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2020 NSEMC Sessions

Updated Oct. 18. Subject to changes. Please check the Attendify app at the convention for the latest information.

All times are Eastern.


Wednesday, Oct. 28

Wednesday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Write Like You Talk
“Write Like You Talk” is a guide to broadcast news writing. It teaches anchors, reporters and producers how to write conversationally. Join co-author and Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Jeff Butera and learn how to make your copy flow naturally and connect with your viewers and listeners.
Jeff Butera, Co-Author, “Write Like You Talk”

Wednesday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
The Sales Side
Do students consider sales when planning a career after college? Why not? Learn from two broadcast sales pros about what goes on behind the scenes in the sales department. Without advertising or underwriting, stations couldn’t survive, so find out how to be the department everyone depends on to keep them going.
Erica Farber, President and CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau
Jaleigh Long, Director of Sales – Atlanta Radio, Cox Media Group

Wednesday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Faculty Best Practices for Remote Learning
Last spring, a lot of professors and instructors got their first taste of teaching online. Whether you struggled or succeeded, this is a chance to share what worked, what didn’t, and how to keep teaching successfully online.
Paul Krempasky, General Manager WMUH, Muhlenberg College

Wednesday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
How to Deal with GMR
So you’ve gotten a letter — or your university’s legal department has — from Global Music Rights? If copyright, consent decrees and settlements aren’t exactly your language, get the latest from an attorney who can explain and you can be prepared to discuss with your administrators and counsel.
Terrance Moore, Partner, Hellmuth & Johnson

Wednesday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Freaks and Outsiders Unite! The Impact of 10 years of College Radio Day
This panel will explore how college radio stations have used the College Radio Day event to raise their profiles, make connections with other college radio stations around the world, raise needed funds, increase student participation and remind college administrators just how important college radio is! College Radio Day is a great tool to further the mission of your station, and this panel will explain and suggest how to get the most out of the event.
Rob Quicke, Founder, College Radio Day, William Paterson University
Anabella Poland, President, College Radio Day, Montclair State University
Sean McDonald, Director of Neumann Media, Neumann University

Wednesday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Roundtable: TV/Video Production
Producing television shows and videos can be challenging. Meet with advisers and staffs of other stations to discuss and share your thoughts on best practices and challenges in television and video production. Topics may include pre- and post-production challenges, studio and field shooting, cameras, media format and more.
Steven Hames, CBI Secretary, Adviser, Viking Fusion, Berry College

Wednesday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Ask the Broadcast Lawyers
Attorneys practicing broadcast and copyright law will be available to answer your questions concerning FCC rules, regulations and practices, as well as intellectual property and copyright laws that affect broadcasting. This is strictly a question-and-answer session, so come prepared with your questions.
Dan Kirkpatrick, Co-Managing Member, Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth
Terrance Moore, Partner, Hellmuth & Johnson
David Oxenford, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

Wednesday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Intro to Broadcast Sports Careers
Some people pick one sport and cover it, but sports broadcasting isn’t always about specialization. Aaron Cummins has covered 10 Final Fours, 11 Masters Tournaments, nine Super Bowls, four Stanley Cup Finals and, once upon a time, was general manager of KCOU at the University of Missouri and hosted a punk rock show. Learn how he built his sports career and how you can build the sports career of your dreams, too.
Aaron Cummins, Senior Producer/Director of Digital Content, Westwood One Sports

Wednesday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Student Radio Program Directors
This roundtable is for current, past or aspiring program directors. Participants in this roundtable will discuss the programming practices, training and problem-solving techniques used at their stations.
Jonathan Gagner, Program Director, 91.7 The Edge, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Daniel Valdez, Programming Director, Radio UTD, University of Texas at Dallas
Smee Wong, Program Director, KTUH, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Wednesday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Intro to Podcasting
Interested in learning more about podcasting as an independent creator and the current professional landscape? Podcast Producer Myrriah Gossett’s Podcasting 101 seminar will dig into pre-production, gear, remote recording techniques and distribution. Myrriah will also cover some core questions to answer before starting a podcast, along with an overview of the current state of the industry.
Myrriah Gossett, Senior Producer of FOGO: Fear of Going Outside and Instructor at Austin School of Film 

