Internship Part 6

As mentioned in a previous blog post, one of the things that made this station stand out was the fact that it had three channels associated with it instead of only having one. To me, this benefits the station immensely since it allows the station to have a much larger variety of content instead of just being limited to only one target audience. I know that this is something that not every radio station has, so I feel this level of variety really benefits the station and helps it stand out among others.

Having the three separate channels means the station is able to have multiple different types of broadcasting that the station are able to use. The station has one channel that is dedicated to country music, another channel that is a variety music channel, and the last channel focuses on news. This has given the station the benefit of having a large variety of different people listening to the station; which is something that I have noticed while out on the remotes. I have always felt that having a larger variety is beneficial to nearly any field of work, and I don't think that radio is an exception. Having these separate channels does provide more work overall, but I feel that it is worth it in the end.

Internship Part 5

There is a lot of communication that radio covers ranging from news, music, advertisement, and so much more. Of all of these fields of radio, the one I have spent the most time working in is the advertising field. Making a thirty second ad to be put on the air sounds simple, but there are several steps to it.

You first need to find what you want to advertise. Most of the ads made in the radio station are for local stores since many of the larger franchises provide the materials for the station to broadcast. Programs like Microsoft Word are needed to write the scripts needed for the ads and Adobe Audition is needed for voice recording and editing. Another thing that needs to be put into every ad is background music so there is more to listen to than just talking and to give a certain feel to the advertisement. All of this needs to be put into a certain time frame; usually within thirty seconds, but the ads can be longer under certain circumstances.

Writing and record these ads have been the most common form of work I have done in this internship and have provided me with valuable experience in both writing and communication.

Internship Part 4

While there is plenty of work to do in the radio station, there is also work that can be done outside of the station as well. A station like this needs multiple ways to promote itself, so not only is broadcasting an option, but so is travel. Going on remotes helps spread the station's content and gives opportunities to meet new people.This was an opportunity I received early into the internship, but it became more common the longer I worked with the radio station. These remotes could be held at community events or be promotions at locations like a mall, so there is some variety to them.

When we were at these remotes, we would have to set up a stand and speakers so that the stations would be playing in the area and would draw attention. We also would have free games for people to play and would offer some prizes to go with them. The remotes that I went to were successful, and gave a good representation of the radio station. Traveling was not always something I looked forward to, but I feel that these remotes gave me some experience I would need for any jobs I did that would require me to travel.

Internship Part 3

While the main work of radio deals with technology and communication, there are other kinds of work in the field that need to be done as well. Like with pretty much every other major working field that functions, there is also paper work that needs to be done. When there is a lot of paper work being done, that also usually means that the work needs to be filed. So along with working with computers, writing advertisements, and voice recording there is also a fair amount of filing that I have been doing while working at the radio station. While this sort of work is not as exciting as other parts, it is at the very least necessary and helps with the organization of the place.

Multiple times throughout the course of this internship I have gone threw some of the filing cabinets and helped organize what was in there. Some things need to be taken out or moved in order to keep the relevant and more important files separated. This is the kind of work that takes time and can be frustrating, but it is not the main work of the internship and at the very least has given me some more experience. I do not see myself filing as a full time job anytime soon, but I feel it is worth it to spend more time at the station.

Internship Part 2

Much of the technology is used in radio is computer based, and I have been working a lot of computer work over the course of this internship. The lists of everything playing on the radio stations are kept on computers and are put together through computers. We are in a time where computers are a large part of the technological field and it is no exception in the radio industry. Since radio operates with sound, the right sound editing software is needed in order to put together things such as news, interviews, and advertisements. There are free are usable sound editing programs like Audacity that will cover all the basics, but it is not the one that you will see in a professional working field.

Likely the most reliable and professional sound editing software out there right now is Adobe Audition. This is what you will likely be working with in the radio industry, and it has been what I have been using since I started the internship. Audition is not that difficult to use, and it comes with all of the features you should need when working in the radio industry. I have learned that being able to use this software properly will take you a long way in this industry and has been the main source of work I have had while working this internship. I still have much to learn, but working with this software I feel is something that is helping me move forward in the field of radio.

Internship Part 1

When I first walked into the radio station I was not exactly sure what to expect. This was something that was recommended to me, and I needed to gain some experience in the communication field. This was not the typical radio station as it had three separate channels instead of only having one. There was a lot to this place as there were not just places to go on are, but also sections dedicated to sales work, filing, and other different kinds of work. When I was given the tour to the place I noticed that there was lots of equipment needed to keep the place working properly and the back of the station was like one big system of machines. I knew that I still had a lot to learn, but I also knew that this was work that I could do.

I witnessed much of the work that the other employees were doing and started to get an idea of what was required. The set ups of the stations usually had two computers, a mic, a sound board, and a head set to name the basic materials that were used. Sometimes the person running the station would go live, while other times they would be organizing what would be playing on the station whether it would be music, announcements, or something else. Being on the air is easily the most recognized job in radio and it is one that requires not just hard work, but also a personality to go with it.