Communiqué
Former Student Learned Value of Serving Community at WOUB
< < Back toEdward Smith graduated from Ohio University in 2004
ATHENS, OH – Edward Smith works in creative services at WPMI NBC 15 in Mobile, Alabama, and one of his duties has been helping to produce a daily lifestyle program while working from home. He says he has been able to do it well thanks to the confidence and skills he gained while working as a student at WOUB Public Media.
“We normally work in the studio and use skills I learned at WOUB, running studio cameras and teleprompter when needed. But then we had a COVID case at station and had to suspend live productions and do the show remotely. Our producer and host had to work from home. The host had to record sections of the program with her iPhone. I was also working from home, and the clips were sent to me to put it all together.”
Smith graduated from Ohio University in 2004 with a degree in telecommunications. When he came to Athens from Stow, Ohio he knew what he wanted to do. He had been interested in and learning about video production since the 7th grade and heard that he could develop those skills by working as a student at WOUB.
“I attended a welcome meeting when I first came to campus and started working at WOUB pretty soon after,” said Smith. “I worked on programs like Newswatch and Gridiron Glory. I ran camera, teleprompter, audio and graphics, as well as floor directed.”
After graduation, Smith started working in creative services getting his first job in commercial television production in Panama City, Florida before moving on to Mobile, Alabama.
“The hands-on experience you get at WOUB are things you don’t normally learn in the classroom. You learn by doing. The public actually sees your work, and what you are doing serves the community. It’s such a valuable resource for the community and a place for students at Ohio University to learn the ropes. It’s great for everyone.”