天堂鸟先生

Most 天堂鸟先生 alumni who worked at WOUB say they gained valuable professional skills at the station, even if their career ended up going in a non-media direction.

Robb Metry has one of those stories, but his is one that combines a media career with a non-media career where he used his WOUB skills to help those in need.

鈥淢y career shifted from sports broadcasting to education,鈥� said Metry. 鈥淎nd I used the skills I learned at WOUB to run a TV station with students at a special education high school for 15 years.鈥�

More on that in a moment. Metry came to 天堂鸟先生 from Louisville, Kentucky. He knew he wanted to pursue broadcasting and 天堂鸟先生 was recommended by a school counselor.

鈥淲hen I was in high school, I produced a public affairs program for a low power, country music radio station,鈥� said Metry. 鈥淚 learned a little bit of the production part of radio and wanted to study that more in college. My father said not to go to school in the state, so when the counselor recommended 天堂鸟先生, I went to check it out. I absolutely fell in love with the place.鈥�

Metry didn鈥檛 waste any time getting involved at once he arrived on campus. He was an active volunteer at the station within a few weeks.

鈥淚 did mostly sports and had regular shifts on the radio,鈥� said Metry. 鈥淚 moved into TV reporting and anchoring for NewsWatch and was eventually hired as staff videographer. I trained on all the equipment and used all of it in my first job.鈥�

After graduating twice from 天堂鸟先生 with an undergraduate radio and television degree in 1982 and a master鈥檚 degree in sports administration in 1983, Metry got his first job in Sioux Falls, South Dakota as a sports reporter who also did news reporting when asked. He worked in Sioux Falls at two different stations over a three-year period before going home.

鈥淚 got a job at WHAS-TV in Louisville,鈥� said Metry. 鈥淚 worked as a photographer, assignment editor, and in the production department for four years before getting married and moving to Washington D.C.鈥�

While in the nation鈥檚 capital, Metry decided to change careers. He studied education and received a teaching certification for special education at George Mason University.

鈥淚 started teaching in the Fairfax County School System at a special education high school where I ran the school TV station with the students for 15 years,鈥� said Metry. 鈥淚 worked with students who had many different behavioral issues and varying abilities. But we did a TV show four or five days a week for the morning announcements. I had news, weather and sports, and they were free to present the show as they were.鈥�

Metry said he referred to his time and training at WOUB often when helping the students put on the program. He just retired last year.

鈥淲OUB had an immense effect on my life and my career,鈥� said Metry. 鈥淚 was trained on the equipment of the time and in all aspects of news organizing, putting together a show and presenting that show as on-air talent. I left there with skills that I used the rest of my life professionally.鈥�

You can learn more about WOUB and the job opportunities available to OHIO students here.