A Glimpse Into Interning At A Listener Supported Radio Station

Throughout my undergraduate career, I've worked and interned in three branches of radio- college, commercial, and listener supported.

All of my experiences have taught me valuable lessons, made me a stronger radio host, create content I'm proud of, and built strong relationships.

Out of all those branches, I benefited the most from interning at a listener supported station. For those who don't know there is a major difference between working in commercial radio and listener supported radio. The major aspects are money, content, and space.

Here's some examples of what makes a listener supported station different:

At a listener supported station, there is no money coming from corporations, music labels, or any type of businesses. The funding comes from its audience. That means the station has to raise $60,000 each fund drive four times a year.

You know the on air sign that lights up when there is a live show in progress? At WBAI, we had to make sure the door was closed and looked out for red Christmas lights.

There is no promotions department nor a station van. There's merchandise. A canvas bag, bumper sticker, flash drive, and water bottle with the station logo. Update: A station tee shirt.

Let's talk about the content. What Top 40 station has shows dedicated to the current state of politics, art, science, health, news, public affairs, etc.? These are discussions that need to take place, things we need to know, and content worth our attention. 

My term there taught me that having a microphone in my hand and a social media platform is NOT enough. Neither is knowing what's happening in pop culture. I have to start the conversation on what's taking place in my community and culture, because that's what my listeners care about. It is my duty to discuss gentrification, police brutality, the representation of black and brown actors in television and film, mental health in the black and brown communities, and more. Shout out to everyone I interviewed and worked with on The Corner. We made history!

I love the community at WBAI. The station manager, hosts, and directors mentored me. We would have deep conversations about radio, politics, college, life, whatever made me think, and challenged/liberated my mind. They even invited me to speak on their shows.

Most of the interns I worked with are family to me. We plan yearly hangouts and have an active group chat. I thank WBAI for bringing us together.

One of the greatest things about WBAI is as a former intern I am always welcomed to come back to volunteer and visit. While I was interning at two media companies this season I sent an email to the station manager asking him to teach me the business aspect of radio. There I learned valuable tools I should have learned when I was an intern.

Honestly, it feels like home. I worked for two other campus radio stations and interned at a commercial cluster station and nothing can top the atmosphere at an independent radio station.

The interns and I would joke that I would be the manager of that station.

Only time will tell.

My Post-Grad Adventures and Lessons

Today is my last day at my internship: Atlantic Pictures (AP). It’s bittersweet. For all who don’t know AP is a film production company located in Manhattan (Ever heard of VH1’s The Breaks? That’s us!). We’re right across the street from the building where IHeartRadio broadcasts. I was meant to intern here. I remember when I interned for WBAI 99.5 FM in Summer 2016, I would take the subway to the building and wait for The Breakfast Club to leave the station so I would see them, get a picture, or even ask for advice. A lot can happen in a year.

I recently graduated in May with a BA in Digital Media Production and a minor in Journalism. Even though it has been seven months, my post grad adventure has been exciting and also difficult. I spent most of summer applying for jobs and internships within the radio and television industries. I’ve had interviews and did not get hired nor a reply back. In August I secured two internships: An event production company in Harlem (that internship ended the week before) and AP. I was so glad and hungry to work in NYC. When I got hired I promised myself this would be my last season of interning. I have a ton of experience in radio, television, and public relations before these two internships I should be able to get an entry level position at any media company. 

What sparked me to reapply for jobs was when our founder Meag got hired at IHeartRadio in Miami at the end of October..?  She simply found the email address to someone who works there and stated in that email that she recently applied for the Board-Operator opening and have experience board operating a nationally syndicated morning show, and wanted to know the status of her application.

After that I applied to several stations in NYC and reached out to my friends who work, worked, and formerly interned or even had an interview at the stations I applied for. I would shoot them a text like this “Hey it's Cedes. I hope all is well. I recently applied for street team opening at Cumulus Broadcasting. Do you have an email address from anyone in the Promotions Department? I really don't want my application to get stuck in the dark hole.

Let me tell you how God works. I applied for an entry level position at one radio station my formerly interned and worked for. I reached out to my friend from college. We majored in the same field, worked at the campus radio station, and she knows how passionate I am about radio. She gave me an email to someone who worked in the department and also put in a good word for me! I sent the lady an email including my cover letter and resume and she forwarded it to a hire up in HR. My interview was scheduled two weeks later.