Wednesday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
What you Need to Know to Support your Trans Students
Do you want to know how you can support your trans students, but you’re worried you’ll say the wrong thing? Does starting the conversation intimidate you? During this session, advisers and student leaders will learn about challenges faced by trans students, and some ways to create an inclusive and supportive environment in your organization.
Adelina Cooper, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, University of Mount Union

Wednesday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Roundtable: Internships and First Jobs
Whether you’re graduating soon or are just starting your studies, the hunt for internships and first jobs is always looming. With the right preparation now, you can be miles ahead of other graduates. Talk strategy, demo reels and more with other students facing the search.
Dana Schaeffer, Producer, ABC News Radio

Wednesday, 6-6:45 p.m.
Managing Your Mental Health and Your Staff
Learning to manage mental health and work is a lesson that most learn too late. Students in college media are extremely driven and may even work a little too hard, so it is important to remember to take care of yourself as well. In this session, join the discussion about how to manage taking care of yourself and going to school while also managing your college media staff. This can also extend to how to care for your staff as a manager, where the work can be pretty draining.
Tara Howell, General Manager, WLOY Loyola Radio, Loyola University Maryland 

Wednesday, 6-6:45 p.m.
How TV and Radio Pros are Working Remotely
Since this spring, we’ve all learned a lot about remote work, but for a lot of broadcast pros, working remotely is nothing new. Through technology and communication tools, plenty of production teams are spread across the country. Learn from two pros who worked remotely before the COVID-19 pandemic and what strategies work for working anywhere.
Millie De Chirico, Programming Manager, Turner Classic Movies
Dana Schaeffer, Producer, ABC News Radio

Wednesday, 6-6:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Student Radio Station Managers
Discuss effective management techniques, challenges you’ve encountered, tips, tricks and more with other student managers facing similar situations.
Sean Horvath, Station Manager, WSUM 91.7, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Laura Mooney, General Manager, WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2, North Carolina State University

Wednesday, 7-8 p.m.
Special Event: Swag Show-and-Tell
Celebrate station swag and show off your media outlet’s pens, key chains, stickers and T-shirts at this opening night social event. Share your favorite swag from previous swaps, or your best scores from station archives. No swag? No problem! Come and get promo ideas and vendor suggestions so you’ll be ready for next year.
Jamie Lynn Gilbert, Associate Director of Student Media/Station Adviser, WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2, North Carolina State University


Thursday, Oct. 29

Thursday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Coaching Radio On-Air Personalities
With the disappearance of small market opportunities and the prevalence of voice tracking, a student must leave college with more polished skills than ever before to start an on-air career in a medium or larger market. The presenters will explain how they coach performance and what a student who is passionate about being on the air needs to know to become a professional air personality.
Scott Uecker, General Manager/Instructor, WICR Radio, University of Indianapolis 
John Morris, CBI President, Faculty Adviser, 95.7 The Spin, University of Southern Indiana

Thursday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Student Music Directors
A roundtable discussion for music directors about how to keep new music fresh on your station, how you promote new music to your audience and how to stay on top of incoming music. Bring and share your best tips for selecting and curating the sound of your station and take home new ideas.
Erika Bass, Chainsaw Music Director, WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2, North Carolina State University

Thursday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Professional Organizations and How They Can Help Your Career
Starting with CBI, professional organizations are a great way to make connections, build your network and explore new career paths. Broadcasting and journalism have plenty of organizations — based on your field, your background, where you live and more — that can help you learn new skills, develop relationships and pave the path to your dream career. Find out what some of the professional broadcasting and journalism organizations have that can help you.
Hugo Balta, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists
April Carty-Sipp, Executive Vice President, Industry Affairs, National Association of Broadcasters
Erica Farber, President and CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau
Monica Herndon, Chair of Visual Task Force, NABJ and Photojournalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer
Dillon Lewis, Development & Marketing Manager, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists
Dana Schaeffer, Producer, ABC News Radio

Thursday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Activism, Archives and College Radio: Past and Present
This roundtable discusses college radio’s past and current involvement in activist causes and movements. Speakers will also reflect on the broad modes of participation in movements from the past, and they will explore how preserving radio history and stations’ activist participation can be accomplished and furthers these causes.
Katherine Rye Jewell, Associate Professor of History, Fitchburg State University
Jocelyn Robinson, Producer for Emerging Initiatives, Education, and Archives, Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO
Jennifer Waits, Co-founder, Radio Survivor

Thursday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Producing a podcast to compliment your student media: A Case Study of “The Caravan” Student Newspaper in Cairo, Egypt
This panel will share the experience of conceptualizing, planning and producing a weekly podcast to complement the bilingual student newspaper, The Caravan. The student podcast producers will address the issues of working remotely, pitching story ideas, interviewing members of the campus community and more.
Kim Fox, Professor, The American University in Cairo
Lia Abdelwahab, Podcast Producer, The Caravan, The American University in Cairo
Bassel Hanna, Podcast Producer, The Caravan, The American University in Cairo
Basant Samhout, Podcast Producer, The Caravan, The American University in Cairo

Thursday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Podcast Research and Development
Most of the work on a podcast happens before anyone even turns on a microphone. Even well-established hosts and producers spend weeks (even months) researching and planning the stories they’ll share. Find out from the people behind “You’re Wrong About,” “Reply All” and the “HowStuffWorks podcasts” how episode ideas are researched and prepared before production begins.
Dylan Fagan, Producer for HowStuffWorks podcasts at iHeartMedia, Host of “Savor”
Alex Goldman, Host of “Reply All” at Gimlet Media
Sarah Marshall, Host of “You’re Wrong About”

Thursday, 3-3:45 p.m.
License Renewal: What You Need To Know
License renewal time for FCC stations is fast approaching. Learn from attorney experts on how you can prepare and what you need to know to get started.  
Matthew McCormick, Co-Managing Member, Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth
Derek Teslik, Senior Counsel, Gray Miller Persh

Thursday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Sales and the Pandemic
Share strategies and ideas for your sales team to succeed during remote work, distance learning and other COVID-19 changes. Discuss how you’ve kept your clients happy and what challenges might be on the horizon.
Aleks Beygel, Staff Member of Client Services, WZND, Illinois State University
Kyle Bylak, Client Services Director, WZND, Illinois State University
Christian Ramos, Assistant Director of Client Services, WZND, Illinois State University

Thursday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Vendor Session: Station Relationships — Labels, Promoters, Artists and More
With plenty of options available nowadays for musicians to get their music out there, non-commercial radio still remains an important and respected means to stay connected to the local communities you represent. We’ll explore the valuable ways to make sure your station always has a great relationship with labels, promoters, and the artists themselves. We’ll be guiding you through strategy to best use the data, promotions, charts, and tools available to each and every station, no matter the size, and answering questions about how to best get what you want from the music industry and make your station flourish.
David DeKeyser, Music Services Representative, Spinitron
Eva Papp, Sales, Customer and Technical Support, Spinitron

Thursday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Behind-the-Scenes: TV Production Careers
On the day after graduation, you’re ready to pack up your car and drive to Los Angeles to start your first job in Hollywood — but what will that job be? Learn more about what your early career in television production might look like from alumni who are making it on the West Coast right now.
Kate Heckman, Staff Writer, “Big Shot,” ABC/Disney+
Craig Dewey, Editor, “Bull,” CBS
Arielle Diaz, Writer, “The Last Man on Earth,” FOX
Abby Jensen, Showrunner’s Assistant, “Big Shot,” ABC/Disney+
Daniel Vang, TV Literary Manager, 3Arts Entertainment

Thursday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Roundtable: When, How and Should We Cancel Artists?
How does your station handle music from artists who commit crimes? What about other non-criminal offenses? Learn how your programming and music departments can respond and make decisions fairly when artists get problematic.
Mackenzie Britt, General Manager, WLOY Loyola Radio, Loyola University Maryland
Hannah Copeland, General Manager, KCSU, Colorado State University
John Devecka, Operations Manager, WLOY Loyola Radio, Loyola University Maryland
Asher Korn, Station Manager, KCSU, Colorado State University

