Past workshops
These were past workshops offered through the CRFC in 2019.
News Radio and The Art of the Interview
When: Monday, November 25, 4:30 to 7:30 pm (doors open at 4 pm).
Venue: Vancouver Island University (Building 200, Room 203).
Fee: $20 for general public / $5 for CHLY Volunteers and VIU Students.
The workshop will help participants to create and present news for radio audiences that is timely, relevant, and engaging. There will be hands-on exercises related to research, finding the perfect guest, fun with microphones, choosing clips, writing for the ear, the use of sound, and performing the script like a pro.
About the Presenter: Lisa Cordasco has been a journalist for more than 30 years. Her love of radio began as a volunteer at CKCU, the campus radio station at Carleton University in Ottawa. After earning her journalism degree, Lisa spent most of her career with CBC Radio as an associate producer, senior editor, local and national reporter, and the first host of CBC Victoria's morning show, "On the Island." Since retiring from the CBC in 2015, Lisa has written investigative and feature stories for FOCUS Magazine and Douglas Magazine.
On Air 101: Mastering the Radio Basics.
February 18, 20, 22, 25, 26, and March 1 2019 (1 session per person). 6:00 to 9:00pm
Venue: CHLY Studio, 34 Victoria Crescent, Nanaimo BC
Presenter: Arbie Fru
Learn the basic mechanics of the exciting on-air radio booth, how to smoothly transition between channels, and a tutorial on Spinitron logging system and CanCon regulations.
The Art of the Radio Interview: Making it Memorable.
Saturday March 9, 11:30am to 3:30pm
Venue: Vancouver Island University
Presenter: Lisa Cordasco
Less experienced reporters sometimes forget that the interview is about the subject, not about the interviewer. In this workshop, we explore the art of allowing the interview subject to shine, while still bringing the reporter's own character to the mix. Topics will include: Managing time, Knowing how and when to interrupt, Screening prospective interview guests, Preparing for all situations, including managing argumentative, quiet, and verbose guests. How to write a Q-line and teasers. Also, we'll explore the question "What makes an interview interesting, riveting, or even powerful?"
Reading for Radio: Take Your Broadcasting Voice to the Next Level
Saturday March 16, 11:30am to 3:30pm
Venue: Vancouver Island University
Presenter: James Kasper
How we read is a crucial factor in broadcasting. In this workshop, we explore the idea of ‘finding your radio voice’ in terms of intonation, projection, dynamics, emotion, and enunciation. We also cover the topic of discovering the ‘rhythm of the language’ vs. our own internal default rhythm.
News Radio: Gathering & Delivering Interesting Stories
Saturday March 23, 11:30am to 3:30pm
Venue: Vancouver Island University
Presenter: Lisa Cordasco
Radio is like television, except with better pictures. This workshop will help you to create and present news for radio audiences that is timely, relevant and engaging. You can expect hands-on exercises related to research, finding the perfect guest, fun with microphones, pick yer clips, writing for the ear, the use of sound and performing the script like a pro. Participants are encouraged to bring a story or interview you are working on, but this is not required.
Writing & Voicing a Memorable Radio Commercial
Saturday March 30, 11:30am to 3:30pm
Venue: Vancouver island University
Presenter: James Kasper
There is both a science and an art to creating a memorable radio commercial, and quite often there is simply an intangible "IT" factor that makes a commercial stand out. In this workshop, we will explore three primary concepts that will ensure you are creating a strong commercial: Single Core Message, Creating a Visual, and Bringing Copy to Life with your Voice-over.
Radio & Podcasting: Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Saturday April 6, 11:30am to 3:30pm
Venue: Vancouver Island University
Presenter: Gord Bibby
Producing your radio program or podcast can and should be fun. To be truly effective and draw an audience, one must prepare and be disciplined. This workshop will lay out the components to help you formulate a strategy so you can execute a program or podcast that will guarantee success.
