Congratulations, You're Hired!

Meaghan Kienzle '24 grew up in Guilderland watching news coverage on NewsChannel 13; now she's helping to create it.

Kienzle's family always tuned into the local NBC affiliate for news, especially during severe weather. And whenever a storm was barreling down on the Capital Region, meteorologist Paul Caiano - a 30-year veteran of WNYT - was dependably tracking the weather. Last week, when Kienzle was introduced to her new colleague, she admits to being a little starstruck.

"Meeting Paul, it was kind of breathtaking. I recently came across my old journalism 100 notebook from my freshman year. I took all of these notes from when I watched channel 13 for class assignments. It's surreal to me that I'm actually working there."

Kienzle began her new job last week as a studio production assistant. During the evening news, she's in the studio setting up microphones or operating the teleprompter. For the nightly news, she rotates back to the control room where she'll run graphics or control the cameras.

Four years ago, Kienzle enrolled in communications, and chose the sports track because she wanted to do something in sports media. But, she quickly realized she didn't want to be in front of the camera and she wasn't crazy about writing either. For a fleeting moment, Kienzle worried she was in the wrong major, but then she took JOUR 340 - sports field production.

"I started working with George Fellow in the production truck, and I thought, 'This is kind of cool. I don't have to talk on camera, I can get used to this.' Then I worked with Mitch Young in the TV Studio and I got involved with the TV Studio Club. I started learning about a career path that I didn't know existed."

Kienzle found a passion for production, and quickly developed an aptitude for it. Young, a former NewsChannel 13 producer, connected Kienzle with one of his former colleagues back in December. They didn't have an opening at a time, but two months later, Kienzle got a call, which led to a job offer.

"I thought I might have to start working at a smaller station in a smaller city. I can't believe I get to start my career at the station I grew up watching. I'm so excited for this opportunity, and I'm going to make the most of it. I'm thankful to everyone who got me here."

Once Kienzle masters her current responsibilities, she hopes to graduate to director, and the dream would be to one day direct for ESPN. She's always known she wants to work in sports, but launching her career at NewsChannel 13 is the life bonus she never expected.

"From day one, Meaghan demonstrated a passion for sports production and a willingness to learn. Meaghan excelled at camera operation, but she also embraced every challenge I gave her, operating our graphics software, mixing audio, technical directing and even directing some of our ESPN+ productions. She is the perfect example of what a 'hands-on' learning environment can inspire, a student who has built a solid foundation in the skill sets needed to advance their career goals and objectives."

George Fellows, digital media manager

"For most students, there's a tremendous learning curve in using the technology in the studio, but for Meaghan, it really clicked for her and she was able to hit the ground running. She was excited to learn intricacies of the studio, and I think that's what drives her to pursue a career in production. She really emerged as a leader in her classes because of her drive to succeed in production. She's going to do great things at NewsChannel 13. I couldn't be more excited for her!"

Mitch Young, TV studio manager