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COMM 2331-0079 (77083)
RADIO AND TELEVISION ANNOUNCING
Houston Community College, Stafford
Spring 2011, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-3pm, Room E-115
SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR: Adjunct Professor Sandra Gin
EMAIL: sandra.gin@hccs.edu (I do not text; email is the best way to reach me.)
OFFICE TELEPHONE: 713-718-6725
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Credits: 3 (2 lecture/2 lab)
The development of skills required for efficient announcing, acting, news casting, and other
speaking before microphone and camera. Students write and present radio, TV, audiovisual
announcements and assignments. Utilize lectures, lab setting with supervision by faculty.
PURPOSE
The course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed in broadcast announcing. The
focus will be on performance skills used in voice over as well as on-camera work.
Students will:
 Learn how to interpret copy
 Learn how to ad lib or speak impromptu
 Learn how to vary voice pitch and pacing effectively
 Learn how to write a broadcast script
 Experience being part of a television production or show
COURSE STRUCTURE
Classes include lecture, discussion, writing assignments, and performance exercises. The course
is web-enhanced allowing some assignments to be submitted online. Students are also required to
participate in HCC television production projects and/or audition for talent positions that involve
voice over and/or on-camera work.
REQUIRED TEXT
Television and Radio Announcing, Stuart Hyde, San Francisco State University, Allyn & Bacon,
Eleventh Edition, (2008), ISBN- 10: 020556304X, ISBN- 13: 978-0205563043
ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to be on time and sign in for all classes. If you are absent more than twice
or are frequently late or leave early, your grade will be lowered. If you are late by more than 10
minutes, forget about coming. It’s disrespectful to Prof. Gin and classmates when latecomers
expect her to repeat class lectures to students who are habitually tardy and absent. Late or absent
students should get missed notes after class from the instructor or from fellow classmates.
WHAT TO BRING
Students need to have flash drives and ear buds for writing exercises/assignments, as well as
recording devices (cell phone or laptop) to record and play back interviews. Students are also
required to bring a 2GB SD card to record their audio performances. Students will use hand held
recorders that are to be checked out from the Film/Video and Special Effects Department. Use of
the recorders is restricted to on-campus only. See Prof. Jim Livesey for equipment checkout and
instructions on operating the recorders and downloading the recordings to Blackboard or online.
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CELL PHONES
Turn off phones during class. If your phone goes off or if you are caught texting, you will be
asked to leave and be considered absent for the day.
EXAMS
There is a grammar quiz on the first day of class, and a midterm test. The bulk of your grade will
come from the writing and performance assignments and projects. The final will either be a
performance or writing assignment.
DEADLINES
Writing and performance assignments will be submitted on scheduled due dates (see the asterisk*
on the Course Schedule, page 3). Failure to submit work on time will result in a “0” (or “F”) for
the assignment. No make up assignments or extra credit will be accepted.
SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
Script templates and video sources are posted on Prof. Gin’s HCC Learning Web page. Writing
and performance assignments are to be submitted in class or online as indicated on the Course
Schedule or by Prof. Gin.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
All papers and presentations must be original. Cheating on assignments and using someone
else’s words, information, or ideas (plagiarism), and other forms of academic dishonesty will not
be tolerated in this course and will result in an “F” and expulsion from the class.
GRADES
Your grades are based in part on evaluations of submitted work. Assignments will be graded on
a 10-point scale: 10 = A+; 9 = A – A-; 8 = B+; 7 = B – B-; 6 = C+; 5 = C – C-; 4 = D+; 3 = D
– D-; 2 or below = F. The final grade is a cumulative average of all work, as well as attendance
and participation in class discussions and projects. Here’s a breakdown of how your final grade
will be determined: assignments/tests/projects=60%; attendance=20%; class participation=
20%.
DROP/ADD/SWAP/WITHDRAWAL
The last day drop/add/swap is January 19, 2011. The last day to withdraw from class is April
21, 2011. The deadline for a 70% refund is January 18-February 3, 2011. The deadline for a
25% refund is February 4-9, 2011. It is your responsibility to withdraw from the class. If you do
not do this within the deadlines, I am forced to give you a letter grade of “F”.
