WRAL-TV Studio Broadcast Engineer Charles Braswell gives middle & high school students a taste of broadcast engineering on Job Shadow Day.

Groundhogs everywhere missed seeing their shadows on Friday, February 2, 2007.   WRAL-TV Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel was crushed at the prospect of a short window for snow, but other WRAL-TV staffers were happy to see shadows all over the station.  WRAL-TV hosted over 20 students for the Groundhog Job Shadow Day on the February holiday.  WRAL-FM and WCMC-FM staffers saw their shadows as well, hosting a small handful of students for the day.

Students at WRAL-TV got a look at the world of television news from the inside.  The “shadows” heard from employees from many departments, all the way up to WRAL-TV Vice President & General Manager Jim Hefner.  The group ended the day with a station tour.

Sanderson High senior Heather McDonald gets a demo of the green screen from WRAL-TV Director of Broadcast Operations James Farmer.

WRAL-TV Director/Producer Clarence Williams takes the a group of students on a tour of the station.

Students introduce themselves during the opening portion of the day. They got a chance to meet station employees, and the staffers got a chance to meet them.

They learned about the world of High Definition from WRAL-TV Digital Media Administrator Steve Elizondo.  He also talked to them about ways to maximize their time and effort in the coming years, specifically the importance of on-the-job training in broadcasting and the benefit of working in broadcasting part-time while getting a college degree. 

WRAL-TV Anchor/Reporter Ken Smith (left) & CBC VP of HR Jan Sharp field questions from the students.

Jacob Wansley (l to r), Johnny Dutch & Lauren Williams from Clayton High School view a tape of WRAL-TV in action.

Many of the WRAL-TV presenters gave the students suggestions for courses to take and how to get into the business.  The employees told students about the variety of careers available in broadcasting. 

The students at CBC’s radio stations spent time in all departments as well.  They got a chance to record their voices so they could hear how they would sound on the air.  The students spent some time in both the MIX and 99.9 Genuine Country broadcast studios with the on-air personalities where they could ask questions and witness live broadcasts. 

They learned about how music is select for airplay, about remote broadcasts and sat-in with the NCNN news team to see the operation of a newsroom, and got a first-hand look at studio and network equipment. Each department head gave the students an overview of their responsibilities and explained how their department is connected to the overall stations’ success. 

The students get to watch WRAL-TV staffers at work on a tour at the end of their Job Shadow Day.	Southeast Raleigh Magnet senior Jonathan Butler takes in every word.	WRAL-TV’s James Farmer (right) talks about TV production and operations, the behind the scenes work.
Southeast Raleigh Magnet senior Kirstin Garriss (l to r) Sanderson High senior Erin Choplin, & Apex High freshman Ashley McCarthy all soak in the broadcasting tales they hear.	Junior Meghan Collins (East Chapel Hill High School) listens intently.	WRAL-TV VP & GM Jim Hefner gives the students an overview of all they’ve learned.

WRAL-TV Director of Broadcast Operations James Farmer talks about how to get into the field of broadcast operations.

WRAL.com General Manager John Conway stresses the importance of practical experience.

WRAL-TV’s Ken Smith encourages students to read, practice their writing craft & trust their instincts.

WRAL-TV General Sales Manager Quinn Koontz explains how ratings are figured and how WRAL uses research to make certain we are giving our clients the best we have to offer.