WRAL Stations Host Job Shadow Day for Wake Students

WRAL-TV once again contributed to the future of its community by hosting over two dozen Wake County students for Job Shadow Day on Monday, February 2, 2004. A host of WRAL-TV managers talked to the students about the nuts and bolts of television production, gave them a tour of the studio and treated them to a front row seat at the broadcast of the noon newscast.

Students from all over Wake County got a chance to learn about television production first hand.

WRAL-TV Director of Broadcast Operations James Farmer showed the students some production equipment.

WRAL-TV News Director John Harris talked about the importance of writing.

The students came from schools all over the county, including Wake Forest-Rolesville High School, Garner Senior High School, Davis Drive Middle and several others. The students got a chance to see the inside of a television news operation as they either begin to think about career choices or confirm paths they have already decided to take.

WRAL's Cindy Sink (l to r), Quinn Koontz & James Farmer were a few who came to speak to the students.

Several WRAL executives focused on the importance of writing to the students in the audience, stressing that writing is key in almost every aspect of television production from reporting to producing. WRAL-TV Vice President & General Manager Jim Hefner also talked about the importance of a well-rounded liberal arts education, saying that activities outside of the classroom are as key on a resume as a degree.

WRAL-FM also got in on Job Shadow Day, hosting nine students from Wake County middle and high schools. Station managers from accounting to programming to promotions and more talked to the students about the nuts and bolts of running a radio station and putting music on the air.

The students spent the morning at the radio station and enjoyed a pizza lunch before heading back to school.

WRAL-FM Director of Sales Robert Wallace talks to the students about the world of selling radio.

WRAL-FM Personality & Music Director Jim Kelly entertained questions about choosing music for airplay.

POSTED: February 3, 2004