I couldn't even get an internship at this station when I was in college but I got a job interview. LOOK AT GOD.

Fast forward, the HR told me he would hire me once I get my driver’s license. Since then I rushed to take my 5 hr pre-licensing course, renewed my permit, and invested in weekly driving lessons. I'm hoping there isn’t a blizzard among us so I can continue to practice driving. Crazy thing is...obtaining my license has been a 10+ journey. I have been driving on and off since I was 16, I have a car, I’ve had numerous instructors, but I never got my license. I was not ready but now I am. I have motivation to.

For those who want to work in the media industry, I have tips:

1. Never stop applying for jobs. It can be tedious, upsetting, nerve wracking, etc.  but you can’t give up. Make a goal to apply to jobs 1-2 times a week. While applying update your resume and cover letter. Fix what needs to be corrected. Those two items are key and can always be improved.
2. Pull a Meag Taylor and get an email address from someone who works in the company you are applying for. It is not enough to apply. You have to take the extra initiative. Ask your friend to put in a good word for you if they work/worked for that company. Don’t forget to follow up!
3. If you can’t get a job---Intern. I got my internship at AP from a friend who was just wrapping her term at AP. I told her my situation and she helped me land my internship. In this industry you have to be active and pursue anything you can get your hands on.
4. Attend weekly networking events/mixers. One month after interning I decided to go out at least once a week and network. Remember this industry is not what you know it’s who you know. At these mixers I’ve met BET Breaks’ host Jamila Mustafa, Media Mogul Extraordinaire Valeisha Butterfield Jones, WEEN’s Avery Watson, as well as people who work in the media industry through friends. I’ve received the best advice especially from Valeisha! She put everything in perspective and lit a fire in me!
5. See if anybody you admire does talk forums as well. I recently attended Kela Walker’s discussion with Charlamagne Tha God at the Creative Collective NYC, Devi Brown’s Crystal Bliss book launch, Tashima Jones’ & Ash Cash’s discussion with Sway Calloway, plus more events. To hear their experiences in the radio industry fed my soul (During this journey, you are going to need all the motivation you can get). Always remember he or she was once waiting for an opportunity and got it. The same can happen for you. *Step out of your comfort zone and talk to whoever you admire. You never know what it can lead to.*
6. If you haven't already, get your driver's license. Most jobs require you to have one.

New Year, New You? Resolutions Matter.

I am an OCD goal-setter. I don’t even know if that’s a real term as it relates to my self-diagnosed OCD, but, it’s a term I’ve coined. I write out the same life goals/resolutions weekly in my planner until they are completed (shout out to Passion Planner – free promo).

Last year, one of my life goals/resolutions for 2017 was to do radio in Miami. Well, I’m in Miami now and “doing” radio, kind of. I’m behind the scenes, with a big passion for on-air work. For 2018, I’ll be a little bit more specific (lol).

I say all that to say, resolutions, goals, prayers, or whatever you want to call it – matter. If you’re serious about it, they set the framework for your upcoming year.

A couple months ago, I also added my resolutions to my mirror and in my closet, so even if I don’t open my planner for the day (which is rare), I would still see them.

See, I’m a believer in speaking or writing life into the things you want and if you add in some hard work – your goals/resolutions can easily come true.

I’ve even become that friend/family member that wants everyone around me to set goals/resolutions.

I think a lot a people fail at their goals/resolutions, because they don’t see insta-results. I know there have been many times when I’ve wanted to give up and quit on my job search or losing weight because it was taking too long. Sometimes, you must learn to appreciate the time it takes to get there, so you’ll be more appreciative when you have it.

There are less than 20 days left of 2017, you should write out at least 5 things you would like to accomplish for 2018. They can be big or small. Don’t talk yourself out of anything because you feel it may not be attainable, especially when it comes to a job. Find someone who is in the position you would like to be in and ask them what it took for them to get there. Then use what they say, to map out your goals/resolutions to get there.

Just know, sometimes the hardest part of your goals/resolutions is starting – so take a chance on yourself and JUST DO IT!

How To Live Your Best Life While Working Overnights

Contrary to popular belief, radio doesn’t stop just because you went to sleep. Radio is always going 24/7. If you work in a bigger market, there’s usually people running the boards or talking on air overnight.

In my latest role at iHeartRadio Miami, I’m the girl that comes in at 7PM and stays until 2AM. It sounds like a ‘dream’ to most, because that means you have all day to yourself – but, that’s not how it really works.

