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Behind the Mike

After his own career in radio, Specs Howard
has worked equally long to put
Detroiters into broadcasting.

SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

y the time the Specs
Howard School of
Broadcast Arts
celebrates its 25th
anniversary in
1995, staff and stu-
dents should find
themselves in new
quarters.
The vocational
training center,
which has graduat-
ed more than 7,000
students, has outgrown its
facilities on Eight Mile
near Southfield. Road. The
task of finding a building
with additional space is
the top priority of the man
who is the school's
founder, namesake and
chief executive officer.

"We are known - for
hands-on experience, and
we need a fourth TV stu-
dio. and
„ a fourth class-
room"; explained Mr.
Howard, 67, who occasion-
ally goes on the air as a
substitute for local radio
personalities.
"We plan to continue
expanding over the next
decade to meet the ever-
changing needs of the
broadcast and production
communities.”
When he first opened
the school, Mr. Howard
taught some of the classes
that prepare people for on-
air, behind-the-scenes and
electronics careers. He
likes to keep track of those

former students as well as
those more recently placed
as interns or full-time
employees.
"We have had people
working at every single'
radio and TV station and
cable company around the
city," said Mr. Howard,
who also has designed his
curriculum to suit individ-
uals interested in indepen-
dent production.
"You have to know this
is show biz," he advises
people aspiring to on-air
jobs. "You're the starring «;
role. Once you lose your LI--
temper or lose it emotion- z
ally, you're lost."
His advice comes from

BEHIND THE MIKE page 84

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