Bonus · Tue, February 25, 2025

Replay: 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee Deaf Geoff Herbert, Class of 2005

Editor's Note: This week we are re-releasing the episodes of our 2025 Hall of Fame Class.  Here, you'll catch our interview with the inspiring Geoff "Deaf Geoff" Herbert, Class of 2005. Geoff "Deaf Geoff" Herbert is a machine -serving as WJPZ's GM while working as a morning show host at a commercial station in Syracuse.   Oh by the way, he was working a night shift at Blockbuster Video (RIP) and somehow attending classes. Geoff was bitten by the radio bug early, serving as General Manager of his high school radio station in Acton, Massachusetts.  This experience made attending Syracuse and joining Z89 a no-brainer.   During his time at the helm of the station, WJPZ vastly expanded both its sports and music offerings. Yes, today's guest was born deaf, hearing only about 10% as well as the rest of us (50% with hearing aids).  He talks about giving himself his nickname/on-air moniker, his lip-reading skills (which come in handy during Syracuse basketball games), and even how he became the instructor in a music production class. It was another SU class - taught by Dr. Rick Wright - that landed him an internship at Hot 107.9, that he eventually turned into a full time producer gig before even graduating.  And his instincts were good - preparing to leave commercial radio just before his show was taken off the air for syndication. In the time since, he's become a prolific writer for Syracuse.com and the Post Standard, maintained his music chops as a Wedding DJ, and fallen in love with Syracuse as home. Referenced in this podcast: Eamon: "F*ck It (I Don't Want You Back): https://youtu.be/QYwyaCd8MyI Response Track: Frankie: "FURB:" https://youtu.be/B1K0pUSSFUo Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Bonus · Tue, February 25, 2025

Replay: 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee Jon "JAG" Gay, Class of 2002

Today, we turn the tables on our host and put Jon "JAG" Gay, from the Class of 2002, in the hot seat.  Doing the honors is his classmate and one of this year's Hall of Fame inductees, Matt DelSignore. Matt starts by asking Jag about the WJPZ at 50 Podcast, how the idea started, and what he's learned by hosting it.  From there, we turn to Jag's time at Syracuse and WJPZ.  His story is very similar to many previous podcast guests. He got to Syracuse wanting to be a sportscaster, but didn't really find his tribe until he started at Z89.  At WJPZ, Jag had several exec staff positions, including Chief Announcer and VP of Operations the year we were in the Ostrom House.  Matt also asks Jag about the 9/11 broadcast that we discussed on a previous episode. We retrace Jag's steps through a terrible internship at Kiss 108, his first part time job in Providence, Rhode Island, then his full-time on-air career in Burlington Vermont, Detroit, New Orleans, and back to the Motor City.   It shouldn't surprise you to hear he had a lot of help from JPZ'ers along the way. Following his last radio layoff a week after he got married, Jag was a newlywed with no job and potentially facing a career change.  He credits his wife Ellen for encouraging him to start his podcast business, which he's grown since its inception in 2018.   We close on a really personal topic.   JAG's Syracuse roommate and best friend, Bill Leaf, was killed by a drunk driver in 2006, at age 25.  Bill was also a summer Z89 staffer.   Jag talks about his passion for both honoring Bill's memory and speaking out against the dangers of drunk driving. This episode was produced and edited by JAG in Detroit podcasts - learn more at https://jagindetroit.com/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Bonus · Tue, February 25, 2025

Replay: 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee and Radio Disney Vet B.B. Good - Class of '93

Editors Note: In honor of Banquet Week - we are re-relasing the episodes of our three 2025 inductees into the WJPZ Alumni of Fame, beginning with Sharon (Goodman) Michaels, aka BB Good.   Due to a prior commitment, she is deferring her induction until next year, but we wanted to showcase her incredible story.  If we were to pick one alumnus who best represented the warm, welcoming atmosphere of WJPZ, it would probably be Sharon Goodman Michaels, aka "B.B. Good" from the Class of 1993.  Several Z89'ers have come on this podcast to talk about how she welcomed them to the station, and we are thrilled to welcome her to this podcast. Like many of us, this Massachusetts native grew up loving radio - and she tells the story of how she recruited Kiss 108 DJ's to do her high school dance in Quincy.  BB went to Syracuse for its communications reputation.  She got there early as part of the marching band, and quickly found WJPZ and then-leaders like Hal Rood, Scott Meach, and Brian Lapis. At her happy place, BB made friend with classmates Beth (Russell) Gorab, Bette Kestin, Jeanne Schad, Tina (Mussolino) Perkins, Melanie Kushnir, and more. How "Good" was Sharon as an undergrad?  A commercial station in Utica offered her nights, and held the job for her until she could graduate Syracuse.  From Rock 107 she went to Fly 92 in Albany, Kiss 95.7 Hartford, and JAMN 94.5 Boston.  There, while riding the T, she saw a blind box ad for what would turn out to be the midday slot on Radio Disney, based in Dallas.  A year later, they moved her show to then-MGM Studios at Disney World in Orlando.  That's right.  She was working in radio, at Disney World , every day.  She tells amazing stories of listener interactions, letters, and more.  Also, she interviewed an up and coming *NSYNC and Britney Spears. After five years in Orlando, BB's show was moved back to Dallas.  After a time, she was let go, and decided to stay home with her children.  She became very active in the Jewish community in Dallas and still is. BB has maintained her Z89 connections throughout her adult life, often crossing paths with radio folk when they came to Disney, and even doing a cameo on the sitcom According to Jim thanks to her classmate John Beck.  We wrap with BB talking about how much she enjoyed returning to Banquet in 2023, and the question of whether or not the Jonas Brothers did a song...about her. Note: This interview was recorded in May.  BB asked if she could speak about the current situation in Israel and have it included in the podcast.  You can hear that conversation, recorded December 22nd, at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rkh58zh2sg3lrhid56wvy/WJPZ-at-50-BB-Good-Insert.mp3?rlkey=p7o0ndhyszj1gaj6guu83gbwl&dl=0 </

Thu, April 04, 2024

Taylor Swift, Baseball, and Type 2 Diabetes: Other WJPZ Alumni Podcasts, Part 1

I wanted to call your attention to some OTHER WJPZ Alumni who are doing great podcasts.  In fact, we’ve got a little something for everyone.  Today, in part 1, I’m going to introduce you to three podcasts hosted by WJPZ Alumni. There’s no bigger star in the world right now than Taylor Swift – and you’d be hard pressed to find a bigger Swiftie than Molly Nelson, class of 2014.  She and her best friend Ryan co-host “Hits Different,” a podcast devoted to all things Taylor, from news to theories, and many other Swiftie rabbit holes.  It’s edited and produced by Molly’s husband who she met at WJPZ , Alex Brewer from the Class of 2012. From America’s sweetheart to America’s pastime and the class of 2015’s Jeff Kurkjian.  Jeff grew up with baseball, thanks in large part to his reporter father, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian.  If you love baseball, you’ll love this show, co=hosted by father and son, featuring Tim’s encylopedic knowledge, Jeff’s quick wit, and some great guests. Finally, we turn to one of WJPZ’s “OG’s” in the world of podcasting.  Stacey Simms, Class of 93.  Over 8 years ago, she began hosting Diabetes Connections, a podcast dedicated to providing news and information to those with Type 1 Diabetes.  She’s just launched “Diabetes Connections, Type 2” – dedicated to superserving those individuals with Type 2.  It’s easy to hear her WJPZ and news chops as she tells you about the show. Now these folks aren’t the only WJPZ alumni doing great podcasts.  We’ve got more to tell you about in the spaces of true crime, comedy, and more.  And if you or a WJPZ Alum you know has a podcast – be sure to let me know.    Podcast Links: His Different: A Taylor Swift Podcast: https://linktr.ee/ithitsdiffpod Is This a Great Game Or What: https://greatgameorwhat.com/ Diabetes Connections Type 2: https://diabetes-connections.com/diabetesconnectionstype2/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, March 25, 2024

Matthew Reschke, aka R Source

We're talking today with Matthew Reschke, also known as R Source, from the class of 2012. Matt's connection to WJPZ started in his childhood, growing up near Syracuse and engaging with the station's DJs through AOL - before even AIM. Matthew's academic path took him from Onondaga Community College to LeMoyne College, where he first dabbled in college radio. His journey to WJPZ was not straightforward; it involved exploring different educational paths and eventually finding a flyer that led him to Z89, introducing him to a community that would significantly shape his experiences and aspirations. Working alongside notable figures like Alex Silverman and Mina Llona, Matthew found a sense of belonging and purpose within the station. Our discussion shifts to Matthew's contributions to WJPZ, highlighting his creation of the mix show "Off The Hook." This show was a blend of local music and hip-hop, filling a gap in Syracuse's radio landscape. The segment "Bump It or Dump It" became a hallmark of his time on air, engaging listeners in a direct and interactive way. Matthew's dedication to authenticity and community engagement through his show exemplifies the impact one can have in the radio industry. Reflecting on the broader impact of WJPZ, we acknowledge the invaluable network and learning opportunities it provides. The station is more than just a platform for broadcasting; it's a community that fosters growth, learning, and mutual support. Our conversation with Matthew underscores the importance of seizing opportunities, learning from those around us, and contributing to a community that has given us so much. Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Bonus · Wed, February 21, 2024

What Happens (at the NAB Show) in Vegas

Every year, the WJPZ Alumni Association, via the Berrell Award, sends two students to an industry event.  In 2023, GM Grace Denton and former sports director Joe Puccio went to Vegas for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show.  We sat down with them to hear about the experience. We've met Grace in her previous episode with PD Maddie Doolittle .  So first we meet Joe and get his background.  And we hear about their summer 2023 positions- Grace at Taylor Swift's Republic Records (thanks Adam Eisenberg) and Joe at the Cape Cod Baseball League. After coincidentally being on the same flight at Stephen "Tex" Kurtz, Grace and Joe hit the ground in Vegas running, checking out as much tech as possible from brands they knew, and some they didn't.   They described themselves as "kids in a candy store" with Grace zeroing in on overall station tech and Joe focused on the sports side.  But the experience was about so much more than tech. In true Z89 networking fashion, Joe's Cape Cod League boss, WJPZ alum Dan Duva is the radio voice of the Las Vegas Golden Knights.  He took Grace and Joe out for a night on the town.   And while Joe wasn't yet 21, Grace had just had her birthday, which led to a wondeful wine selection. You'll hear some great Vegas stories from Grace and Joe - from getting headshots, to receiving an invite to speak to a class in Atlanta, to eating gelato with some Citrus TV classmates who were in town for a different conference. Overall, today's guests share what an amazing opportunity this was.  This year, GM Patrick Chambers and PD Ilana Epstein will be heading to Morning Show Boot Camp in San Diego! The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, February 19, 2024

Kelly (Foster) and Adam Shapiro, Class of 1992

If you don't know Adam and Kelly (Foster) Shapiro's backstory, you might assume it's yet another romance started in the halls of WJPZ.   Their story, as you'll hear here, is a much different road than than other Z89 couples. Both members of the Class of 1992, they were certainly friendly in school, and had mutual friends, but didn't spend a ton of time together outside the station.   Kelly joined the promotions department, eventually working her way up to legal director.   Adam was a sports guy who became assistant sports director and a talk show host. We've referenced the late SUNY-Oswego professor John Oldfield on the podcast before, but Kelly really explains what a thorn in WJPZ's side this man was.   He was always trying to have a "gotcha" moment in the middle of Z89 renewing its FCC license.  This adversary, and the myriad of folks who helped the station through license renewal, would end up teaching Kelly valuable career and life lessons before graduation.   In fact, history would repeat itself, in a way.  Nearly a decade later, when Kelly was President of the Alumni Association, she would have a hand in getting the station through its Receievership Era, as outlined by Harry and Dena in their episode . In this podcast, you'll hear about the remarkable careers of this Z89 power couple - with Adam producing newscasts from Syracuse to Vegas to Miami to New York.   Kelly started in radio but found her home on the agency side, working for many different firms, before ultimately being recruited to work for Rolex, where she's been since 2014. But for as successful as Adam and Kelly have been, you'll hear more today about the WJPZ family then their long list of accomplishments.   This includes the now-Shapiros reconnecting at the 2000 Banquet, and developing a deep and meaningful friendship that eventually turned into more - even if there were some hilarious speed bumps along the way, including a great airplane story with a WJPZ connection. One of the benefits of marrying someone you went to school with is that their college friends are your college friends, and Adam and Kelly share that unique perspective. John Oldfield Obituary: https://news.syr.edu/blog/2009/07/31/college-mourns-passing-of-professor-emeritus-john-oldfield/ The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: <a href="https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, February 16, 2024

Meteorologist Dave Roberts, Class of 1992

While many of us flipped burgers or bagged groceries in high school, Dave Roberts was reading the news on an AM station and (literally) herding cats as a 15 year old.   When he toured Syracuse and saw the WJPZ prize van, and he met Hal Rood, Jim Remeny and more. He knew it was where he had to be. After starting on overnights, Dave quickly climbed the ranks to news director and eventually VP of Business.  That may sound like a strange trajectory, but Dave's always loved news (and meterology).  And when the station was in dire financial straits, he knew he either had to write a check, or go collect checks.    The first of course was not an option. You'll hear about some WJPZ firsts in today's episode.  Dave tells us how our non-commercial station managed to get beer money on the air, through a lucrative (and creative) campaign with Pabst Blue Ribbon.   He also signed a sponsorship with the University's study abroad program, closing the deal in an unusual way.   And at a time where NOBODY had voicemail, he helped set up the "Z89 line" - with 5 different mailboxes for contest information and more. The real defining moment of Dave's time in Syracuse,  however, was the bombing of Pan Am 103 in 1988.  We chat at length about the emotion of those weeks and months, as well as the crucial role WJPZ played as an information resource for those who just couldn't wait for the evening news or the next day's newspaper.  Everyone stepped up, comforted each other, and navigated the best they could. By the time Dave graduated in 1992, Z89 had become a household name in the industry - his experience there landed him major market interviews, but he followed his passsion for meterology - and went to Ottumwa, Iowa.  Then, there were stops in Missouri, Alabama, Fort Myers, Cincinnati, and Mississippi.  Today's guest really fell in love with Jackson, Mississippi (before Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars did), and has made this market home.  And yes, he got all his certifications along the way.  Throughout today's episode, you'll hear Dave talk about his love of Z89 and our family.  And you'll also hear a great story about being trapped in Providence with Brian Lapis during a blizzard - and what happened next.   And even a little bit about what WJPZ taught him about being a realtor. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.c

Wed, February 14, 2024

Seattle Mariners VP of Marketing Kevin Martinez, Class of 1988

Kevin Tippy Martinez, '88, is the Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Seattle Mariners. It's no surprise that this New Jersey native, with passions for baseball and broadcasting, found himself transferring in to Syracuse. Once he got to SU, Martinez was actively involved with both Z89 and WAER, where he honed his skills in sports broadcasting and DJing. Not many students worked for both stations at that time, but this chief announcer made it work. He simply couldn't walk away from the sports opportunities at WAER or the incredible camaraderie at Z89.  In fact, you'll love the story he tells about Carl Weinstein walking in to his shift to flip the format and imaging. After graduation, Kevin went to the ABC Television Network in New York City, working in affiliate relations and marketing, and gradually made his way into ABC Sports. Then, Emmis Communications' Jeff Smuylan bought the Seattle Mariners.  Despite being very happy near home and at ABC, the chance to work in Major League Baseball was too good to pass up. The new marketing team took many radio ideas (including those learned at WJPZ) to do what was then some pretty innovative entertainment at Mariners' games.  Custom walk-up music for hitters?  It started here.    And outside a brief stint with the Boston Celtics, Kevin's been with the M's for over 30 years. Throughout the podcast, Martinez reflects on the relationships and friendships he formed during his time at WJPZ and in his professional life. These connections have been enduring and impactful. And we'd  be remiss not to ask his opinions on the evolution of baseball, the importance of adapting to changing fan preferences, and the strategies employed by the Mariners to engage with their audience. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, February 12, 2024

Mike Roberts, longtime V103 Morning Man and PD, Class of 1979

Mike Roberts, Class of 1979, is one of the people who helped kept WJPZ alive in the early days.  With the station's founders having graduated, Mike empowerd a team to run radio station, passing its educational lessons forward to the next generation of broadcasters. Arriving on campus in 1975, he quickly found WJPZ 1200 AM in the Spectrum Records building and told Bill Bleyle that he wanted to be involved. In addition to his airshift, he learned how to do everything - down to changing the needles on the turntables.   In the early days, the industry was noticing the station more than the locals. But soon, they had staffers working professionally in the market (WAER did not).  Mike shares some stories of alumni who went on to great success. As for Mike, he took the tight formatics he learned at WJPZ and went on to work in Syracuse himself, at WNDR (briefly) and WHEN.  Eventually he went to work for Reagan Henry, where he was on to Cincinnati, and eventually Atlanta. After turning around some small AM stations, Mike went to the top dog in a major market - becoming morning show host at the legendary urban V103 in Atlanta.  They were one of the first urban stations to do a talk-centered morning show, and the first urban station to bill $1 million - monthly . Mike shares a story about the power of radio - one of the proudest moments of his career.  He was at V103 from 1986-1988. During the Rodney King uprising in 1994, V went to an all news format, bringing on community leaders and stressing the need for Atlanta to stay peaceful.  They were later recognized by local government for keeping Atlanta from exploding.  Not coincidentally, that's when V103 had its highest ratings ever. Mike soon got the ownership bug, and as the hip hop scene was exploding in the late 90's, today's guest was approaching 40 years old.   V103 was also getting competiton on both ends of their demo.   He bought several stations in nearby Macon, Georgia, as he wound down his time in Atlanta.   Today, he owns one, WQMJ, Magic 100.  It's an R&B oldies station that does its own newscasts, several times daily, to superserve its local audience. Mike takes us through his typical work week, and reflects on the current state of radio, and its need to stay local to stay relevant.   And we conclude with the story of a classic prank pulled on him while live on the air at WJPZ. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else w

Fri, February 09, 2024

GM Marc Bokoff, '87, on the Sit-In at WJPZ

Today we interview Marc Bokoff,  from the class of 1987. A management major, Marc came to the station as business manager under then-GM Larry Barron, before becoming general manager himself.  He took over the station in the midst of the station changing from a block format to the much more tighly programmed CHR format it still has today. As GM, Marc and the staff faced backlash for this change, leading accusations of racial bias and subsequent protests. We get his perspective (through his 37-year-old notes) of having to shut the station down for the evening, the negotiations, personal threats he received, and the eventual resolution to the protest.  Following the event, Marc stepped down as General Manager, partly due to concerns over his own personal health at the time. Marc reflects on how these experiences at WJPZ profoundly impacted his professional life. Despite majoring in general studies in the business school, he gained invaluable hands-on experience in business management through his work at the radio station. This experience became more educational and instrumental than his formal business studies, equipping him with skills in advertising, marketing, budgeting, and negotiation. After graduation, Marc briefly joined his family's supermarket business before venturing into the travel industry, where he has been for over 35 years. He discusses the various adaptations and changes he had to make in his business, especially with the rise of internet travel services and the impact of world events like COVID-19 and geopolitical conflicts. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability and resilience, drawing parallels between the challenges he faced in college and those in his professional life. Despite some trying moments, Marc is grateful for the skills and experiences gained at WJPZ, which have significantly shaped his career and personal growth. He highlights the station's role as an educational incubator and its impact on students beyond those interested in broadcasting careers.  The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, February 07, 2024

Scott Greene, Class of '93: Newspaper to Radio and Back!

