A field trip to a big-market radio and television headquarters? That sounds like a fun day for a group of students.
It made for a successful “Media Forward” event at the WBAL broadcast center in Baltimore on Nov. 18, an outing that was coordinated by the Washington, D.C., Society of Broadcast Engineers’ Chapter 37 and the D.C. chapter of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
The Hearst Corporation owns WBAL(TV) Channel 11 and WBAL(AM) 1090 and its 101.5 FM translator, and with operations being co-located, it made for a multi-platform experience.
Molli Chang, manager of the Washington chapter of SMPTE, provided Radio World the details of the Media Forward event.
Radio World readers will recognize some of the participants from the student-run 90.5 WKHS(FM) at Kent County High School on the eastern shore of Maryland. Towson University students and faculty were also in attendance, along with a number of current broadcast engineers from across the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region.
[Related: “This High School Takes Radio Seriously”]
SBE national board member Fred Willard, both a WKHS and Towson alum, coordinated the program with WBAL Director of Engineering Kerry Pluckmeyer. SBE President Kevin Trueblood and Vice President Geary Morrill were also at the event.
Throughout the day, students engaged with broadcast professionals, received SBE certification guidance and explored a Sinclair satellite TV truck. WBAL meteorologist Tony Pann provided a full facility tour. Lunch served as a networking opportunity where students could ask questions of those in attendance.
McKee remembers her roots
Camri McKee, a WKHS alum who has worked behind the scenes at WBAL for more than 10 years, spoke to a group of current Kent County junior and senior students. She considers WKHS Station Manager Chris Singleton her first mentor.
“WKHS was the steppingstone that paved the path for everything I’ve accomplished in the last 13 years,” she told the students.
McKee also shared some practical advice that she said has served her well in her journey to WBAL.
“First impressions matter,” McKee explained, “this industry is small. Someone you shadow today could be your boss tomorrow.”
Bud Williamson, the chair of SBE Chapter 15 in New York City, came down for Media Forward, and he was impressed by the number of high school students in attendance.
“More students, especially at the high school level, need to be exposed to the communications media industry so that they can see if it excites them,” Williamson said.
The Media Forward program was founded by the late Peter Wharton and pays homage to his legacy. Its next event will take place this February at Montgomery College’s Rockville, Md., campus.
