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Austin UtedaIf you’ve ever watched cable television, there’s no doubt you’ve seen a bug or a snipe—small graphics and animations at the bottom of the screen that promote the channel’s other programs or inform viewers of what’s on next. For every station, those bugs and snipes need to be scheduled to best promote the channel and its programs. At Bravo, that job fell to Austin Michael Uteda in summer 2016.

Uteda, a communication major at Ҵýƽ, was a summer intern at the Bravo TV network, working in the on-air promotions department. He was responsible for scheduling the day’s bugs, adjusting snipes and sending premiere times to the network’s East Coast operations.“I felt really valued while having an important role,” he said.

A native of Los Angeles (where Bravo is headquartered), Uteda was excited to find an internship that's not only close to home, but with one of his favorite TV networks. He got the internship after applying to parent company NBC Universal’s college career portal.

In addition to his daily duties scheduling snipes and bugs, Uteda also helped with video shoots and attended informational meetings about other roles within the network. “They’ve been very open to me exploring all departments at Bravo,” he said.

He relished the chance to learn valuable skills from working professionals in the broadcast field. he said. “They’ve given me so much insight into how the industry works.” Uteda hopes to use his experience at Bravo as a major stepping stone to a future career in communication.