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Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
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SolarMax
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 5:59 pm
Location: 313

Re: Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Post by SolarMax » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:58 pm

HD74 wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 3:16 pm
I was bummed when Specs died, then Dick Kernen, who used to visit me once a year.
Kernen passed recently.
Specs is not dead. Just turned 95.



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HD74
Posts: 583
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 4:53 pm
Location: SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE RACKS

Re: Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Post by HD74 » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:57 pm

Wow, good for Specs, someone told me he had passed.
I am aware of when Mr. Kernan passed, I just said he used to visit me yearly.
Last time I saw him was at the MAB convention.
He always referred to me as Mr. Earthdog.


You're never too old to learn something stupid.

SolidGoldDancers
Posts: 187
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:03 pm

Re: Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Post by SolidGoldDancers » Sat Apr 24, 2021 2:13 pm

Herm wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:13 pm
SolidGoldDancers wrote:
Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:15 am

Specs Howard did a good job teaching the skills to people who had the talent. But they also did some dodgy shit, including publishing the names of people who were hired in the industry but didn't attend Specs Howard, as successful graduates.
Do tell! What are the details here?
Happened late 80's through early 90's, people who started new jobs in the Detroit market were often mentioned in newsletters. It was heavily implied they were graduates, but not all of them were. When confronted, they'd say it was a general listing of job moves or a mistake.

One of the college kids that was hired out of a group of eight to do summer promotions work ended up being listed, he attended and graduated from a prestigious university.

In a different incident, I was doing a large build project and needed workers for a two month assignment. Against my better judgement, the GM insisted I put out a call to the school (an advertiser) because he felt this was a good opportunity for motivated broadcast tech students. I told the school I didn't care if they were involved in the technical program, but the job would be moving things, unboxing, pulling cable deletes, and it would be jeans and t-shirt, sweaty and dirty work. I wanted that made clear to their students that this was not radio or TV studio work, it was construction/manual labor, but it paid well above minimum and was in the industry of their study.

None of that was made clear to these students, all of them showed up expecting something far different than what I was offering.



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Musicrewired
Posts: 254
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Location: Right here on the screen

Re: Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Post by Musicrewired » Sun Apr 25, 2021 3:46 am

Alisa Zee is Specs' daughter. I don't see any other staff names left on their site. I remember Dick Kernen coming to our HS for a career day.



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Herm
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:31 am

Re: Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Post by Herm » Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:31 am

SolidGoldDancers wrote:
Sat Apr 24, 2021 2:13 pm
Herm wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:13 pm
SolidGoldDancers wrote:
Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:15 am

Specs Howard did a good job teaching the skills to people who had the talent. But they also did some dodgy shit, including publishing the names of people who were hired in the industry but didn't attend Specs Howard, as successful graduates.
Do tell! What are the details here?
Happened late 80's through early 90's, people who started new jobs in the Detroit market were often mentioned in newsletters. It was heavily implied they were graduates, but not all of them were. When confronted, they'd say it was a general listing of job moves or a mistake.

One of the college kids that was hired out of a group of eight to do summer promotions work ended up being listed, he attended and graduated from a prestigious university.

In a different incident, I was doing a large build project and needed workers for a two month assignment. Against my better judgement, the GM insisted I put out a call to the school (an advertiser) because he felt this was a good opportunity for motivated broadcast tech students. I told the school I didn't care if they were involved in the technical program, but the job would be moving things, unboxing, pulling cable deletes, and it would be jeans and t-shirt, sweaty and dirty work. I wanted that made clear to their students that this was not radio or TV studio work, it was construction/manual labor, but it paid well above minimum and was in the industry of their study.

None of that was made clear to these students, all of them showed up expecting something far different than what I was offering.
Yeah, they were really good at using misdirection in their marketing.
Their placement department was hit or miss too. I had a few good hits, they directed me to my internship and my first full-time job, but I had more misses.



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Lickalime
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:29 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Re: Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Post by Lickalime » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:32 pm

I hope LTU has improved their program. When I went there for the Communication program, they didn't have their shit together and had no clue what they were doing. I was told they had a radio station (they didn't), I was told the program was going to be able to take me as a late sophomore/early junior. I had to start with freshman courses because they didn't have the professors needed to teach classes. They also didn't have the classes created yet. It was too new of a program and I had too many credits for them, and they dicked me around. I met with my advisor after each semester and "gave my opinion" on classes I took and she would reevaluate the flow chart accordingly. From what I've heard they got a new program advisor shortly after I left and the new advisor actually knew what they were doing.
A good portion of the people I met while at LTU are employed and doing well.
I tried looking for work in my field, but I lacked a lot of experience and even basic editing I couldn't do. I'm not thrilled I graduated with $100k in student loan debt, and I might be slightly bitter, but I have a degree and that helps me get a job.



FormerNews5Dude
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu May 21, 2020 4:53 pm

Re: Big changes at “Specs Media Arts!”

Post by FormerNews5Dude » Wed Apr 28, 2021 4:16 pm

Herm wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:23 pm
RTV4-04
Everything is what you make of it.
I can think of 4 people from my graduating class, including myself, who had/have a career in broadcasting. There may be more, but not many more.
I don’t have any illusions about Specs Howard. I know they were better at marketing themselves than they were at preparing students for careers in broadcasting, but they weren’t completely inept at the latter. I knew nothing about broadcasting when I started there and I’ve done nothing but broadcasting since then. I don’t know what I would be doing if I hadn’t gone there, but I love my job and it provides a pretty good life for my family and I. Like I said... everything is what you make of it.
Great post.



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