Friday, December 07, 2007

On a cold, snowy night...

...we went to visit KDKA in Pittsburgh, the first commercially licensed radio station in America. As you can see, I was very happy to escape the crazy atmosphere on campus as finals are fast approaching. I am always really interested in seeing what other stations have to offer - how they operate, what equipment they use, and of course it helps to meet those who work there.


We were given a tour of both the radio and TV stations and were able to ask questions of the Afternoon News Editor Jim Amato. He's not only a jack-of-all-trades, but he's also a wealth of knowledge. If you need to know anything about the history of radio or broadcasting for Jeopardy question, he's your man. He gave some great information that I can utilize in my literature review.


Jim also said something that I hadn't thought about in awhile when I expressed my interest in sales. He said that sales was a great way to get into management as well. Although it would take some time to get to that type of position, I would definitely be interested in holding a management position somewhere down the road. It will be nice to put that I have been an Operations Manager/Program Director on my resume from my experience at the campus radio station. Traveling to KDKA was a valuable experience - I gained knowledge, another contact, and realized that my work at Westminster has really positioned me for success in the future.