In my latest blog post Back to Broadcast Media Sales! of the Broadcast and Media Industry series, I ended with how much the media industry has changed over the past 35+ years and how it continues to evolve due to the impact of the internet and streaming channels. You should really read the aforementioned blog post before you continue with this one…
But I need to back up now because my real beginning in the Media industry was at the tender age of 22 at a community led public broadcast TV station in Bridgeport, CT.
I graduated from college back in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Studies from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Media Studies was an interesting field because we were taught a little bit about different media industries such as Public Relations, Television, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines and Photography. It was just enough to peak your interest in what you might want to pursue further. In my case I was fascinated my both Broadcast Television and Broadcast Radio.
However, once I earned my college degree, I continued to work the next 3 to 4 months in the same sales support position I held in college. It was at a Bridgeport, CT financial services firm. I also continued with my internship from the Summer before where I worked at a Bridgeport, CT Public Broadcasting TV station for a Minister from a local African American Baptist church. Minister John and I collaborated on this gospel TV show called Lifeline Gospel Videos. He was the host of the show and I was responsible for interviewing gospel artists over the telephone, writing up and editing their biographical stories and broadcasting these stories on air in 2 to 3 minute increments. My segment was called Bio-Line Gospel Videos. And it took me all week long to write, create, produce and serve as the talent for one segment. This was back in the 80s so the videos stories were saved on Betacam and converted to VHS for home use. Working on these video stories with the gospel artists was truly a labor of love. I am particularly fascinated by everyday peoples’ stories and I also love to share them with others so this opportunity was Win/Win. What wasn’t Win/Win was that this was an internship so I did not get paid one thin dime and as much as I loved my job, it did not pay the rent or the bills so consequently when it came time to put in my notice to the financial services firm so I had time to devote to the field I just earned a degree in, I quickly shed the public broadcasting TV station internship as well.
In my mind I was still on the right track though as the goal post college was to gain as much experience in the media industry as possible so by starting early with the Public Broadcasting TV gig, I had a little leg up on building my resume. I called myself being “paid in experience” so I could command a certain salary for when I entered the field of Media. In my opinion, back in the 80s, the media industry was like a closed fist. There were lots and lots of people looking to get in and very few openings. So it took a lot to pry open that “fist” and receive an open position (and this was both behind the scenes and in front of the scenes) as the supply of jobs truly exceeded the demand. And this was at a time where the pay scale in Media (especially for behind the scenes positions) was extremely low but this did not deter people from trying to get into what was perceived as the “glamour field.”
As I mentioned, post college was when I discovered that living in Bridgeport, CT was not working for me anymore as I needed to be closer to a TV station and the closest, WTNH “Action News 8,” was located in New Haven, CT. As luck with have it, my sister Casandra and her husband Alfredo were living in New Haven, CT at the time. They had not yet purchased their forever home in Ledyard, CT so they were living in a large 2 bedroom apartment in the Edgewood neighborhood. I asked Casandra (since my plans of moving to the Washington, DC area after college and working in Media recently imploded) if I could stay with her and Alfredo until I got on my feet and they both graciously agreed. I stayed with the two of them all Summer long rent free while looking for work as well as looking for an apartment. Casandra was instrumental in finding me my first apartment, a Studio apartment on Whitney Avenue in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, CT. The rent was $375 a month plus utilities for essentially one large room with a teeny tiny kitchenette, a teeny tiny dining area and a separate full bathroom. I bought a tiny dining table and chairs for the dining area, a daybed for the living area because it served the dual purpose of a couch in the daytime and a bed at night. The kitchenette was way too small to fit in any furniture. Oh and yes, housing was very affordable back then and this unit was perfect for me (smile).
My apartment was located right on a bus line which was ideal because my car had died on the Merritt Parkway earlier that Summer and I really had no other way to get around.
As far as work, I chose to register with an employment agency so I could make money while focusing on finding a job in Media. Right after registering, I was sent by the agency the following day to Easter Seals Goodwill Industries in New Haven, CT to work as a Job Coach. As it turned out, the supervisors and Administrators loved me so much that they tried to convince me to stay and make a career of it. I made it clear to them that I was on a mission to break into the Media industry and nothing was going to get in my way (smile). I liked everyone there and I believed in their mission but not working in media was not an option (double smile).
As luck would have it, a few months down the road I spied a Want Ad in the Classifieds section of the New Haven Register newspaper for a Local Sales Assistant at WTNH Action News 8! I was overqualified so of course I got the job (smile).
I was elated. This was my first entry into Broadcast Media as well as my first real paying job in the Broadcast Media industry so life was good – for reference please read My Entry into Broadcast Media Sales.
In the next entry of the Broadcast and Media industry blog post series I will chat about the differences between working in the sales departments of Print Media, Broadcast TV and Broadcast Radio stations.
Sincerely,
TVFL