Morning Show Madness

Have you ever set an alarm for 2am? Have you ever had to be somewhere before 4am? It's a weird thing to think about, but so many people do it. I've been given the opportunity to fill in for our morning weather producer on Thursdays & Fridays in October and November. Pretty crazy, right? So far it has been an awesome experience. Getting to know the morning crew has been a blast. But, as a college student, it's kind of funny that when I wake up in the mornings my friends are still awake. I'm getting in bed around 8pm, so of course my friends are calling me grandma and all sorts of nicknames like that.

So on a typical Friday I will wake up around 2am, get dressed and drive to Oklahoma City (I live in Norman for school.) I'll get to the station around 3:30am and start working on our morning check sheet. Something very different about the morning show vs. the afternoon show is the pace. Both are very laid back and fun, but the morning show is like a race to the finish line. There isn't much time before the show begins so you have to be on the go from the minute you walk in the door. In the mornings, I help make sure Jed has the graphics he needs, record radio forecasts, and put in closed captioning for the shows. And probably the most exciting thing for me is that Jed is teaching me how to forecast. Forecasting is not something we spend a lot of time on in school, but for my future will be the most important thing I ever learn. I usually finish up with our check sheet around 6am and head back to Norman for classes. I have class from 10am-2pm on Fridays… to say I'm ready for a nap by the time classes are over would be a huge understatement.

I'm a morning person, no doubt, so I was pretty excited about the opportunity to be at the station in the mornings. I did, however, wonder how it would be. I mean most people aren't morning people, would everyone be grumpy? Absolutely not! Once you walk into that building, you would have no idea that it was so early in the morning… well that is if you could get past the strong smell of coffee lingering through the studio. Listening to and being around Robin, Stan, and Jed would make anyone have a great day. They're always positive and having so much fun in the mornings! Then of course I get to talk fishing with Stan and Jed… I'm still not sure how they catch all of those fish, but one thing I am sure of… I could catch bigger ones!

Hope you have a great weekend, and until next time you can follow me on twitter: @ShelbyWX or like my fan page: www.facebook.com/ShelbyHaysWX