The first couple of weeks of my overnight shift were hard. I’m not a late-night person, but I’m also not a complainer. So, I had a 'trial and error' period where I tried a few techniques to keep me productive during the day and awake at night. Here's what I've learned so far....

•  Don’t sleep in. I get off at 2AM, and don’t get home until 2:20AM. After I do my nightly routine and blank stare at my phone, I probably fall asleep by 3:15AM. My first two weeks doing overnights, I would sleep in until noon the following day. That’s NOT good, don’t do that. Now, I get up, make my bed, shower, run a few errands (only if there important), cook dinner for my shift later and then take a two-hour nap before my shift.

• Don’t drink energy drinks or take energy shots. My first couple of shifts, I tried Redbull and Arizona RX Energy juice, and they both work reaaaaally well – but those drinks are filled with so much, SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR. Recently, I switched over to Matcha Green Tea. I’m a big hot tea drinker, so it works for me. It also works very well in giving you energy and making you focus.

• Don’t pick up fast food and junk food. Trust me, one night before my shift I decided to pick up Wendy’s. That was a big NO,NO,NO! My shift went by at a snail’s pace and the food made me so tired and sluggish. Now, I make my dinner beforehand and it’s always healthy – protein, carb, and a veggie. For snacks, I pack celery and hummus, yogurt, fruit and sometimes, Cape Cod chips. I also bring a big jug of water to sip on.

• I’m a face mask kinda girl. I do one face mask every other night. But we all know face masks must stay on your face for at least 15-20 minutes. When you get off an overnight shift, an extra 20 minutes feels like two hours. So now, I do my face masks before my nap in the afternoon. Different time, but same results.

• Always have something to do. If you’re an overnight board operator and good at what you do, you should try and multitask. I always have something to do. It makes time go by faster and you’re being productive. Bring a book, do school work, or work on your personal brand.

• On your days off, do things that you enjoy. Sit outside. Get your hair/nails done. Ride a bike. Binge watch your favorite shows. Just don’t spend your time in bed.

• Make friends. Since you’re coming in late, there’s a big chance you won’t meet everybody that works there – but don’t let that stop you from making friends. Come in 30 minutes early and walk around the building & talk to people you see. Make sure you go to the holiday parties and mingle. Don’t be a hermit crab. It’s radio, have fun!

• Be comfy! You're going to be sitting around for a few hours, you might as well be comfy but not inappropriate. I always have yoga pants and a sweatshirt on. I even bring a throw blanket because it gets very cold in my studio.

• Know that your position is important. Sure, you’re not a part of the morning show crew or the midday host. But your job has a purpose and still helps the station run. You are an important piece of the puzzle.

How I Learned To Say 'No' & Feel Good About It

Today I turned down a job offer. It was something I feel I would have been great at, and the
company sounded like an amazing one to work for, but…I would have had to relocate, the
money wasn’t right and it just wasn’t a fit for me because of various other things in my life. I
took a little road trip to the station last week for an interview and to check out the area to get
an idea of whether I’d like living there or not. I was pretty sure I’d like it though, since it’s only
a few hours away from where I currently live. The weather doesn’t vary much from what I’m
used to, home prices are similar, we all root for the Red Sox, etc. I did put a lot of thought into
this opportunity, weighed the pros and cons and ultimately decided this wasn’t “the one”. Job
opportunities are kind of like dating, if you chose a job or a partner that isn’t right, you’re not
going to be happy. You’ll be investing a lot of time and effort into something that isn’t ideal for
you. The good thing about jobs though, even the non-ideal ones, is that at least you can put
that ish on your resume and use it to get the next one!
I thought I would feel relieved and motivated to go find the next best opportunity when I got
off the phone today after passing on the job, but I didn’t. I felt sad. I felt guilty. I felt bad for
the people who interviewed me because now they have to find someone else. Part of me
wanted to call back and say ‘Hey, I changed my mind, I DO want the job after all, thank you!’
Why in the world did I feel this way? I knew in my heart it wasn’t right for me! Well, it’s
because I’ve spend most of my life saying ‘yes’ just to make other people happy. I can’t recall a
time in my adult life where I’ve turned down a job opportunity. I’ve always said yes to the first
thing that came along. I do feel I’ve had some great opportunities in radio, but looking back,
I’ve said ‘yes’ to a lot of things when I should have said no. I’ve said ‘yes’ to a salary I wasn’t
comfortable with because I was afraid I would lose out on the job if I asked for more money.
I’ve said yes time and time again when asked to do something at work that I didn’t want to do
(cover a shift for someone, work a holiday, work weird hours, take the remote that no one else
wanted, accept less money than originally promised for said remote, etc.) but was afraid either
someone would be mad at me for saying no, or they would never ask me again.
I realized my inability to say no also had a large impact on other parts of my life, like dating for
example. I’m happily married now, but when I was still out there lookin’ for love, I was so
afraid guys wouldn’t like me, that I just settled for the first one that did. I didn’t feel worthy of
dating someone attractive or successful or sometimes even kind! For years, I settled for the
first guy that showed interest in me, because I guess I thought it was the only opportunity I’d
have, and you guessed it, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by saying no. Of course, I never
realized I was doing this to myself, otherwise (hopefully) I would have made better boyfriend
choices!

