WINSTED — Those who tune in regularly to Winsted’s public access Channel 13 may have noticed that “commercials� have been aired from time to time during the last few weeks. While these minitaped segments may be a good way for viewers to find out what will be on later in the evening, they have the greater benefit of teaching high school students about broadcasting.
As part of an internship with Winsted’s Charter Communications Channel 13, a couple of students from Northwestern Regional High School have been visiting the studio on Willow Street to learn how to put together an audio/video production. The internship supplements what they have been taught through the school’s information technologies program. One of the most active interns is Santi Dell’Agli, a senior at Northwestern who decided he wanted to go to school for video production after beginning the internship.
“It was always in the back of my head, but taking the video production class at the school and then doing the internship, I found my niche,� said Santi, who will attend Franciscan University in Ohio this fall. He plans to major in communication arts with a focus on radio, television and journalism.
David Whitney, a 2005 graduate of Northwestern and employee of Charter in Winsted, runs the internship program. Looking for a way to get the community involved and more aware of what Charter Communications has to offer, Whitney said starting the internship was a great way to teach students about the work and inform residents what services the cable company offers.
“I wanted to give the kids the opportunity that I didn’t have in high school,� said Whitney.
Superintendent Clint Montgomery said Northwestern plans to expand internship opportunities.
“The schedule is going to change next year to allow us to do more things like this,� he said.
In addition to the commercials, Santi has been involved with a number of productions at Charter, from filming the Board of Education and selectmen’s meetings to in-house productions, such as “What’s Cooking Winsted� and “Senior Chat.� He has also been involved with a series of shows on the Teen Safe Driving Initiative, which was also a large part of the school’s educational programming over the last few months.
For those interested in watching some of Santi’s work, the Northwestern Safe Driving Initiative videos will be aired again Monday, March 2, at 6 p.m.