Scott Greene, '93, grew up just outside Boston wanting to be a newspaper reporter.  He did it in high school and came to Syracuse wanting to pursue that career.   But WJPZ quickly drew him in, and he says the only columns he wrote for the Daily Orange ended up being Wrestlemania previews. Scott came to the station as the classes of 90 and 91 were taking the reigns.  His group quickly got their footing, and passed the torch to '94 and '95.   And yes, Scott names names from all of these groups. While a student, Scott worked at KIX FM, before it became B104.7.   Not interested in country, he went over to 95X to become the promotions director right around graduation. After a few years there, Scott headed home to Boston, where he worked in marketing, with partners like Rolling Stone magazine and more.  Another reinvention, he got his masters' degree and began teaching middle school.  He continued in that field after following his wife home to western Massachusetts.   After he tired of disciplining middle school students (can you blame him?) he went back to his first love -newspaper.  He's now the sales manager of Reminder Publishing, which puts out several local, weekly newspapers in the area.   We spend some time talking about the newspaper business, and where he sees it thriving at the local level through strategic partnerships. Scott leaves us with two classic Z89 stories.  One involves Bruce Springsteen tickets - and the other involves all the commercial overnight jocks in town playing the same record at the same time.   He explains, and the story ends at a very familiar place. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, February 05, 2024

Marty D, Class of 2001, Draws Out The Laughs

Links! All of Marty's current work, including podcasts: https://weeklyhumorist.com/ Marty's archive of Z Morning Zoo bits, including the full Rick Wright tour of the Ostrom House: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ascjv18c57ajw/Z_Morning_Zoo_audio Marty D was best known at WJPZ for hosting the Z Morning Zoo, alongside Peterman and Emily Zizza (now Almas).  But you'll learn much more about him in today's episode.  You'll hear how he was a radio nerd like most of us, growing up listening to Baltimore and DC morning shows. An illustrator and artist by trade, Marty looked at art schools but decided on going to a more general school with an art program.  That brought him to Syracuse, and it was a sign on a dorm-mate's door that said "listen to me on the radio" that led him to Z89.  Staring on the 4-6 stuff, he found himself sticking around to hang out with Spike and Nick B  - these were college students doing morning radio! Marty's creative chops were best suited for morning radio -as he found out in other dayparts, and eventually he was offered the show.   Having learned from Baltimore radio, and having two cohosts who had interned in Boston radio, they quickly assembled the archetypal morning show - with the requisite "dick, dear, and dork." We've spoken of the Ostrom house before on this podcast - Marty loved doing the show there his senior year.  It was a house, and he quickly set up a coffee maker and made himself at home.   And the myriad of equipment issues taught him how to overcome almost any obstacle - a skill set he's used in the time since graduation.    Imagine figuring out how to get a show on the air, but you walk into the studio and there's no microphone.   They figured it out. One of the strengths of the show was their community interaction - doing live broadcasts everywhere they could, doing benchmark contest and games, and more.    We asked Marty if he ever thought about doing it professionally.  His answer may surprise you. As for what he did do professionally, Marty takes us through his 20+ year career in New York, working for Mad Magazine, David Letterman and National Lampoon.   Then, he leveraged his skills, experience, and network to start his own company - Humorist Media - doing everything from live events, to podcasts, and now even book publishing. Marty is currently serving on the WJPZ Alumni Association Board, in addition to being the official illustrator of the Alumni Association and this podcast.  The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/854d0

Fri, February 02, 2024

Hollywood Writer John Beck, Class of 1995

John sent some great 1990's pics from the station. You can view them here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zxxnn6pconq7p45fvidd1/h?rlkey=ny9i0u512pve0tf915i58xtl3&dl=0 John Beck, Class of 1995, has gone on to a prolific writing career in Hollywood, having worked on everything from The Hughleys to Fuller House, to Liv and Maddie, and more.   A TV guy through and through, it was actually Dave Gorab who approached him, over at then-UUTV, to come do the Crazy Morning Crew at Z89. John is very honest at the start of the show, sharing his hesitation for coming on the podcast.  Because his path was non-traditional, not having toiled in overnights, etc, he wondered if he was "worthy," but BB Good talked him into it, and we are so glad she did. Soon, John, Julian Keel, and their other teammates were pulilng serious ratings, finishing in Top 10 in the Syracuse market.  We talk about some great bits that made the air - from Professor McPhibious and Love Pumping Horace - to some bits that...well, were not approved for the WJPZ airwaves. John also tells the story of the "We Own a Giant Trampoline Club" - and how they collected enough money to buy one from Sam's Club and granted all members free access to the trampoline in their yard - no matter the hour or their level of sobriety. And if you don't know how the trampoline met its demise, it's worth hearing.  And yes, it's another WJPZ lesson applied to the "real world." We turn to John's Hollywood career - starting off fetching lunch for Corey and Topanga on Boy Meets World , to eventually landing in the writers' room with his fellow SU-alum writing partner Ron Hart.  And his career is littered with alumni stories along the way - from meeting BB Good's family to spotting Dion and Kafele at a taping of The Hughleys - to a very cool connection with Kid Michael Rock, and his daughter. John also explains the recent Hollywood strikes - in layman's terms.   A lot has to do with codifying some of Hollywood's "unwritten rules" and making sure the playing field is fair for all with the advent of large streamers such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney and more. In addition to some classic Rick Wright stories, we conclude with John's advice for writers coming up in 2024.  Yes, it's about who you know and being in the "right place at the right time," but there's so much more to it than that.   Writers write.  Always be writing.   And spend equal time working on your job and your career .  John explains this in the podcast. Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, January 31, 2024

Tony Renda, Class of 1995

As the son of a radio station owner, Tony Renda grew up in broadcasting.  His dad, Tony Renda Sr, started with an AM station in East McKeesport, Pennsylvania, before growing the company to many station in several markets. Growing up near Pitt, Tony Jr. new about the Big East, and of course Syracuse. His dad was an alum.  But he didn't go straight from high school to Central New York; he didn't have the grades.   So he spent a year at Ohio University before transferring. Once in the 315, Tony's fraternity brother, Scott Taylor, was VP of Business at the station, and he brought Tony over.  Like many of us, Tony was in awe from the moment he walked in - from the jocks, to the sports and news guys, to even the bumper stickers on the wall. He knew he had to be there. He quickly became development director, then VP of Business, which provided the opportunity to stay in Syracuse for the summer of 1993, when the station gave away a Geo Tracker.  You've probably heard that story before, but today, you'll hear Tony tell the story of walking into Billy Fuccillo's office and securing the car . After graduation, he could have gone straight into the family business, but Tony first wanted some real life experience. He followed Scotty T to Katz Media in New York, where he honed his skills.   Eventually he did come to Renda Broadcasting, starting in Jacksonville, and having worked in Pittsburgh and now Fort Myers-Naples, Florida. In today's episode, you'll also hear what Tony looks for when he interviews a job candidate. It's an important lesson. To learn more about Renda Broadcasting and career opportunities, visit https://rendabroadcasting.com/ The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 29, 2024

Tracey Turner ('00), Lisa Phillips ('03), and Sarah Fox ('02)

Today's guests are three ladies, three years apart, who have formed an enduring frienship via WJPZ that has lasted over 20 years. Tracey (Chilandese) Turner got to the station when Harry and Dena were running a skeleton crew, having just shepherded the station through it's second format change (back to Z89) in just a few years.   Trace joined the station as a sophomore, just as Matt DelSignore was taking over for Harry as GM and PD.  Harry provided guidance for promotions, and let his dynamic duo take over. Sarah (Dumont) Fox had no desire to be on the air, but this Plattsburgh native soon found a love for Public Relations.  When Dena left, Sarah volunteered to take on that role, coordinating everything from alumni relationships to Banquets. As these two ascended to station leadership, Lisa entered as a freshman.  This die-hard sports fan started doing on-air work and made fast friends off-air with Tracey and Sarah.  It was a friendship that transcended the walls of the station. Today's guests credit their WJPZ lessons as great prepration for their careers.  Tracey has worked in music since graduation.  Sarah's been in healthcare PR, and Lisa went from NBC page to talent booker to Derek Jeter's outlet, The Players' Tribune. In this episode, you'll hear about "Shake Your Bon Bon For Ricky Martin," a treacherous trip with a car full of balloons, and some heated moments in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.  (Poor Lisa had to share a wall with Jag one year). But you'll also hear about enduring friendships, including Matt DelSignore joining Sarah for moral support on a week-long job interview trip to New York City before graduation.  Where did they sleep?  Tracey's couch and loveseat. Throughout today's podcast, you'll hear about the inclusive culture of Z89 (as opposed to some more traditional classrooms).  The knowledge passed down over these 3 years are right in line with the last 50. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, January 26, 2024

"Kid" Michael Rock, Class of 1995

"Kid" Michael Rock grew up taping Casey Kasem and trying to talk up the songs himself.  So it's not surprising that he applied to Syracuse, and only Syracuse .  And he set out to find WJPZ before his parents had finished unpacking him into Flint Hall.  Who was the first person he met at the station? BB Good. Kid got his FCC license and was soon doing every airshift, including mornings with Steve Donovan (then "Abe Froman").   Ironically, they'd end up competing against each other years later. Rock retells the WJPZ at 50 stories of Spunky the Midget Wrestler and getting drunk on the air with a police officer from his perspective.  You'll also hear about his brilliant move to take his girlfriend to Phantom of the Opera in Toronto - and what he did to blow the weekend. Michael says as much as he learned about radio at WJPZ,  he learned even more about management.   They are lessons that have served him well in his current role as director of content for Fun 107, a station he's been at for decades. Many jocks don't want to spend time on the "internet" aspects of their show, but Kid tells us why it's so important to focus on more than what's just coming out of the FM speakers at that exact moment. For someone who's worked in local radio for so long, how does he see the industry surviving?  By staying local.  Rock elaborates on that and how he does it. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, January 24, 2024

Play-By-Play Man David Resnick, Class of 2010

Today's guest is play-by-play man David Resnick, a 2010 WJPZ alum.  He reached out to us because he wanted to make sure we recognized the All Star sports department he worked with at Z89 - many who have gone on to great success in the sports industry, as you'll hear. As David says, the "Cold War" between WJPZ and WAER had thawed by the time he got on campus, and he got involved in everything he could - working simultaneously at both radio stations AND Citrus TV. He emphasizes that being willing to try different roles and work for multiple outlets allowed him to gain a well-rounded skillset and learn from a variety of mentors. David also highlights the unique camaraderie and bonding that occurs among sports broadcasters, especially during road trips to cover games. While many of us spent hours and hours together inside and out of the station, there's nothing quite like the bonding that happens on those sports road trips. These experiences helped him build lasting friendships and connections within the industry.  You'll also hear how then-women's Coach Q made sure to give WJPZ as much content and time as possible. Since graduation, David has been a freelance play-by-play broadcaster, based out of New York City. You'll find out why he refers to teams and networks as "clients," as he discusses the challenges and rewards of freelancing, including the need to constantly network and seek out new opportunities. He also shares some valuable advice for aspiring sports broadcasters, emphasizing the importance of building a strong reputation, being adaptable, and considering alternative roles within the sports media landscape.  With the advent of streaming, there are more video play-by-play opportunities than ever! The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Bonus · Tue, January 23, 2024

Final Program Update from Jag

Hey, it’s Jag.  Again, thank you so much for your support of the WJPZ at 50 podcast, which as of today, January 23, 2024, now has almost 13,000 downloads! We’re starting to wind down the series, but wanted to make sure you had a chance to hear from all of the incredible people we’ve talked to, BEFORE we all get together in Syracuse.  So from now until we run out of episodes, probably the middle of February, we’ll go back to our original release schedule of every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.    Also, a quick thank you to Matt Friedman, who of course handles the PR for the show by posting each episode on Facebook. Once again, for as many hours as I’ve put IN to this effort, I’ve gotten so much more OUT of it.  I’ve learned more about some of my favorite people in the world, and met so many others.   I hope you have too. I encourage you to listen to the episodes of our 2024 Hall of Fame Inductee Class – Kelly Sutton, Mina Llona, and Alex Silverman, if you haven’t yet.  I hope you’ll be there in Syracuse to see them get their hideously awesome orange jackets in March.  Not to mention, if you haven’t heard, it’s our last year to stay at the Sheraton before it’s converted to dorms.    You can buy your Banquet tickets at the link below in our show notes.  Radio, baby! Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 22, 2024

Jim Gallagher, '90, From WJPZ Mornings to Disney/Pixar to Stand-Up Comedy

We can't think of a better guest for our 100th episode than Mr. Jim Gallagher.  He is believed to have spent more hours "in the chair" doing morning drive than anyone in WJPZ history. Today you'll learn how lessons learned in Syracuse served him well in a truly remarkable career.  And we open the episode with a classic station story - a live broadcast from the Denny's on Erie Boulevard when he tried to eat 89 pancakes. Following his time at WJPZ, Jim did radio in Maine and Georgia.  In Georgia, he made a mistake on the air that cost him his job and changed his perspective on doing a morning show.  Eventually he decided to pursue one of his other passions - movie trailers and marketing. Jim worked his way up the ladder, becoming President of Marketing for Disney and Pixar, reporting to Bob Iger.  He was the one deciding where to spend ad money to put "butts in seats" for movies like Up. Wall-E, and Ratatouille. Like in all media, regimes change, and people get "the zig." In fact, Jim says he was fired from 3 of the 6 top movie marketing jobs in the world, having also spent time at Dreamworks, Warner Brothers, and as a consultant.   We spend some time talking about movies he worked on, and how the marketing world changed with the advent of the Internet. At 50, Jim knew marketing was a younger man's game, and he had squirreled away every time he could during his career.  This allowed him to start a "retirement" hobby.  Given that he doesn't golf, he re-invented himself and took up stand-up comedy.  He's been performing all over the country, honing his craft. Comedy is a tricky thing - we close today's episode with a poignant conversation about "cancel culture" and comedians who claim they can't tell the jokes they want to tell.   From Jim's perspective, if you generate more negative feelings in your audience than positive, than you should probably be doing something else. For tour dates and more on Jim, visit his website: https://www.comedybyjimgallagher.com/ The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Co

Mon, January 15, 2024

Jen Nycz-Conner, '95, on Applying WJPZ Lessons Through Multiple Careers

Jen Nycz-Conner felt like she applied to every college in the Big East (RIP) before falling in love with the communications program at Syracuse.  Once on campus, she found a fellow freshman with a map.  She and Steve Donovan went to the radio station, met B.B. Good, and the rest is history. Living above the station in Watson as a sophomore, Jen got more involved with the station, and soon became VP of Operations as she and her 1995 classmates ran WJPZ.  Actually, she wasn't technically Class of 1995 - as she explains. She also talks about many of the friendships she's formed through the alumni association, with WJPZ family members she didn't go to school with. During school, she secured internships with Jim Henson productions and HBO Sports, the latter of which led to work after graduation.   And this included some entry level "pay your dues" jobs. Soon, her husband Chris was in DC, and Jen was in New York.  Something had to give, and she found a job working with the ProServ agency in Arlington, Virigina. Through mergers, acquisitions, and a changing economy, Jen's next stop was Women in Film and Video in DC.  This nonprofit work connected her with the Washington Business Journal, where she'd work for nearly a decade and a half, including time on air on legendary DC Radio station WTOP. After the job at Washington Business Journal, Jen had a few different career paths in mind.   When her current job at Hilton came up, it checked all of her boxes. Through her one-of-a-kind career, Jen talks throughout today's epsiode about the lessons learned at WJPZ, and how they've served her well. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 08, 2024

T-Bone! Programmer Mike Tierney, Class of '91 and '93

Mike "T-Bone" Tierney may have known more classes in JPZ's history than anyone - having worked at Z89 as a high schooler, undergrad, and grad student.  So it's no surprise many of his contemporaries consider him one of WJPZ's greatest program directors. T-Bone went to Nottingham High School, and saw a recruitment flyer for summer staffers while visiting Bird Library.  He walked in that day, was immediately training, and worked his way up from overnights to the Top 8 at 9 that summer. You'd think this would have led him immediately to SU, but he actually spend at summer at Fordham University downstate.  But pull of the atmosphere and people at WJPZ brought him back to the 315.  And he's quick to point out how the lessons he learned served him well in his illustrious career. At the station, he worked with Carl Weinstein, Scott Meach, Gigi Katz, Hot Shot Scotty Bergstein, E Double R, and so many others.  These were truly the "flamethrower" days of the late 80's and early 90's - with Janet, Michael, U2, LL Cool J, INXS, and more.  And while 93Q was making headlines for not playing George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" and LL Cool J's "I Need Love" - Z89 was banging out the hits.   In fact, T-Bone has a great story about how WNTQ called the University to complain about Z89 kicking their asses - and a hilarious conversation that followed with Dr. Rick Wright. After receiving his Masters, Mike followed Carl and Kevin "Tippy" Martinez to Seattle, where he lived on their couches before landing gigs at KPLZ, then the legendary KUBE.  There, he'd meet one of his great mentors, Jerry Clifton.  T-Bone, the 25-year-old wunderkind PD, learned how to balance his programming chops with people skills.   Despite being a ratings leader. his station was too buttoned up, and he needed to rekindle some of the magic he was part of at WJPZ. Following his run in Seattle radio, Mike went to VH1, where he learned the limitations of television.  He also had a stop at Epic Records, and at one point tour managed for a band. Later, his former intern, Julie Pilat, recruited him to Beats One, before it merged with Apple Music.  An online music platform in its infancy, it had hired a bunch of influencers to be air talent.  Through airchecking, T-Bone found out who had the skills, and who was not interested in learning the formatics. Mike's now been at Amazon Music for 4 years, the longest tenure he's had anywhere since Syracuse.  He loves the gig because of the ability to change jobs under the umbrella.  And rather than a program director, he considers himself an "off air music director" - yes, they still exist in the digital space, if extinct from radio. We spend some time talking about the new life cycle of music - breaking at streaming then going to radio.  And how to reach Gen Z - a generation that did not grow up listening to the radio.  Their behavior as music consumers must be catered to.

