PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Hello everyone, my name is John Eldridge and I am an intern with WAVY during the 2024 spring semester, where I am specifically working on the Hampton Roads Show as a floor director/assistant. As I’m writing this, I’ve been an intern here for two weeks, and I’ve really enjoyed my experience so far, despite how nervous I was at the beginning.
When I first arrived at the station, both for orientation and for my first day, I was terrified of making mistakes and letting others down, and I was generally worried about being part of such a big company. Despite this, I came in with a confident attitude, a smile on my face, and a desire to learn. Thankfully, my nerves were calmed soon after I went inside the station, mostly due to the incredibly nice and helpful people who got me quickly acquainted with what would be asked of me on a day-to-day basis. Now, as I’m about to enter my third week in this position, I feel that I am already part of the family. Much to my own surprise, I have grown more confident in myself during my time with WAVY so far, and I’m really happy that I’m able to help so many great people on a daily basis.
In terms of my aforementioned duties, most days I am asked to wear many different hats while working on tasks for the Hampton Roads Show. Prior to the show, I print out the daily rundown, write out microphone assignments, set up the studio (turning on lights/TVs, cleaning the kitchen), and prepare mics for the hosts and guests. During the show, I shout out the time remaining until we’re back on the air, mic up guests, and prep them before bringing them in when the time comes. Post-show, I collect all the microphones and electronics, clean the kitchen (if needed), turn off everything, and get ready for the rest of my day. This entails helping with web posts, arranging the rundown for future shows, filling in boards, writing parts of scripts, and working in tandem to create new graphics for the show.
Ultimately though, my favorite part of this whole experience so far has just been getting the opportunity to work with such great people in a healthy environment, one where it feels acceptable to ask questions and have fun. That’s all someone can really ask for from a job, and I’m so thankful to be in this position to prove myself and contribute to making such a great product for the area I grew up in. While I’m still learning how to do a number of things, I already feel like I’ve learned so much during my time here, and I’m extremely excited to see what comes next in my journey through WAVY.
