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William Paterson student Mairéad Mitru ’18 is one of six interns working with Z100 radio’s award-winning “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.” Based in New York City, the show broadcasts live in more than 80 markets including Miami and Philadelphia, and is nationally syndicated on Sirius XM and iHeartRadio.
A media production major with a minor in comedy and theatre, Mitru is also music director of William Paterson’s WPSC FM, where she says she honed the skills that landed her the coveted internship. Both of her radio worlds collided recently, when one of Mitru’s campus segments aired on Z100 – and was subsequently heard by millions of listeners across the country.
During a staff meeting for “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,” Mitru – who interns two days a week, eight hours a day – suggested an on-air discussion about the then-forthcoming College Radio Day, celebrated at hundreds of campuses in the U.S. and abroad on Oct. 6, 2017. (College Radio Day was founded and developed by William Paterson professor and radio station manager Rob Quicke.)
The morning show staff liked Mitru’s idea, and asked that she send them an audio clip from her campus broadcasts. So, she did. On October 6, while Mitru was in class at William Paterson, Elvis Duran and company discussed College Radio Day on-air – as their intern had suggested. Then, Duran went one step further, playing Mitru’s WPSC segment as part of his show.
“I didn’t realize I was on air until my mother called me screaming, ‘They just played you on Z100!’”
Though Mitru’s moment of fame was fun, she says, it is only a piece of what has been an excellent internship.
“I’m learning a lot about the field and the New York City market,” Mitru explains. “I sit in on programming meetings, where the head of Z100 goes over ratings; I’ve learned about who their target audience is and where they find the most listeners; and I’ve really seen what goes into making a morning show.
“Though this isn’t a job, it’s helping me because I know what to expect going forward.”
Getting to know the on-air personalities, Mitru says, has been her favorite part of the experience. She’s been listening to “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” for as long as she can remember. “To finally meet everyone and get to know who people are off-air, which surprisingly is the same as they are on-air, is really cool,” she explains. “Meeting celebrities is really cool, tool, but it’s definitely not as crazy as most people would think … Celebrities are real people.”
Mitru encourages fellow students to pursue internships, and says joining campus clubs and organizations first is the best way to ultimately land one and succeed in it.
“I think that getting involved on campus really helped me, socially, and has given me the chance to explore my interests. I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a result,” Mitru says. “Getting involved is ultimately how you will discover what you like and what you want to do … and that’s ultimately what will set you apart.”
