station, their responsibilities, and how they relate to each other. Students will learn how to write and read news, sports announcements, commercial copy, public service announcements, station IDs, promos, etc. Students successfully completing Broadcasting I-A will know how to execute the duties of each department of a working radio station.

Broadcasting I-B is designed to give students the knowledge and hands-on experience to broadcast on radio and television. In this class, students will learn how to market a station to potential audiences and to prospective advertisers through promotions and product development. Broadcasting I-B builds on the knowledge students learned in Broadcasting I-A and gives students more hands-on experience in all the functions needed to produce the programming aired on WMHS. Towards the end of the second semester, students begin appearing on the air.

Radio Broadcasting II (Second Year)

Broadcasting II students receive more advanced training and have the opportunity to perform each of the many jobs required to keep a radio station on the air. At the end of their second year in the program, students will have had hands-on experience in most of the on-air positions in a professional radio station. Students rotate through shifts in the news, DJ, production, continuity, public service, promotion and marketing, and music departments. Students who are interested are also introduced to broadcasting a "live remote" from events such as McKean Football and Basketball games, McKean's annual plant sale, and other events.

Radio and TV Broadcasting III-A and III-B (Third Year)

Students in these courses will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school's FCC-licensed FM radio station, both on and off the air. Using the knowledge and experience gained in Broadcasting I-A, I-B, and II, Broadcasting III students are expected to show leadership and professionalism as they develop skills in broadcast production, journalism, sales, promotions, sportcasting, marketing, and school and public service. In addition, some Broadcasting III students will be allowed to develop their own after school radio shows.

Students choosing to focus on television broadcasting will receive training in camera usage, videotaping, editing, audio recording, lighting and special effects. In addition, interested students can choose to develop a McKean Morning News Program for the school's closed circuit television station.

Broadcasting III students also produce features for and about the Red Clay School District and are responsible for WMHS's web site. During the 2006 and 2007 academic years, Broadcasting III students will work towards developing "streaming audio" to be broadcast on the Internet.

Radio and TV Broadcasting Aide (Second - Fourth Years)

Students who show an exceptional interest in the broadcasting program may, with Mr. Kulas's permission, receive academic credit for additional work in support of WMHS and the school's closed-channel television station.

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Text adapted from Thomas McKean High School Course Selection Guide, 2004-2005 edition.