If you haven’t already heard, WLOY had recently returned from The National Student Electronic Media Convention in San Anonio, TX and we didn’t come home empty handed! WLOY was took the trophy in categories: Best Community Involvement for Word on the Street and Best Feature for our original production What Happens Next. Five representatives of WLOY lead by The Professor himself, trekked to the lone star state this past weekend. Now, they share with you an account of their experiences:
We all attended several sessions at CBI regarding promotion for events, how to manage and monitor events and concerts, how to properly handle social media and how to incentivize DJs to play new music. At the music director’s roundtable, we discussed how to handle new music with DJs. Some stations required DJs to play four new songs a month. I think that we can do this less formally by simply having our staff talk to DJs each time they come in and recommend specific songs from albums just to make sure that our DJs are staying up to date on new music. I also attended a session concerning how to deal with social media. For instance, they discussed not posting your political or social opinions on your station’s social media page.-“Kitty” Kat O’Brien
After constant anticipation and countless daydreams, C.B.I. finally came…And as fast as it did, it ceased to be and remained but a grand memory, a life lesson. When looking back on my experiences at C.B.I. a small smirk sneaks away from my control. It was an amazing time! In fact, it’s actually incredibly challenging for me to determine which of my experiences were the most beneficial or contributing. Overall, I can conclude that not only was it a chance for me to get better acquainted with my co-workers and radio team, but it allowed me to befriend them and establish a deeper relationship with all of them. Managing internal station conflicts will now result much more feasible.
It was interesting to recognize the results of participating in so many information sessions. Among the many things learned, the staff was able to recognize how other stations manage their businesses differently from us. This ultimately allowed us to realize what makes us so unique from other stations, while it also managed to spark ideas on potential solutions to implement in WLOY. Nonetheless, if one thing truly satisfied me from this experience–apart from the GORGEOUS scenery and culture that San Antonio, TX has to offer–was seeing my co-workers reactions. We were all very appreciative of this opportunity and were ready to take it all in–make the most of it! The Sunday we came back from TX we stopped at Atlanta after a connecting flight. Over a few pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato fries, sodas and laughs, the station came together to discuss all of our new ideas and observations. It was remarkable to see how excited we all were! The staff really seemed to take a lot from the information sessions and from the speakers. Having an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with other stations also allowed us to understand what could be done better, while also installing a sense of pride and satisfaction in knowing that we were doing pretty well for ourselves. Listening to the other station’s reactions on our techniques really encouraged us to continue working hard and dedicating ourselves. If anything, this is an experience that was extremely influential for all of us. As a Global Studies Major, and someone who has little involvement in the Communications field, I can testify that C.B.I. is beneficial for anyone. I strongly recommend it!-Patricia “La chameleon” Bryan
Visiting San Antonio for the College Broadcasting Conference this year was very beneficial and will help WLOY grow into bigger and better places in the future. I walked away with new ideas and ways to implement these ideas. It was also exciting to see other stations from across the nation benefiting from what we brought to the conference. It was a community where education was abundant and questions were encouraged. I walked away feeling excited about the future for WLOY and ways we can better serve our community both at Loyola and in the greater Baltimore area.-Rachel Stoczko
I feel truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to go to CBI in San Antonio, Texas this year. Not only was I able to learn so much about the media industry, I became so much closer with my co-workers and boss. Plus, the breathtakingly beautiful hotel was a huge bonus!
All of the lectures I sat in on were incredible and I left every single one motivated to do huge things in the broadcast journalism industry. So many different ideas were swirling around in my brain that at the end of every day I was absolutely exhausted! I still feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to listen to such great people in the field that I wish to go into, and after hearing their sessions, I am so empowered to go into the working force and to show off what Loyola has done for me in the best ways possible. I also was able to sit in on a couple sessions regarding how to make WLOY a better station in general, so I’m very excited to have those ideas put in motion!
This trip truly sparked a fire inside of me regarding the profession that I am striving to have and I feel as if I grew a little as a person as well, especially with my other co-workers. We all were really able to bond over the days of traveling and beautiful scenery in San Antonio, as well as over the love of the media industry. I can’t express my thanks enough for sending me on this trip!-Leslie Weis
Despite having to endure treacherous conditions (ie: sharing a bed with Leslie, flying with Leslie, being seen in public with Leslie, etc.) CBI was a total success. The opportunity to learn from other student stations and various guest presenters about everything from promotions ideas to Adobe CC, was energizing to the nth degree. We also drank an ungodly amount of coffee, but I suppose that comes with the territory.
WLOY has established itself as a force to be reckoned with, (7 more National Awards in the trophy case this year!) over the past 10 years- but it doesn’t end there! We are looking forward to implementing new promotional and creative strategies as we continue our pursuit for global domination. Bold proclamation, we know. But dream big, right?
P.S. For an insider edition on CBI take a peek at the “Leslie Cam” video on WLOY’s Facebook page –Kathleen McKeveny