DISABILITIES
Houston Community College System is committed to complying with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). Any student with a
documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to
arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the HCC Disability Support Office at the
beginning of each semester at 713-718-7909, Southwest campus.
SUPPLEMENTAL TUTORING
For free online tutoring, go to www.hccs.askonline.net. You can submit your writing
assignments 24/7 and get answers/corrections within 24 hours.
LEARNING OUTCOME
Students gain an appreciation for the craft/skill of radio and television announcing/performance.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
(May be subject to change)
Week 1
Jan 18
Jan 20
Introductions, syllabus review, grammar test and results
Announcing for the Electronic Media, Chapter 1
Week 2
Jan 25
Jan 27
Announcer as Communicator, Chapter 2
Interpreting copy, marking copy, reading aloud, ad-libbing
Week 3
Feb 1
Feb 3
Voice, Pitch, Breathing, Pronunciation/Articulation, Chap. 3 & 4
Microphone exercises for voice work, test*
Week 4
Feb 8
Feb 10
Scripting copy for radio news, writing for the ear
Due: radio news copy, submit at end of class*
Week 5
Feb 15
Feb 17
Audio Performance, Chapter 5
Due: live performance in class, evaluating your own work
Week 6
Feb 22
Feb 24
Scripting copy for television news, writing for the eye
Due: Lead/VO/SOT/TAG submit online*
Week 7
Feb 28
Mar 1
Mar 3
HCCTV auditions (Monday, 1-5pm, 3100 Main Street)*
Video Performance, Chapter 6
Due: Critique auditions or related projects*
Week 8
Mar 8
Mar 10
Guest Speaker
Midterm test*
Week 9
Mar 14-18
SPRING BREAK
Week 10
Mar 22
Mar 24
Commercials and Public Service Announcements, Chapter 7
Due: write/record commercial or PSA*
Week 11
Mar 29
Mar 31
Interview and Talk Programs, Chapter 8
Prepare to interview classmate
Week 12
Apr 5
Apr 7
NO CLASS (TV TOUR optional)
Due: Script for talk show and interview recording*
Week 13
Apr 12
Apr 14
Radio News Reading, Chapter 9
Due: Rip and Read (cold read) performance, submit recording*
Week 14
Apr 19
Apr 21
Television News Anchoring, Chapter 10
Due: Reading from a teleprompter*
Week 15
Apr 26
Apr 28
Music Announcing, Chapter 11
Due: music announcing, submit recording*
Week 16
May 3
May 5
Starting an Announcing Career, Chapter 13
Mandatory attendance (last day) Due: Final TBA*
*Indicates graded assignments/performances/projects which will be calculated into the final grade
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MEET THE INSTRUCTOR
Adjunct Professor Sandra Gin
Sandra Gin is a multi-Emmy award winning broadcaster, journalist, and
television producer. During her career spanning over three decades, she has
worked as an investigative reporter, writer, and news anchor for television
stations affiliated with NBC, CBS, FOX, and PBS networks.
Her professional achievements include reporting on news stories that have
taken her on assignment all over the United States, Mexico, Canada, China
and the Philippines. She gained notoriety for her fight against the legal
system in California on behalf of an innocent man who was wrongfully
sentenced to death. This conviction was eventually overturned, due in part
to her tireless and relentless investigative reporting on this landmark
criminal case.
Along with several of the broadcast industry’s top awards, Gin has received
17 Emmy awards and nominations, and honors from the Radio and
Television News Directors Association, the Society of Professional
Journalists, The Dallas Press Club, The Houston Press Club, and the Asian
American Journalists Association.
Most recently, Gin has been a producer for Fox court shows “Judge Alex”
and “Cristina’s Court”, the latter for which she won 2010, 2009, and 2008
Emmy awards. She has also taught and mentored broadcast journalism
students, as well as provided training to corporate executives on how to
handle the media. Currently, she teaches communication/journalism courses
at Houston Community College, Central and Southwest campuses.