The Secret of IT: Creating Intimacy With Your Radio Audience
Wednesday April 10, 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue: Vancouver Island University
Presenter: Tod Maffin
Face it. You know when a radio show "has it." You also know when someone you've produced doesn't seem to "have it." But what is "it," exactly — the secret radio sauce that turns a show from an average listen to a compelling piece of audio storytelling? Drawing on his years of experience as a host and producer for CBC Radio, Tod will walk you through the six keys that can turn your show into a must-listen for your audience.
Marketing Your Radio Show or Podcast: Social Media, Real World, Design, Branding
Sunday April 14, 11:30am to 3:30pm
Venue: Vancouver Island University
Presenters: James Kasper / Jesse Woodward
Once you've created a great radio show or podcast, how do you let the world - or even your local community - know about it? Marketing can be an elusive and mysterious concept for many. In this workshop, we explore multiple avenues of marketing your audio masterpiece, from social media outlets to real world advertising, and all the crucial design and branding in between!
Past Presenter Bios:
Lisa Cordasco
Lisa Cordasco has been a journalist for more than 30 years. Her love of radio began as a volunteer at CKCU, the campus radio station at Carleton University in Ottawa. After earning her journalism degree, Lisa spent most of her career with CBC Radio as an associate producer, senior editor, local and national reporter and the first host of CBC Victoria's morning show, "On the Island." Since retiring from the CBC in 2015, Lisa has written investigative and feature stories for FOCUS Magazine and Douglas Magazine.
Tod Maffin
Tod Maffin is a former national CBC Radio host and producer. He's hosted two national shows (todradio.com and Real Life Chronicles), was a fill-in host for Bill Richardson, was the western producer for Definitely Not the Opera, and served as CBC Radio's National Technology Columnist. He also covered technology trends for The National and other CBC Television shows. Tod was one of the world's first podcasters, and designed the podcast strategy for CBC Radio One. Today, he runs engageQ digital, an Island-based digital marketing and social media agency with clients across the country.
Arbie Fru
Arbie Fru studied music at Douglas College in Vancouver. After a career in business, he began volunteering at CHLY 101.7 in 2006. In 2013 Arbie was hired as CHLY’s Assistant Station Manager. In 2016, he became Operations Manager, and in 2017 his position changed to his current role of Program Coordinator. Arbie is interested in helping volunteers master the basic tools of broadcasting, so that they can get on with creating quality on-air content.
James Kasper
James Kasper studied Linguistics at the University of Victoria, focusing primarily on phonetics, before earning his Broadcasting diploma from Western Academy in Saskatoon in 2010. James specializes in writing, editing, and voicing radio commercials. His voice-overs can be heard on hundreds of promotional videos for real estate in the Caribbean. James has hosted and produced several spoken word, interview-based, and character/skit-driven radio programs over the years. He has also created several entertainment projects/brands which can be found at mightyspeckrecords.ca.
Jesse Woodward
Hired as CHLY’s Executive Coordinator in 2018, Jesse is responsible for all administrative aspects of CHLY and the Radio Malaspina Society. Jesse writes grants, coordinates fundraising, handles communication, and is responsible for overseeing all staff and volunteers at CHLY. Previous to working at CHLY, Jesse sat as Board of Directors President from 2014 to 2018, in addition to one year as Treasurer from 2013 to 2014. Outside of his duties at CHLY, he works as a freelance Communications Designer.
Gord Bibby
Gord Bibby’s interest in radio began as a young boy when he played disc jockey using his Seabreeze record player and parents’ record collection in his bedroom. Gord broke into radio behind the scenes in Calgary and did some freelance copywriting for CKXL and board operating for CFAC while attending high school. He pursued a successful career in sales and marketing while keeping a hand in radio and was appointed Sales/General Manager of CKO All News Radio in Edmonton. Gord then worked in the broadcast equipment field and was on the front lines of pioneering technologies such as computer-based audio and video editing, solid state cameras, data projection and animation software. He made the presentation before the CRTC Board of Governors which resulted in the successful award of CHLY’s broadcast licence. He has held several board and administrative positions with the Radio Malaspina Society and has been a CHLY programmer since 2000. Gord currently hosts two programs of which one has achieved worldwide success as a podcast and has been syndicated to three other radio stations including CJNU-FM in Winnipeg.