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09/03/02

NPR Distribution's STC Experience Externship Kicks Off Successfully

"Everyone says we're walking around here with smiles on our faces. We have every reason to."

These are the words of Roddrick Floyd, after spending two weeks in the System Technical Center (STC) as part of NPR Distribution�s pilot training program, the STC Experience Externship. Roddrick, a producer/director from South Carolina Educational Radio Network, and Amy Letourneau, a production coordinator from Boston�s WGBH, were the first two candidates selected to participate in the program. Judging by the rave reviews from the externs themselves, they won�t be the last.

Roddrick Floyd, Amy Letourneau, Freddi Hamilton

Organized as part of the Distribution/Interconnection Technology Training Initiative, the purpose of the externship is to provide four members of the public radio community with a first-hand view of PRSS network operations. Over the course of the externship, participants observe STC operations, and are exposed to everything from satellite monitoring to system troubleshooting. Training is conducted by STC personnel and Technology Training Manager Freddi Hamilton.

According to Freddi, the aim is for externship participants to return to their stations and share their experiences and observations with others in public radio who may not have the opportunity to visit the STC. Armed with the knowledge they gained from experiencing all three shifts of STC operations (yes, that included the night shift), both Amy and Roddrick returned to their stations with a fuller understanding of how the system works.

�The staff in the STC were great,� says Roddrick. �While we were observing them, they explained everything to us in non-technical terms. They made sure we were getting as much information as possible.�

�I feel like I can communicate more clearly with our technicians now that I�ve seen first-hand how the system operates. We can speak the same language,� explains Roddrick.

Adds Amy, �It was really interesting to see how what we do at the Boston Uplink feeds into the network. I feel like I could also talk colleagues through some basic troubleshooting and provide contacts for problems we couldn�t solve on our own.�

According to Freddi, the STC Experience Externship had a successful start. Says Freddi, �Our first externs clearly represented the future of public radio�bright, energetic, and eager to learn more about the PRSS.�

A second STC Experience Externship is scheduled for September 18–25, 2002. �Based on feedback from the externs, STC staff, and comments from public radio personnel, we have decided on a one-week format for future externships,� explains Freddi. �This may make it easier for future externs and their organizations to participate.�

The STC Selection Committee awarded the second set of externships to Liz Fullerton of KNBA-FM, Koahnic Broadcasting Corporation, Anchorage, Alaska, and Jeff Conrod of Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Any SBE certified engineers or technicians who participate in the externship also will qualify for SBE recertification credits.

To learn more about the STC Experience Externship program, please review the information on our training page.