Before you get to watch a music video on VH-1, Sheryl A. Victor has been busy. From her desk in New York City, as a marketing assistant for VH-1 (a subsidiary of MTV Networks) she's on the phone, on the road and trying to keep up with the interests of viewers like you. "The broadcast industry is one where the only consistent characteristic is change. Who's hot, who's not, what's in and let's get it to the public." She believes that the mercurial nature of broadcasting "keeps you fresh" and leaves no room for "getting into a rut." Victor's primary responsibility is to sell cable operators (such as Time Warner Communications) on the idea that they ought to provide VH-1 to their subscribers. Do you watch MTV, VH-1, Nickelodeon or TVland? If you do, you probably selected them as part of a package of channels when you ordered your cable service. "When we market the network to the cable companies," Victor explains, "we become partners. We promote them and viewers see our channels, so we both reach the audience. Everyone wins." Victor's success in marketing involves imagination, lots of energy and the art of conversation. "You need to hone your creativity and verbal skills in all of your classes during school," she advises. "They're a key element to success, regardless of where you choose to work." This industry is really for "self-starters," she adds, "you're always working with people, but you need to be self-motivated." Victor enjoys the open-ended schedule and doesn't see herself as a "nine-to-fiver." She's usually in by eight and often stays until seven, unless there's a special project, which may mean weekends. Once a cable operator signs a contract, Victor's job isn't finished. A new phase begins ... continue demonstrating the benefits of VH-1 to the operator and viewers consistently. Be innovative. Creative imagination is essential in developing contests and give-aways. These events provide an insight on consumer participation and viewer volume, both critical in demonstrating value for the cable companies. It also tells VH-1 how well they're doing in keeping up with viewer interests. "Contests can be fun," she says, "especially if someone in your region wins." Several years ago, a Buffalo, N.Y. man won a concert, not just tickets to a concert either. John Mellencamp performed for him and several hundred of his friends in his own backyard, while Martha Stewart prepared a barbecue for everyone. Victor came to Buffalo to make sure things went smoothly. These trips can be a "reward," she grins, "Not to mention the possibility of getting to meet performers." How did she catch up with Hootie from Hootie and the Blowfish? She laughs. "Get yourself invited to the promotional events." Smiling, Victor says, "It's not the norm to chat with the stars. But I make a point of staying in touch with the event organizers and sometimes it works out." Victor knows first-hand that conversation can become an opportunity. During school, one of her part-time jobs was as a receptionist at a beauty salon. While calling to confirm an appointment, she reached the communications company where the customer worked. "I started asking about her organization and we ended up talking for ten minutes," she says. The next time the woman came into the shop, the two spoke again. Victor beams, "the first thing I knew, I had a job offer." Take the time to talk to people, she advises, "you never know what can happen." A native of New Jersey, she received her B.S. in communication from Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. Victor liked the smaller classes and says the opportunity to work closely with the teachers really made a difference in her experience there. Although she had not considered broadcast initially, taking a class called Introduction to Broadcasting clinched it. "I got hooked during that semester," she laughs. "We had to work in every role of the process, from being the talent to being the director. For me, it was euphoric." Victor's course concentration in corporate communications involved some media design and video production. Now that she's been in the field, Victor says a "good liberal arts program along with communication courses, is an excellent foundation for the industry and can really round out your personality." "One of the best things you can do is, get involved in related activities at school. Many colleges have radio stations and working with them gives you a vast amount of experience," she says. "As you might expect, ratings are a factor in demonstrating the audience draw for VH-1 and every other station out there. They're considered from the perspective that cable operators want to offer a popular selection of channels, but don't necessarily drive the on-air programming. The programming schedule is only part of what the marketing department uses as a basis for getting new cable operators on board and when done well, it helps keep current subscribers happy. The cornerstone programs such as the Fashion Awards and the MTV Music Video Awards however, usually rate high in popularity with viewers." "You're always competing in this industry," Victor warns. "If you're not prepared to keep up with the pace and think creatively on a consistent basis you need to consider a different path." Of course, just working in New York City adds an element of acceleration to everything. She's proud to be at the headquarters for Viacom, the parent corporation for MTV Networks and "the fact that we're available in 80 countries," she says, "is impressive." Technology is on a fast train, which guarantees that there will be more satellite companies, like Direct TV, offering niche channels similar to MTV Networks. There are already music stations like THE BOX, (VH-1's biggest competitor) BET, and TNN that are going after their target market. More competition means more choices for viewers. To maintain their market share they have to stay abreast of the trends in music, clothing and sports, Victor says. The MTV networks continually strive to stay ahead of other channels and that's probably the only thing that's not going to change. What's Sheryl Victor's next step? "I'm thinking of branching into the on-line sites that VH-1 and MTV have," she says, her eyes sparkling. Right now, both have sites on the WEB (World Wide Web) and America OnLine (AOL). Getting into the on-line facet of the business would add another dimension of challenge for her. It would involve determining what to put up on the site and constantly changing it to reflect the current programming. "We'll see what happens," she says. Meanwhile, she's enjoying the work and staying flexible so that whatever comes her way, she'll be ready for it. Internships are another great way to find out if you'll enjoy a certain kind of work and industry. At VH-1 you can call Jennifer Grigsby, the internship coordinator in New York city at (212) 258-7800. She hires over 700 interns a year and they work in every department from finance to casting developing talent. There are three 10-week programs in the fall spring and summer open to college students (not freshman, however). Be prepared to work a full 8-hour day for a minimum of 2 days a week. Internships must be for college credit and are unpaid. The number of credits you earn is negotiated through the department at your school. There is also a Job Hotline that you can call for additional information at (212) 846-2500.
