NBC Page vs. Disney College Program

I read this article in The New York Observer today and felt that I knew exactly what the NBC pages were feeling -- even though I never worked at NBC.

This is what the NBC Page Program is all about:

The Page Program offers college graduates the opportunity to take that first step into broadcasting. As a Page, you will be given the chance to learn about many aspects of network television from the ground up. As a member of our Guest Relations staff, your primary function will be to act as a liaison between NBC and the general public. You will conduct guided tours and perform various audience services for NBC shows. Along with these public relations responsibilities, you may have the opportunity to work in different departments within the company on either short or long term assignments. After a period of one year, you will be in a position to make an informed decision as to which area of the industry interests you most. - from NBC Universal

Basically an entry level position for recent college grads.

The Page Program sounded a lot like the College Program that Walt Disney World offers. Work too much and get paid too little. Wear a dumb uniform/costume, and dream about a higher-level position. The Disney College Program site lists the offerings that an internship with them includes:

• Build transferable skills that include relationship building, problem solving, and written and verbal communication


• Explore networking opportunities at the Walt Disney World Resort


• Tap into educational opportunities that offer new courses coupling academic theory and Walt Disney World management expertise


• Earn real-world experience with a leader in the industry

I was recruited by Disney from the University of Maine to take part in the program in 1998. It was fun. I was in college. Spending a semester in Florida seemed like a good idea. Don't get me wrong, it was a good idea! I made a lot of wonderful friends that I still keep in contact today. But I didn't go into the job thinking it was going to be my career.

For the luckiest pages, the first step is temporary assignment to real shows; of those assignments, arguably the most prestigious and competitive one is the assignment to Saturday Night Live. But luck is not favoring the pages these days.

In recent days, The Observer spoke with a number of former pages who are trying to come to grips with the diminished opportunities in their chosen field.

The jobs aren’t there anymore.

“I understood getting into TV that it was going to break my heart over and over—whether it was pitching ideas that don’t work or working on a show that fails,” said one former page. “I went into it with open eyes. But now, I don’t know that I’m glad that I did it.” - from The New York Observer

I teach an undergraduate news writing and reporting course at a local university. I had sent my students an article recently published in The New York Times about how newspapers were disappearing across the country...that jobs aren't as easy to come by as they once were. Half of the students shrugged and said "No biggie -- I don't want to go into newspapers. I'm a broadcasting major."

Yikes! I thought. The economy is touching every major industry out there. I hate to tell the bright eyed and bushy tailed the truth -- but I do. DON'T GO TO NEW YORK CITY I told my students yesterday. Go somewhere where your credentials are put to good use. Graduates these days need to be ready to go where the jobs are...whether it's Anchorage or Omaha. It's a tough world out there.