By Mario Montalvo/ne news editor
Two NE students are working to make their dreams of becoming radio disc jockeys a reality.
Mel Alley and Rick McNeely are both radio and television broadcasting majors who already have begun to break into the radio business.
Alley doesn’t graduate until May, but she has already begun to search for her dream job.Alley entered college wanting to become a screenwriter and made her way into the RTVB program on NE Campus.
She now aspires to be a disc jockey for a local radio station and eventually star in her own radio show and continue her writing on the side, she said.
David Reid/The Collegian
Currently auditioning around for a D.J. job, she has applied at WBAP and for the radio station at Six Flags. She has compiled a demo reel, is currently looking for an agent, and was recently featured on McNeely’s radio show.
McNeely is the host of Alley Rally on Fish Bowl, a locally produced Internet radio station with about 400,000 listeners. McNeely and Alley met at TCC and have become friends.
“She’s great. I told her she’s gonna come back in about six weeks to do another show with me,” McNeely said. “She can be a recurring DJ, as far as I’m concerned, on my show.”
The show’s format mixes all kinds of music and talk and showcases new, undiscovered actors, musicians and entertainers in the Metroplex.
“We were discussing current events and what’s going on in Fort Worth, and we talked about music, and we played a few tunes, and we just kind of hung out in the studio,” Alley said.
“Most of what we talk about on his show is current events, like the Fort Worth food park that’s going on right now and a couple of local events, like stuff here on campus.”
McNeely makes it a priority to give exposure to local, budding talent to help them get their big break, he said.
Some of Alley’s teachers have also encouraged her to become a voice actor. She has not had any voice acting roles yet, but she recorded an audiobook for the blind.
Instructor Adrian Neely worked as a freelancer for a long time and said it’s a good way to network and break into the business.
“If the student makes a positive impression, it could lead to an employment opportunity,” he said.
“Just being in an active environment can lead to a job even if it’s not at the place where you’re interning because other people who work in the industry tend to pass through places like TV stations, camera rental houses and radio stations on a regular basis.”
Students can have several opportunities to try different things if they work hard and have good networking skills, he said.
“The job market is tough. There are jobs out there locally, but you gotta really hustle to find them,” Alley said.
