Have you ever wondered how people in radio get good-sounding programs finished on such tight deadlines? Have you ever wondered how to make your own radio programs better and more efficiently? Have you ever wondered why so many sales pitches start with “have you ever wondered”?

We can’t answer that last question, but if your answer to either of the questions before it is ‘yes’, here’s something you should check out. It’s called “One Day Wonder”, and it takes place on April 24 at CKCU, on the campus of Carleton University, in Ottawa, Ontario.

In the space of ten hours of intense activity, you’ll see a piece of broadcast-ready programming through from first idea to finished product. In the process, you’ll become familiar with some quick-and-easy ways to prepare a script for a studio reading, edit vocal tracks, and combine them with music and sound effects in time to go to air. You’ll also find out how to get good studio performances from seasoned voice artists, as well as from first-timers. As well, you’ll learn how to use music to create mood and atmosphere, and how to make the sound effect you want when you can’t find it in stock.

Another thing you’ll learn about is the collaborative nature of broadcasting. In order to put your piece together, you’ll be working with two or three other people who saw this ad and signed up, just like you did. Not only will you figure out ways to make your group do the best work possible, you’ll also have to explain what you want to do to technicians, actors, and (because this is happening at a volunteer-run station) occasional passersby.

Your ringmaster for this circus will be Rick Cousins, who is not known at all to legions of other people’s fans as the man responsible for the college-cult series Vasco da Gama, as well as numerous rough-and-ready pieces of similarly cartoony radio comedy for the CBC. Through his years of experience (some of which he now remembers quite clearly, thanks to the treatments) you’ll find out how to do professional-sounding work under highly improbable conditions, using whatever the gremlins don’t get to first.

The registration fee is $50, and gets you a membership in CSIRP. If you’re a member of CSIRP already, it’ll only cost you $35. For this, you get more than just a day’s worth of hands-on training, and an experience you can tell your grandchildren not to hold you entirely responsible for. An orientation kit will be sent to you in advance, to let you know what to expect (and what not to be too surprised at). When the day’s work is over, you’ll also get a CD copy of your handiwork to take home with you, along with a brief, handy guide full of hints and tips, so you can put what you’ve learned into practice on your own program. Even if you don’t have a program on the air right now, come along anyway. It’ll be a fun day that’ll pass quickly…and it may inspire you to find a station in your area where you can try a few things out.

To sign up for this event, which we hope will be the first of many more like it, write down your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address, put it in an envelope with your payment, and send it to: