Television-Radio graduates have gone on to have careers in many exciting fields. Highlighted below are some TV-R alumni who are pursuing jobs in communications.
Justin Brunell '07 - Fox News Channel
Justin Brunell works for the Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network, both located in Midtown Manhattan.
Justin is an Audio Assistant and a Mixer for the two channels. As an assistant, he places the microphones on talent and guests and troubleshoots audio problems on the stage. As a mixer, he oversees all of the audio that gets out to broadcast: maintaining proper levels for microphones, inserting music and sound effects, and generally doing all possible to adhere to the director's and producer's vision of the program.
“My professors and other contacts within the Ithaca College community were extremely valuable in helping me find my first job. Over the course of my senior year I was constantly being guided and encouraged to contact people out in the field and branch out, and after a few months of doing so I was able to locate a number of valuable contacts, one of which led to my current job.”
Peter Davis '06 - Bunim/Murray Productions
Peter Davis works as a music coordinator for Bunim/Murray Productions, the production company responsible for programs such as MTV's The Real World and Road Rules, Oxygen's The Bad Girls Club, E!'s Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Living Lohan, and HBO's documentary Autism: The Musical. As a music coordinator, Peter’s job is to obtain and license the music used on the shows, prepare cue sheets detailing how artists' music is used on the shows, gather content for the shows' websites, act as a liason between the musicians and the music supervisors, and generally assist the music supervisors with anything they might need.
“Although I was a TV-R/Video production major at Ithaca, I spent much of my free time working at 106-VIC (now VIC Internet Radio) and 92 WICB. My experience with both stations opened me up to a lot of music that I wouldn't have otherwise known about, and the desire to discover and promote independent artists on the radio translated well to what I'm doing now. More importantly, I participated in the Ithaca College Los Angeles program during my last semester of school and interned at Bunim/Murray Productions, so I was available to work after my internship concluded.”
Paul Cataldo '08 – ESPN
Paul Cataldo is working at ESPN as a Production Assistant Trainee in Bristol, Connecticut.
At ESPN, Paul’s responsibilities include cutting highlights for SportsCenter and ESPN’s other original programs, as well as ESPNews. His other responsibilities include producing story ideas that will be turned into feature stories.
“At Ithaca, I refined and honed my writing skills which have helped me in developing and producing my story ideas and highlights. My time spent in the Park Labs using programs like Final Cut gave me a head start on using ESPN's editing software. I also developed my communication skills which help in the everyday tasks of communicating with supervisors and producers about the highlights and stories that I am developing.”
Amy Zeleznock ‘07 – NFL Network
Amy Zeleznock currently works at the NFL Network in Culver City, California.
At the NFL Network, Amy’s primary responsibilities include cutting voice overs, sound bites, bumps and Top 10s for our news show Total Access, highlights of games each Sunday for GameDay and NFL Scoreboard, and occasionally getting to help log and transcribe various features that they shoot. She just got started training in the Broadcast Assistant area, meaning she’s in charge of telling the graphic operators what types of fonts and boards they need for various segments of the show. They start off on news, which isn't very graphic heavy, in hopes that she will move up to Total Access after some time.
“Ithaca provided me with a lot of hands-on work where I was able to start using equipment and programs that I am currently using in my professional job right off the bat freshman year. I also believe being involved in our television station, ICTV, gave me a glimpse on how things are handled when shows are live, stories are swapped or don't come through, and technical glitches happen. I loved the various internship experiences I had while I was at Ithaca as they let me experience working with professional sports in a variety of ways, from local sports departments to working with NBC at the Winter Olympics in Torino,Italy (an experience I'll never forget).”
Pete Berg '07 – Actual Reality Pictures
Pete Berg works as a Segment Producer for Actual Reality Pictures in Hollywood, California. Actual Reality is a medium-sized independent company that produces several Reality TV/Documentary series, including “Flip That House,” “30 Days,” and “America’s Greatest Dog.”
The show that Pete works on is a home renovation series on TLC called “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” which focuses on the American mortgage crisis. He spends most of his days out in the field, either coordinating shoots or shooting himself, and has a lot of creative freedom. He’s responsible for finding and developing the story of each of the episodes he works on and then shooting coverage and conducting interviews which will tell that story. He works on every stage of the production from casting to post-production.
“I have Ithaca College to thank for getting me this job. I first worked at Actual Reality Pictures as an intern in the IC LA Program, which directly led me to getting my first job with ARP as a Production Assistant. (I spent the summer between my junior and senior years at IC living in LA and working on “Flip That House” for TLC.) When I moved back out to Los Angeles after graduation, I got offered a job as an Associate Producer at ARP, and I quickly moved up to Segment Producer. One of the main reasons I was hired at the producer level so quickly was because of the reality series I produced for ICTV as a student (“The Race”) and that really impressed my boss. The skills that I learned at IC, and the real world experience I gained as an IC student, really put me ahead of other people just entering the television field.”
Jenna Ott '06 – Warner Bros.
Jenna Ott has been working primarily for Warner Bros. the past two years. She worked as a PA on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip right after graduation. When that show went down in the summer, she worked on Heros for a month helping to establish their new production office as they geared up for their second season. After that month, she went on to Two and a Half Men where she has been for the past year. Having just wrapped up for the season, she’s looking to move to a new show or studio to begin learning something new. At Studio 60 and Two and a Half Men, she was given responsibilities such as handling the distribution of call sheets, crew lists, shooting schedules, etc., as well as dealing with the needs of the cast and crew. On Studio 60 she got the chance to work with many of the directors by helping them to block and rehearse. And, on Two and a Half Men, she helped on set during show night by overseeing video village for the producers.