Mon, January 01, 2024

Ethan Charlip, General Manager and Class of 2020

It's no surprise that Ethan Charlip ended up at Syracuse University.   His New Jersey high school classmates Jacob Belotti and Shruti Marathe were already there when he arrived on campus.   In fact, Shruti told Ethan he'd be at the WJPZ spring recruitment meeting and tasked Jacob with making sure of it. Like so many of us, Ethan immediately found his tribe at the station, quickly earning a reputation for hanging out there more than even the exec staff.   And how badly did he want to join exec?  He applied for every position.  You'll hear that hilarious story. Ethan did become production director, getting the station involved in podcasting and continuing the teaching mission of WJPZ - agreeing to do a free 2 hour Adobe Audition training for anyone who would join his staff.    During a semester abroad, he ran for General Manager - interviewing over Zoom (before it was cool) from an airbnb in Prague.   He stayed up until 6:00am there awaiting the results.  He won. Like every GM before him, Ethan wasn't sure he was ready for the position, especially as he learned to navigate office politics with friends and more.   But his contributions earned him the 2020 Rick Wright Lock Award - right before the world shut down. Ethan handed the GM reigns over to Melody Emm, and COVID-19 hit.   The Class of 2020 never returned to campus after spring break.   Ethan's class did not have a senior week, a graduation (save for a "make up" ceremony in 2021), or last Z89 show.  It was only thanks to Melody sneaking him in to the station when he returned to pack up his apartment that he got a brief final show. Naturally, it wasn't easy for the Class of 2020 to find jobs - Ethan found himself doing a desk job at Westwood One, before eventually moving to the world of PR - helping startups get noticed.  And you won't be surprised to hear how many WJPZ lessons he employs to this day. And he still has a Watson theater chair that a classmate eviscerated. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Conne

Mon, December 25, 2023

WJPZ Legend and Radio Disney Vet B.B. Good - Class of '93

(Note link to additional content at the end of our show notes.) If we were to pick one alumnus who best represented the warm, welcoming atmosphere of WJPZ, it would probably be Sharon Goodman Michaels, aka "B.B. Good" from the Class of 1993.  Several Z89'ers have come on this podcast to talk about how she welcomed them to the station, and we are thrilled to welcome her to this podcast. Like many of us, this Massachusetts native grew up loving radio - and she tells the story of how she recruited Kiss 108 DJ's to do her high school dance in Quincy.  BB went to Syracuse for its communications reputation.  She got there early as part of the marching band, and quickly found WJPZ and then-leaders like Hal Rood, Scott Meach, and Brian Lapis. At her happy place, BB made friend with classmates Beth (Russell) Gorab, Bette Kestin, Jeanne Schad, Tina (Mussolino) Perkins, Melanie Kushnir, and more. How "Good" was Sharon as an undergrad?  A commercial station in Utica offered her nights, and held the job for her until she could graduate Syracuse.  From Rock 107 she went to Fly 92 in Albany, Kiss 95.7 Hartford, and JAMN 94.5 Boston.  There, while riding the T, she saw a blind box ad for what would turn out to be the midday slot on Radio Disney, based in Dallas.  A year later, they moved her show to then-MGM Studios at Disney World in Orlando.  That's right.  She was working in radio, at Disney World , every day.  She tells amazing stories of listener interactions, letters, and more.  Also, she interviewed an up and coming *NSYNC and Britney Spears. After five years in Orlando, BB's show was moved back to Dallas.  After a time, she was let go, and decided to stay home with her children.  She became very active in the Jewish community in Dallas and still is. BB has maintained her Z89 connections throughout her adult life, often crossing paths with radio folk when they came to Disney, and even doing a cameo on the sitcom According to Jim thanks to her classmate John Beck.  We wrap with BB talking about how much she enjoyed returning to Banquet in 2023, and the question of whether or not the Jonas Brothers did a song...about her. Note: This interview was recorded in May.  BB asked if she could speak about the current situation in Israel and have it included in the podcast.  You can hear that conversation, recorded December 22nd, at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rkh58zh2sg3lrhid56wvy/WJPZ-at-50-BB-Good-Insert.mp3?rlkey=p7o0ndhyszj1gaj6guu83gbwl&dl=0 The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: <a h

Mon, December 18, 2023

Kelly Sutton, '92, WJPZ's First Female GM

Kelly Sutton, '92, is the first female general manager in the history of WJPZ.  And, like many of us, the station launched her into a prolific media career. This Buffalo native went to Syracuse, in part, because of the opportunity to double major in both Newhouse and business.  And when a local radio owner back home promised a summer job, she knew she needed experience.  By the spring, she found Z89, and folks like Scott Meach, Hal Rood, Dave Gorab, Dave Roberts, Dave Morgan, and more.  Despite doing an overnight shift, she knew she wanted to work off-air, and she worked her way up to promotions director, and also doing sales (there was a commission structure in place at the time).  Kelly was encouraged to run for General Manager, which she did, and won.  While she didn't see it as a big deal at the time, she's certainly proud of the legacy of strong female leaders at the station since. After Syracuse, Kelly returned home to Buffalo where she worked in various sales and management roles.  Soon, she got her "major market" opportunity to head east to Boston.   She relied on the advice of some lifelong JPZ friends to make the move, and the first person she met at CBS Boston also had JPZ roots.  The conversation starter of "where did you go to school" was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Julie Bruno. After a succesful run at Boston's rock station WBCN, she was recruited to head over to then-Entercom, and sports station WEEI.  We spend some time on what the sales side of sports radio looks like.   Do wins and losses matter?  What happens when a personality crosses the line?  Or an advertiser THINKS they did, but got bad information? The radio industry is tough, and Kelly prefers to be in the sales side over the management side - through COVID, corporate mergers. and more.  (The Entercom/CBS merger in Boston was so complicated, the DOJ took Kelly's laptop at one point!)  We talk about what it takes to be successful today in radio, from both an an on and off-air perspective. We close the conversation by getting very personal.  Kelly has a special needs son, Devin.  When she moved to Boston she was a single Mom, and certainly had a lot on her plate.  That first encounter with Julie Bruno resulted in a piece of advice from Julie that Kelly says changed her life.   It's one of our favoirite JPZ'er-helping-JPZ'er stories yet. You'll hear about that today, as well as the inspirational young man Devin is, as well as Kelly's other son, Brady. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/854d02d0-cddc-41af-87b5-945698c81d3f/shows/cb81209b-9d13-43da-aaf8-b84da6abeeb9/episodes/e2a0fd91-1dec-43bb-aab8-65a62b0e470a/https;//www.jagindetroit.com/WJ

Mon, December 11, 2023

Jordan Capozzi, Class of 2019

Jordan Capozzi grew up in Syracuse, and like many Salt City Natives, did not know WJPZ was run by college students.   When his high school guidance counselor released how much he liked to talk (sound familiar?) she recommended he look at SU.   When Jordan learned that he could work at Z89, the station was one of his first stops. He got involved in sports, music, and the morning show. Jordan talks about the inclusive and welcoming environment of the station to students of all majors. Before long he was on executive staff, starting as public service director and working his way up to VP of Operations.  In those roles, Jordan was sure to pay the education forward. Following graduation, Jordan employed his WJPZ skills in landing work locally at Galaxy Media.  He started as a board op, doing everything he could.   He worked his way up to his currrent role, executive producer of Cuse Sports Talk. We spend some time asking Jordan for his perspective on the radio industry, as someone who's currently working at a live and local station.   And we wrap up by revisiting the classic April Fools Day Western flip of the station. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, December 04, 2023

SiriusXM Morning Mash Up Host Ryan Sampson, Class of 1999

Many of us have spent time on the air at various radio stations, but if there's one jock the current students know, it's probably Ryan Sampson, '99, the host of the Morning Mashup on SiriusXM's Hits 1. Like many of us, Ryan grew up a news and sports junkie, and considered himself fortunate to get in to Syracuse.  He joined WAER and WJPZ, but had more fun at Z89, where he succeeded Scott MacFarlane as news director. After his parents moved to Baltimore, Ryan did some promotions and other work there, before getting hired at Hot 1079 his senior year.   There he experienced a real radio moment.  When Cox gave the station to ClearChannel, they were without a program director for a period of time - the airstaff collectively figured out what they wanted to do. When PD Tommy Frank arrived, he was of the "mess with the other stations" mentality.  They went hard after 93Q (Ryan shares a couple examples).  But WJPZ wasn't immune from the radio wars.  While Ryan points out he'd moved on to Baltimore for some of the particularly egregious moments, we do spend a few minutes on the WWHT-WJPZ rivalry. Then, in Baltimore, Ryan turned down part time work in New York to get music director stripes.  But the job wasn't necessarily what he was expecting.  He needed PD experience, and through a small world story, landed a programming gig in Lincoln, Nebraska - where he experienced some Big Ten culture shock. #GoBigRed Years earlier, Ryan had put a word in for Rich Davis to get a gig at Hot.  Well, it was time for Rich to return the favor, and recruited Ryan to come to New York and fledgling Sirius Radio, which had yet to hit its first million subscribers. Ryan started as an entry level programming coordinator, and began climbing the ranks, before he was tapped to move to the (then voice-tracked) morning show on Hits 1.  He walks us through the wild story of how the team of he, Stanley T, and Nicole came together in 2006.  They've been doing the show ever since. We pick Ryan's brain about the current state of radio, and he uses a stark analogy to describe the current state of music radio.  He wonders if the industry is due for a massive overhaul, like in the 1950's. Today's guest really does love his WJPZ roots.  He talks about meeting so many of his current friends there, and the lessons learned he still applies today.   Recently he's joined the board of the WJPZ Alumni Association, where he hopes to continuing paying those lessons forward. Ryan and Mark Zito's podcast "This Is Happening" Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-happening-with-mark-zito-and-ryan-sampson/id1578714347 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1J4cjMpLuSj0qgl5JUPqe3?si=1ab878b4c45448e3<

Mon, November 27, 2023

Philly's Tina Stoklosa, Class of 1995

Today's guest is one of many alumni who took the lessons of WJPZ and applied it to every job she had before and after graduation. Tina Stoklosa is a Philadelphia native who was obssessed with the news growing up.  The first in her family to go to college, she new Syracuse's Broadcast Journalism program was the way to go.   And while TV was always her first love, the camaraderie of Z89 quickly pulled her in.  She started doing a Saturday morning news update, and worked her way all the way up to news director. In between, she was filing live reports on WJPZ during the 1992 Election of Bill Clinton. She did play in the "music" sandbox as well - "Tina T" did some on-air shifts, eventually working professionally in Syracuse.    Following graduation, she landed in northern Michigan, working for a news director who liked to hire Syracuse grads.  She tells the story of how she transitioned into producing, got to bigger Michigan markets, before getting the chance to return to her hometown of Philly.  First she worked at WPHL, before moving to WCAU, the station her and her family grew up watching. Tina credits WJPZ for teaching her how to write news, among other lessons.   And she has maintained close friendships throughout the years with her 1995 classmates.   In fact, you'll even hear who's son she's a godmother to. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, November 20, 2023

"Cousin" Danny Corsun, Class of 1987

"Cousin" Danny Corsun shares much in common with many of our alumni - a New York kid who liked sports and went to Syracuse.  But as you'll hear today, his life's journey is as unique as they come. Danny started at WJPZ doing sports, and after the station moved to FM, he found his way to the Crazy Morning Crew. There,  he and the late Larry Barron teamed up for one of the most prominent AM drive shows in the station's history.   He tells a classic story of the moment when they realized the whole town was listening, and some problematic phone calls then-GM Carl Weinstein had to field.  He also has a Mike Tirico story to share. Danny also shares his memories of the Student African American Society sit-in at the station - protesting the musical direction of WJPZ.   With the benefit of time and life experience, his views on that event have changed greatly, years late. Following graduation, Danny and Larry could have pursued radio full time, but eventually headed out to LA.  Danny found himself working his way up the ladder at the preeminent TV show in the country in those days - The Cosby Show. To supplement his writing career, Danny took a substitute teaching job that would change his life.  He was brought into a special needs classroom, and found a way to connect with his students through cooking.  He broke down barriers with Gen Ed students, and a two-week stint lasted five years. This inspired Danny to educate the kids of Southern California through his Culinary Kids Academy.  Later, he leaned into his faith and started teaching Jewish principles through cooking with the Culinary Judaics Academy.   He's shot countless videos in his backyard with his daughter, now at Berkley. Danny leaves us with two great stories.  One involves why he should never have been running the board.  And the other is a Rick Wright classic that may have elicited the longest sustained laugh from Jag yet. Learn more about Danny's latest venture, Culinary Judaics Academy, here: https://www.culinaryjudaicsacademy.com/ The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http:

Mon, November 13, 2023

Jeanne Schad on Making The Alumni Association More Inclusive

In her current role at LinkedIn and Microsoft, Jeanne Schad (Class of 1994) specializes in employee engagement.  So it's not surprising that she's part of the team that's working to make the WJPZ Alumni Association and Hall of Fame more inclusive. We start with our favorite native Iowan's backstory.  Jeanne's parents owned a radio station, and she had her FCC license before her driver's license!   In high school, she researched the best broadcast schools, and had good instincts - she picked Syracuse over Northwestern and Mizzou. She started at WJPZ in the news department and tells the story of being suspended in her first semester. She felt this "knocked her down a few notches," and she got to work - also in music, promotions, and was on the air at Y94 by the summer before her junior year. If you were at this year's Banquet (or get the emails), you may be familiar with our group's efforts in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) space.   It's no secret that our Alumni Association and Hall of Fame are dominated by white men.  And while it's important to point out that nobody has ever been intentiionally exclusive , this thing can happen when there isn't a specific effort to be inclusive .   Jeanne says this conversation has been happneing for several years, and the timing is finally right.   So a group has been formed to reform some of our processes.  And it's on all alumni to help in any way they can. The goal is to move forward, even if it's not perfect. Following her career at Syracuse, she talks about learning from failures.  She did sales in Jacksonville, Florida, learning how hard it can be to do that job in a market you haven't spent time in previously.  This led her to the agency side and TBWA/Chiat/Day.    That led her to Dallas and Katz Media, and eventually on to Los Angeles. While in LA, Jeanne took what she had learned about belonging and inclusion, and became certified in executive coaching.  This allowed her to reconfigure her network and career - selling for a global consulting firm, before being hired by LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft) in 2022.   She now specializes in employee engagement and works with their GLINT product, part of the Microsoft Viva suite of employee experience tools. In this role, we ask Jeanne what she wishes more employers knew.   She talks about flexibility - too many C-suite executives are waiting for the pre-COVID office life to return.  It's simply not going to happen.   And employees should think about their careers like a chessboard.  Don't think about what's "next."  Think about what's "next next."  She explains. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/854d02d0-cddc-41af-87b5-945698

Mon, November 06, 2023

A Tribute to Hall of Famer Larry Barron

For episode 89 of this podcast, we wanted to pay tribute to a man who sits on the Mount Rushmore of WJPZ History, Hall of Famer Larry Barron, from the Class of 1987.  As we celebrate his life, career, and mentorship, we are joined by several guests.  Pete Bowers was Larry's high school radio station teacher and advisor, and the man who his partly reponsible for the long list of Michiganders in the WJPZ family.    Danny Corsun ('87) and Scotty Bergstein ('89) were classmates and also roommates with Larry in Los Angeles.  Classmate and frien Carl Weinstein ('88) was instrumental in setting up the Larry Barron Fund for Mentorship (more on the LBFM later), and Scott Meach ('90) has been described as Larry's "favorite mentee." We start before Syracuse, with Pete's description of Larry in high school -an overachiever who quickly ascended the station ranks and got stuff done.   Naturally, he frequently spoke to Pete's future students, telling his story from Michigan to Syracuse to Los Angeles.  When Pete was researching the best communications schools in the country, he found SU and Newhouse. We've heard previously in this podcast about the pressure on WJPZ to be a block formatted radio station, but we haven't heard the shrewd move that Larry, a former GM and then-broadcast consultant, pulled to save the station's format and educational mission.   Danny and Carl tell us how Larry pulled a procedural maneuverwith the Student Government Association meeting to delay a vote on forcing WJPZ to go block format.  Before the vote could be rescheduled, the station severed ties.  It remained independent of University funding until 2002. A couple years after graduation, Larry and his longtime co-host Cousin Danny returned to do a Crazy Morning Crew episode as alumni.   You'll hear the audio of their "burn your buns" bit - which involves Larry conning a sorority girl into auditioning to sing the Star Spangled Banner at a nationally televised basketball game. Next are a couple clips from Chris Godsick's episode of the pod - the time Larry swore on the air, but more importantly the time he secured the rights to be the exclusive announcement for basketball tickets going on sale. Carl Weinstein tells us about Larry the person and the mentor - leading the way for both he and his son Cole, three decades later.   This story is backed up by Shruti Marahte, Class of 2019, who Larry took under his wing as she headed out to LA. Scott briefly tells us about Larry's career - from CNN to entertainment tonight to producing a number of reality TV shows.  But for as much professional success as Larry had, today's panel wanted to spend more time about Larry the person - even his penchant for eating cereal out of a giant bowl. When Carl and Scott put together two memorials for Larry (Zoom couldn't handle just one), even then, Larry was connecting people.  Everyone had something to say, and the memorials morphed into reunions.   From

