Urban Grind TV Media Internship Program

Award-Winning Entertainment & Media Platform | Forest Park, IL

Launch Your Media Career with a Nationally Recognized Platform

Urban Grind TV is a 30× award-winning media platform and the Midwest’s longest-running hip-hop TV show. Built in the Chicago area, UGTV has spent nearly two decades creating content across music, sports, entertainment, business, culture, radio, streaming, and live events.

Now in its 32nd season and celebrating 17 years on television, Urban Grind TV has produced more than 800 one-hour episodes and continues to reach millions across Comcast & Astound Channel 25 in Chicago, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube, UrbanGrindTV.com, Urban Grind Radio, social media, and original programming.

Our platform has featured and worked with major artists, athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and cultural figures while also serving as a launchpad for new creative professionals, interns, producers, editors, hosts, engineers, and media talent.

Urban Grind TV is also producing Legends in Session with Horace Grant, a high-profile sports, culture, and entertainment television series hosted by 4× NBA Champion Horace Grant. Interns selected for this program may have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience supporting Urban Grind TV, Urban Grind Radio, weekly studio productions, digital campaigns, and select original programming projects.

About the Program

The Urban Grind TV Media Internship Program is built for driven, creative, and career-focused students or emerging professionals interested in media, broadcasting, communications, marketing, journalism, audio engineering, social media, video editing, graphic design, film production, artist management, and entertainment business.

Interns receive hands-on training and real-world experience inside an active media company. This is not a classroom simulation — this is a working production environment where interns may assist with television tapings, radio interviews, social media campaigns, video editing, short-form content, event coverage, guest coordination, audio production, marketing, and behind-the-scenes operations.

Interns will learn how content is produced, promoted, organized, edited, distributed, and monetized across television, radio, streaming, YouTube, social media, websites, and live events.

For outstanding candidates, Urban Grind TV may consider paid contractor opportunities, extended internships, or permanent production roles after successful completion of the program.

Program Highlights

Work on real media productions including Urban Grind TV, Urban Grind Radio, and original programming projects

Gain hands-on experience in TV, radio, social media, editing, production, and marketing

Build a professional media portfolio with published content and broadcast credits

Learn from award-winning producers, directors, media executives, editors, hosts, and creative professionals

Network with artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, producers, DJs, brands, and entertainment industry professionals

Gain experience with content that appears on cable, streaming, digital, radio, and social media platforms

Earn college credit if approved by your school

Potential paid advancement opportunities for top-performing interns

Internship Details

Location: Forest Park, IL — Chicago Area

Commitment: 30 Days Total / 2 Days Per Week / Approximately 8 Hours Per Week

Typical Schedule:

Tuesdays: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Wednesdays: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Some remote work may be available for social media, editing, writing, graphics, research, and content creation assignments.

Available Internship Positions

Media Production Intern

Media Production Interns assist with video production, studio setup, interviews, performances, tapings, and production support for Urban Grind TV and related projects.

Responsibilities may include:

Set up and break down camera, lighting, and audio equipment
Assist with in-studio and on-location content
Support camera, lighting, and production teams
Help organize digital files and production assets
Assist with live and pre-recorded shoots
Support interview, performance, and segment production
Follow Urban Grind TV branding and production standards
Assist with uploads, exports, and content organization

Preferred experience:

Camera basics
Lighting basics
Video production
Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, or similar software
Google Drive and file organization

Broadcast & Journalism Intern

Broadcast & Journalism Interns assist with writing, research, interviewing, guest preparation, scripts, questions, and media coverage.

Responsibilities may include:

Research guests and industry topics
Write interview questions and talking points
Assist with scripts, intros, outros, and show notes
Help prepare press releases, summaries, and media reports
Assist with guest bios and content descriptions
Transcribe and organize interview content
Support producers before and after tapings
Help develop story angles for TV, radio, and digital content

Preferred experience:

Writing
Journalism
Research
Interview preparation
Media studies
Communications
Entertainment news or sports media interest

Social Media & Digital Marketing Intern

Social Media & Digital Marketing Interns help grow Urban Grind TV’s digital presence across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, websites, and other platforms.

Responsibilities may include:

Create captions for interviews, clips, promos, and announcements
Develop weekly content calendars
Assist with posting schedules and content planning
Create reels, shorts, and story ideas
Help organize short-form clips for social media
Assist with hashtags, tags, titles, and SEO-friendly descriptions
Track engagement, analytics, and trends
Support guest promo posts, episode announcements, event coverage, and campaigns
Maintain the Urban Grind TV brand voice and visual standards

Experience with Opus Clip or similar short-form video clipping tools is strongly preferred.

Experience using ChatGPT or AI writing tools for captions, summaries, social media copy, content planning, and promotional ideas is highly favored.

Preferred experience:

Opus Clip
ChatGPT
Canva
CapCut
Instagram Reels
TikTok
YouTube Shorts
YouTube Studio
Social media scheduling
Trend research
Caption writing
Basic analytics

Graphic Design & Video Editing Intern

Graphic Design & Video Editing Interns assist with visual content, thumbnails, flyers, promo graphics, short-form edits, and branded campaign assets.