“Ithaca helped greatly in my finding a job right out of school. Through the LA Program, I interned on the final season of The West Wing. I was interning during the fall semester, and was asked by the producer’s office if I might be able to stay on the full year as an intern, with the opportunity to set PA as needed. Working closely with the Ithaca administration, I was allowed to finish my degree from the IC LA school, and continue at The West Wing. When The West Wing wrapped and I graduated, I was asked to come on as a PA to Studio 60, since the crew was all from West Wing. I think that I was able to have this opportunity because Ithaca worked with me to establish such good connections and bonds with my internship, and gave me the chance to step up when the people at my internship asked me to.”
Ann Fortune '06 – Comcast International Media Group
Ann Fortune works as a supervising producer, writer and editor. She is responsible for concept creation, writing, editing and sometimes even shooting her own original spots for an air in 111 countries around the world. She helps to oversee International Interstitial production and has been actively involved in their internship program.
“I left Ithaca with a skill set that prepared me for producing, writing and editing, something I never thought possible at my age. You leave college thinking you’ll be taking lunch orders and making coffee, but when you have been taught how to write, edit and shoot your own material for four years, you are given the opportunity to realize your passion and become well rounded. If you can produce a spot from concept to completion, no one is going to be asking you for coffee.”
Carrie Williams '05 - Regan Communications, Inc.
Carrie Williams is currently an account manager for "Team Christian" at Regan Communications, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. Their major clients consist of Dunkin' Donuts, the Boston Celtics and RE/MAX, also including the Boston Cannons, Boston Magazine, Fenway mainstay the Caskin' Flagon, Budweiser, New Balance and Entercom Radio. Her job includes a lot of writing and research for their clients. The main clients she works with are Dunkin' Donuts and RE/MAX. She writes press releases, media advisories and photo captions. She is also in charge of Dunkin' Donuts' Dugout and Kidzone program. Dunkin' Donuts sponsors anywhere from 20-24 tickets to each Celtics, Red Sox, Revolution and New Hampshire Fisher Cats games. She schedules underprivileged children's groups for home games and sends out photo captions. She is also involved in all the events the team orchestrates.
"It was at Ithaca College that I originally discovered my love for public relations. After I found I had a talent for writing and a strong inclination to be an organized, proactive individual, I started to pursue classes and outside experience that would allow me to eventually attain the goal of working in the PR field."
John B. Neurohr, Jr '06 - Center for American Progress
John Neurohr is the Press Assistant at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC. The Center for American Progress is a progressive political think tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through ideas and action. At CAP, John the go-between for members of the print media who want to tap into the resources, including policy fellows and other DC contacts. He is also responsible for keeping tabs on print media coverage for the Center and their experts, as well as developing communication messages and strategies that will improve their media coverage.
"I was a Television-Radio major who started out as a video concentration. By my sophomore year, I knew that, although my new knowledge of editing and video shooting was an incredibly helpful skill (and it always will be) I wanted to go in a different direction. With the help of my fantastic advisor, I was able to create a Directed Studies concetration that focused on mass media; I was able to take a combination of journalism, Integrated Marketing Communications and TV-R courses to fulfill my degree. That, along with my minors in Politics and Speech Communication, allowed me to expereince a wide range of courses and attain new skills that would pave the way for me to be successful in just about anything I end up doing in my life. Without the flexibility of Park School's TV-R degree or the guidence of my amazing advisor, I would probably be stuck at a job I had no desire doing (or without a job alltogether!) I wouldn't change my decision to go to Ithaca College for the world."
Seth Cantor '03 - CBS Radio
Seth Cantor '03 is an Account Executive with CBS Radio's Fresh 102.7-FM in New York City. Seth is also the Play-by-Play voice for the United States Merchant Marine Academy Athletic Program, located on Long Island.
"Ithaca College provided me with a solid foundation for the challenges I face today. The Park Faculty not only emphasizes the value of intriguing coursework, but they also encourage students to apply classroom skills to the numerous extracurricular activities the College offers. As Sports Director for 92-WICB and the Play-By-Play voice of Bomber Athletics for three seasons, my experience at Ithaca was undoubtedly rewarding; because I made the most of it. If you take advantage of everything Park has to offer, you will have the tools you'll need to succeed!" - Cantor
Peter Busa '05 - WTEN-ABC TV
Peter Busa is a photographer at WTEN-ABC 10 in Albany, NY. Working within a medium sized market, Busa truly believes that Ithaca helped get him to where he is today. Using his Ithaca and Ithaca Alumni contacts, Busa has had the chance to travel to new and exciting places which he may have not had the chance to otherwise.
Busa also states that "perhaps the best part about my whole Ithaca experience was the relationships and bonds that I formed with both faculty and staff at Ithaca College. They continue to be just as helpful and compassionate as they were when you were back in class. This is the true value of an Ithaca College education, and it helps me every day."
Eric Maierson '90
Eric Maierson (TV-R '90) was honored with a 2007 Emmy for Outstanding Broadband Documentary. The documentary he coproduced, Kingsley's Crossing, can be viewed online at http://mediastorm.org/0010.htm. Eric is a multimedia producer with MediaStorm; more of his work can be seen on the company's website www.mediastorm.org. Eric also spent nearly ten years working with his former roommate Steven Lerner (Cinema and Photography '90) at Steven's company, Dancing Toad Productions.
