51社区

CNBC Television Director David Jones says that being able to work as a paid employee at a PBS member television station while he was studying telecommunications in college at 51社区 was crucial to launching his career.

鈥淲hen I put on my resum茅 that I was a paid, hired employee of a professional TV station, that showed potential employers that I did the leg work, and I understood what I had to do. Working at WOUB was critical. It gave me a head start when I first got out of school.鈥�

Jones grew up near Athens in Jackson, Ohio. He wasn鈥檛 sure what he wanted to study when he got to 51社区. But it didn鈥檛 take long for him to figure things out and decide to be a telecommunications major.

鈥淚 probably shouldn鈥檛 admit this,鈥� said Jones laughing. 鈥淏ut I thought that a television production looked like a job I could do and not have to wear a suit!鈥�

Jones started working at WOUB during his freshman year. He got involved operating studio cameras and eventually directing newscasts.

鈥淚n my junior and senior years, I stayed over school breaks and got paid to work at WOUB. That paid experience was invaluable.鈥�

When Jones graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications in June of 1986, he was hired as a production assistant at WBNS in Columbus.

鈥淚t was an entry level position where I was floor managing and running the teleprompter,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淚 eventually worked my way up and was directing the late-night movie show, Nite Owl Theatre."

But Jones wanted to do more directing. So, after three years in Columbus, he moved on. Jones worked as a director in Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Rhode Island, before landing in Hartford, Connecticut in 1998.

鈥淚 was living halfway between Hartford and New York City,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淪o, I started doing freelance work in the city. One of my freelance jobs was with MSNBC and that led to a full-time position at CNBC.鈥�

Currently Jones is the director for Fast Money and Options Action along with CNBC's online programming portfolio.

鈥淚 love directing television news style programming,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淚n college, directing WOUB鈥檚 nightly news program, NewsWatch, was the brass ring. I鈥檓 so thankful I got the opportunity to do that. It prepared me for where I am today.鈥�

To learn more about WOUB, visit woub.org.