WGAL Intern

WGALTV offers paid internships in the departments below. In order to apply for an internship at WGAL please provide a cover letter with your application.

The cover letter should include:

Semester (i.e. Spring Summer or Fall)

Department preference (ie. News Sports Meteorology Technical Creative Services or Sales)

Available start and end dates

Days and hours available to intern

Briefly state your main objectives for participating in WGALTV internship (please be specific)

What are your strongest areas of interest

Application Deadlines

• Spring: November 17 2024
• Summer: February16 2025
• Fall: June 29 2025

NEWSROOM:

Newsroom interns will spend 1012 weeks shadowing and gaining experience in the following departments:

Assignment Desk:

• Assist team members in gathering news and information. This includes taking and placing telephone calls from reporters sources governments agencies and general public.
• May also assist in research and other tasks.

TV News Production:

• Practice writing and formatting scripts for broadcast.
• Time in the field shadowing reporters or anchors at a live report is possible but not guaranteed.

Digital News Production:

• Help research and write content for WGALdigital platforms including the WGALappWGAL.comand various social media platforms.
• When appropriate the opportunity to help with photo and video production for digital platforms may be available

Photographers and Logistics:

• Assist team members with field work and news gathering

Internships are scheduled based on mutual availability and academic schedule and requirements but mayconsist of 16hoursper week

SPORTS:

Interns should be well versed in both the localand national sports scenes (college and professional). The ability to converse about the hot sports topics of the day is a MUST. Interns should have working knowledge of the local sports scene (i.e. aware of managers head coaches and star players of the local professional teams) and be conversational on major national sports stories and events.

Interns will learn to:

• Write scripts for daily sportscast.
• Research team and player statistics.
• Pitch story ideas to sports department
• May accompany reporters on location shoots but not guaranteed

Internships are scheduled based on mutual availability and academic schedule and requirements but mayconsist of 16hoursper week

WEATHER:

***Please note: All candidates for internships with WGALs Weather departmentMUST be enrolled in a meteorology curriculum or closely related program of study.

In an internship at WGALwe stress analyzing and forecasting first followed by storytelling and graphics production.

Interns will learn to:

• Analyze weather charts and models
• Prepare daily forecasts
• Produce weather graphics
• Assist meteorologists in gathering critical & breaking weather information and data
• Relay important information to/from News Assignment Desk and Web
• Research statistical data
• Practice forecast delivery instudio
• Assist with social media efforts and email communication

Internships are scheduled based on mutual availability and academic schedule and requirements but mayconsist of 16hoursper week

BROADCAST TECHNICAL OPERATIONS:

The Technical Operations internship resides within WGALs Engineering department. This internship includes actual hands on operation of equipment under the observation of permanent tech op staff members. The goal of this internship is to expose the student to real world daily technical operations in a television station. The training of the interns would be similar to what would be taught in a vocational/technical school.

Each intern will gain a general understanding of the following technical areas:

• Control Room/Studio Operations (Floor Direct Audio Directing)
• Air Operations (Master Control)
• ENG Receive
• IT

After completing time in each of the above areas the remainder of the program will be designated for students to return to their area(s) of choice to gain additional training. The interns scheduled days will remain the same from week to week however hours will vary.

Equipment Use: As the purpose of the internship is to gain training in the technical areas students will be allowed to touch and train on the technical equipment. Use of the equipment will be limited and closely supervised and monitored.

Internships are scheduled based on mutual availability and academic schedule and requirements but mayconsist of 16hoursper week

CREATIVE SERVICES:

WGALs Creative Services department is responsible for the branding and promotional development of the station. The intern will gain a general understanding of how a television Creative Services department runs. They will learn the fundamentals of writing and producing effective topical promotions.

• Learn the fundamentals of writing and producing effective news topical promotion.
• Explore broadcast and digital marketing and learn the responsibilities of the Creative Services Department.
• Gain production experience on promotional and commercial shoots both inhouse and on location.
• Observe unlimited newscasts and editing sessions.
• Gain an understanding of WGALs commitment to the community through PSA production.
• Apply writing and communication skills in a professional environment.

Internships are scheduled based on mutual availability and academic schedule and requirements but mayconsist of 16hoursper week.Shifts are normally 9:00am 5:00pm. We are not staffed on weekends.

SALES:

The Sales intern will develop a working knowledge of the business side of advertising. How the sales department can help come up with creative concepts for advertisers and sponsors.

Interns will learn to:

• Develop sales promotional pieces client mailings contest fulfillment and onair production assistance.
• Gather research and ratings data for the development of sales marketing literature.
• Attend sales meetings and sales calls when appropriate.
• Assist in sales promotion video production.
• Generate client specific reports

Internships are scheduled based on mutual availability and academic schedule and requirements but mayconsist of 16hoursper week. Shifts are normally 9:00am 5:00pm. We are not staffed on weekends.

SALES RESEARCH:

The goal of the Research departments internship is to provide an understanding of audience television viewing information and its applications. The Research intern should have a business/math/numbers background.

Interns will learn to:

• Assist with the dissemination and interpretation of audience viewing data from the television research company Nielsen.
• Track local and network specials on WGALTV and competitive stations.
• Generate viewership data for sales andnews.
• Assist with projects that deal with audience viewership trends.

Internships are scheduled based on mutual availability and academic schedule and requirements but mayconsist of 16hoursper week. Shifts are normally 9:00am 5:00pm. We are not staffed on weekends.