Posted by chicagomedia.org on March 24, 2008 at 22:22:33:
On the job: Melissa Campion
March 23, 2008
What does she do?
Campion, 25, of Palos Heights, is the morning air personality and music director for WRZA-FM, 6012 S. Pulaski Road on Chicago's Southwest Side. She is on air weekdays from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Her responsibilities include playing music, hosting the all request lunch hour (from noon to 1 p.m.) and doing news and weather reports, promotional giveaways and on-air interviews. The station can be heard the Southland on 99.9 FM.
How did she get into the biz?
Campion grew up in Chicago's Beverly community and attended St. Ignatius High School. She studied broadcast journalism at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
Campion said she "got into radio by default" because she originally wanted to be in television. She started working at the college radio station WPGU-FM (107.1) for fun and liked it.
Just after she graduated, a house fire destroyed all her television resume tapes and everything else she had worked on in college.
"I had a radio demo tape in my car, so I sent that out because that is all I had left." With that radio demo tape, she landed a job at radio stations in Champaign and Lake Geneva, Wis.
Best part of job?
"I get to talk, and people have to listen. I love to talk, and I love to talk to people."
The interaction. "I get to meet new people every day - even if it's just on the phone. I get lots of callers, some of them are regulars, so I get to know the callers. There is always someone new to meet, though, and that is a perk."
She also likes working at home in Chicago where she can be close to her family.
Worst part of job?
The hours. "I have no social life during the week. I go to bed every night at 8 p.m. because I have to be here at 5:30 for the mornings."