Intern Jackie Learned About Radio

Our Townsquare intern, Jackie, tells us what she learned during her internship this Fall.

Starting an internship is very nerve-wracking especially if you have zero professional experience outside of school like I did. After taking several communication classes at Angelo State, I still wanted to know more about the media business and the radio world. When I found out that I was accepted to intern for the Townsquare Media office in San Angelo, I was very excited.

I received a schedule on what I was going to learn during the internship. The list of things seemed pretty hard to accomplish and I was unsure that I was going to be able to do a good job at doing these things. As they days went by, I became more and more nervous about the internship position.

When the day finally arrived, I quickly hopped in my car and made my way to the station. I walked inside and each one of the staff members welcomed me. Everyone already seemed friendly on the first day.

During this internship I was able to meet so many talented people. Dave, the control operator, really helped me visualize how radio waves get sent from the station to the transmitter site and back into people’s stereos. I was very fortunate to be able to visit one of the transmitter sites and see all the big machines and how they come into play with radio.

Boomer, the DJ for 97.5 KGKL really taught me how to voice track and how to appeal to the targeted audience. He walked me through the process of voice tracking and I was able to really get the hang of creating my own segment for Saturday broadcasting.

Andi, the general manager and events coordinator showed me how she planned events. It was really interesting to see all the work that gets put into making local events happen. From forming an idea to physically building the setup for events, I was able to experience all aspects of event planning.

Chuck was kind enough to let me follow him to a live event and watch him create live remote broadcasts with artists. It was very interesting to see how he interviewed musicians and recorded that interview for broadcast in a very short amount of time. He made it seem very effortless.

Jill taught me about trafficking and how commercials are set up through the radio stations. I was very inspired by Jill’s work ethic and her outgoing personality. Her job definitely does not look easy and she really does go out of her way to make things run smoothly.

Shannon gave me a lot of great tips on photography and videography. I really enjoyed spending time with her at events. I will carry her wisdom on with me in my future endeavors.

I really enjoyed my time at Townsquare Media in San Angelo. I really wish I didn’t have to leave. Everyone was very welcoming and made me feel right at home. It was a thrill to be able to listen to myself on the air, as well as write blogs for the radio stations’ websites. I have learned so much and I truly thank everyone for taking their time to teach me about the media business and what Townsquare media does for the community. I will keep these lessons and memories forever. I hope to see them again in the future.