Our very own Renee Vitale (100.3 WNIC) has been nominated to be on Live with Regis and Kelly when Kelly goes on vacation in August. She made it through the preliminary round and is in the Top 100! Along with two other Detroit radio co-hosts; Allyson Martinek, 96.3 WDVD (Specs Grad) and Shannon Murphy, 95.5 WKQI. Go to the Live with Regis and Kelly Facebook page and find your favorite, then post a supportive comment telling them why your top choice should host with Regis beginning August 17!

Every 5 yrs., our accreditation comes up for renewal and among other things the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges does at these times is have a team of specialists visit us.  One of the members is a Subject Specialist who works in the industry the school trains for.  They visited us in May and the specialist was John Hammond who posted the following on his Facebook page.  Thanks very much John.

[John Hammond] I had the opportunity to visit Specs Howard School of Media Arts. This was not my first time there. I’ve been a long-time visitor to the school, primarily as a potential employer. But this was the first time I visited as an evaluator. I was asked by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology to evaluate the school in regard to its curriculum and practices, so I was on a mission.

A team of 5 people interview staff, students, administrators, all the people that make the school function. I was responsible for the Radio – Video – Film (RVF) portion of the program. I found it fascinating that this gem of an institution, started by Specs himself decades ago, has not only kept pace with the changing technology in our business, but continues to be a vital source of “new blood” for our industry.

The curriculum throughout the areas of the school I evaluated is preparing graduates to go on to entry level positions in radio, television, post-production, graphic arts, on-line, and even the film industry. They are not the next DP or on-line editor, they are the people we were when we first started in the business. They get your tapes in order, coil cables (yes, they actually teach that skill), run errands, transport people around and if they get good at that and continue to improve their skill, they can move up.

The vast majority of the graduates have passion for their work and want to do a good job for their co-workers. They want to “make a difference” – a phrase I have heard often from Specs grads.

So, if you need an intern or entry-level employee for your next project, I suggest you call their Career Services Department.

John Hammond

Congratulations to Allyson Martinek, who will be celebrating her 15th year at WDVD-FM (96.3) today (July 13, 2010). The "Blaine and Allyson in the Morning" co-host tells Names & Faces that after graduating from the Specs Howard School, she sent an audition tape to the station (which was then WHYT). She says she sent out only one tape because WHYT was the only station where she wanted to work. Just three days later, she was hired and she's been at the station ever since.

"To call this place my home means so much to me," Martinek says of a career that has included everything from midday to overnight shifts. "We have the most devoted listeners; it's just been a blessing." (This story was in the Tuesday, July 13, 2010 edition of the Detroit Free Press).

A month ago, I visited our friends at WWJ-TV to discuss job and internship opportunities for Specs Howard students and graduates. I was delighted to find out that they hired a producer for their expanded morning news program, which partners with the Detroit Free Press, and that...yeah...he is a grad. Tim French has only been out of school for four years, but has been a producer in Flint, Michigan and Dayton, Ohio, and is now back in his home town at the CBS affiliate. My recent visit with him will hopefuly place new grads and some interns along side him as the news operation grows. Tim's progress is pretty amazing for four years...way to go!

In 2000, Shaun (Kenny) Jones, one of our many Canadian grads, graduated from Specs Howard School. He worked with the Chum stations in Windsor, Ontario for a short time, and then was hired as the Morning Wake-Up guy at CJOK - 93.3 in Ft. McMurray, Alberta.  Over the past decade, he's enjoyed having the #1 morning show, married a college professor, fathered two children and bought his first home. Now, he just scored the Morning Show at Country 107.1 in Vancouver, British Columbia, (my all time favorite city). We wish him and his family the best, and am confident they will LOVE Vancouver.

Many years ago, there was a high school girl named Renee Vitale, who worked as a waitress at a wedding. She was fascinated by radio and found out that there were a lot of radio folk at the reception she was working. She began to talk to some of them, including a very approachable DJ named Karen D'Alessandro who worked for WWWW. Karen offered to arrange a tour of the station. As Renee walked wide-eyed around the station, she asked Karen how she got in the business, and Karen said that she had attended...you guessed it...Specs Howard School.

Fast forward 15 years or so...

Karen has been the primary Morning Show personality (rare for women) at WMIL in Milwaukee for the past 10 years. Renee went on to be on-air talent at several small market stations before returning to Specs Howard as an admissions representative 10 years ago. She also worked weekends at Detroit's 96.3 WDVD. As a result of her great work at 96.3, she was recruited by 100.3 WNIC to co-host along side Jay Towers on their MORNING SHOW! We will miss her terribly, but are very proud of her.

For those of you out there who don't know...Specs Howard School has this little thing called a Graphics program! We also just launched a Digital Media Arts program at our satellite campus in Farmington Hills. I thought it would be time to let you know how well some our Graphics graduates are doing in their new found careers. Congrats to all of the GFX graduates. We are so proud!

Donna Smallwood of GFX04-09 graduated in April 2010. She completed a Graphic Design internship with Community Bowling Centers, and then landed a position as a Graphic Production Artist with The Sun Times in Stockbridge, MI.

Francesca (Frankie) Daddio of GFX02-08 graduated in May 2009. Frankie did a Graphic Design internship with Fox Sports Detroit. Three months after completing the internship, Fox Sports Detroit hired her as a freelance Graphic Design Assistant on the Promotions team.

Steve Linville of GFX06-08 graduated in October 2009. Steve was a Graphic Design Intern for Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and a Digital Media Intern for Citadel Broadcasting. After completing both internships, he was hired as a Graphic Designer for General Motors Design in Warren, working in the performance car and large truck studios.

SWOCC Studios and the Farmington Hills Video Division were recognized this year by the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences at this month's Emmy Award Gala. David Tietmeyer received a first place Michigan Emmy in the category of Lighting for a compilation of his 2009 projects.

You can also watch all Farmington, Farmington Hills and Novi programs at your convenience by logging onto http://swoccstudios.pegcentral.comweeblylink_new_window

At the Royal Oak Music Theatre on June 5, 2010, and for the second time in three years, STATE CHAMPS! High School Sports Show was awarded a Michigan EMMY award for outstanding television. The story they did in January 2009 on the Wyandotte Roosevelt Marching Band, and their playing at the presidential inauguration, was named the Best Youth and Teen Feature. See the video here. 
Remember you can see STATE CHAMPS! High School Sports Show each and every Saturday at 11:30am on WMYD - MY TV20 Detroit.