Alumni discuss SMC education at broadcast symposium

6ABC hosted the event, where alumni from the university’s School of Media and Communication talked to current students.

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia hosted their 15th annual broadcast symposium at 6ABC Action News on Saturday. The organization assembled a panel of some station employees to speak to students.

Three of the eight panelists Amanda Brady, a media studies and production alumna and one of Saturday’s panelists, is now one of 6ABC’s associate producers and editors in programming.

“We joke that Channel 6 is run by the Owls,” she said.

David Murphy, Jeff Skversky and Matt Pellman are on-air talents who graduated from Temple, along with alumni behind the scenes like General Manager and President Bernie Prazenica. There were also multiple members of the Broadcast Pioneers who mentioned their much earlier times at Temple dating back to the ‘50s and ‘60s.  

Ashley Farace, another panelist and a masters graduate in journalism, is an associate producer and editor in programming. She said Temple helped prepare her for her current job.

“Temple’s programs adjust to the times,” she said. “Temple just truly gives their students the opportunities to succeed. They give them not only the right content, but they push for internships and they push for getting your feet wet and your hands dirty. Temple really prepared me. It was real world stuff.”

A lot of the behind-the-scenes work done at 6ABC is hired out and done by freelancer, panelists said. Producers often stick with people they trust in order to have consistent outcomes, Brady said.

She added one class that gives Temple students invaluable skills is MSP 4701, “Producing and Directing.” Brady said she tells all her interns to take that course, which teaches students to shoot, edit, and write scripts.

Farace said Temple’s curriculum helps prepare students for the industry.

“Freelance is the future, and Temple understands that,” she said.

Dominic Barone can be reached at dominic.barone@temple.edu or on Twitter @dvito_barone.

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