Katie Ferber
Broadcast Journalism &
Ag Communications Alumni
(photo by David Jones)

“Katie the Intern” becomes “Katie the Producer”
By Katie Ferber
Broadcast Journalism & Ag Communications Alumni

I was lucky enough to land a job, a real big-kid job, as I was about to enter my final quarter as a Mustang.  Was it luck? Good timing? Hard work? I like to think it was a combination of all of the above; but one thing is certain. I would not have my job now if it weren’t for my internships or what I learned in my broadcast journalism and ag communication classes at Poly.

For two summers I spent my time at KCOY-TV in Santa Maria.  I was known as “Katie the Intern,” because I shared the same name as our former evening anchor.  The long, unpaid, hours seemed to fly by because I was doing what I loved to do.  Throughout my internship I got to do such a wide variety of things from reporting, to producing, to traveling around the Central Coast meeting interesting people.

Currently, I am the morning show producer at KCOY.  The hours are tough, I get in to the station at 11 p.m. and I leave at 7:30 in the morning, just as everyone else is starting their day. It’s a challenging job, but my time spent at Cal Poly and during my internships made me more than prepared for the position.

I am also fortunate enough to work with a great team, including one of my professors. It’s a great learning experience.