Mon, October 30, 2023

GM Shruti Marathe, Class of 2019, on Larry Barron and JPZ Culture

You might say Shruti Marathe was destined to be General Manager of WJPZ.   She followed other alumni in working at her high school radio station in New Jersey.   And when she got to Syracuse, her peer mentor was none other than Sam Kandell. Shruti, or "Loops," was, like so many of us, taken by the culture and family environment of Z89.  She quickly became an AP on the Z Morning Zoo and learned just as much about WJPZ culture as she did about performing on the radio.  (And yes, she tells the story of how she ended up with the nickname that she still goes by now, in Los Angeles). She talks about how the dynamic duo of Sam Kandell and Matt Gehring were referred to as "Mom and Dad" at the station.  The latter is still "Dad" in her phone, which has led to some awkward moments! Shruti wanted to continue the family atmosphere she witnessed at the station from day one.  She became legal director, and eventually general manager, where she continued the tradition of making WJPZ the world's greatest media classroom. Following graduation, Loops went out to LA.  She spent a lot of time under the mentorship of the late Larry Barron.  While most of us know what a legacy Larry left to the station in the 80's and 90's, he was still helping and connecting even our more recent grads, all the way up until his passing. Shruti really has embraced her Los Angeles Orange community, to the point where she's been asked if she has any local friends that didn't go to Syracuse.   And in her time there, Loops has worked for Ace Entertainment, The Cartel, and now Lilly Singh's company, Unicorn Island.   We wrap with a laugh, and how the Rednex cover of Cotton Eyed Joe played into her college experience. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, October 23, 2023

DEI and Higher Ed Guru Kafele Khalfani, Class of 1995

Since graduating SU in 1996, Kafele Khalfani has done it all - moving from the advertising world to following his passion to help young people. Today you'll hear about his career in higher education, as well as his time fostering and adopting kids. Kafele saw a brochure for Syracuse University with a picture of Rick Wright at Z89, and he immediately put all his eggs into an orange basket.  He applied early, nowhere else, and got to campus in 1992.   It was during a summer program that he found a staticy station at 89.1 that was playing the music he liked.  He reached out, and Kim Sykes brought him in when school started. At Z89, Kafele was on the air (you'll hear his various on-air monikers), and worked in promotions, PR, and just about everything else at the station.  WJPZ was home for he and his classmates.  As he said, in a time before most cell phones, if you were looking for someone, they were either in their room, at the station, or eating at Kimmel.   You'll hear many familiar mid-90's names in today's episode. After graduation, Kafele got into advertising during the dot com boom.  When that boom turned into a bust, he got involved in higher education.  He had such an amazing undergrad experience, thanks in part to WJPZ, he wanted to see a new generation of students have that.  In 22 years in higher ed, he's been a Residence Director, Dean of Students, consultant, and more.  He's also done work in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. Kafele always wanted to be a dad, but for him, it wouldn't be easy.  He hilariously explains why.  When his best friend, a social worker, told him about fostering and adoption, he was hooked.   Turns out he'd have to get certified twice - in New York, then when he returned to California.  He tells us the fantastic story of his first foster, who he'd later adopt, and when he finally felt like a Dad.  He's gone on to foster more kids since. We wrap up the episode by talking about the issue of race at WJPZ.  It's a topic that's been brought up by several of his classmates, and with Kafele's experience in the DEI space, we wanted to get his perspective. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at <a href="http://wjpzalumni.org

Mon, October 16, 2023

Emmy Winning Reporter Eva Zymaris, Class of 2014

Eva Zymaris, Class of 2014, has gone from Z89 News Director to Emmy winning reporter in New Haven Connecticut.  And she credits so much of her career success to the WJPZ family. This New Jersey news aficionado quickly learned that Syracuse was the school for her.  As a sophomore, despite her desire to pursue a career in television, she was drawn to WJPZ.  She mentions the culture set by folks like Jeff Kurkjian, Allie Gold, Jeff Cucinell, and more.   Eva went from doing "89 second news updates" to the executive staff and co-hosting the Z Morning Zoo. She was also quick to tap into our amazing alumni network - bringing business cards to her first Banquet.   She shadowed Steve Donovan's morning show.   She spent her second Sirius Radio internship on Rich Davis's morning show.   After school, Eva landed her first reporting job in Western Massachusetts, after much persistence.  This cultivated a relationship with the 413's favorite native son, Jeffy K.   Eventually, Eva moved up to WTNH in New Haven Connecticut, the former home of Chris Velardi. Today's guest considers it a privelege to be able to meet folks in her community and tell their stories.   While she loves the human interest side of reporting, she was awarded for her and her team's coverage of a murder case that started before Covid and continues today.  You'll hear about that too. Eva tells the story of a valuable lesson she learned from PD Rashaud Thomas when the station was temporarily running out of Newhouse.   And she leaves us with some rock-solid advice for students and young reporters who want to pursue a career in the field. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, October 09, 2023

Sal Capaccio - from WJPZ to the Bills Sideline and Damar Hamlin

Today you will hear two incredible stories from Sal Capaccio, Class of 1995.   The first is his own "origin story."   At 37 years old, he quit his job to follow his dream. He and his wife moved back to his hometown of Buffalo for part time work on the sports station there.  Through hard work, perserverance, networking, and other lessons he learned at WJPZ, he's now a radio and podcast host, as well as the sideline reporter for the Buffalo Bills radio network. This role gave him a unique perspective of the most harrowing moment of last year's NFL season.  He was on the field when Bills player Damar Hamlin's heart stopped after making a seemingly routine tackle in Cincinnati.  (36:33) He spends the final third of today's episode taking us on the field, in the tunnel, and even on the team bus as the events of that evening unfolded.  You'll be hanging on his every word. Sal grew up as die-hard a Bills fan as they come.  In fact, he would take a bus home from campus on home game weekends his freshman year so as not to miss the games in person.  And it was his love for sports that brought him to Z89.   He did do some music and morning shifts, but he always was passionate about covering teams - from SU Football to basketball and theSportsline 89 talk show.  We spend some time talking about the relationships he formed with some classmates whose names you'll recognize, and others you may be hearing for the first time. Following school, Sal had an opportunity to work at a small town Florida radio station, where he did sports (and sales, thanks to what he learned in Syracuse).   This led him to get involved with youth sports, and eventually high school athletics.  He got into teaching and really found it rewarding to work with kids.   As circumstances changed, and his wife was transitioning jobs, he explains the decision to move home and start over, pursuing his dream as he approached 40. For those of us who always wanted to pursue sports but didn't, we ask Sal to take us through his schedule for a typical Sunday Bills home game.  It's a chance for many of us to live vicariously through him.    And that of course leads to Damar Hamlin. Sal was reporting from the sideline when Damar Hamlin's heart stopped on the field in Cincinnati.  We revisit that evening, and he shares what he was allowed to see, and what he wasn't.   And of course, all the good that came out of the story of that amazing young man. But we can't end on such a serious note.  We wrap up with Sal telling us how he talked his way out of being suspended from WJPZ. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/854d02d0-cddc-41af-87b5-945698c81d3f/shows/cb81209b-9d13-43da-aaf8-b84da6abeeb9/episod

Mon, October 02, 2023

"Hot Shot" Scotty Bergstein, Class of 1989

Today's guest gobbled up every airshift he could, and now makes his living directing commercials, after learning under Ridley Scott. Scott Bergstein came to Syracuse, like many, chasing the sportscaster dream.  When he saw what a soon-to-be-famous sportscaster floormate was doing, he decided to go in another direction.  Leaning into his passion for storytelling, he joined Happy Dave Dwyer's bunch at WJPZ.  The timing couldn't be better.  The station moved to FM in the spring of Scott's freshman year. Like many of us, Scott didn't really find his voice until he was given a nickname.  He balked at first when Julie Bruno dubbed him "Hot Shot Scott," but eventually he leaned into it.  So much so, in fact, that students would address him that way on campus, and later, colleagues would in Los Angeles. Hot Shot shares lessons learned at Z that he has applied to the rest of his life, including: "Everything I need to know in life I learned at Z89." "Talk less and listen more." "Be kind." While we've extensively covered the station's move to FM in this podcast, one incident we haven't spent enough time on is the night the Student African American Society staged a sit-in at the station.  Scott shares the details of that night, and why the SAAS was protesting more than just a format change.  We also hear how the protest ended - peacefully. After graduation, Scott moved to Los Angeles, where he worked under Ridley Scott on everything from Thelma and Louise to commercial sets.   He discovered his passion for telling short stories over song intros on WJPZ translated beautifully to directing television commericals.   He began working with a partner in more ways than one - a producer became his wife and they still work together.  Throughout today's pod, you'll hear Scott's infectious passion for his career and for WJPZ.  It's also why Hollywood Hal Rood believes it was Scott that convinced his son to go to SU. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: <a href="https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/" target="_blank

Mon, September 25, 2023

MTV's Matt Gehring and SNY's Sam Kandell, Class of 2018

WJPZ has formed many deep bonds and friendships - and that is certainly the case for Matt Gehring and Sam Kandell, who served as PD and GM respectively, for the Class of 2018. As you'll hear, their origin stories differ greatly, but they've been thick as thieves since fate brought them together on Boland 8 as freshmen.   Soon, Matt, a self professed music geek, and Sam, a die-hard sports fan, were treking across campus together for the 4-6am shift. They learned from upperclassmen like Allie Gold and Joey Cosco, and were invited to the Z Morning Zoo by Jeff Kurkjian.  They were also quickly tapped for exec staff.  Matt became research director, and Sam took over legal.  She tells the story of how that almost didn't happen due to a very big (and, in hindsight, hilarious) miscommunication about the application process. Eventually, "mom and dad," as most of the staff called them, became GM and PD, furthering the passion for paying it forward at the station.   Both made efforts to know the entire staff, Sam secured funding to upgrade the station's power, and Matt was honing his social media mastery, leveraging fan bases of artists to keep the station top of mind, even over the summer.  In fact, his Twitter prowess led to a well publicized feud with Tomi Lahren during the 2016 Presidential election. At graduation, Matt joined MTV for their reboot of TRL.  When that didn't work out, he and his team were moved over to MTV's social media, and he was "given the keys" to MTV's Instagram.  We spend some time talking about social media for brands in 2023. Sam went to iHeart after graduation, but wanted to follow her passion for video and sports.  She leveraged connections from a previous internship to land at SNY, home of the New York Mets.   She had to rely on the adaptability she learned at Z, though, as she started in March of 2020.  She talks about how the pandemic totally changed her job, and what it's become now, in 2023. We wrap up with a story that we are pretty sure is unique in WJPZ's history - Matt and Sam getting legit married on the air, on their Valentine's Day Z Morning Zoo in 2018.  And yes, we have the audio. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page

Mon, September 18, 2023

Julie Bruno, '85. on Reconnecting as an Alum

A few days before Banquet 2023, Jag sat down with fellow Massachusetts Native Julie Bruno from the Class of 1985.   Julie's from the small town of Mansfield, and was the first in her family to go to college, and quickly went from being a big fish in a small pond to the opposite. She met people from the far away lands of Long Island and New Jersey, and learned that she (gasp) had a wicked accent.   But she had the good fortune of being friends with the coolest girl on her floor - Merry Mary Mancini.  It was easy to follow her over to WJPZ. To use Julie's own words, she was a "tertiary player" at WJPZ, but when she returned from a semester in Italy and the station went on FM, she saw just how popular WJPZ was getting.   She looks back at what that group accomplished, getting the station on FM, and can't believe what that team pulled off. Following graduation, Julie worked briefly at WXXX in Burlington, Vermont before deciding the on-air route was not for herShe went home and worked at her home town's new outdoor concert venue, Great Woods.  From there she got connected to media sales where she sold television and then radio in Boston, culminating as national sales manager for legendary rocker WBCN. Julie spends some time talking about how unique and special the WJPZ bond is.  The Banquet has reconnected her with so many classmates and helped her form relationships with folks who came up through the station after her. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, September 11, 2023

"Pop Pop" Mike Murphy, Class of 1995

(Thanks to alum and Newhouse professor Tina Perkins for editing this week's episode.) Mike Murphy, from the WJPZ Class of 1995, has gone from Z89 sports to the face of sports in the state of New Hampshire, having called multiple sports for the University of New Hampshire, minor league baseball, and more. Like many of us, when Mike found out he wasn't good at playing sports, he wanted to work in sports. So Syracuse was the obvious choice.  Soon he was auditioning for WJPZ's sports department, landing a coveted on-air gig.  He eventually worked his way up to sports director. He got married only weeks after graduation, and he tells the story of informing his bride-to-be what his first job salary would be when they moved to New Hampshire.  And yes, they are still together. Mike takes us through his journey in the Granite State, working in radio, minor league baseball, and eventually joining the staff of UNH Athletics, where he still does play by play today. And while our guest has some hilarious stories to share, we touch on some of the mistakes he made at the "world's greatest media classrom."   Mike honestly reflects on some of the things he did at the station that he still feels badly about. The big lessons, however, are network and say yes to anything.  The latter led to a couple hilarious things that happened to Mike inside the costumes of various mascots. Finally, if you're Facebook friends with Mike, you've no doubt seen the heartwarming posts with his grandson.  We had to ask "Pop Pop" about that. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, September 04, 2023

Busted Halo Producer and Cleveland Sports Vet Krista LePard, Class of 2012

Today we visit with Krista LePard, Class of 2012.  She's a Cleveland native who loves getting paid to watch sports.  And her and her husband Clay's career paths brough them  back to her hometown. Krista was more focused on TV when she got to campus, but always looked across the hall and saw how much fun Alex Brewer and the crew were having at WJPZ.  She knew she didn't want to do sports at Z89, she just wanted to have fun. This turned into airshifts and the morning show. She started dating her now husband Clay just before he graduated in December, and they had to navigate a long distance relationship that included much of the first year of their marriage, as they worked in various markets. As Fate would have it, Clay, a Massachusetts native, landed a reporter job in Cleveland, so it was time for them to be together in Northeast Ohio.    Krista was able to associate direct Indians/Guardians and Cavaliers games for what is currently Bally Sports Ohio.  She did that before and after their daughter was born.  We spend a few minutes talking about not only the changes to baseball, but the precarious financial situation that these Regional Sports Networks (RSN's) find themselves in currently. After the pandemic, Krista learned that a show she interned for, Father Dave's Busted Halo show on Sirius XM, was looking for a fully remote producer.   The work-from-home flexibility was ideal for her.  And she was the perfect fit for our most recent WJPZ Hall of Famer - as a former intern and fan of the show.    Krista tells us about the show, and puts some misconceptions about it to bed.   One thing that is true though, is the talent and relatability of Father Dave. Link to Father Dave's Episode: https://wjpzat50.simplecast.com/episodes/dave-dwyer Urgent: The University did NOT approve funding for this year's WJPZ sports staff to travel to away games, and they need your help.  You can donate here: just scroll down to WJPZ. https://bit.ly/helpz89sports The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at <a href="http://wjpzalumni.or

Mon, August 28, 2023

Pete Gianesini, '94, SU Alum Prez and Friend of WJPZ

Pete Gianesini, '94, did not technically work at WJPZ as a student.  But nobody would doubt that he's an adopted member of the Z89 family.  He's supported the station and its members from his time as a student, through his long tenure at ESPN, and now in his role as newly-elected President of the Syracuse University Alumni Association. Pete grew up in Connecticut, where his dream job was play-by-play for the Hartford Whalers.   When he got to campus, he worked at WAER, eventually doing games for the Orangemen, but he always maintained friendships with his classmates at WJPZ.   And his working at one wasn't a result of a rivalry; it was just a matter with 1990's technology, he simply didn't have the bandwidth to do both. In fact, after graduation, Pete began working for the new expansion hockey team in town, the Syracuse Crunch.  He lived right off campus, giving him access to a "super senior year" of sorts, going to games, Faegans, and hanging out with the WJPZ Class of 1995 and lifelong friends he made there. Next, Pete returned home to work in the Hartford market, and began doing part time work at fledgling ESPN radio.   He found himself at a crossroads when "The Worldwide Leader" offered him full time work.  It would mean giving up the on-air side to go into production.   He talks about that choice, but also how he was given a chance to live out a play-by-play dream, of sorts, before crossing over. Pete starting producing the overnight show on ESPN, then moved up to mornings, where he was with Mike and Mike for the majority of their run.   He then moved to the digital audio side, really ramping up ESPN's efforts in the podcasting space.  Earlier this year, Pete was part of the latest round of cuts at the company. And while he's looking for his next full-time opportunity, "Professor Pete" is teaching at nearby Qunnipiac, and diving head-first into his new role as SU Alumni Association President. Throughtout today's episode, you'll hear Pete's passion for teaching and paying it forward.   So it's no surprise he's such a great fit for our group.   It was WJPZ Alumni Alex Brewer and Molly Nelson who convinced him to come to his first Banquet in 2020, and he talks about what an amazing experience it was.    Now, when you ask him how he met a Syracuse person, he has no idea if it was as a student or an alum. As a bonus, at the end of our episode, we've included a clip from when Pete was on Jag's podcast "The Jag Show" back in 2020.  Jag asked him, in all his time at ESPN, if he'd ever been starstruck by an athlete or celeb.  It happened once, and Pete shared the story. Pete is looking for his next opportunity.   You can find him: On Twitter (or X) here: https://twitter.com/peteg860 On LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgianesinijr/ <

Mon, August 21, 2023

"Goofy" Bette Kestin, Class of 1993

"Goofy" Bette Kestin, Class of 1993, and currently Old Navy's Director of Media Strategy and Investment, is today's guest.   This New Jersey native did not join WJPZ until her junior year, but quickly made up for last time, doing everything from commercial traffic to public service.  She jokes that she did jobs "that nobody else wanted."  She was also part of a very small skeleton crew that kept WJPZ on the air during a blizzard at the end of spring break 1993. We've celebrated so many of our collective successes on this podcast, but Bette wanted to spend some time on lessons learned when things didn't go her way.   She talked about having a job offer in Las Cruces, New Mexico rescinded just before she drove out there, and a sales job that made her realize just how challenging that field can be.   However, that led her to the agency side, where she spent most of her career. When the Soviet Union collapsed, a number of Western companies saw an opportunity to expand their global footprint.  And after her agency opened a Moscow office, Bette soon had an opportunity to go to Kiev, Ukraine.  If you haven't seen her social media posts over the last 18 months about the amazing people of that country, she spends a few minutes on her experience there, and why Ukraine remains so close to her heart. After reacclimating to the West, she headed to San Francisco, before being tapped for a 3 month stint in China.  Upon her return, the dot.com bubble burst, and she came back to New York.   But when an opportunity came to return to the Bay Area, she took it, and has been there since. Five years ago, a former client reached out, and Bette found herself working for Old Navy, which eventually led her to her current position.   We spend some time on the current media landscape, and what she sees in her current media strategy role, including radio's piece of the advertising pie.  Also, how has Covid impacted Old Navy's business - as work from  home started, then evolved? And we wrap up with classic WJPZ story - the Crazy Morning Crew drinking on the air, with MADD and police officers present.   And there's a twist. (Disclaimer: The host on the board was sober, so incompliance with FCC regulations.) We asked Bette to recommend some resources to make donations to the people of Ukraine.  She gave us three, below. https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate-en/ https://prytulafoundation.org/en https://donate.wck.org/give/398293#!/donation/checkout    The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whene

