KINGSTON, R.I. – October 11, 2016 – Tina Marie Castano is vice president and general manager of WLWC-TV, the CW Network affiliate in Providence, and a member of the executive advisory board for the University of Rhode Island’s Harrington School of Communication and Media, which opens a new communications hub Oct. 21.
In addition to overseeing the entire local CW operation, including national and local sales, programming and marketing initiatives, Castano still devotes plenty of time to helping students and faculty at URI stay current with rapidly developing media trends.
Prior to joining WLWC-TV, Castano held national, local and general sales management positions at Univision in Boston, Citadel Communications in Providence and WLNE-TV in Providence.
The University’s Marketing and Communications Department recently discussed a number of topics with Castano, including the opening of the $6.5 million Harrington Hub for Global Leadership in Communication and Media, on Oct. 21
- Given your career demands, why did you volunteer to serve on the Harrington Executive Advisory Board? I volunteered to serve on the Harrington Executive Advisory Board because it is important to leave a footprint on the educational needs of communication students. Harrington will give them the foundation for success to become future leaders.
- You’ve had numerous executive positions with various media companies. Given your experience, is the Harrington School preparing media leaders for the future and how is it accomplishing that? The Harrington school is preparing students for the future by seeking advice from industry leaders and giving those leaders the opportunity to directly mentor the students. This is a unique relationship which creates an invaluable synergy. The students learn from accomplished faculty members and get incredible guidance from field experts.
- You mention in your biography that you are proud of your Spanish heritage. Is the Harrington School’s global approach to media education important to students’ eventual success? How important is it for communication and media students to be exposed to other languages, ethnicities and cultures? Communication is now global and knowledge is power. Exposing these students to different cultures enhances their knowledge base and increases their marketability.
- We understand that you will attend the Harrington Hub opening. Why is this such an important step? I have had the extraordinary opportunity to be among an incredible group of communication and media professionals as we helped define and shape the Harrington Hub. Attending the opening is a wonderful way to complete part of the journey…the other part of the journey will be watching these students succeed in the field!
- What kind of talent do you see among the Harrington School students and do they have opportunities to do internships and eventually work at the CW? I see incredible skills and talents. We have had several Harrington interns and have hired Harrington graduates. They have the practical knowledge and the important critical thinking skills to succeed as leaders in the industry.