40 Years - Two Voices.

The mathematics are staggering for any organization.  40 years and just two "CEO's".

Fanshawe College Broadcast Journalism has seen a lot of changes.  The program has switched locations from 'D' block to 'M' building.  The Sony 110B tape recorder has been replaced by IPhones and Edirol digital recording devices.  Each year, new students weave a new - and slightly different - square on the quilt.

But through it all, it's been Warren and Bob.  Just two men have held the position of Program Coordinator at Fanshawe - in 40 years.  Warren Michaels and Bob Collins made sure the one constant has been a high standard and a real-world environment.

Warren Michaels (L) and Bob Collins at RTNDA 2011 in Halifax

"When I came in 1971 it was primarily a print program," said Michaels at the recent RTNDA convention in Halifax.  "I said at the time we were going to change to an all broadcast program and quite a few people didn't like it."

Since then, Fanshawe BRJR has gone beyond the original mandate of community colleges and become a nationally recognized source of talent.  Collins became program coordinator in 1980, after being hired in 1974

The steady hands of Michaels and Collins kept fundamentals locked into the curriculum.  Those fundamentals taught in the classroom are immediately put into practice on the College radio/TV/web  platforms - over and over again.  The repetition goes back to Michaels' early philosophy that total reliance on classroom teaching wasn't good enough to prepare a broadcast journalist. Students had to get out and do it.  Student reporters scour the city for news stories as part of their required learning.  By the time they graduate, each of them will have prepared about 200 newscasts and covered dozens of stories.  It's not the easy way, but it's always been Warren's and Bob's way.

Fanshawe students come radio-ready," says Bob Layton, award winning News Director of 630 CHED (Corus) in Edmonton.

Fanshawe graduates made up a good percentage of those in the audience at the RTNDA National Conference in Halifax.  Some attended the school together, others know each other from daily news competition.  All are connected through Warren and Bob.

Scott Metcalfe 680 News ND  (L) and RTDNA President Andy Leblanc both graduated from Fanshawe College

After a picture of Warren and Bob was tweeted, a graduate from 1978 reacted with a tweet of his own about fond memories.  Former students won many awards as professionals in Halifax and four current students won RTNDF scholarships. All are connected through just two men, Warren and Bob.