Responsibilities may include:

Create social media graphics
Design thumbnails, banners, flyers, and promotional visuals
Edit short-form clips for reels, shorts, and social platforms
Assist with motion graphics and video promos
Maintain brand consistency across all visuals
Support creative campaigns for Urban Grind TV, Urban Grind Radio, Legends in Session, and UGTV services
Organize design and editing assets
Help prepare final files for web, social media, and broadcast use

Preferred experience:

Canva
Photoshop
Illustrator
Premiere Pro
After Effects
Final Cut Pro
DaVinci Resolve
CapCut
Opus Clip
YouTube thumbnail design
Social media graphics

Audio Engineer Intern

The Audio Engineer Intern works hands-on with studio and post-production audio for Urban Grind TV, Urban Grind Radio, interviews, performances, and original programming.

Responsibilities may include:

Operate microphones, interfaces, and studio audio equipment
Capture clean sound for TV interviews, radio segments, and performances
Assist with audio setup and breakdown
Support live and pre-recorded radio sessions
Mix and clean audio for interviews and shows
Assist with file management and audio archives
Work with producers, editors, and hosts to support broadcast-ready sound
Learn compression, EQ, leveling, and basic mastering for media use

Preferred experience:

Pro Tools
Logic Pro
Adobe Audition
Audacity
Studio boards
Microphone placement
Gain staging
Signal flow
Audio cleanup
Music, TV, radio, or podcast production

Music & Artist Management Intern

Music & Artist Management Interns assist with artist research, bookings, promotional support, press kits, music submissions, and talent development projects.

Responsibilities may include:

Research emerging artists and talent
Assist with interview and performance bookings
Support artist communication and guest coordination
Help maintain artist press kits and EPKs
Assist with promotional campaigns
Organize music links, bios, photos, and social media handles
Support radio, streaming, and music video promotion efforts
Assist with artist development and brand strategy projects

Preferred experience:

Music business
Artist management
A&R research
Promotion
Press kits
Music marketing
Entertainment business
Strong communication skills

Event Production & Coordination Intern

Event Production & Coordination Interns assist with concerts, red carpets, showcases, panels, brand activations, community events, and live media coverage.

Responsibilities may include:

Assist with event planning and logistics
Support guest check-in and coordination
Assist with interviews, panels, performances, and media coverage
Help with setup, breakdown, and event flow
Coordinate with sponsors, vendors, artists, and media teams
Support event promotion and content capture
Assist with photo, video, and recap content organization

Preferred experience:

Event planning
Hospitality
Production support
Red carpet coverage
Guest coordination
Promotion
Photography or videography interest

Business Development & Sponsorship Intern

Business Development & Sponsorship Interns assist with partnership outreach, sponsor research, proposal support, lead tracking, and brand integration opportunities.

Responsibilities may include:

Research potential sponsors and partners
Assist with outreach lists and lead organization
Support partnership proposals and pitch materials
Help prepare sponsorship decks and service information
Track contacts, follow-ups, and opportunities
Assist with brand integration ideas
Support promotional and monetization strategies
Help identify businesses, brands, and organizations that align with UGTV

Preferred experience:

Marketing
Sales
Business development
Sponsorship research
Brand partnerships
Google Sheets
Writing and communication
Presentation support

What You’ll Gain

Interns may gain real-world experience in:

Broadcast television
Radio production
Digital media
Social media marketing
Video editing
Audio engineering
Graphic design
Event coverage
Guest coordination
Interview preparation
Content creation
Entertainment branding
Music business
Artist development
Brand partnerships
Production workflow
Professional studio operations

Interns will leave with a better understanding of how an independent media company produces, promotes, organizes, and distributes content across multiple platforms.

Preferred Skills

Strong communication skills
Professional attitude
Reliable attendance
Creative thinking
Attention to detail
Willingness to learn
Basic social media knowledge
Writing or captioning ability
Interest in media, music, entertainment, sports, culture, or business
Ability to follow directions
Ability to work in a fast-paced production environment

Experience with any of the following is a plus:

Opus Clip
ChatGPT
Canva
CapCut
Adobe Premiere Pro
Final Cut Pro
DaVinci Resolve
Photoshop
Illustrator
After Effects
Pro Tools
Logic Pro
Adobe Audition
YouTube Studio
Instagram Reels
TikTok
Google Drive
WordPress
Email marketing tools

Internship Expectations

Interns are expected to be professional, reliable, respectful, and ready to learn.

Interns must arrive on time when scheduled.
Interns must follow studio rules and production instructions.
Interns must respect guests, hosts, crew, contractors, and team members.
Interns must not share unreleased content or private company information.
Interns must complete any required confidentiality, non-disclosure, and non-compete acknowledgment before beginning work.
Interns must represent Urban Grind TV professionally online, in the studio, and at events.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit:

Resume
Brief cover letter explaining why you want to intern with Urban Grind TV
Portfolio or sample work if available
Videos, graphics, articles, social media pages, reels, edits, audio samples, or other creative work
Your area of interest
Your availability
School internship requirements if seeking college credit

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Top candidates may begin immediately.

Join the Urban Grind TV Team

Urban Grind TV is looking for motivated interns who want real experience, real responsibility, and real opportunities to grow in media, entertainment, production, music, sports, business, and digital content.

If you are ready to learn, create, contribute, and be part of a platform that continues to build culture through television, radio, streaming, social media, and original programming, we invite you to apply.

UrbanGrindTV.com
@UrbanGrindTV