If you would have told me I would work at a radio station back in the spring, I would have said “no way.”
Fast forward to June, and I found myself as the intern for George Plummer, also known as “The Voice of Grady County,” at the Kool 105.5 radio channel. I grew up listening to this man on the radio, and I always wondered what went into his profession.
My first day in the studio, I got to see where all of the magic happened. I saw the studio where commercials are recorded, and the equipment needed to do it. I sat with big eyes as I was enamored by all of the sights. Hearing George’s voice is one thing, but to see him work live is another ball game entirely.
On day one, we investigated a car wreck that happened that morning, and we attended a Chickasha City Council Meeting that very evening. To say I was thrown into the deep end of the real world is an understatement.
Over the weeks, I learned to use my voice to fill a number of roles. I read news stories and George eventually had me record commercials.
I enjoyed the spontaneity of the job because I would go in every morning not knowing exactly what to expect for the day, and I sort of liked it that way. I did not know who we would be talking to, where we would go, or if some notable thing would happen that we needed to immediately cover.
There was a sense of routine, as I was tasked in editing and uploading the news that George wrote earlier in the morning. This was the only constant it seemed. This fact added excitement to the internship, and paired with George’s inviting personality, it made me want to keep coming back.
My big assignment came when I had to write a news story over the induction of Richard Ross to the Anadarko School Board. I had to meet with Ross, interview him, write the story, and record it. The news story ran the next day, and it was my first solo assignment.
One of the most exciting things I got to do in this internship was interview the newly appointed president of USAO, Dr. Kayla Hale. The morning that the news was announced, George was able to get a phone interview with Dr. Hale, and we interviewed her that afternoon.
In a field where communication is the backbone, I met so many new people that I have lost count. I met the Mayor of Chickasha Chris Mosely and Police Chief GG Music – I was also able to witness his swearing in – just to list a couple by name.
I met representatives, superintendents, charity workers, coaches, city workers, and even got to meet Native American celebrity Lane Factor. Factor is known for playing “Cheese” on the show “Reservation Dogs,” and we are also members of the same tribe, the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.
I met Factor in Anadarko since I was there covering the American Indian Exposition. This was one of the many events that we did a remote broadcast at, where equipment can be taken to an event and news breaks are held several times during a two-hour window.
My first remote was at Chickasha’s 2023 Juneteenth Festival. The Juneteenth Festival remote was a notable one since it was the very first time I went live on air with George, and he formally introduced me to the public as his intern. We also did remotes at the opening of the Jarvis Meat Market, as well as the Fourth of July Golf Tournament.
I was dubbed “Paul the Intern,” and this name would stick up until our last remote together at the American Indian Exposition.
“The Voice of Grady County” and his sidekick “Paul the Intern” tackled many things throughout the summer. Through it all, George and I built a friendship that seemed to go beyond the professionalism of the office. We would talk about many other things, and we got to know each other quite a bit.
I saw that George cares about the community that he serves, and he loves talking with and getting to know people. People text and call him to say that they heard something on the radio that they were glad to know, and they called to thank him. He also had a family that he deeply cares about, and the fact that he talked with me about this topic helped us to grow our friendship.
George was not a stiff-necked boss. He joked with me, we laughed, and we questioned things around us. I loved learning from this wisdom, and he had a lot to offer as a boss. I would have loved to continue to be his intern for the fall, but due to classes and a packed schedule I won’t be able to.
I promised him that I would drop by the station every now and then, and that we would work together with The Trend and the station to provide news to one another.
This internship was definitely one that I enjoyed, and I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to dive into the pool of radio.
Paul Tointigh is a fourth-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
