Recent Germanics grad, Rory Raabe, discusses her DAAD-sponsored internship at a radio station in Berlin:
When I began my internship at KISS FM, I was unaware that I would soon become a local radio celebrity. Sure, I had experience DJing in America on Internet radio stations, but this was different. KISS FM is a very popular R&B music station in Berlin, averaging about 100,000 listeners at any given time. After about two hours at the station, the manager suggested I develop a program of my own. "Rory & The City" became a daily program for the radio's Morning Show which involved me exploring Berlin through various weekly themes such as "Best Ice Cream in Berlin," "Best Doener Kebab in Berlin," "Best Tourist Activity in Berlin," and "Best Exotic Course in Berlin." As someone with intermediate German language skills and the disposition of embarrassment at every uttered mispronunciation, I was really stepping out of my comfort zone. I was determined to prove my competencies in both German and radio production.
For each episode of "Rory & The City," I was responsible for all aspects of the show: developing episode ideas, testing products, interviewing business owners and consumers, and editing audio clips to create each finished episode. I really came to know the city of Berlin through the countless people I interacted with and all of the unique experiences I had as a result of this show. Participating in the InternXchange program, which is run by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), allowed me to combine my work in German with my interests in communication industries such as radio. It was an incredible opportunity and experience.
Audio Files:
- "Rory & The City" 2 Eat Doener
- "Rory & The City" City Flying Steps
- "Rory & The City" Segway Tour
- [need to determine best location to store these media files]