The CSB Experience 3: An Intern for the Rhythm (Late Entry)

The city's got me running,
but I ain't losing ground.
The music's got me hummin',
moving to the sound.
Metro Manila, like a lover,
you're always in my heart.
The rhythm rocks me to and fro,
brings me where I want to go.
Move me, move me...
Metro Manila's 99.5 RT!

Can I just say how happy and speechless I am now knowing that I was able to grab a chance to work for a radio station which have been considered as a living piece of history the industry? Even if it's been more than a week now since I got "hired", I still feel the shivering excitement knowing that I will be having my practicum in the legendary 99.5 RT.

Although I'm not exactly working for the station itself, I made myself part of the production team on one of their shows, RT's flagship chart show the RT30 (short for the RT Top 30). The team is composed of the Inka, the show's host, her producer, Jose, and her minions of interns (including me).

I don't exactly know the names of all my other co-interns but I managed to hang on to a couple of names: Clarisa, and Carla (a fellow Benildean). They introduced me to the kind of works they're engaged in to bring about a good show to present every Friday.

With the nature that my job requires, I have to listen to Top 40 radio  every so often to keep myself updated on everything that's about music. Doing research about the artists and the songs that are charting on the countdown as well as trying to come up with a script for a 3-hour show that otehr than being informative, must also be set in the language of the station's target market, the youth (which makes up a majority of RT's listenership).

Have I mentioned that majority of the production team, including Inka and our producer, are from DLSP schools? (Animo La Salle!)

Although no job is easy. We are in strict compliance with what the station is trying to maintain. Being a station that gets to play potential breakout hits in pop music ahead of the other stations (like Astro Nut's "As Strong as the Sun", Owl City's "Fireflies", Calvin Harris' "I'm Not Alone", to name a few), we are sworn not to reveal to anyone else outside the station the identity of the majority of songs they're playing. Same goes with having insider knowledge with current chart positions of songs in the RT30 days before the show itself airs.

By this point, I have to really dedicate myself on this line of work. Although the MMA-OJT program calls me to produce an output in time, I'm hoping the higher ups would count the scripts that I'll be making with the rest of the interns since it is a collective effort coming from all of us.

And I'm hoping I could manage to pick-up what I've learned right away.


(Writer's note: This piece was written way back couple of months ago with the intention of having it published at a later time. A follow-up entry will be put up ASAP)