Finally, this year I started to really take a good hard look at myself and my life and make the
necessary changes to be the best Loren I can be. I’ve put a lot of work into not being that ‘yes’
person anymore. I have read a lot of self-help books (I have no shame in admitting that, they
can be really helpful!), done a ton of research and mostly just spent a lot of time alone learning
to be comfortable being me. It’s paid off huge in terms of growth, personal development,
building confidence and self-esteem, and actually learning to not only like, but holy crap, love

myself! I’m slowly but surely becoming a person that does what’s best for ME, not everybody
else. So yes, I feel sad/bad that this job opportunity didn’t work out; maybe something will
work out with this company in the future. However, I also feel some great satisfaction that I
said no, for what was probably the first time in my professional life, because it was finally time that I stepped up and did what was best for me.

Sorry, I Can't Hear You Over Your Excuses

I’m sure you’ve heard of a love letter, but today’s blog post is more of a love rant. It’s a rant wanting you to do better out of L-O-V-E. I truly want to see us all win!

If I had a dollar for every time someone e-mailed me with an excuse, I would be a millionaire. I would probably retire to some secluded island, live in my pajamas, and do radio from the comfort of my own home. LOL.

But seriously, if you looked at my personal and business social media messages and e-mails you would get tired.

First things first, I like helping people. But, I LOVE helping people who help themselves,more.

It is so easy for me to weed out who doesn’t really want to be in this industry by the excuses they come up with in person and online.

I’ll break it down for you.

It’s easy to sit around, twiddle your thumbs, and talk about all the problems you have - like nobody wanting to hire you. But, when you get done talking, the problems and your excuses are still there. Which means, you spent an awful lot of time doing nothing and you know I hate wasting time. You have to learn how to help yourself first,work through the problems ,and then seek guidance.

At the Radio Show conference in Austin this year, there was a speaker who taught us the “5 Whys” technique. You can solve ANY problem by asking yourself WHY at least five times.

Problem: I’m graduating in December and don’t have a job lined up.

Why? Because I keep applying and nobody hits me back with an offer.

Why? Because I don’t have enough experience.

Why? Because I didn’t do an internship.

Why? Because I thought being on my college radio station was enough.

Why? Because I didn’t listen and thought my talent would hold me.

At the end of the question technique, I call it the ‘AHA’ Moment, where you will realize that most of our problems are self-made, and could have been avoided. However, don't be discouraged, once you get to the root of your problem (usually yourself), you can fix it. The technique isn't meant for you to beat yourself up, it's meant to fix yourself- if you put the right amount of work in.

It’s very important to note, when you e-mail someone with a problem you’re facing, it shouldn’t feel like they are talking you off a ledge. You should believe in yourself and your talents so much, it should leave them wondering how come nobody is really hiring you for that internship or job. You should also, only be seeking their advice because they are knowledgeable and can offer a fresh perspective, not because you want them to hire you, or pass your work on to their colleagues.

This week alone, I received a text, DM, and a phone call from three women who have been following my blogs and have been using the 'gems' in them in their everyday lives. Two of them now have amazing new jobs, and one is headed to an interview this week (good luck!).

I don’t claim to know everything and never will, but I do know how to put in work to get the things that I want. I said last week in an Instagram post, “The word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in my head and closed doors only mean I need to get a little more creative.”

So, cheers to conquering all your goals this week and beyond!

P.S – E-mail me your questions, I’m here to help you work through them! Info@womeninradio.org