@NMSU
German radio producer gets look at inner workings of NMSU broadcast stations
Last week, a German radio producer was able to soak in hot springs at T or C, wiggle his toes in the sand dunes at White Sands National Monument, hike the trails at Dripping Springs and divulge in the spicy, flavorful Mexican foods in Mesilla.
While in New Mexico, he also networked and spoke with students, producers and KRWG representatives at New Mexico State University sharing insights and comparisons between U.S. journalism and that in Berlin, Germany, where he works.
"For my first time being in the U.S. it has been a great experience," said Norbert Mertens. "Everyone has been very friendly, and it's been a great opportunity for me."
These experiences were made possible through a program sponsored by the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation (RTNDF) called Industry Professionals - Hosting German Journalists in the U.S.
Mertens visited the U.S. for a three-week networking trip, spending last week at NMSU as a visitor to the KRWG-FM and TV station studios. He was able to interact with news directors, NMSU students and local high school students in addition to sightseeing the area and surrounding towns.
NMSU was a host educational institution through assistant executive director of university broadcasting, Fred Martino, who is a fellow of RTNDF. Through the program, German journalists are placed at local, regional and network news organizations - in this case KRWG, a public radio station - to give them the opportunity to see how broadcast news is put together and presented.
Mertens is the producer for RadioEins, one of five radio stations in Berlin and has 100,000 listeners per hour. RadioEins targets ages 28 to 45 and offers a mix of news, traffic, weather and music or what Mertens describes as "current affairs in its broadest sense." To listen to Martens' live webstream visit http://www.radioeins.de during the 5 to 10 a.m. or 4 to 7 p.m. (German time) drive times.
"It was great to experience being in a smaller town," he said having just been in Washington, D.C., for a week of tours, lectures and sightseeing. His next stop will be New York City to visit economic, political and cultural organizations.
Written by Daniella De Luca.