The first couple weeks of a new job can often be described as intimidating, repetitive, and sometimes scary. None of these feelings came into play when I began my internship at Sirius NFL Radio on June 7th 2010. I didn't really know what to expect when I first entered the building, as there are so many different facets to radio and I wasn't sure exactly as to what I would be doing. Since my first day, I have been introduced to new and familiar audio programs, become familiar with a soundboard, and see first hand what it takes to run a live radio show.
In Communications 371, radio news production, I was shown how to use the audio program Audacity to edit and record sound. While this program is free, it is very capable of doing the basics of audio editing in and out of the classroom. I used Audacity to record interviews, put together radio shows, and edit down programs. Another program I used in my spare time was Adobe Audition, which is a more advanced program. I learned how to use Audition because I knew going into the Sirius Internship, that this was a program used for their shows. However, my 1st week at Sirius NFL Radio I was shown an entirely new program called Prophet. From the outside it looks even more basic than Audacity as there are no fancy buttons outlining the program and not even a good looking design. There are 5 tracks, with basic green “lines” that represent waves of sound... And that's it. Though, after learning and using Prophet, I have gained a great respect for it as it is a tool that works very well for what the studios need it for. It essentially is a giant storage system as well as an editing program. Everything that is saved in Prophet can be picked up from ANY station or studio in Sirius that has a soundboard and a computer with Prophet. This database goes back as far as 1 year ago, maybe further, so if someone needs an interview that took place 9 months ago, they can go find it on this system.
Not only in my communications class did I learn how to edit and work with audio, but my experience at the Titan Internet Radio station has been a great asset in what I have done so far with Sirius NFL Radio. Hosting my own show at the station for 2 semesters helped introduce me to all of the facets of a radio station. Although not as “high-tech” as the equipment at the Sirius studios, the Titan Internet radio station has really helped equip me with what I needed to know to hang with the big boys at Sirius radio. The 1st week of my internship, the producers were very impressed with how much I already knew about pots, levels, the soundboard, and audio terminology. It has also helped that I have listened to Sirius NFL Radio for the last 4 years, and I knew when certain breaks would come during the clock. So, because of the classes I have taken and the sports shows I have hosted, I have already had a great head start on learning in my internship and have made an amazing first impression to the people I am working for.
The producers and hosts I work for have made this internship much more than I could have ever imagined. They are some of the coolest and nicest people I have ever met, and they know how to do their job at a tremendous level. It is amazing to see them joke around and talk while the show is running, seemingly not paying attention. until that :57 minute mark comes up and instinctively the producers reach for the back time bed, and the opto switch sending the show to a break. Seeing these people being such masters of their craft is a great inspiration to me and something I can hope to accomplish one day.