Mon, August 14, 2023

Ben Green '85 On Keeping WJPZ's Teaching Legacy Alive

Today's guest is the always passsionate Ben Green, aka Ben G, aka Mr. R&B, from the Class of 1985.  He takes us from humble beginnings at Syracuse (including changing majors when he couldn't afford to rent equipment and buy film), to his tour through New York radio, through creating radio stations as a middle school educator today. At Syracuse, Ben G first went to WAER, but when the University took it over, around the time that WJPZ was preparing to go to the FM dial, it was an easy jump.  In addition to doing almost every shift on the station, and staying on campus through many holidays, Ben tells stories of doing a live New Year's Eve broadcast, the Sunday Night Love Flight, and meeting a listener when he left the station. You'll hear of the invaluable advice that Ben received from mentors - everything from networking to etiquette tips for job interviews.   It was tough love at the time that served him well. After landing a gig at WMCA, he headed over to WWRL, then WCBS AM and the new WFAN.   He handled commercial traffic and learned how to showcase his worth and get a significant raise. Ben G also spent time in television, from BET to the fledgling FOX cable network as their channels were just starting out.  Then, like our host, he was laid off right when he got married.  And similar to Jag, Ben's new wife encouraged him to pivot and follow his passion.   Ben's was for teaching. He finished his undergraduate degree and earned Masters Degree in education. This led him to a teaching career in New Jersey, where he continues to pay WJPZ lessons forward.  And that doesn't just mean he teaches kids how to speak confidently.   You'll hear how he's cultivated online radio stations for all age groups. We'd be remiss if we didn't as Ben G about one of his great passions.  The Friends of SU is an alumni organization for students of color.  He became President in the late 80's and now serves as the organization's advisor.   Ben has long been working on a podcast telling otherwise unknown stories of the Syracuse University's students of color.  He's covered everything from the Syracuse Eight - when football players protested inequality in 1969 - to the creation of SU's African American Studies program.   And when he saw a lack of representation during SU's 150th anniversary celebration, he knew he had to change that. You can learn all about the Friends of SU here: https://theofficialfriendsofsu.com/ The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/854d02d0-cddc-41af-87b5-945698c81d3f/shows/cb81209b-9d13-43da-aaf8-b84da6abeeb9/episodes/e2a0fd91-1dec-43bb-aab8-65a62b0e470a/https;//www.jagindetroi

Mon, August 07, 2023

NFL Senior Coordinating Producer Mike Konner, Class of 1995

(Disclaimer: this was recorded Tuesday after Banquet, before Jag's voice was back to full capacity.) The Super Bowl, The NFL Draft, The Combine, even The Pro Bowl.  If it's an NFL "tentpole" event, today's guest is directly involved in its planning and execution.  Mike Konner, from the illustrious Class of 1995 joins us today. A Connecticut native and baseball lover first, Mike realized in Com 107 that on-air might not be his eventual career path.  But that didn't stop him from being part of a dynamic morning show at the station alongside the likes of Chris Verlardi, Brian Gewirtz, John Beck, Steve Donovan, Mike Murphy, and more.  He also did regular jock shifts, which ended up in an aircheck session with Dion Summers that Mike still hasn't forgotten.Mike also tells the story of the Blizzard of 1993, and how karma got him on a long morning show break. When it wasn't logistically possible for MIke to intern for the Yankees radio team,  he instead did so at A Current Affair , the original tabloid TV Show.   This turned into a job after graduation, ambushing the likes of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and others.   Next, he moved to LA for the start of Access Hollywood , but the hours were worse than a WJPZ overnight. Mike followed his love for sports and ended up at Fox Sports Net, then joined the team that launched NFL Network in 2003.  Following that success, he was tapped to help launch the MLB Network in 2009.   After 8 years there, he headed back west to rejoin his NFL family.  In fact, he cites his coworkers as even more of a factor than the NFL's dominant position in sports, in the decision.   Last year, he was on the team that, along with player input, revamped the entire Pro Bowl. The WJPZ spirit of paying forward is still strong with Mike.  He give excellent career advice in this podcast, including "if you want to be on air, do it young."  (He explains why).  And we spend some time talking about the need for friendship when we all hit career setbacks.  That part of the podcast should resonate with all of us. Finally, Mike has a suggestion.  Isn't it time we did a documentary on Rick Wright? Link to Steve Donovan's episode: https://wjpzat50.simplecast.com/episodes/stephen-donovan The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:  <a

Mon, July 31, 2023

Tom Giarrosso, '84, on the Production and Comedy of the Crazy Morning Crew

Tommy Giarrosso, was one of the innovators behind the Crazy Morning Crew when WJPZ moved to the FM Dial. We start with this Syracuse native's journey to the Hill, and his involvement with UUTV and WAER.  He was there when the latter was taken over by the University and its new administrator, David Anderson.  He talks about the conflict between the students, led by Sean McDonough, and the new brass.  And while SU may have won the war, changing WAER to an NPR affiliate, Tommy talks about some great battles won in the interim.  This included trolling Anderson with a Star Wars spoof "Darth Vaderson," and an epic prank where the WAER and WJPZ students teamed up to forward all incoming dorm calls....straight to Anderson's office. Soon, Tommy brought his comedy and production talents to WJPZ, where he found passionate staff and listeners before the station even moved to the FM dial.   He talked about "hanging out with Eric Fitch" as the new equipment went into Watson.   When the inaugural Crazy Morning Crew was formed, Tommy was part of the production team that would work through the night on reel to reel machines producing bits for the next morning's show. Wouldn't you know that shortly after the Crazy Morning Crew started, top dog Y94 adopted a similar format.  You'll hear the audio of Danny the K and the WJPZ show pranking WYYY's host Big Mike live on the air, and his very NSFW reaction. Following his time at WJPZ, Tom and his fellow "Boffo Yux Dudes" continued to write comedy bits and sell them to radio syndicators across the country.  While this went on, he worked at a number of radio and television stations across New England. Currently, he works at a station in Salem, New Hampshire, and judges original content for SpinTunes.  He believes he's co-written over 100 parody songs. We close with the shared experience of WJPZ.  Tom talks about how the station provided a creative outlet for him during the passing of his father, but also the family of those who have done mornings of WJPZ.  He'd like to create a group for that subset of alumni. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/

Mon, July 24, 2023

Ryan McNaughton '96 - from small town Ohio to SU Alum Grand Poobah

Today we are joined by our first elected official - Ryan McNaughton from the Class of 1996 has been both President of the Syracuse University Alumni Association, as well as a councilman at large in his current home of Niles, Ohio.  You'll hear his passion to serve many constiuencies throughout this podcast. Ryan knew he wanted to go to Syracuse since first hearing about the school as a 15 year old in blue-collar Amherst, Ohio, outside Cleveland.  He worked toward that goal throughout high school, and thanks to some financial aid, was able to head to Syracuse.   On campus, he saw a flyer for Z89, and like many of us, immediately fell in love when he walked in. While his true passion was sports, Ryan also found a home on the Cray-Z Morning Crew.  He will tell you his transcripts will show which semeseters he was getting up at 5am, but he learned a valuable lesson about going outside your comfort zone. We uncover the fact that Ryan's voice was the first one live on The Pulse.  There was an Orangewoman basketball game to call during the winter break of the flip.  In fact, many of Ryan's fondest memories are traveling to call games all over the country, but one is also his most bittersweet.  He was on the call when Syracuse upset mighty UConn, but wait until you hear what happened 20 minutes later! Ryan's first gig out of school landed him in Michigan, but only for a few months, before the business side of the radio business interfered.  So he headed home for a number of on-air sports gigs in Cleveland, including a betting show that was way ahead of its time. Fate would bring our guest back to Syracuse though, when his wife found herself at SU working on her doctorate.  At that time, Ryan really reconnected with his passion for the Orange.   A return to Ohio would be next, and a re-invention.  Two masters degrees later, he's gone from politics to PR and communications.  You'll hear about that. Ryan shares a valuable lesson he learned at WJPZ.  When he lost the election for sports director, he had a choice to make: take his ball and go home, or stay and make the radio station the best it could be.  We're all thankful he chose the latter. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side

Mon, July 17, 2023

Kat Brady, Class of 2018, On Continuing the Teaching Legacy of WJPZ

Today's guest is Kat Brady, one of many in a long line of great station leaders in the 2010's.   This Long Island native wanted no part of going to school in her home state - she wanted to go elsewhere.  But at every turn, she kept hearing about Newhouse and SU.  And when she saw the school, her parents saw "the look" in her eyes that many of us had.   It might have helped that she was on campus on a game day. As a freshman, Kat sought out the TV station at the activities fare, but was quickly "poached" (her words) by Allie Gold, who convinced her to come check out WJPZ and welcomed her with open arms.   Kat quickly fell in love with the vibe and people, and added her name to the list of people excited to rearrange her class schedule and trek to the station at 5am to do the Z Morning Zoo.   She tells us her favorite bit, "Tool or No Tool?" Kat went abroad, but struggled with the decision to leave her Z Family for a semeter.  Next thing you know, however, she was interviewing for VP of Programming over Zoom from a coffee shop in London.  She got the gig. You'll enjoy hearing about the importance Kat placed on teaching and paying forward what she learned from those before her, what she learned as PD, and a tremendous "format flip" for April Fool's Day. Following graduation, she parlayed her former production internship at Z100 into a gig at iHeartRadio and Premiere Networks, where she further honed her skillset.   Today, Kat is the senior communications manager for the Central Park Conservancy, which runs Central Park in New York.  She handles internal and external communications, and probably has the best office view of any of our alumni.  You'll hear her love and passion for the park come through when she talks about her day-to-day.  But she credits the commnications skills she developed at WJPZ for informing everything she does in her current role. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, July 10, 2023

Brent Axe - From 89.1 The Pulse To Jim Boeheim Getting Him Fired

Today's podcast is in two parts.  In the first half hour, you'll hear Brent Axe's journey from 89.1 The Pulse summer staffer to the premiere voice in Syracuse sports coverage.   After we recorded that chat, Brent was fired from his position at Galaxy Media, which is part-owned by Jim Boeheim, ostensibly for being "too negative" in his coverage of Syracuse University sports.  Galaxy Media's owner, Ed Levine, spoke of the decision in this interview on Syracuse.com https://www.syracuse.com/orangesports/2023/03/radio-station-fires-brent-axe-for-negative-syracuse-sports-talk.html In the second half today's pod, Brent will give you his side of the story, including Ed firing him via phone the day after Boeheim's expanded role at Galaxy was announced.   The story was covered by national sports media outlets.   We asked Brent how this could have played out differently?  What if Ed and Jim had asked him to "take it down a notch?"  What if Brent and Ed had mutually agreed to part ways? This is the first place that Brent Axe has spoken at length about what happened in March.  But he ties it back around to WJPZ - mentioning how supportive the WJPZ family has been over the last several months.   And in the spirit of "The World's Greatest Media Classroom," Brent talks about the lessons learned here for other broadcasters.  Sure, we all have to "hold our nose" and support corporate initiatives, but where do you draw the line and not compromise your integrity?  When do you have to be willing to walk away?    Brent also talks about being an adjunct professor at Newhouse, and stressing to his students that there is indeed a "business" side to "the business." Brent will be releasing his own podcast in the coming months, and we'll be sure to keep you updated on that. This week, Brent created a substack.  And in his first post, he gets very raw about being fired from radio. Highly relatable to many of us.   https://brentaxe.substack.com/p/what-they-dont-tell-you-about-getting The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni ev

Mon, July 03, 2023

USA Today's Ralphie Aversa, Class of 2007

Ralphie Aversa has done a little bit of everything in this business.  His voice has been on radio stations in Syracuse, Scranton, Providence, and New York.  He's warmed up the crowd at the Billboard Music Awards, and you'll now see him hosting USA Today's Entertain This. An avid Yankees fan from Niagara Falls, Ralphie was first advised by broadcaster Michael Kay to look at Syracuse.  Fun fact: he toured the campus the day of the National Championship game against Kansas in 2003. Before he set foot on campus, an internship at Kiss FM (WKSE) in Buffalo got this sports guy interest in music radio, and he quickly found WJPZ when he got to SU.  You'll also hear how Kevin Rich, our current Alumni Association President, is a recurring character in Ralphie's journey. Already doing Z89 nights as a freshman, Rick Wright introduced Ralphie to Butch Charles, then-PD of Hot 107.9.   Ralphie talks about the tough decision to "go pro," and the advice he got on both sides before heading to WWHT. After SU, Ralphie landed a gig at WBHT in Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA.  There, he leveraged Pennsylvania's key role in the 2008 Presidential campaign to land celebrity interviews; they were part of the Obama campaign.  This got him noticed in the trades, and soon he was syndicated to Providence, Rhode Island. When Cumulus bought Citadel, the new brass were impressed with Ralphie, and soon he was off to New York to do nights on WPLJ, where he remained for several years, working as many media jobs as he could in the Big Apple. Following his run at PLJ, Ralphie worked for an internet startup, then leveraged his network to find what was next - including a make-up artist who worked miracles following a gnarly scooter accident just before a big interview.   He's now been with USA for 3 1/2 years. Throughout this episodes, you'll hear lessons Ralphie learned from many of our alumni, and we close with the story of how he got the Black Eyed Peas into Chuck's.  Yes, you read that right. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: <a href="https://wjpzalumniassociat

Mon, June 26, 2023

Beth (Russell) Gorab, Class of 1993

Beth (Russell) Gorab from the Class of 1993 was a key part of the leadership team that helped Z89 make huge waves in the Syracuse market during the "flamethrower era."   She joins us today to talk about her time at WJPZ and her career since. Believe it or not, she almost didn't go to SU, she had her heart set on another school, as she explains.  And it wasn't until sophomore year at Syracuse that she found the radio station,.  She was working diligently at UUTV and seeing how much fun they were having across the hall!   Soon she was part of a group that included Dave Roberts, Hal Rood, Dana Dieterle, Jeff Donaldson, Matt Friedman, and more.   Even though she was doing news and on air, Beth soon took over a promotions department that was at the height of its power - giving away cars, cash, and kicking 93Q's....um...butt. She was hired by Y94 and WSYR before graduation, and worked on air for a year after getting her diploma.  But when her position was eliminated, she decided she no longer wanted to pursue the on-air route.  She worked in the non-profit space for some wonderful organizations before landing at Caldwell College, now Caldwell University. She did leave for a time to work in the baseball world. which has always been a true passion for Beth.  We spend some time discussing baseball's rule changes, and her informed perspective on them. Beth also takes this opportunity to set the record straight on two stories previously told in the podcast - her being placed in a trash can, and her allegedly cracking up the station van.   You'll want to hear her side of things. More: Beth's blog, Dirt on My Diamonds, Bringing Light to the Complex Side of Youth Baseball: https://www.dirtonmydiamonds.com/ The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, June 19, 2023

A Friday Night Party Reunion 20 Years in the Making

The Friday Night Party was a long time staple of WJPZ, allowing mixers to come in and strut their stuff.  Today we revisit the 1999-2001 version of the show with three guests who've gone on to very successful careers in the music world.  From the Class of 2001, we have Mike Kruz, aka DJ Komar, as well as Adrian Arenas, DJ Double A.  They're joined by Michael Eisner, aka DJ Splyce, from the Class of 2003. Hailing from Binghamton, New York City, and Los Angeles, respectively, each of our three guests talks about ending up at Syracuse.  For Komar and Double-A, they learned from the guys before them - DJ Pass da Mic, and Spike Eskin.  And when they took over the show, they paid it forward with Splyce, who quickly impressed them both with his talent and enthusiasm. We've talked about the Ostrom House on previous epsiodes, but these three may be the only alumni that enjoyed that iteration of the station; the show was designed to sound like a party - and now it was in an off campus house, the perfect venue.   We believe all things discussed here are past their statutes of limitations. The "Triple Threat" quickly garnered a following, and routinely DJ'ed events in Syracuse at the Country Club, from end of semester bashes to Donovan McNabb's draft party.   But without the proper equipment to do a live broadcast, these three describe how they pre-recorded a show "live to tape" - a cassette tape.  You'll hear that audio. DJ Splyce is now known as "Hollywood's Disc Jockey to the Stars."   He worked hard at honing his craft and networking in Los Angeles.   A guest spot DJ'ing Larry King's party celebrating 20 years on CNN landed him an interview on the show.  From there, his career went into the stratosphere, doing gigs all over the world. Komar, now on air as Mike Kruz, has had a two decade career in radio, including 13 years in South Florida. He's currently doing afternoons on Miami's Easy 93.1.   He's DJ'ed everything from Miami Fashion week to a residency at Atlantis in the Bahamas. Adrian had a long career in entertainment, working with Tommy Mottola at Sony Music, then distributing telenovelas internationally, then for Univision, targeting their content for the US Latino audience.   But the perspective gained from the pandemic led him to pursue another passion - getting certified in life coaching. Throughout this episode, you'll hear common themes from the WJPZ at 50 podcast.   Mentoring, being kind to others, paying it forward.  This was just as true for mixshow DJ's as it was for news, sports, music, and PR.     And the lessons learned at WJPZ served each of our guests well.  And we of course close with a classic WJPZ story - when 2/3 of "the triple threat" were kicked out of the Country Club - at their own gig. More from our guests: DJ Splyce website (and the most fun sizzle reel ever): https://splyceofficial.com/ Adrian Arenas Webs

Mon, June 12, 2023

From WJPZ to Rihanna, Fall Out Boy and Lizzo - Adam Eisenberg '95

We've had podcast guests in the radio, news, and sports arenas, but today's episode features an alumnus who has spent most of his career working with artists in the record label world.     Adam Eisenberg always knew he had a passion for music.  And when he came to WJPZ his junior year, he quickly became friends with Dion Summers, Kafele Khalfani, Marvin Nugent, and so many  of the great class of 1995.He was heavily involved in the radio station, both on air and as assistant program director. Following graduation, Rocco Macri helped him get in the door at Hot 97 in New York, where he realized he had a passion for aritst relations, moreso than being on the air.   Following a stint in Baltimore living with his Cuse roommate Dion, Adam headed to LA for a record label job. In over two decades, Adam's worked with Toni Braxton to Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Lizzo, and Jack Harlow, just to name a few.  He tells a great Toni Braxton story, but he really went viral by being on Rihanna's now infamous 777 - when she did 7 concerts in 7 countries in 7 days.   Bringing a bunch of press and contest winners along seemed like a good idea at the time.... From on the label side and the artist management side, Adam credits his success to the lessons he learned at WJPZ, as you'll hear throughout this podcast.   And we pick back up on an issue raised by Adam's close friend and roommate Dion Summers in this episode - where he describes the pushback that he received as program director.  What was that like from Adam's perspective? But we can't end on such a serious note - we close with the story of Adam, Nicki Minaj, and a picture that went viral of NIcki signing the chest of a previous WJPZ at 50 podcast guest. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts. Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50 Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com. Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, June 05, 2023

