Overall my experience with WGUR was very positive. Not only did I get the opportunity to be on air for the first time, but I also gained a semester’s worth of quality radio experience. The pro’s of this practicum are endless, such as: working and organizing an hour-long weekly show with my awesome partner Emily Brown, learning how to work the board in the studio without anyone else’s assistance, being part of the really enthusiastic WGUR crew, and last but not least, completing my third and final mass communication practicum.
The cons of this practicum were few, however, there are a couple of things I would do differently if I could do it again. My biggest issues with the practicum were the large amount of e-mails I received. There were several times when I felt like it wasn’t very clear who was in charge and who was advising me. When I signed the original DJ contract with WGUR, it was my understanding that I’d be required to do one show per week, and the remainder of our time was supposed to be spent for preparation purposes. I feel like I should have contacted someone earlier on with questions. I also got the vibe that some of the students in charge would push things off on other students at the last minute, and it would be super inconvenient and confusing for everyone involved.
The station is very well known in the Milledgeville community and is a student organization to be proud of, but there is always room for improvements. A weekly update with requirements via email from ONE person could be helpful, or a bi-weekly meeting to check in with the DJ’s could be very beneficial to see everyone’s progress. Not only would bi-weekly meetings hold everyone accountable, but requirements would be clear and questions could get answered from the main person in charge. I also found it very interesting that the one meeting we did have at the end of the semester was poorly organized and the person who sent out numerous emails about everyone meeting at 12:30 showed up @ 1:00. This wasn’t a huge deal, but it just seemed very unprofessional to the few people who did actually show up on time and ready to wrap things up.
I love WGUR and plan on doing another show with Emily next semester for fun, so the things I’m concerned about are only because I want it to go a little bit smoother for the next person. Being a DJ takes a lot of preparation if you plan on having an interesting show, but it’s totally worth it in the end and I will definitely try and use my experiences in the future.
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