Thursday, 6-6:45 p.m.
Vendor Session: Is There Radio In Your Future?
Now that you have dedicated the past few years to studying the business of radio, do you have any business getting into radio? Is it an old age medium past its prime or are some of the digital trends in audio broadcasting actually creating new opportunities in radio? Sit in on this session to learn what skills you will need to have a worthwhile career in radio and audio production. As well as learn some tips on securing that first job. Believe it or not, it’s a great time to get into radio and this session will help you get a leg up on your promising start by covering all the digital and analog trends to make you a viable prospect for any radio broadcaster in America.
Tom Dobrez, President, Cool Radio Streaming

Thursday, 6-6:45 p.m.
Getting Along with Your Licensee
How does a heavy metal radio station thrive at a Catholic university? How do WICB and VIC Radio get to cover so many different Ithaca College sports teams and have access to college news and events? The key is good relations with the organization that holds your license — your school in most instances. Come learn some ways to increase institutional support of your media outlet. Bring your challenges too, as we’ll have time at the end for questions and problem solving.
Mark Maben, General Manager, WSOU-FM, Seton Hall University 
Jeremy Menard, Manager of Television & Radio Operations, 92 WICB, VIC Radio & ICTV, Ithaca College

Thursday, 6-6:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Women in Student Media Leadership
Discuss with other women in student media leadership positions the unique challenges and opportunities you face every day, and strategies to support each other.
Katie Francis, Co-Operations Manager, Rowan Radio, Rowan University
Kayla Santiago, Digital Media Director, Rowan Radio, Rowan University

Thursday, 7-8 p.m.
Special Event: CBI Membership Meeting
All CBI members (students and faculty/staff) are encouraged to attend our annual membership meeting. CBI Board members will provide updates on the state of the organization and give you an opportunity to share what you want from CBI.
CBI Board of Directors


Friday, Oct. 30

Friday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Covering Breaking News during the Pandemic
COVID-19 brought a lot of things to a halt this year, but the news simply wasn’t one of them. Hear from pros in radio and TV how their teams kept up, and kept covering, breaking news while staying safe.
Glenn Schuck, Reporter/Anchor, 1010 WINS, New York City
Laura Haefeli, Reporter, CBS13 Sacramento
Peter Haskell, Reporter, WCBS Newsradio 880, New York City

Friday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Picking Up the Slack in Your Organization
Learn about the hype of Slack — the app which helps organizations come together to collaborate with messages, tasks, breaking news and file sharing. Slack is a free phone and computer app to instantly message and share files with your team. This app takes group messages to the next level … without the phone storage problems. Learn Slack basics and how it can work for your outlet.
Lisa Marshall, CBI Vice President, Station Manager, WMCO, Muskingum University

Friday, Noon-12:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Web-only Stations
Discuss the pros and cons of an internet-only streaming broadcast with other web stations. Find out what works, what doesn’t and what’s next.
Rodger Smith, Faculty Adviser, WGMU, George Mason University

Friday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Legally Play Music and Pay Artists/Composers on Your Radio Station: Webcasting and More
If your radio and/or web station plays music, it needs to pay royalties for the copyrights involved. If you have any confusion about what you need to pay and do to be legal and make sure the creators are paid, this session is for you. We will cover the facts and the current legal situation.
Travis Ploeger, Director, License Management, SoundExchange
David Oxenford, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

Friday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Constructing an Audio News or Feature Story
You’ve got your mic, story idea and interviews lined up, but then what? Learn from a radio reporter who has worked in public radio across the country how to turn those ingredients into a news or feature story to inform and engage your audience through sound.
Julia Ritchey, Reporter, North Country Public Radio

Friday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Roundtable: Radio Advisers Only
From handling technical problems to managing student staffs to dealing with administrators who don’t really understand what you do, radio advisers have a unique set of challenges. Who better to discuss them with than other radio advisers? In this unstructured session, you can exchange ideas and seek solutions from your fellow advisers.
Greg Weston, CBI Immediate Past President, General Manager, WPTS Radio, University of Pittsburgh

Friday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Staying Safe Online: Legal Issues in Digital Media
As college media becomes more and more digital, there are many legal issues that are unique to the online world. This session will look at some of these problem areas including some of the common copyright, trademark and Federal Trade Commission issues that can arise for the digital user who is not staying safe online, via streaming, podcasts and more. We’ll also discuss some of the common-sense things that can be done to stay out of trouble and the latest about Global Music Rights.
David Oxenford, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