Beth (Berlin) Cohen and Jana Fiorello, Class of 2002

Today's episode reunites three members of the WJPZ Class of 2002, as Jag is joined by Jana Fiorello and Beth (Berlin) Cohen. You'll hear themes of lifelong friendship here that are likely reflected in your own class. Beth originally showed up at Syracuse to audition for their musical theater program, but on her high school tour, she found herself talking to then-dean David Rubin at Newhouse about their Television-Radio-Film program.  Jana, on the other hand, always loved radio and knew that's what she wanted to pursue at SU. Beth joined the station earlier than Jana, but both were part of the freshman class that Harry Wareing created to save the station from the tumult of two format changes and receievership - you can learn more about that in his episode with Dena (Giacobbe) Laupheimer here. Soon, Beth joined Matt DelSignore and others as programming assistants.  Jana joined later and was put in charge of production, where she found herself working frequently with Beth, when she became development director.   They were at the station at a huge time for music, 1999, as you'll hear about. Junior year was the "house on Ostrom" year when Jana became VP of Programming, and her unofficial title, "party planner," began with a massive party to clean up this place the University had dumped on us. Senior year, the Class of 2002 began handing the reigns to the next generation of station leadership, but maintained a strong presence, including a donation drive after the 9/11 attacks - and a story about white butcher paper. Following graduation and some time on the record label side, Beth really found a passion working with kids and pursued a career in speech pathology, where she's been working with kids in her home state of Maryland for 17 years. Jana stayed in the WJPZ family immediately after school, going to work for Chris Bungo and Rocco Macri at Promosuite, which further stoked her passion for radio.   You'll hear about her career in the New York market, and how it eventually led to her current role as a digital content maven for political campaigns. Throughout today's episode, you'll hear about life lessons learned at the station that are still applied every day, and just how special the relationships formed are, across any number of miles. You'll also hear a hilarious small world radio story, a story about a brick of cheese, and a rare moment when Hall of Famer and classmate Matt DelSignore was angry. Mentioned in this episode: Matt DelSignore's Summer 1999 Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6HbF5OilemvmkfxePsJXbA?si=-uqR_A41ShCyM5RqAAMhfw Jana's Batcave Bangers Playlist: <a href="https://o

Mon, May 29, 2023

NPR National Correspondent Jennifer Ludden, Class of 1988

Jennifer Ludden, Class of 1988, has had an incredible radio reporting career.  And it all started at WJPZ.  This Tennessee native was recruited by "dorm mom" Sue Mandel (now Weingarten) to come "get a tour" of the radio station.  Next thing you know, Jennifer was doing news, as well as music and morning show shifts.     After a summer working back home, she returned as a sophomore and quickly released that southern accent needed to go, particularly if she wanted to fulfill her dream of working in New York City, which she did after graduation.   Despite a myriad of other interests, Jennifer had a roommate with NPR experience.  Thanks to Rob Weingarten , Jennifer was able to make a demo tape and land a gig at Maine Public Radio.   Soon she learned French and headed to Montreal, where she freelanced.  And her bilingual abilities took  her West Africa in the mid-nineties.   She tell us some pretty incredible war-zone stories from there, as well as her time in Jerusalem covering the Middle East.   (Spoiler: don't wear a bullet proof vest while pregnant.)   After starting a family, Jennifer and her husband returned to the US, where she has covered many important national stories from NPR.   She does an excellent job giving us quick explainers on complex topics, including immigration, the decline of marriage, housing, climate change, and economic inequality.   We close with Jennifer's advice to current students and young reporters: no matter what subject you're covering, it's all about the people.   And that's true regardless of the medium you're working in.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50   Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, May 22, 2023

Man vs Food, Downton Abbey, and AARP with Jeffy K, Class of 2006

In our large group of friendly, outgoing people, Jeffy K is truly a standout.  This 2006 alum sits down with us  today to talk about his journey from Western Massachusetts to Syracuse, then his roles at The Travel Channel, PBS, and AARP. And you'll love how he and classmate T.J. Basalla still manage to endlessly needle each other, 17 years after graduating.   Jeff actually planned on going to Boston University, until he saw the Syracuse campus and fell in love.  And it was at an accepted students day in the Carrier Dome that he found out about Z89, from a well-known 2002 alum, Brett Bosse.   Upon his arrival on campus, Jeff immediately found the radio station, where he was greeted by Josh Wolff.  Soon, he had an overnight shift.  But Jeffy's real passion was the Z Morning Zoo - a place to try test his comedy chops and see how far they could go with different bits.  He even tells the story of a bit they did with Jason Benetti, then a sports guy, who has gone on to great success in the industry.   Following a radio internship, Jeff realized he didn't want to pursue this as a career.  So he followed his passions for travel and marketing, and got his masters degree in international marketing from St. Joe's.  But it was Syracuse connections that would land him jobs after that.   Jeff spent several years at the Travel Channel in the late 2000's, helping mold their social media strategy, and working on well-known shows like Man vs. Food.   From there, he went to PBS distribution, where he had to navigate international copyright laws to make sure the smash hit Downton Abbey was released to many different countries on time.   Now, Jeff is at AARP, which might surprise you for a not-yet-40 year old.  However, he leverages all of his marketing experience  to work for their rewards program, which is open to all ages.  They are doing something better than radio is.   They realize their population is aging, so they are recruiting younger.   There are countless inside jokes among various classmates in our vast group.   But there may not be anything like the tormented relationship between Jeffy K and T.J. Basalla.  We get just a small sample of the ways they continue to torture each other, a decade  and a half later.       But it's not all ball-busting.  Sitting near the mid-point of the 50 year history of the station, he talks about real relationships he's built with older alumni (Scott MacFarlane, Mary Mancini, Chris Velardi), but also younger ones (Jeff Kurkjian, Eva Zymaris, Corey Crockett).   We wrap up by asking Jeff if the rumor is true - is he really the heir to the Friendly's ice cream fortune? The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new epi

Mon, May 15, 2023

Melody and Baymes, Class of 2020

Melody Emm and James "Baymes" Grundy are the most recent WJPZ couple in our history, and today we learn about their significant contributions to the radio station.   Baymes, a New Jersey native, toured SU on the recommendation of his high school English teacher, and fell in love with the campus the moment he arrived.   Melody has a unique origin story in the radio station's history.  Her Mom, while in high school, was a frequent WJPZ contributor, though never in an official capacity.   Folks like JD Redman and Mark Zimmerman would utilize her for bits and jingles and more.  She joined Z the moment she got to campus, and it wasn't until she and Baymes started dating that she recruited him to join.   Today, you'll hear the cringe-worthy story of their disastrous first date, and how Fate brought the two of them back together later.   Their tenure at Z involved some significant moments in the station's history. Melody was on staff when the signal was upgraded to 1,000 watts.  She then became VP of Programming and General Manager.   She had to hand-schedule music for 10 months due to a G-Selector issue, and was GM in 2020 when COVID hit.  She had to hand the reigns to Kyle Leff and work out a succession plan in those "unprecedented times."   And unfortunately, for so many in the Class of 2020, this meant being robbed of their final shows on Z89.   Baymes spent quite a bit of time on-air with Z Morning Zoos.   But he really found a passion for production and more "behind-the-scenes" work.   You'll hear some samples of that work in today's episode.   In fact, when he was looking at options after graduating, he decided to pursue a masters from SU.   And honestly, additional years of "eligibility" at WJPZ may have played into that decision.   His production chops have made him quite a help in the production of the WJPZ podcast, having collaborated with JAG on both this show and various client work.   Throughout today's episode, you'll hear some themes that have been recurring over the last half-century, including the passion to pay it forward, and what a family WJPZ is. The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50   Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the pa

Mon, May 08, 2023

Hall of Famer Rusty Berrell, Class of 1986

Hall of Famer Rob, aka Rusty the Bailiff, Berrell hopped in his truck to spend a few minutes with us today.     Doing his research on the best communications schools in the country, this Fargo kid soon found himself at Syracuse, and then WJPZ just in time for the move to FM.  During his time at the station, Rusty did a little bit of everything, as Chief Announcer and eventually station and general manager.     There's now quite the Berrell family legacy at Syracuse.  Not only did Rusty meet his wife Karen on campus, both of their kids went to school at SU, following in their parents' and uncle's footsteps.   We spend some time talking about the unique experience of sharing a similar college experience with your children.   Following graduation, Rusty worked on air in North Dakota and Maine, before heading back west to Minnesota.  Eventually, Rob made the transition to radio sales, where he worked for several major radio station in Minneapolis, including the legendary KDWB.   After a long run in radio, Rusty saw that the industry is changing, and he joined Ron Schara productions, an outdoor television production company.  We talk about how his experiences at WJPZ and in commercial radio come into play every day in his current role.   He's been there for nine years. (Thanks to WJPZ Alum and Newhouse Professor Tina Perkins for editing this episode.)   Rusty was gracious and willing to talk about the bombing of Pan Am 103 in 1988.  35 Syracuse University students were killed on that flight, including Rusty's brother, WJPZ staffer Steven Berrell.  When it happened, Rusty was a morning show host in Augusta, Maine.  He told us how he found out, and we gives credit to the US government and Syracuse University for pursuing justice and honoring the victims' memories, 34 years later.   When I asked Rusty to wrap up with a funny story, he talked about someone in station management who really wanted to be on the air, but didn't necessarily have the chops.     Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, May 01, 2023

Sirius XM and Fox Sports' Rich Davis, Class of 2001

Being successful in "The Business," or any business for that matter, requires a combination of passion, hard work, a little bit of luck, and treating others well.  Today's guest personifies all of that.   Rich Davis from the Class of 2001 has been at SiriusXM almost since the beginning of satellite radio.  He's also hosted talk shows, podcasts, and now has a daily show on Fox Sports Radio with his business partner and cohost, Steve Covino.   A Long Island native, Rich tells the story of how his high school principal challenged him to go to Syracuse, and not stay at home.  And Rich's story of finding WJPZ may be one of the more unique ones we've heard yet.   It involves breaking up with his high school sweetheart.   When Rich walked in to Z89, folks like Harry Wareing and Matt DelSignore were there, and the then-sophomore was immediately taken by the station.  He soon gobbled up every on-air shift he could (starting as "Dickie V"), and made a name for himself.   Eventually the folks at Hot 1079 noticed him, and he began getting commercial radio experience.   Soon, he was sending tapes out to every station he could find in the top 50 markets, and spending a summer interning for Scott Shannon at WKTU-New York.   Rich tells the bold story of how he moved up from t-shirt folding to becoming Scott Shannon's "personal intern," what that involved, and Scott eventually introducing him to Kid Kelly.  Kid was helping run Z100 at the time, and began frequently airchecking Rich.   They'd chat weekly, and one night, Kid asked Rich to come down to New York and do a weekend overnight on Z100.   He was off and running.   Today's guest will tell you that historically, he doesn't say "no" often.  In fact, his ambitious schedule of being a full time student, working at Hot, and moonlighting at Z100 and Q102 in Philly eventually got him fired in Syracuse, "in the most hilarious way possible."   Following his time at Syracuse, Rich continued to be a utility player at Z100, until Billy Hammond was let go as the night guy.  Rich was tapped to fill in for a "couple weeks" which turned into a couple years .   Eventually they brought in a new night guy, and Rich was back to late nights, trying to figure out what was next, maybe even a move out of radio.   Kid Kelly, at that point in 2004, had moved on to something called "Sirius Satellite Radio," which was actually a punch line to many industry people at the time.   But he recruited Rich to do music and talk shows, and soon the format took off.   Now, he's on many different stations, where you'll never hear him mail in a break.  Why?  Insecurity.  Rich explains.   After COVID and some cutbacks, Rich managed to avoid a non-compete and started fill-in work at Fox Sports, eventually parlaying that into a daily show with Steve Covino, which you can hear weekdays 5-7pm Eastern. <a href="https://foxsportsradio.iheart.c

Mon, April 24, 2023

Fantasy Guru Matthew Berry '92 - From WJPZ to Hollywood to ESPN and NBC

Today's guest needs no introduction for the sports fans in our group.  Matthew Berry, Class of 1992, is now a central part of NBC Sports NFL coverage, following a 15 year run at ESPN where he found a niche as the fantasy sports expert.   But we start with Matthew's time in Syracuse.  He was multi-platform before it was cool - writing a humor column for the Daily Orange, and working on a sitcom at UUTV before joining the Cray-Z Morning Crew at WJPZ.  At Z89 he worked with Kendall B, Adam Shapiro, and Chris Lindsay.  We go back to some of his favorite bits.   When he graduated, Berry went to Hollywood to pursue a screenwriting career, with his writing partner and classmate Eric Abrams.  We go through their journey of writing for George Carlin, Kirk Cameron, and eventually, the final season of Married With Children.   As fantasy sports grew in the late 1990's, Matthew leveraged his Hollywood experience to land a writing gig for a website.  Soon, he was thinking much more about fantasy sports than television and movie scripts.   He found a niche for himself and hustled, soon building his own website and being his own publicity machine.   He worked his way onto the air on ESPN Radio Los Angeles, and over to several other ESPN properties before finally getting an offer to become the Fantasy Expert at The Worldwide leader.   Berry spent 15 years at ESPN, becoming a household name.  But a year ago, he left ESPN and moved over to NBC Sports.  He candidly discusses the two main reasons he switched  networks.   Throughout this episode, you'll hear some great advice from one of our most successful alumni.  Matthew offers networking tips, talks about hustle, and the need to sometimes "fake it til you make it."   We also chat about his experience returning to Syracuse to keynote the Banquet several years ago.   At Faegan's, he went from flip night participant to the center of attention.   But he'll be quick to tell you, his beer pong skills remain as strong as ever.   More:  Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life Website: https://www.fantasylife.com/ Matthew's Book, Fantasy Life can be found on Amazon here .   Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:   jag@jagindetroit.com.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  

Mon, April 17, 2023

The Women Running WJPZ in 2023- Grace Denton and Maddie Doolittle

If you've got a backlog of several episodes of this podcast to listen to, we highly recommend you bump today's to the top of your list.   If you were in Syracuse for this year's Banquet, you heard from two of the all-female leadership team of WJPZ: General Manager Grace Denton and VP of Programming (and Lock Award winner!) Maddie Doolittle.  Both women are Class of 2024 and were excited to sit down for a wide ranging conversation about where WJPZ sits now, in 2023.   We start with a bit of background.  Grace (from New Jersey) and Maddie (western Massachusetts) graduated high school in 2020.  That means they started their Syracuse careers at the height of the pandemic, masked up, attending classes over Zoom, and unable to discover Z89 in the sense many alumni did.  Both of them, quite candidly, discuss the temptation to transfer out of SU.   Grace joined the station her very first semester, after meeting then-GM Kyle Leff at an information fair at Newhouse.  Soon she got involved with the station's social media - as one of the few things she could easily do during COVID.   In the Spring of 2021.  Maddie went to an online info session for the station led by  Kyle. And she started training hybrid - both online and at the station.    When Grace and Maddie's sophomore year started in the Fall of 2021, the campus was starting to open back up.  There was a pent-up energy to get out and participate in campus activities, and interest in Z89 was booming.   Soon Grace was managing social media and Maddie was music director.  As exec staff members, they quickly identified the need to make connections with everyone at the station and turn recruits into active station staffers .  They both discuss the importance of fostering a welcoming environment.   We have a very frank conversation about WJPZ's place in the current media landscape of 2023.  Station leadership is well aware that students who don't have cars are not spending the same time with 89.1 FM, or even the station stream, as previous generations.  And while the on-air product remains important, Grace and Maddie see the station's brand as equally, if not more crucial.   This has turned into the station associating itself with University Union for on-campus concerts and events, concerts and ticket giveaways for venues all over town, and a robust presence across social media.    In fact, the students credit recent alumni like Matt Gehrig and Allie Gold, who run social media for MTV and Elvis Duran respectively, for showing them out to create a brand personality on social.   Maddie and Grace were also very willing to talk about their place as an all-female leadership team of WJPZ.  If we're being honest, the station and alumni base are dominated by white men.  And while we are taking steps to be more inclusive i

Bonus · Fri, April 14, 2023

Quick Announcements: Our Email List, Award Nomination, and Upcoming Guests

Hey, it's Jag.  Thanks as always for listening to the WJPZ at 50 podcast.  Couple quick notes for you.  As I mentioned, we are releasing new episodes every Monday.  Hopefully by now you've subscribed in Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or your podcast app of choice.  But if you'd like a quick email when we release new episodes, we can do that for you (and no, we won't spam you).  Just sign up at JAGinDetroit.com/WJPZat50 - or just click the link in today's show notes.   Quick shoutout to podcast guest Stacey Simms, who nominated us for a Quill podcast award.  If you wouldn't mind taking a moment to nominate WJPZ at 50 for best new podcast, there's also a link in our show notes for that.  And while you're there, if you want to help out a WJPZ family member, feel free to nominate Stacey's show, Diabetes Connections, under Health and Wellness.  You don't have to fill out every category, just the ones you want: https://www.quillpodcasting.com/qpa/quill-podcast-awards    I'm really excited about our next few episodes.   THIS Monday, April 18th, we've got the current GM and PD of WJPZ - Grace Denton and Maddie Doolittle from the Class of 2024.  Hopefully you got to meet them in person at this year's Banquet and be as impressed by them as I was.   If not, you'll love hearing what great hands the station is in.      Monday April 25th, ahead of the NFL Draft, we've got fantasy guru Matthew Berry, formerly of ESPN and now NBC Sports.  And Monday May 1st, we've got Rich Davis from the Class of 2001.  Between all the music stations he's on with SiriusXM, and his new gig at Fox Sports Radio, chances are you'll recognize his voice very quickly.   Finally, I want to talk about who qualifies for a guest on this show.  Because we are, as a group, so modest, I've had folks do a double-take when I've asked them to come on.  This isn't the top 50 or top 100 alumni of the radio station.  You don't have to have worked in radio professionally, or even media at all.   The goal of WJPZ at 50 is to chronicle the history of the world's greatest media classroom.  They only prerequisite for guests it that they worked at WJPZ.  If you know someone who'd like to be on the show, please have them reach out to me.   JAG@JAGinDetroit.com .   Thank you, once again, for your tremendous support of this project - whether you've streamed a couple episodes, or shared some kind words.  We are now over 6,200 downloads and still going strong.    Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, April 14, 2023

