Omar Castillon (’14, BA, Broadcasting)

This interview is with Mr. Omar Castillon, a graduate of the department of Communication at UTA. 

Tell us about yourself. 
I am currently an APC operator at Univision 23. I’m a 2014 graduate of UTA and have been working in live television for 9 years. In April of 2014 I started my first television job at CBS 11 as a production assistant. During that time, I was a studio camera operator, prompter operator and floor director. It wasn’t until maybe a week into working that I discovered a more complex side of the live television process in the form of directing and technical directing. The first director I worked with named Michael Martin made directing sound like a lot of fun. Something that I still try to have after all this time in the business. The technical directing side on the other hand was the most challenging thing to not only train but also understand the art of “punching” live television. Granted that’s what I did for UTA News while I was still a student. But I went from a small switcher to a gigantic beast of a console that had enough buttons to rival a small airplane.  

As time went on and many mentors along the way guided me in my professional growth, I eventually went to work freelance at Fox Sports Southwest (now Bally Sports Southwest) and cut my teeth on the technical directing side of live television. Shows I worked on included pre-and post-game shows for Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, Texas Rangers and High School Football on Friday nights. 

By 2018 I knew freelancing was not the steadiest form of living, so I decided to job search and a recruiter from Univision contacted me via LinkedIn and said there was a position for Technical Director/Director for Univision 23. I accept the offer and after lots of long days, breaking news, crazy weather events and most recently a championship parade from the Texas Rangers, I currently work the morning shows from 5 to 7am and 11:30a. 

Any special memories about being a student at UTA?  
There are too many memories to name off, but I can say that most of my time being a student at UTA was special. Professors such as Lance Liguez, Dr. Andrew Clark and Julian Rodriguez among other professors helped shape my academic career to what it is today. Being in college radio was also one of the biggest honors a broadcast student could ever ask for. In my time I was the Music and Production Director. Cutting promos was always fun and discovering new music was the best feeling. It helps that my classmates who I shared so much time with and so many memories with made me feel like UTA was a second home. That’s not to say that the television side of my broadcasting major didn’t play a role in my career either. As involved as I was in radio, I could say the same level of involvement was present in the television side of the world if not more involved. Granted there was a lot more trial and error on television, but a little practice and dedication helped me improve skills that are utilized in the present day. 

Why did you choose your major or field of study? 
I originally wanted to work in the film industry but since there is more years of “starving artist,” broadcast communications at least had a better chance of earning a living over going to leaps and bounds in Hollywood. Of course, my love for movies did help get familiar with video editing and expand into deeper meanings of how certain pieces of film, news stories or YouTube videos are created.

What drew you to your industry, and what has kept you there? 
I think the biggest draw to the broadcast communications world is storytelling. As an APC operator/director I see thousands of stories. Stories of people being themselves, for better or for worse. Of course, I’m witnessing the end of a lot of people’s stories, but I also witness the middle of someone’s story or the beginning of one in the case of people being born or someone starting a new life after making mistakes in years past. News is depressing, there is no getting around that subject matter, but there is plenty of room for stories that open people to the world around them. News is necessary to a community to not only inform but also empathize with our community. That way one can open their eyes and see what is going on and what someone can do with the information that is provided. Storytelling is the oldest form of art and the way we deliver stories may change but that core art form will always be intriguing. 

Did you receive a scholarship while at UTA? How did it help you? 
I did not use a scholarship per se, but I did use financial aid in the form of the Pell Grant. If not for the Pell Grant, I’m sure I’d still be in debt all these years later. I was smart with the financial aid I received over my academic career starting at community college. Once I transferred over to UTA, I had a solid foundation in terms of finance to continue and eventually graduate with my bachelor’s degree.

What can graduating Liberal Arts students do to make themselves more marketable?
Be open to anything and everything your profession asks from you. If you only dedicate to one position, you are limiting yourself to future employers. The pandemic made a lot of people, including myself, adapt to wearing multiple hats and still creating something that looks like it has a giant staff involved. In the liberal arts, you must absorb as much as you can to stay relevant and reliable. Otherwise, you will just come out of your degree thinking, “why didn’t I learn such and such.” The point of any degree is to show employers that you can dedicate time and effort into not only the profession but your own self-worth.  

How has your Liberal Arts education helped get you where you are today?
By being open minded to the world. Being open minded means to understand not only oneself but empathize and agree to disagree with your fellow man.  

What do you wish you knew when you were a Liberal Arts student at UTA? 
I wish I knew beforehand that I’d create such lifelong memories and friendships. Just so I could appreciate it more during my time in school. Who knows, maybe I’d consider a master’s degree and create a new set of memories later on in life. 

If you are a College of Liberal Arts alum, please let us know by emailing liberalarts@uta.edu.