Friday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Vendor Session: Are your online public files up to date? How to stay out of trouble with the FCC
Hundreds of radio stations are years behind in posting required information to their online public inspection files. From ownership statements to issues and programs lists to EEO reports, stations are setting themselves up for problems with the FCC when it’s time to renew their licenses. University radio stations, with their frequent turnover in leadership, are often deficient. In this Webinar, experts from Widelity Corporation will bring you up to date on the FCC online public file rules and share tools to make sure you know how to adhere to them. Take the time to learn about this important aspect of radio station management. (This is not a legal seminar. As always, for any question about legal compliance, you should consult an attorney.)
Jim Glogowski, OPIF Team Leader, Widelity
Jeff Marks, Consultant, Widelity

Friday, 3-3:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Small School Student Media
Discuss the challenges of running a student media organization at a small university from a remote setting, addressing topics including content, recruitment and student/community engagement.
Brian Gregory, Assistant Professor and Faculty Adviser, SFC Radio, St. Francis College 
Laik J. Green, President, SFC Radio, St. Francis College 

Friday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Student Virtual Events during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Find out how the staff at WZND has taken live events and make them virtual. In the last several months, WZND hosted a variety of virtual events, including an award banquet, graduation celebration, station tour, university welcome week events, large fundraising event and professional convention. Find out what they learned and how you can have successful online events from students who’ve done them.
Shannon Dorfler, Assistant External Relations Director, WZND, Illinois State University 
Lindsey Hardison, Public Relations Director, WZND, Illinois State University 
Sydney Hughes, Assistant External Relations Director, WZND, Illinois State University 
Deb Lesser, Media Business Office Director, WZND, Illinois State University 
Jillian Russell, External Relations Director, WZND, Illinois State University 

Friday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Adobe Audition Tips and Tricks
You have the basics mastered on Adobe Audition, but now it’s time to take your work to the next level. Learn how to boost your voice in a compressor, remove unwanted noises, clean up a file and finish with an award-worthy production.
John Morris, CBI President, Faculty Adviser, 95.7 The Spin, University of Southern Indiana

Friday, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
Roundtable: TV/Video Advisers Only
College TV and video advisers face a unique set of challenges: keeping up with changes in technology, law and policy while providing compelling and entertaining content. In this unstructured session, exchange ideas and seek solutions from your fellow advisers.
Steven Hames, CBI Secretary, Adviser, Viking Fusion, Berry College

Friday, 6-6:45 p.m.
50 Promotions Ideas in 50 Minutes
How do you promote your radio station, TV channel or online media outlet? Need to increase brand awareness, social media followers and audience? Looking for ideas that have worked for other schools? Bring your ideas to the session and take home a few new ones.
Brian Lucas, Director of Radio, 91.7 The Edge, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Dan Schumacher, General Manager and Faculty Adviser, KTSW 89.9, Texas State University

Friday, 6-6:45 p.m.
FM Broadcast Antenna Basics
Have you ever wondered why you can receive some FM stations and not others, depending upon your location? What causes a FM station to drop out or become distorted sounding when listening in a car? This session will answer these questions and others about FM station coverage. The presentation will also provide a basic FM antenna tutorial for beginning engineers and station management.
Steve Moreen, Western Regional Sales Manager, Dielectric

Friday, 6-6:45 p.m.
Roundtable: Student TV Station Managers
Congratulations you’re in charge of your TV station! Now what? A roundtable for managers of student TV stations about the challenges and triumphs of leading a student-run TV station. Get the opportunity to ask questions and offer suggestions about the best ways to lead college TV stations.
Litos Castro, CTV Executive Producer, Rocky Mountain Student Media, Colorado State University
Zoe Robinson, Executive Director, Viking Fusion, Berry College

Friday, 7 p.m.
National Student Production Awards
CBI salutes the best in student video and audio production during the presentation of the National Student Production Awards. The best in student media is being recognized for their work. Tune in to see and hear the best in student-produced media and find out if you’re the best of the best this year. Thank you to our summer judges and congratulations to the finalists!