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Mon, April 10, 2023

Sue Mandel and Rob Weingarten,'85, a Match Made at WJPZ

Note: Thanks to Newhouse Professor Tina Perkins, WJPZ Class of 1993, for editing this episode of the pod.   Sue Mandel and Rob Weingarten may be the first marriage to come out of WJPZ.  Members of the Class of 1985, they met on campus when they realized they went to rival high schools.  In fact, in Sue's pictures of her high school boyfriends playing sports - Rob's often in the picture as the opponent!   35 years, several moves, and two kids later, he's still in the picture.   Today's WJPZ power couple were station leaders when we went to the FM dial.  Sue's news department covered everything from the AIDS epidemic to the Grand Slam murder in Syracuse - yes, we have another Denny's reference in this episode.  Rob's sports staff covered everything they could - including the high school basketball games of Felisha Legette-Jack, now the head coach of the Syracuse Women's team.   Sue decided she did not want to pursue the on-air route, so she got into the sales side of things, working remotely waaay before it was en vogue.  Rob's sports career included work at WFAN, and helming sports stations in DC, St. Louis, and Tampa.   He also began traveling for work - commuting to some of these gigs from Florida....as these Syracuse grads quickly fell in love with the Tampa climate.   Now, Rob works for the Gem Shopping Network - serving high end clientele with the hosting skills he first honed at WJPZ.   And you won't want to miss the story of an on-campus concert with James Brown, and what that had to do with New York State raising the legal drinking age to 21.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, April 03, 2023

Andrew Scaglione, 2016, on Calling the National Title Game

Andrew Scaglione, Class of 2016, knew about WJPZ long before he was a student.  That's because his father is a longtime friend of Hall of Famer Danno Wolkoff.  In fact, Andrew's parents actually met at the Wolkoff wedding!   Today's guest dove headfirst into student media when he got to campus, working at WJPZ, WAER, and Citrus TV.   He did exclusively sports at Z89, slowly rising through the ranks to Orangewomen play by play.   In fact, he missed the 2016 Banquet because he was on the road calling the women's Final Four, the year that both the men and women made it.  He tells how the station came together, all hands on deck, to create a ton of bonus content for a team that would wind up playing in the National Championship game.  (You'll hear the audio of Andrew's final call of Syracuse's victory in the Final Four).   You'll also hear audio of a Z89 Sports Update, where Andrew covered another historical event, near and dear to our 2010's alumni: Z89's victory over Citrus TV in the first ever Watson Cup kickball game.  Yes, it was the full 89 (ish) second sports update, and we have the whole thing - no regrets.   Following Syracuse, Andrew went on to cover the Arkansas Razorbacks and high school sports in Fayetteville, before following his wife to Cleveland.  There he reconnected with Danno and began working in affiliate relations for Envision Radio Networks.   Today, he works for a cloud-based radio automation company called Radio Cloud.  He explains what they do, and his current perspective on the industry.   (Note: Thanks to Newhouse Professor Tina Perkins, WJPZ Class of 1993, for guest editing today's episode.)   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, March 27, 2023

How This Podcast Landed Jason Palladino, 1997, a New Gig

Jason Palladino, aka Jay Sweet, from the Class of 1997, always approaches a new gig with a sense of fearlessness.  So it's no surprise that he would be our first alumnus to land a new job because of the WJPZ at 50 podcast.  More on that later in the episode.   As a Solvay native, SU was always on Jay's radar.  As the first of his immediate family to go to college, he was actually in pre-med, before the media bug bit him thanks to WJPZ.  Soon, he took on the roles of assistant music director and morning show co-host, among others.   In fact, with the motto of "I'll sleep when I'm dead," Jay pulled an insane schedule for awhile - doing nights and overnights at WHEN radio, then coming up the Hill to be on Z89's morning show.  After awhile, something had to give, and he parted ways with WHEN.   So naturally his next move was to pester the program director at (then separately owned) WSYR and see what he could land there.   As he got more opportunities there, it seemed the right time to leave WJPZ.   After hitting a ceiling at WSYR, Jay wanted to do more.  So he packed up and headed to New York to work in operations for Westwood One.  In fact, WJPZ connections helped him easily land the gig.   But 9/11 really affected him, and he needed to return home to Central New York.  This time it was for television, helping build News 10 Now, the 24 hour news station in Syracuse.   Next, Jay takes us through his career from Albany to Orlando.    Next, he'd pack up his wife and five kids for a return to New York, before heading back south to Atlanta.   We had to edit out the part of this podcast where Jay talks about how great his gig is in Atlanta and how he doesn't plan on leaving, because that's just what happened.  Jay heard John Ferracane's episode of this podcast, talking about needing help at News Nation, the new 24 hour cable news channel.   Jay thought he and John could form a partnership or pipeline for off-air talent.  But the next thing you know, Jay was flying to Chicago to interview for an operations manager role.   In telling the story, we hear a lesson about finding an employer that knows your value and worth.   To wrap up, we bring it back around to the WJPZ lessons that have served Jay well in his career, and a hilarious morning show prank of our own Neon Dion Summers.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wj

Mon, March 20, 2023

Christy (Ogonis) Vincent, Class of 2005

Today's guest is an all-star in the worlds of business, digital, and all things WJPZ.   Christy Vincent (nee Ogonis), from the Class of 2005 arrived on campus with a passion for music, but it was at an activity fair that Brett Bosse recruited her to come to the news department he was rebuilding at WJPZ.   Christy started doing news updates, but after working with Josh Wolff on the Z Morning Zoo, became fully hooked on the morning show, eventually becoming Zoo Producer on the executive staff.   As a freshman attending her first Banquet, Christy quickly learned about the resource that is the WJPZ Alumni Association.  Brian Lapis connected her with a (paid!) internship as an undergrad at ClearChannel in Springfield, Massachusetts.  And today's guest had a job before she graduated - thanks to Rocco Macri and Chris Bungo at PromoSuite.   Taking what she learned at WJPZ, Christy stacked up what she learned every time she took a new position.  Today she takes us through her journey from PromoSuite to eMusic to SiriusXM, and eventually Facebook/Meta.   She learned about customer service and retention, and a ton about digital marketing.   You'll hear her passion for educating small businesses about the space - it's not just a playground for multi-million dollar companies.   In fact, as of this recording, Christy is looking for a new role - so don't be afraid to reach out!   We close with some WJPZ memories.   Christy was shrewd enough to have Public Safety's escort service take her to the station at 5am.  But rolling down frat row in the back of a cruiser at that time may have given some folks the wrong idea.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, March 13, 2023

Katz Media's Scott Taylor, Class of 1993

Today's episode is a great listen if you've ever been interested in sales or the ad rep side of things.  Scott Taylor, Class of 1993, has been at Katz Media for his entire 30 year career, since graduation.   We start with him following Larry Barron, Scott Meach, and Guy Cacciarelli, on the Michigan-to-Syracuse pipeline.  So, he already knew about WJPZ when he got to campus.   And while he started on overnights like many of us, sales soon caught his attention.  This was especially true when  Kelly Sutton and station management instituted a commission structure. He could make money for something he was already finding a passion for!   Scotty T served as VP of Business while his close friend Dave Gorab was General Manager.  They were part of the team that stayed in Syracuse in the summer of 1992, giving away a convertible at the Great New York State Fair - the flamethrower days.   Scott thought he had his first job lined up several months before graduation.  He was going to follow Kelly, Ken Scott, and Henry Ferri to Buffalo to do radio sales.   But when Lynn Vanderhoek strongly encouraged him to meet with Katz Media at the CNY Consortium, his future changed.    Several WJPZ'ers went to Katz Media in New York and found themselves in a slightly awkward situation.   Because of their experience at Z89, they were hired as Account Executives, supervising sales assistants who were older than them!   Scotty walks us through his three-decade career at Katz - heading out to Chicago, then back to New York, and finally back to the Windy City, where he is now.    And he talks about the lessons he learned at WJPZ, including how to be a good manager, that he still employs today.   Recently, Scott started focusing 100% on digital ad revenue, which served as a great jumping off point for us to discuss the future of radio, digital audio, and where they merge.  He's hoping to return to Syracuse for Banque 2024, and we can't wait to have him.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.   Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, March 06, 2023

Dr. David Crider, Pulse Summer Staffer

For our first post-Banquet podcast, we get a fresh perspective today.  Dr. David Crider, now a professor at SUNY-Oswego, was a high-school summer staffer at WJPZ during The Pulse years.   It was the foundational knowledge he learned under the staff there that led him to a career in radio, then higher education.  He now advises the student-run station at Oswego, WNYO.   As a student at West Genny, David learned that then-Z89 was looking for break staffers to keep the station on the air when the SU students went home.  He quickly joined up, learning from the outgoing Class of 1995 - folks like Dion Summers, Jeff Rossen, and others.  Soon, David was doing sports updates and on-air DJ shifts.  He was learning from others like Scott MacFarlane and Jason Palladino, who he'd become great friends with.   While the flip to the Pulse came as a surprise, it really got David excited, as the station was aligning with his own musical tastes.  Soon, he and Brent Axe were doing a morning show together, Live and Loud in the Morning.  He was also doing overnights (for break staffers that was the full midnight to 6:00AM), including New Year's Eve/Day.   When it came time to go to college, David went to school that had its own radio station, Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania.   Following WJPZ's flip back to Z89, David was able to keep the Pulse brand alive, albeit a bit further south.  When WQSU flipped from block format to alternative, they became 88.9 The Pulse.   Today's guest spent several years in radio, interning for Brent Axe in Utica and working in Syracuse at WSYR with Alex Silverman.  In between, he worked in Pennsylvania radio in several different gigs, which he takes us through.   When he tired of the radio industry in a professional sense, David decided to pursue a career in higher education.  This led him back home to Newhouse, where he got his Masters.  So his time at Z89 and his time getting a Syracuse diploma were a decade apart.  He later got his doctorate from Temple University, before joining the faculty at SUNY Oswego.   As the faculty advisor to WNYO, Dr. Crider constantly draws on what he learned at WJPZ, as he explains.   Like many of our episodes, today's includes a funny story from a New York State Fair broadcast - this one involving a stolen picnic bench and Governor Pataki's security detail.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon "JAG" Gay, Class of 2022, and his company JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, March 03, 2023

Interviewing our Host: Jon "JAG" Gay, Class of 2002

Today, we turn the tables on our host and put Jon "JAG" Gay, from the Class of 2002, in the hot seat.  Doing the honors is his classmate and one of this year's Hall of Fame inductees, Matt DelSignore.   Matt starts by asking Jag about the WJPZ at 50 Podcast, how the idea started, and what he's learned by hosting it.  From there, we turn to Jag's time at Syracuse and WJPZ.  His story is very similar to many previous podcast guests. He got to Syracuse wanting to be a sportscaster, but didn't really find his tribe until he started at Z89.    At WJPZ, Jag had several exec staff positions, including Chief Announcer and VP of Operations the year we were in the Ostrom House.  Matt also asks Jag about the 9/11 broadcast that we discussed on a previous episode.     We retrace Jag's steps through a terrible internship at Kiss 108, his first part time job in Providence, Rhode Island, then his full-time on-air career in Burlington Vermont, Detroit, New Orleans, and back to the Motor City.   It shouldn't surprise you to hear he had a lot of help from JPZ'ers along the way.   Following his last radio layoff a week after he got married, Jag was a newlywed with no job and potentially facing a career change.  He credits his wife Ellen for encouraging him to start his podcast business, which he's grown since its inception in 2018.     We close on a really personal topic.   JAG's Syracuse roommate and best friend, Bill Leaf, was killed by a drunk driver in 2006, at age 25.  Bill was also a summer Z89 staffer.   Jag talks about his passion for both honoring Bill's memory and speaking out against the dangers of drunk driving.   This episode was produced and edited by JAG in Detroit podcasts - learn more at https://jagindetroit.com/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Thu, March 02, 2023

Lauren (Levine) Corriher, Class of 2010

Lauren (Levine) Corriher grew up in Syracuse and in radio.   Her father Ed owns radio stations in Syracuse and Utica, and Lauren was listening to WJPZ on the bus to and from middle school.   In fact, 13 year old Lauren was recalling a great Z Morning Zoo bit around the dinner table, and she didn't believe her father when he told her the station was run by SU students.   That couldn't be, she thought.  They sound just as good as 93Q and Hot 1079!    (Editor's note: damn right we did, if not better.)   After spending her first 18 years in Central New York, Lauren really planned on going to school elsewhere.  But the more she learned about SU, Newhouse, and WJPZ, she ended up on campus 30 minutes from home.  And while many of alumni got a fresh perspective on the Salt City after graduation, Lauren had the opposite experience.  She went from high school trips to Carousel Mall to the bubble of the SU Hill.  She explains.   At Z, she was an integral part of the executive staff, always being part of station management.  And she started the Red Carpet Report, an entertainment report that still lives on at Z89, over a decade later.   Following graduation, Lauren followed her writing for passion, which eventually led her to Charlotte, North Carolina.   The adjustment from Northern snow to Southern cockroaches was difficult, but she soon thrived - meeting her husband there and continuing a successful writing career.   She also reconnected with classmate (and former podcast guest) Mike Couzens, who lives nearby.   Lauren and Jag talk about the culture of Z89, and how it allows for a common bond between folks, no matter what their age.  The accepting environment means if you meet someone from the station, it's an instant connection.   And we close with the story of Lauren's first break on Z89....and a story that may ring familiar to many of us.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon "JAG" Gay, Class of 2022, and his company JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, March 01, 2023

Chris Velardi - WJPZ Class of 1995 turned SU Employee

Chris Velardi, Class of 1995, is the Director of Digital Engagement and Communications of SU's Office of Alumni Engagement.  He joins us today to walk us through his time from Connecticut to Syracuse to Connecticut to Syracuse.   Chris got to SU from the Nutmeg State, like many of us, wanting to be a sportscaster.  He quickly found a job in the Carrier Dome.   When that, um, changed, he found WJPZ.  There, he earned the nickname "The Weasel," because he weaseled his way into every aspect of the station, wanting to get as involved as possible.   Following graduation, Chris worked in radio news in Ithaca, before transitioning to TV.  His next move was a dream job - being a morning anchor in his home state.   In fact, he stayed there for a decade and a half.  Then, he and his family decided it was time for a change.  We spend some time talking about the difficulties of moving out of TV and radio.   In fact, it's a topic Velardi has counseled many WJPZ alumni on.   Like many media folks, Chris first tried PR - but didn't have the same passion.  Then, through his network (he likes network as a noun but hates it as a verb), he came upon a job opportunity at his alma mater.  Next thing you know, he and his family were headed to Central New York, where he gets to play host at Banquet every year.   Velardi credits his time at WJPZ for teaching him out to multitask, as well as how to hear and understand different perspectives.  And you won't want to miss this story.  You'll find out why, 30 years later, he still gets screen shots whenever someone hears En Vogue.   The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon "JAG" Gay, Class of 2022, and his company JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Tue, February 28, 2023

Hall of Famer Carl Weinstein ('88) and son Cole ('21)

As we count down to Banquet, we've got a special episode of the podcast today.  WJPZ Hall of Famer Carl Weinstein, Class of 1988 joins us along with his sole Cole, who followed in his WJPZ footsteps and just graduated in 2021.   Carl talks about discovering Syracuse as a journalism school and getting to WJPZ shortly before the moved over to the FM dial.  He went from news to on-air to program director.   And later in the episode, we'll hear him talk about the move to the CHR Power  Hits format.  It was a collaborative decision between station management.   And staying true to the station's mission, eliminating block programming, meant giving up funding from the University.  All of a sudden, the station had to be self sufficient, and it was a learning process.   After graduation, Carl followed Rocco Macri to Hot in New York.  Then, the company bought the Seattle Mariners, and chose several staff to head west and help run the baseball team.   Carl fell in love with Seattle - after all, the 90's were a great time to be there with the growth of Microsoft, Amazon, and more.   And the entrepreneurial spirit was contagious, leading Carl to work with several startups over the next 25 years or so, including most recently with the Locked On Sports Network .    Cole grew up hearing about Syracuse all the time, of course.  And as he gained more of an interest in sports, it became clear that Syracuse was where he wanted to go.  Today's guests tell a great story about having the same reaction upon visiting the campus, three decades apart.   At SU, Cole realized he had to differentiate himself from everyone else who wanted to be the next Colin Cowherd.   He did this by really focusing on his interviewing skills, networking and getting to know athletes.  During COVID, with everyone working virtually, he was editing highlights for NFL media while still a student.  He parlayed that gig into a job for the Chargers, where he did a podcast series on LaDainian Tomlinson.  Now, he's with Fox Sports, having recently worked on the World Series, World Cup, and Super Bowl.   Despite his passion for sports, Cole really enjoyed his time on the Z Morning Zoo, and has some fond memories to share, including an unintentionally hilarious moment where he didn't follow his own advice of "always do your research."   Throughout this episode, you'll hear the special dynamic of a father and son's shared experience, and how that feels from both sides.   Cole's series Running for History    Through the Uprights   This episode was produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his company <a href="https://

Mon, February 27, 2023

Stephen "Tex" Kurtz, Class of 2005

There are a number of people, on the technical side, that have worked tirelessly to keep our radio station going for half a century.  Over the last 20 years though, Stephen "Tex" Kurtz is at the top of that list. Born in raised in Dallas, he wanted something different.  And having spent some time in upstate New York as a kid, he liked the area.  And when he toured the campus, despite the fact that Z89 was broadcasting from the Ostrom house that year, he immediately fell in love with the people and spirit of WJPZ. Since he was a kid, Stephen has wanted to know how things work.  And new studio was still being finished when he entered as a freshman.  This was a perfect opportunity for him to jump in and work with John Ferracane, Rob Crandall, and others on putting things together.  This included, for the first time, running the radio station from a computer. Ever heard of Jazler? You will. Eventually, the man they call Tex tired of all the snow, and headed home to Dallas to finish school.  But he was never far - always on call for the students.  And he returned with John, Rob, and Alex Silverman to help do another studio rebuild a decade after the previous one.  You'll hear more details about this in episodes with outgoing GM Liz Doyon and incoming GM Corey Crockett , but this group managed to build a radio station in a week and get it on the air. Stephen cites that new studio rebuild, and the upgrade to a 1,000 watt transmitter as two of the technical achievements he's most proud of.   But of course, lessons from JPZ extent much further.   He says that WJPZ taught him you can work with your friends, and how it can be done. Since returning to Dallas, Stephen did some major market radio work in his hometown, before moving to the IT world, and eventually starting his own company, Total IT, in 2009. And while he does a lot of work in that sector, Tex also works with - you guessed it - radio stations, marrying both of his passions. We close with a couple of funny stories from Stephen's time at the station, including Peterman knocking us off the air - with his rear end - and a funny moment at Josh Wollf's expense at Chili's on Erie Boulevard. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Bonus · Sat, February 25, 2023

