With each day passing, staffers continued to experience the thrill and fast paced environment of the apple. From museums, food markets to TV studios the staffers covered a wide variety of hot spots within the city. On the second day of the the journey, staffers had the opportunity to explore another TV network, MLB (Major League Baseball).
While news networks are engrossed everyday with breaking news and broadcast, sports networks are just as busy preparing for the season to come as well as the off season. Day to day celebrities are in and out of the studios for interviews. For each live broadcast, an immense amount of preparation and scripts are prepared behind the scenes.
The main headquarters for the MLB Network takes place in New Jersey. This network provides viewers with the day to day info on current games, statistics and everything a baseball fan would need to know. Through the glass doors of the building students were wowed by all the ceilings contrasted with bold color and edgy metal. The all around layout gave a modern look to the rest of the building.
With the helpful assistance of the front desk, entrance tags were handed out. Decorative relaxing chairs lined with MLB logos drew students to their comfortable cushions. Once starting our tour through the rest of the building, walls were covered with signatures from famous athletes as well as celebrities. Our tour guide for the day, Nicole Neidlinger, Studio Coordinator, directed staffers through the main offices and studios through the building. Years of baseball cards collected over the years lined the paint of the hallways. As we continued the walk through, Neidlinger showed us around the broadcasting rooms.
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While the TV industry may be difficult to get into, Neidlinger was able to get internships through her connections that her mother had in the TV buisness.
“The tv industry is incredibly small, my mom works with CBS Sports,” Neidlinger said. “When college came around I was looking for internships so my mom reached out to her connections. So then I came in for an interview in Studio 42 with the Senior VP . I interned in remote operations where every week we had to show case game for three months. They didn’t have a job opening but I ended up helping in studio operations.”
The first studio we visited was Studio 3, named after baseball legend Babe Ruth. This studio serves as the main studio for shows “MLB Tonight” along with “The Rundown”. At that time the studio was open to walk through, students explored the room, looking at hanging lights and cameras. Directors and videographers wandered through the room showing us the tools and directions for use for of the equipment.
It was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Studio 42. It was cool to be physically standing in the studios that we see on TV on a day to day basis. It kind of gave me some insight into what these studios actually look like in real life. I was so thankful for Mrs. Quebe and for our advisers for setting up this amazing session at MLB. I know that it is something that will be memorable to myself as well as many others. –Skyler Lee
Around the studio, touch screens, LED Lights, interactive screens lined with pixels shifted with interactive pictures drawing viewers. All over the room stood several desks for each camera location. With this tour, students were able to grasp the environment of a real live broadcast location. Wandering through the halls of the building, Neidlinger navigated us through more studios.
In one of the studios, Fran Charles, an american television presenter for MLB Network, was finishing up a sports recap. Staffers posed for a quick picture with Charles and moved on their way to visiting the prestigious Studio 42. From the entrance of Studio 42 (named after player Jackie Robinson), students smiled in awe at the enormity of the studio. Green and brown felt was shaped into a baseball diamond forming a miniature field. From this studio TV series, “Intentional Talk” and “Diamond Demo” segments were broadcasted here. Studio 42 has participated in hosting the MLB First-Year Player Draft since 2009.
Compared to the other studios, 42 proved to be one of the best with its 9,600 sqft miniature size diamond. After hearing about the history and purpose of the studio, students grabbed a bat and settled to the plates. After swinging around a bat at a wiffle ball, students enjoyed wandering the field.
Senior, Skyler Lee, is grateful for the opportunity to tour and experience the MLB Network in person.
“It was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Studio 42,” Lee said. “It was cool to be physically standing in the studios that we see on TV on a day to day basis. It kind of gave me some insight into what these studios actually look like in real life. I was so thankful for Mrs. Quebe and for our advisers for setting up this amazing session at MLB. I know that it is something that will be memorable to myself as well as many others.”
While the TV industry can be hectic at times, Neidlinger enjoys her job as studio coordinator and being around people.
“The people is definitely my favorite part of the tv business,” Neidlinger said. “I am more of a face to face person. My favorite day was the first day I came for my interview. I got told to report to Studio 42 where they told us what we were going to do for our internship. Then after they went over guidelines we played wiffle ball in the studio for a couple of hours.”
Beside the MLB network studio is the NHL (National Hockey League) studio. The NHL studio is only a year old and features all sorts of eye catching screens. Within the NHL studio “NHL Tonight” is broadcasted. The studio at first was used for baseball purposes but has changed over time. With new shows, studios constantly change and are being updated.
This writer can be reached via Twitter: @jennypenny8835 and via Email: Jenny King.
