Radio 101 - an intro to some important organizations

This past week, being only the second one in to the semester, I had to introduce students to various organizations that are important to radio broadcasters. I assigned an organization to each small group & had them answer specific questions regarding each one; then each group had to present to the class.I realize that discussions like this can be dry & there's always a strong possibility of losing some student's attention. (OK, I KNOW there are students not paying any attention. I can actually see the thought bubbles above their heads & in some cases read the content.....but I digress.....)My idea is, even if they don't pay attention to each other's presentations, at least they learn about the one they had to work on. And this information is useful & important. So which organizations did I feel the students had to know about?

RTDNA - Radio Television Digital News Association - the Association of Electronic Journalists. They established a code of ethics that is mandatory radio journalists know. The website also has information about monetary awards students, such as those in Creative Communications, can apply for. One former CreCommer realized this a few years ago & ended up being awarded a nice sum of money for a project she sent in.

CRTC - the Canadian Radio Television Telecommunications Commission - they regulate the industry, so we all better be aware of what those regulations entail. Among other things, the CRTC determines who gets radio licenses & the conditions of those licenses.

CBSC - the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council - this organization of private broadcasters exists to set standards, monitor those standards & set penalties for offenders. From talking to members I understand that broadcasters take seriously the codes they vow to follow & when one is violated the act of having to admit & apologize twice, on air, in prime time is a humbling embarrassment.

SOCAN - the Society of Composers, Authors & Music Publishers of Canada - they collect the license fees from radio stations that allows those stations to play music. Then, they distribute that money accordingly. They also fund workshops.

FACTOR - the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings - they have lots of money to give to Canadian musicians to help them get started with demos, funding for tours, workshops, etc. I'm always amazed that no one seems to know about FACTOR. They have about $14 million annually to pass out to applicants.