ESPN Radio

Spring 2010 Site Review

Position: Programming Intern
Student: Humanities Senior

The ESPN Austin Radio internship is a great starting point for anyone wanting to get involved with sports-talk radio and can give up invaluable experience to jump-start your career.

The ESPN Radio Austin Internship is a great opportunity for students wanting to gain experience in media, specifically sports-talk radio.  Throughout the internship, you’ll have the opportunity to observe the inner workings of a radio station.  As you become more competent and comfortable with the environment at the station, you’ll be given more responsibility and the opportunity to contribute to the show.

There are three local shows on ESPN Austin, a morning, mid-afternoon and evening drive time show.  I was an intern at the morning show during this past semester and walked away, gaining invaluable experience.  On a typical day, I arrive the station at 5:45 am and talk with the producer about the previous day’s sporting events and what the main topics of the day will be.  At 6:00 am, the show goes on-air and I’m busy screening calls and researching any relevant information.  When calls aren’t coming in, I’m observing the producer running the audio board.  At 8:00 am, after becoming comfortable with the show, I would take over the audio board for the remaining two hours of the show.  I would be responsible for getting the show in and out of commercial breaks, playing any necessary audio clips, and controlling the volume coming over the air.  After the show, I would talk with the producer about what worked well and what I could improve upon; I made note of the things I wanted to work on the next time I came in.  Typically, speaking with the producer would be the last thing I do.

The ESPN Austin Radio internship is a great starting point for anyone wanting to get involved with sports-talk radio and can give up invaluable experience to jump-start your career.