Getting on the radar

As a new intern here at MPT, I'm always discovering new facets to this truly unique place to work. Here I am, nearly two months into my internship, and I feel as though I've merely scratched the surface of all there is to know about my department alone. Before I started interning here, I had no idea what to expect from a public television station.

I'll admit it: although I enjoyed the occasional Antiques Roadshow or science documentary, I was never the most devoted public television viewer. I guess, like most of my generation, I couldn't get past the reputation, i.e. something for my parents and grandparents - not for me. But, like Matt mentions above, now that I work here, I find myself tuning in more and more to MPT to see what all the hype's about (and to mention to onlookers: "Hey, I work there!"). The beauty of MPT and public television in general is that there's something for everyone - you just have to know where to look.

That brings me to the coolest part of my internship thus far. Somewhere in the first few weeks I was contacted by one of the communications specialists here to be involved in a blog that might introduce more people like me in my generation to public television. After paging through MPT's monthly program guides, this small group of young MPT'ers found that there are plenty of great programs of interest to young people - the challenge lies in relaying the information to our "reluctant" viewers.

We're now working on ways to bring MPT onto the radars of skeptical young viewers who don't know what they're missing. We're not trying to make MPT cool (it already is!!), we're just trying to get the word out about a well-kept secret. As an intern, being part of this process is one of the coolest surprises I could imagine.

Lindsay Windmiller
Community Outreach Intern