Northwest broadcasting students record a segment in the studios of KXCV, Northwest's National Public Radio affiliate. For the third consecutive summer, Northwest will serve as the state's host for the Radio Talent Institute. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

Feb. 19, 2019

Institute for aspiring radio professionals returning this summer

For the third consecutive summer, Northwest Missouri State University will host the Missouri Broadcasters Association (MBA) Radio Talent Institute to discover, coach and connect aspiring student broadcasters to the industry.

The Radio Talent Institute – set for Monday, July 29, through Wednesday, Aug. 7, on the Northwest campus in Maryville – is a 10-day radio immersion program bringing talented broadcasting students together with broadcast professionals for on-air training in music radio, news and sports as well as digital and social media, production, promotion, sales and more. 

Students will become certified Radio Marketing Professionals by the Radio Advertising Bureau, and the institute touts that the majority of students completing the program secure a job in radio or a related field after their graduation.

Sessions are led by successful broadcast industry professionals in their areas of expertise, and the curriculum is designed so every student participates in every aspect of the program. 

The program is open to all broadcasting students as well as recent graduates. The cost to participate is $395, which includes lunches. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 29, and interested students should apply online at www.nationalradiotalentsystem.com; scholarships are available.

Missouri will be one of only eight states in the country to host an institute this summer. Other locations are Appalachian State University in North Carolina, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Central Washington University, Emerson College in Boston, the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Western Kentucky University.

Northwest and its School of Communication and Media are home to KXCV (90.5 FM), an award-winning National Public Radio affiliate that signed on the air in 1971 as the first full-power public radio service in Missouri and has evolved into a signature example of the profession-based experiences Northwest offers students. With 100,000 watts behind it, KXCV provides in-depth news and information with an alternative music format. It also is the flagship of the Bearcat Radio Network, which produces all Northwest football and basketball broadcasts and game feeds to five commercial radio affiliates throughout the four-state region.

KXCV complements KZLX (106.7 FM), Northwest’s student-managed, low-power station. While KZLX received 2013 and 2014 Pinnacle awards from the College Media Association, designating it among the best college radio stations in the country, both KXCV and KZLX give students an opportunity to gain broadcasting experience immediately.