What I’ve learned from the Radio and Television program

Hey! I’m Kenzie, a 3rd semester radio student here at NAIT! The semester is coming to an end and practicum starts in less than a month. I’ve had such an amazing experience in this program thanks to all of my awesome classmates and teachers. I’ve learned SO much and I feel prepared and excited for the future! Here are some of the best things I got out of the NAIT Radio and Television program!

1. I learned the technical skills of audio production, news and storytelling, promotions, social media, advertising and on-air skills. 

• I gotta say, it was great getting to dip my toes into each aspect of radio. Even though I knew from the beginning I wanted to be an on-air host, I learned the importance of knowing the other aspects as well, because they all go hand-in-hand.

• I found out I have a knack for audio production, something I did NOT expect. I even debated going down that path, and who knows, maybe in the future I’ll lean into that more! It was so fun to learn the different techniques and tricks to turn an idea into a fun, creative and unique piece of audio. 

• There are many parts of radio that you wouldn’t normally think about and this program proved that. There’s a lot of work, as well as trial and error that goes into developing your skills in radio, but it was awesome learning all the in-betweens of what you’ll be doing in the real world.

2. If you show up and work your butt off, IT PAYS OFF!

• I cannot stress to you enough the importance of showing up. Not just for your teachers or your classmates (although it’s good to be considerate of them as well), but for yourself! You paid to be here to learn about this industry, so go ham! What’s the point of doing all of this if you aren’t putting in 100%?

• I would get to school every morning at 6 a.m. and just grind to make sure my projects were something I was proud of. There were times where I was so stressed and so tired, but if you push through and put in the work, it will pay off in the end and you’ll feel SO much better about the work you submit knowing you did the best you could.

3. Making mistakes is GOOD and a large part of the process.

• It’s normal to not want to make mistakes, trust me, I know. I used to stress myself out so much about making mistakes, especially on-air, BUT that’s the best way to learn. When you make a mistake, you learn not to do it again and it gets engraved in your brain. Allow yourself to be yourself and make mistakes, but also to learn and grow from them, make the mistake worth it, basically.

4. HAVE FUN!!!

• It can get stressful managing multiple projects at the same time, but at the end of the day, this is radio. It’s not serious, it’s entertainment. If you’re enjoying what you’re doing and putting your unique personality into your work, it’s going to come out WAY better because that enjoyment comes across in whatever you’re doing. Try new things and have fun with whatever you’re doing. It’s going to make your experience a GAZILLION times better!

5. The teachers in this program are UNREAL. 

• It still blows my mind how incredible ALL of my teachers have been. They all love what they do and it shows, and that makes learning from them that much better. I owe a lot to my teachers for helping me reach my goals and to get from where I was when I started this program to where I am today. For that, I truly cannot thank them enough.

• They care so much about each student and their future goals in this industry. It’s so nice to see how much they genuinely care about helping students learn and grow. Don’t take them or their help for granted because this is their bread and butter and they will NOT steer you wrong. Take their advice and critique and apply it to what you do if you truly want to pursue a career in radio. 

6. The power of having an after-hours show.

• In the 1st semester, you have the option to have your very own after-hours show on NR92, NAIT’s campus radio station, in case you didn’t know. I didn’t start my after-hours show until 2nd semester as I had those 1st semester nerves and hadn’t yet found the confidence that I have now.

• The biggest thing I’ve learned from my after-hours show, Kickin’ it with Kenz, is just how much goes into entertaining an audience, especially without a co-host. As a natural yapper, I didn’t have a problem filling space with talking, but I definitely learned the importance of prepping GOOD content, bringing in fun elements and also to have fun, be myself and be CONFIDENT.

I’m very sad to be wrapping up what has been an INCREDIBLE 3 semesters, but I’m also excited to go out in the real world and get started in the radio world!

So what’s next for ol’ Kenz?! 

Well, I’m VERY lucky to have gained a job with Play 107 here in Edmonton on their morning show. I work alongside Jake Ryan who has already taught me SO much in my 4-week span of being there. I also have the best boss I could EVER ask for, who’s been in the industry a very long time and has so much insight and knowledge. He gives me the critique I need to learn, grow and continue to develop my skills as an on-air personality. 

At the end of the day, I just can’t say enough how grateful I am to everyone who helped me reach my goals and succeed in an industry I’ve always wanted to be a part of. It sounds corny, I know, but it’s the honest truth. I never would have thought I could accomplish everything I have so far, and this is just the beginning! 

If you wanna see the fun shenanigans we’ve had while creating some pretty entertaining content, in my opinion, check out NR92 on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X to check the content we’re all proud of!

To any of my teachers or classmates reading this… THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to you, the reader, if you made it this far… THANK YOU AS WELL!

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