LAB student workshop: Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders and influencers

On March 16, the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters (LAB) held a student workshop that took place at the Hyatt Hotel in New Orleans at 9 a.m.

This event gave college students who are pursuing a degree in Broadcast and Communication the opportunity to network and ask questions about the television and broadcast industry.

Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight host expressed, “This event is so important because it focuses on developing the students in this room today. They are the future.”

LAB hosted a panel of professionals from both the radio and television aspects of the industry. Radio panelists who participated in the first half of the workshop included Matt Moscona of ESPN Radio, Shy and Cathy of KQID-Q93 FM and Tori Kahl of iHeart New Orleans.

The feature television panelists for the second half were Nischelle Turner of Entertainment Tonight, Stan Verrett of ESPN, Carley McCord of ESPN and Randy Bain of KTBS-TV.

Radio panelists spoke about how young communication professionals can work their way up in the radio industry and how to form a valuable and marketable bond between the audience and the radio personnel.

Cathy stated, “You have to get your foot in the door first. Sometimes you have to start from the bottom and work your way up.”

She reflected on how her first position at a radio station was simply as a receptionist which eventually evolved into her own show.

Many others shared their own unique stories and often emphasized the importance of creating a strong brand. They stressed that although social media networks are absolutely invaluable, they can ruin an individual’s career if not properly maintained.

The panelists ended the discussion with a question and answer session for the attendees. They touched upon the importance of adaptability within the industry and how adapting is a necessary tool to keep radio running smoothly.

The television panelists presented examples of their day-to-day work routines and schedules to give the students an idea of what it is like to walk in their shoes. They also sent the students home with nuggets of advice concerning how to conduct an interview and how to properly respond when different situations arise within the interviews.

At the end of the panelists’ topics session, questions were accepted from the audience.

Turner replied to one student’s inquiry about how to establish their unique voice on television, saying, “No one is going to be better than you, so you have to be confident in who you are and stay true to yourself.”

Due to her beliefs about self-expression, she decided to write her own scripts for broadcasts because only she could reflect her true voice.

Verrett ended the question and answer portion after he followed up with her statement and said, “Being genuine and unapologetically you is the key to finding your voice.”

Despite all of the professional writers at his job, Verrett noted that every word he has spoken on television is everything he has written himself.

Between breaks, the students were able to speak with some of the news and radio stations at booths or employers who were looking for potential interns or employees.

After the workshop concluded, the students were encouraged to take a free tour of WDSU, which is the oldest broadcast station in New Orleans and the first news station in Louisiana.