One way to keep up with what's going on in the industry is to attend trade shows. I got a chance to go to the NATPE conference in Las Vegas in January 2006.

There were panels all day for 4 days, a trade show to explore, and tons of people to talk with and learn from.

The booths were for independent produers, people looking for content for their internet television subscription services, and big names like Carsey Werner and NBC Universal. There were many international content providers too - from Latin America and Asia for example.

College students can apply to be interns. They helped run errands and give directions. They also got to go to the panels and walk around the trade show floor. Being a NATPE intern is another thing you can look forward to as a Television-Radio student. Here's a pic of the intern office - notice the cool jackets.