Rida Naser, FSC ’15, could be the poster person for learning by doing.
Capitalizing on internships and the experience from relaunching and running the FSC campus radio station, Naser has ascended the ranks of SiriusXM to become a program director after working there for seven years.
Naser runs two program channels for Sirius, one for pop and one for beats per minute (BPM) electronic dance music and hosts a BPM on-air music show. She also scours live performances and social media for up-and-coming artists. Already Naser has held five different positions at the company and has never taken a broadcasting course.
“It’s been a crazy journey,” said Naser. “I didn’t expect to be a program director for at least 10 years after I started working. I love that no two days are ever the same.”
She discovered radio after two years at FSC. Naser, an East Meadow native, originally enrolled as a dental hygienist major, but “just wasn’t feeling it,” she said. After two years, she declared professional communications and business as her majors. Then one day she entered and won a contest to “meet and greet” Selena Gomez at the studio of then-92.3 NOW/CBS Radio.
“At the station I saw people my age doing incredible things,” Naser said. “I started thinking about it and asked about an internship.” She got the internship and screened phone calls, learned how to edit, worked on several morning show tasks, wrote blogs on the station website, and helped prepare for the morning show. To gain more experience, the radio staff advised her to also work at the campus radio station, which at the time was off the air. “I said I had to start it up again,” Naser said. “I put all my energy into that.”
Ram Nation Radio, FSC’s internet-based streaming radio station, was back online in 2014 and where Naser spent the bulk of her time at FSC. “The radio station was my child,” she joked.
After working in radio for a while, Naser heard about how prestigious satellite radio was, so she searched for internships at SiriusXM, and got a call. She interned there in the summer of 2014 and graduated the following May. In August 2015, she got a part-time job in music programming at Sirius, and has been working her way up the ladder ever since.
FSC classes in public speaking and writing and help with resume preparation also were big contributors to her success. “I loved the (campus) atmosphere and the staff,” recalled Naser. “I just loved how passionate everyone was.” She often worked with former Ram Nation Radio advisor Russell Patterson, FSC Class of ’08, who also had a passion for the school. “I liked the small classes and I got to work with the same students and get close to people,” Naser added. “Even though it’s a commuter school, I was able to get the college experience, because you get so close to people.”
Now her passion is discovering and elevating rising musicians. “I love being able to work with talented artists and give them a platform,” Naser said. “I’ve seen people get signed with labels and producers. I’m looking for new talent all the time, through social media, concerts, Instagram, and festivals. I reach out to them help them get signed by labels.” She also enjoys encouraging younger people, especially women, interested in the industry. “It’s like, ‘I can do it, you can do it, too.’”
Naser encourages the hands-on approach for those eager to get into the business, and no experience is too small. “I would say take every opportunity possible,” she said. “Radio is a 24-7 thing; there will be a lot of sacrifices, but in the end the rewards are incredible.”
