Broadcasting: Redefined
IN this day and age, the term ‘broadcasting’ might bring to mind news anchors, TV personalities and radio DJs who appear on television screens or what one listens to during a drive.
But with the rapid audience shift from television to digital, staying relevant in broadcast media is challenging but necessary for long term viability.
“We should not look at broadcasting as being confined to just traditional media such as television or radio which most people might think. There are other platforms available now to get messages across to the target audience but we have to understand who the ‘consumers’ are first before we can determine the content and which platform yields the most effective results,” commented Loh Me Ping, lecturer and programme leader from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College’s (‘TAR UC’) Faculty of Communication and Creative Industries (‘FCCI’), who specialises in broadcasting and film.
“The broadcasting industry is definitely growing locally and abroad. It keeps revolving, recharging, and recreating a variety of digital content to satisfy current consumer demand. Nowadays, people prefer digital content such as streaming services, social media like Tik Tok and YouTube for example – platforms which are easily accessible, user-friendly and inexpensive.”
Enter Azrey Hendery, a Year 2 Diploma in Broadcast Communication student, who found social media fame when a Tik Tok video of him conversing fluently in seven different languages went viral.
“I am able to converse in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Bahasa Sungai – which is my first language and the native tongue of Orang Sungai from the Tongod District in Sabah,” shared Azrey who hails from Sabah but received his primary and secondary education in Johor, after his family relocated.
Initially set on joining an airline as cabin crew, Azrey’s plans were derailed when the Covid-19 pandemic grounded all flights and he was unable to continue his training programme.
He made the decision to join TAR UC’s broadcasting programme as a way to explore other opportunities as well as an avenue to express his creativity.
After almost two years into the programme, Azrey who has been attending classes online since the pandemic, was only able to set foot into campus for physical classes in February 2022.
For Azrey, his breakthrough in social media has opened up many more doors and opportunities for him in the broadcasting field.
He hopes to one day become a radio announcer and have his own podcast channel – Nihongocast.
He enthusiastically shared his opening phrase for his podcast: “Hola amigos! It’s your boy AZ, welcome back to Nihongocast!”
“Before joining the programme, everything looked quite doable while I was browsing through the programme outline from the brochure. Only after I joined the programme, I realised that the broadcasting field is not as simple as it seems. There is more to it than just shooting videos or talking. There is vocal coaching, presentation skills as well as the need to stay up to date on current trends and practices.”
“On top of that, the most unexpected part of my experience so far is the technical aspects such as panning the camera to set cinematic feels and script writing. Not to mention people management as you have to adapt to different working styles, so it definitely has been a well-rounded experience for me
so far,” he added.
TAR UC’s broadcasting programme is a comprehensive one which provides students with hands-on experience and skills with a number of production based subjects such as scripting (for both audio and video), audio production, video production, cinematography, radio journalism, TV journalism, audio and video editing, production and multimedia, camera for broadcast and film, documentary production and more.
Students will be exposed to not only the theoretical aspect but also the experiential learning, underscoring TAR UC’s Beyond Education philosophy that promotes holistic development of the students.
“Besides an internship which is compulsory at both diploma and Bachelor Degree levels, we do engage industry partners for projects which are not part of the coursework assessment for students to gain additional experience. We also organise sharing sessions by industry players throughout the semesters so that students are given industry exposure and an idea on how the industry works,” added Me Ping. “We are not only talking about filming and shooting. It’s also about planning, idea conceptualisation, pitching, writing, art direction as well as working within a team of people and developing organisational skills.”
FCCI currently offers broadcasting programmes at diploma and Bachelor Degree levels. To find out more about communication and creative industry programmes offered by FCCI, visit their webpage at www.tarc.edu.my/fcci/.
Application for our June 2022 Intake is currently ongoing. Prospective students are encouraged to apply online at www.tarc.edu.my. Attractive scholarships are also available at TAR UC based on academic merit and sibling discount for qualified students.