Special Report
PERSEVERANCE PLUS / ON THE COVER
Schooled In
Broadcasting
Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News
D
on't touch that dial!
Stay tuned to a story about a
radio legend — Jerry Liebman,
one of the few Jewish residents of a small
town called Kittanning, Pa., who turned
into Specs Howard of Southfield and
became an institution in the world of
broadcast arts.
Yes, there really is a "Specs Howard:'
That's not just an advertising name on
the front of the building at Nine Mile and
Evergreen that houses the Specs Howard
School of Media Arts. Howard opened
the school almost four decades ago for
aspiring broadcast professionals because
he saw a need within the industry for
practical, hands-on training that now cov-
ers radio, television, video and film and
graphic design.
As the school nears its 40th anniversary
in January, it's benefiting from a shower of
publicity that's finally giving Howard and
his school the recognition they deserve
for providing about 14,000 graduates with
radio or TV careers. Many have remained
in Southeastern Michigan's broadcast
community, but others are working in the
industry throughout the United States
— and even in China and Africa.
Well-known grads on local TV and
radio are Channel 7's anchor/reporter
Glenda Lewis; Fox 2 News' legal analyst
Charlie Langton; WWJ Radio's anchor/
reporters Bill Stevens, Pat Sweating and
Paul Snyder; WJR Radio's Lloyd Jackson
12
December 24 • 2009
and Steve Courtney; WXYT Radio's Bill
McAllister and Sarah Fouracre, and others.
Howard, 83, a Southfield resident, recent-
ly was honored for his 62-year career by
the Michigan Association of Broadcasters,
receiving its Lifetime Achievement Award.
He was previously inducted into both
the Michigan and Ohio Association of
Broadcasters' Halls of Fame.
Before launching the school in Redford
Township in 600 square feet of space with
two turntables, two tape recorders and two
students, Howard had his own successful
22-year radio career that took him from
Pennsylvania, to Cleveland and, ultimately,
to Michigan.
"The first classroom was smaller than
my office now:' he quips, "and I worked
12-14 hours a day, teaching, sweeping up,
doing everything. And neither of those
first two students ever paid me!'
During that time, Howard, who is
Orthodox, never worked on Shabbat and
never missed a major Jewish holiday
because of work obligations. He was a
co-founder in 1972 of Shomrey Emunah
Synagogue in Southfield.
"I always told my bosses I would never
work on Saturdays or the High Holy
Days:' he said, "and they even let me take
off the entire eight days of Passover and
Chanukah."
Howard and his wife, Celia, have been
married 56 years, "and I'm proud that all
of my children have jobs in fields related
to the communications business',' he
points out.
Son Jonathan Liebman of West
Bloomfield,
a former jazz
bassist, is now
chairman and
CEO of the school;
another son, Martin, of
Farmington Hills, is vice
president and teaches; daughter
Alisa Zee (Zdrojewski) of Farmington
Hills, is a traffic reporter for WWJ Radio;
and daughter Shelli Liebman Dorfman
of West Bloomfield is senior staff writer
for the Detroit Jewish News and a former
speech pathologist. Alisa's ex-husband,
Randy, is director of education, and their
two daughters, Rana and Tara, also work
at the school. The Howards have 13 grand-
children and five great-grandchildren.
Looking Toward The Future
The Specs Howard School of Media Arts
hasn't missed a beat in the ever-evolving
media world, keeping up with the latest
trends and technology.
"Traditional radio and TV aren't what
they used to be Howard says. "With
the advent of cable and satellite TV, the
Internet, etc., there just are more media
outlets than ever. But there still are 1,200
radio stations around the country and
many people tune in as a major source of
their entertainment.
"Because of these sweeping changes, we
continue to adapt to the new consumer
tastes and demands. Our biggest challenge
now is keeping up with the new technol-
ogy and needs, such as graphics and film,
Specs Howard
and making sure our students become
professionals with all of these skills:'
The school recently opened a "second
campus" in Farmington Hills, setting up a
film production operation to take advan-
tage of the burgeoning new movie-making
industry in Michigan. About 100 students
are participating in workshops there to
learn the basics of filming and editing,
according to Jonathan Liebman.
"We spend between $400,000 and
$500,000 annually to keep up with new
technology of all kinds," he says.
An example is Joe Lebovic, 29, of Royal
Oak, who has a full-time day job, but is an
amateur standup comedian and emcee at
night, appearing in various local comedy
clubs. He took the new eight-week film
production course three days a week, with
10 other students, ages 19-40.
"I wanted to learn how to create my
own entertainment, perhaps start a film
career, because so many studios are film-
ing around here now:' he said.
"The course was great. It gave me full
exposure to editing and handling equip-
ment, and a real broad perspective on how
Photo by Ang le Bean
Specs Howard still on top
after a lifetime in the business.