A Short Message from Jag

Email Jag: jag@jagindetroit.com Hey everyone, it’s Jag with a couple of quick announcements about the podcast. First and foremost, I can’t thank you enough for your incredible support of this project. Thank you to those who have come on the show, those of you who have listened and shared it, everyone who has helped me put this together, and anyone who’s dropped me a nice message about it.  And a special thanks to two folks who aren’t in our podcast credits.  Matt Friedman, who posts the teasers for each episode to our WJPZ alumni Facebook page and has connected me with so many of our great alumni. And Josh Wolff, who hooked me up with many of our more recent alums. I originally planned on doing 50 episodes of the show to commemorate 50 years of WJPZ, but the response was overwhelming – far beyond anything I could have ever expected We’ve got over SEVENTY interviews either recorded or scheduled, and I assume more to come after Banquet.  If you have any additional guests for the show – have them reach out to me – my email address is in this episode’s show notes. That said, we are going to change up the release schedule.   One of the reasons I wanted to do this show was to build excitement for the upcoming Banquet.  So for the week leading up to the event, we’ll be releasing a new interview every weekday. Once we all head home from Syracuse, though, this podcast will pull back to a once-a-week schedule, with new episodes dropping every Monday.   Simply put, while this has been a labor of love, it’s been a lot of labor and a lot of love, and I can’t keep up the pace we’ve been on.  I do have a business to run…and my wife misses me….I think.   By the way, thanks to Ellen for her support when I’ve disappeared into my office on nights and weekends for a few months. I’ve learned so much about the great history of WJPZ with this project, and I hope you have too.  One thing I already knew, which continues to be hammered home with every episode, is what an incredible family we are.   So again, thank you for your continued support of this project, and I can’t wait to see you in Syracuse. Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, February 24, 2023

WCCO's Steve Simpson, Class of 1985

Today's guest is Steve Simpson, morning news anchor and editor at the legendary WCCO in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He's WJPZ Class of 1985, and he tells us some great stories from Syracuse, as well as a lengthy radio career in the Midwest in his time. Steve grew up in Bucks County, PA, near Philly.  Like so many of us, he was infatuated with radio, rigging equipment in his basement, and quickly learning that Syracuse was the place for an aspiring broadcaster.  And when he got to campus, he saw the contrast between WAER and WJPZ.   Folks like his future coworker Mike Tirico and other sportscasters belonged at WAER.  But for Steve, that Top 40 format and spirit drew him to that old rickety house where the University Sheraton sits now.  He did mornings out of that house, worked with Hall of Famer Mary Mancini, and even had to call the fire department one morning when they called smoke.  And the Syracuse FD were perplexed when they walked inside and found a radio station. Steve was Program Director when the station moved to FM, and he credits his classmates with all the hard work to get the station over to 89.1.   By then, he had moved over to WHEN in Syracuse.  But his friends needed a highly produced legal ID.  So Steve tells the story of cracking open a few beers after midnight, heading into a commercial production studio with a coworker, and making some radio magic for his classmates. Following a few stops in the Salt City, Simpson got a call from a radio station in Indianapolis, where he worked for WFBL for 25 years - before and after being acquired by Emmis.  When his time ended there, he was ready to get out of the business, until a call came from his former program director, now at WCCO-Minneapolis.    He's been there since 2014. We spend some time talking about the radio industry.  Steve believes live, local radio is still important.  And he considers himself lucky to be working at a station that still does that so well in 2023. And of course we bring it back to "the secret handshake" that is WJPZ.   It doesn't matter your age or location.  When you meet a fellow JPZ'er, the connection is always something special. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, February 22, 2023

Hall of Famer "Neon" Dion Summers, Class of 1995

For most of our alumni, today's guest needs no introduction.  He's a WJPZ Hall of Famer, he's the VP of Urban Programming for SiriusXM, and he's got as charismatic an individual as you'll find in our group.   From the Class of 1995, we welcome Neon Dion Summers. Dion talks about finding WJPZ on a high school visit and watching BB Good in the studio.  That made the decision to go to Syracuse easy.   At SU's Summer Institute Program, he quickly befriended Damian "Governor D" Redman and others, all chomping at the bit to join WJPZ as soon as recruitment opened.   Dion's talent and passion quickly got him past overnights, and eventually cleared to do the "Top 8 at 9" as a freshman.   His desire to teach and pay it forward landed him on the executive staff, becoming Chief Announcer, and, by his junior year, VP of Programming.  As a kid obsessed with radio, Dion mentions "finding his tribe" a number of times in this interview. We deal with a tough topic in this episode, or as Dion calls it, "the black elephant in the room."  He was a Black man, adding more hip hop and R&B to the playlist.   This was at a time, 30 years ago, where black music was crossing over into the mainstream like never before.    But when Dion added these titles, he got some pushback.  Was it merely a philosophical disagreement over the musical direction of the station, or was it something more?  For the first time at the station, he didn't just feel like a member of the staff.  He felt like a black member of the staff.  And while Dion is quick to point out the support he had from fellow black staffers and other allies, it hurt.   But rather than throw his hands up and walk away, he pushed through, learning valuable lessons about tough conversations he still uses today.     This is a perspective we haven't heard yet in the podcast.  And in an effort to cover the entire 50 year history of the WJPZ, we appreciate him sharing this.  Going forward, the alumni association is going to prioritize diversity.  You'll hear more about it at this year's Banquet. After the break, Dion talks about his career after graduation.  He got a gig at his hometown radio station, Q92 in Baltimore - thanks to his demo tape from WJPZ, and a connection by classmate Melanie Kushnir. Following Baltimore, he spent 3 1/2 years in Miami - who wouldn't want to move to a spot on South Beach at the age of 30?  But by the mid-2000's, it was apparent that terrestrial radio was changing.  Then-ClearChannel was removing the autonomy of its program directors.   Dion wanted a change, and heard about XM radio, still in its early years.   But it believed in empowering its programmers.   It was music to this PD's ears, and he took a leap.   He's been there for 17 years, now overseeing all of SiriusXM's urban programming. Throughout today's episode, Dion talks about the power of radio- the power to influence culture, and touch the lives of both listeners and artists.  And for him

Mon, February 20, 2023

Happy/Father Dave Dwyer, '86, Hall of Fame Inductee

Today's guest will be inducted into our Hall of Fame at this year's Banquet.  His classmates know him has "Happy" Dave Dwyer, but now his listeners on SiriusXM's Busted Halo show know him as Father Dave Dwyer.   Before he got either nickname, he arrived in Syracuse and joined WJPZ, just using his given name on the air.  And it wasn't until he started using his nickname from Lawrinson, "Happy Dave," that he really got his footing.  This was just before WJPZ launched on the FM dial.   Soon, he had the Friday afternoon shift, which became the Happy Dave Happy Hour.  But station management knew he could do even more.  They tapped him to be the anchor of the "Cra-Z Morning Crew," complete with a rotating cast of characters.   While radio was one of Happy Dave's passions, he also loved television, particularly directing.  He was a mainstay at UUTV, and following graduation, he went back to the place he'd interned as student - MTV.  He worked on their long-form programming, including Rockumentaries and the Unplugged series.  He then got involved with the launch of Comedy Central, quickly getting to know the likes of Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Ray Romano, and more.   In fact, many comedians would invite him to shows because of Dave's unique, contagious laugh.  He tells a story of being virtually the only one in the room laughing when Adam Sandler debuted "Opera Man" on Saturday Night Live.   In 1993, Dave was between gigs.  He'd always been close with his Catholic faith, and he some folks from his church group went to World Youth Day in Denver, a huge event that would include Pope John Paul II.   At that event, Dave felt a calling to the ministry.   He joined the Paulist Fathers Mission and started the process of becoming an ordained priest.   He tells his side of the story of him calling Dr. Rick Wright to share this news.   The Paulist Fathers have always been very involved with media - having done radio, and television.   So Father Dave started a podcast.  Around this time, satellite radio was expanding their programming, and he offered to fill the overnight slot with his pod.  But when they heard the CD, they offered him a prime time evening spot, where he's been for 16 years.   We spend some time talking about the power of radio, particularly talk radio, and the deep connection it can create with listeners.   Father Dave talks about some of the more memorable feedback  he's received.  And now his producer is also a fellow JPZ'er, Krista LePard from the Class of 2012.   You can listen to Father Dave and Krista on the Busted Halo Show on SiriusXM, Channel 129, Monday-Thursday nights, from 6-8pm Eastern.   Podcast Solutions by Dan Klass: https://www.amazon.com/Podcast-Solutions-Complete-Guide-Podcasting/dp/1590595548   Join Us in Syra

Fri, February 17, 2023

Imaging Guru Maureen "Mo" Cooper, Class of 1999

Maureen "Mo" Cooper from the Class of 1999 is the first voice you hear at the beginning of this podcast.  An imaging guru, she and Ed LaComb ('85) have done the production for this show.   A Central Square native, Mo grew up listening to Z89, even if she had to work to get the station to come in that far north.  She's always loved radio, and began working in the Syracuse market before she even got to SU.   Once at WJPZ, she was there for the format flip to the Pulse, where she learned a lot about both on-air and imaging.  And she was on several stations at once in the market - needing cue cards to keep track of all her different on-air names!   Maureen says WJPZ helped teach her what she was passionate about, but also what she didn't want to pursue professionally. As a local, she was happy to step  up and help staff the station over school breaks, but that experience taught her management was not where she wanted to go professionally.  In fact, she even tells the story of what we believe was the first automation in WJPZ's history, when she couldn't staff the Pulse over Christmas, 1995.  It's a story she's never told before and shares for the first time with us.   Mo did have to leave the station when she got full time work in Syracuse, while still a student.  But she stayed in contact with her classmates, including when they made the flip  back to Z89.    After graduation in 1999, we were really starting to see a sea change in radio ownership, as the Telecom Act of 1996 really started to take hold.  Ownership swaps were happening everywhere, which led to opportunities.  Mo had her pick of several markets, and she went to Orlando for a decade after school.   Maureen briefly left radio and moved to Houston.  But sure enough, she was eventually pulled back in, where she worked on-air and imaging for several radio stations.  She's currently at legendary CHR KRBE in H-town.   We close with Mo's feelings about the true family of WJPZ, and how these connections across the generations are still a huge part of her life.   Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, February 15, 2023

Westwood One Sports Executive Producer Howard Deneroff, Class of 1989

Today's episode is a must-listen, especially for those of that are sports fans or ever had aspirations to get into the field. Howard Deneroff, WJPZ Class of 1989, is the EVP and Executive Producer of Westwood One Sports.  He's been with the company since immediately after graduation, and has worked the Super Bowl, World Series, Final Four, Stanley Cup Finals, and more. Like many of us, Howard decided on Syracuse because he wanted to be as involved with sports as possible.  He went to WAER, writing for the likes of Mike Tirico and others.  But when it became clear that he could get much more hands on experience at WJPZ.  This proved true his sophomore year, when in addition to calling women's sports and minor league baseball, Z89 was able to cover an undefeated SU football team (wow that seems like a long time ago), and a basketball team that made it to the NCAA Championship game. Additionally, their Saturday morning show "The Press Box" morphed into coverage of Central New York high school football. Staff would call the games, interview coaches and players, and bring the cassettes back.  Then the real work began, splicing highlights on reel-to-reel decks until 3 or 4am, to have them ready for air the next morning.  This is where Howard says he really learned the skills, attitude, and perfectionism that carried him to where he is now.   This really came to fruition when working on a piece commemorating the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.  The desire to always make his work better led to Howard getting some unbelievable audio and previously unheard stories for the presentation. In addition to talent and hard work, sometimes you need to be in the right place at the right time.  We hear a wild story of coincidence, and how a chance meeting turned into a job at Westwood One upon graduation, and a three-decades plus career there. Deneroff started at CBS Radio in 1989, working on baseball and football, where his encyclopedic knowledge and preparation quickly impressed his coworkers.   He also learned how to think quickly on his feet - when he was in studio for an Earthquake during the 1989  World Series.  He's worked with everyone from Jim Nantz to Greg Gumbel, Brent Musburger, John Madden, Terry Bradshaw, Pat O'Brien, Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, and more. Howard tried to learn from the best, and take pieces from folks he's worked with - this led to his "index card system" used in the booth for broadcasts - color coded index cards for promos, sponsorships, and commercial breaks.  If you are into the behind-the-scenes of broadcasting, you'll geek out of this like we did. Despite the responsibilities that come with his current title, today's guest still loves producing radio broadcasts.   He still gets the adrenaline rush and tries to do at least one game a week.  We spend some time talking about the magic of radio, and the advantages it has over television.  We also talk about th

Mon, February 13, 2023

Liz (Doyon) Gupta, Class of 2014, on Rebuilding The Station

Liz Gupta (nee Doyon), always knew she wanted to be an attorney.  And when she learned that an undergraduate degree in journalism would provide her a great foundation, she headed off to Syracuse.  And while she knew what she wanted to do for a long-term career, she wouldn't have guessed she'd be a 19-year-old general manager of a radio station, asking the Chancellor for a million dollars, and working with general contractors on a massive rebuild. After joining the station, Liz quickly became part of the morning show, then joining the exec staff as morning show director.  By spring of her sophomore year, she had become a leading candidate to become the station's new general manager. Liz's tenure as GM was unique in the half-century history of the radio station.  Knowing that the station needed to be overhauled, she worked with Stephen Kurtz, Alex Silverman, and other alumni to put together a proposal.   She and Alex walked in to Chancellor Nancy Cantor's office and asked for nearly a million dollars.   And she said yes . While this would turn out to be a pivotal moment for the long-term history of WJPZ, it did not come with some major issues in the short term.   What was supposed to be a summer construction project dragged through the entire fall semester, necessitating the station to be voice-tracked from Newhouse studios.    Liz and Alex had a number of meetings with contractors and others to try and push the project across the finish line.  Finally, along with Rob Crandall, Stephen Kurtz, and Corey Crockett, the spend the week prior to Christmas 2012 installing the new equipment, sometimes while the construction continued.   The new station went on the air, just in time for Liz's term as GM to wrap up as she headed to London for a semester. If you missed it in Corey Crockett's episode, here's the video of when they put the new station on the air: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE9wfQZ6TgQ Liz returned from London, and spent her senior year as VP of Ops, and finally got to experience the new studio. Following graduation, Liz worked as a victim advocate in her home state of Massachusetts.  From there, she went to law school at Washington University in St. Louis, before returning home to Boston, where she's been ever since.  And she got married in 2022, with a Z89 contingent of course. WJPZ continues to be the world's greatest media classroom, and Liz learned some incredible lessons during her tenure.  She talks about maintaining professional composure in high-stress situations (such as delayed construction).   And the importance of relationships - she cites a number of friendships with both classmates and older alumni that she's formed over the years. And we close with a great story that involves Liz and Rocket Ross.  Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: <a href="https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTicket

Fri, February 10, 2023

Kendall B, Class of 1992, On 30 Years in Radio

"If you stay ready, you ain't go to get ready."   - Sugar Free That lyric is a mantra that Southern California native Kendall B has lived by ever since he got to Syracuse University and WJPZ.  When a morning show co-host didn't show up, this young overnight jock stuck around to do the show with Jim Gallagher.   When the prior host of the Saturday Night Dance Jam didn't show up to train him, Kendall took over the show.   And when a slot opened up on the morning show his senior year, he started hosting it.   This mantra served him well in his professional career, too. Kendall started as an overnight jock in Greensboro, North Carolina, subsisting on extra Bojangles chicken sandwiches in his freezer.   By always being ready, he worked his way up to morning show producer, and eventually nights, hosting Kendall B's Night Train, in a truly golden era for Hip Hop and R&B. Next, it was off to Denver to do middays, then mornings when that slot opened up.  His "interim" morning show gig lasted seventeen years, becoming a fixture in the community.   In fact, when that gig ended, he was approached by another GM in town who wanted him badly enough to let him do the show remotely.   It didn't matter that Kendall and his wife were headed home to LA. Kendall stayed ready - getting into corporate radio training with Futuri Media, and after his last on-air gig ended, he moved his show to Amazon's new Amp platform - where his Denver and national listeners can hear him every weekday morning, Pacific time of course. As a 30 year radio veteran, Kendall shares his thoughts on the current state of the industry, and what it needs to do going forward.  And we wrap up with a couple hilarious stories from WJPZ circa 1990, involving a cassette deck and a men's room. More: Kendall B's show On Amp (live weekdays at 9am Eastern/6am Pacific): https://live.onamp.com/Y3w4zkVR6wb Kendall's Goodbye Break on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OjLJDD52GuI Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, February 08, 2023

Hall of Famer Bill Bleyle and Carol Mason, Class of 1976

Hall of Famer Bill Bleyle is liking a name you know as synonymous with the founding of WJPZ in 1972-1973.  Today he's joined by another trailblazer, his classmate Carol Mason, to take us back to the very beginning of WJPZ. A Buffalo native, Bill grew up fascinated by the technology of radio, picking up stations from Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles at night.  By the time he got to SU, he'd already collected a number of spare parts. Carol, a native New Yorker, grew up idolizing former New York Yankees shortstop and then-announcer Phil Rizzuto.  She wanted to be his broadcast partner.   She worked at WAER, where classmate Bob Costas told her she'd have to lose her New York accent. There, a mutual friend told Carol about another radio station that Bill and Craig Fox were starting, WJPZ. Bill tells us how they cobbled his stash of equipment, gear leftover from the WAER upgrade, and inexpensive Radio Shack turntables to start WJPZ.   For 50 years, the station has been a place where you can make mistakes and learn from them - that included when Carol played Billy Joel's new song "Piano Man" at the wrong speed on that turntable. Both of today's guests credit WJPZ's first program director, Brian Miller, for running a tight ship and getting the attention of Syracuse's WNDR.   And Bill's recollection of that FCC visit differs slightly from the story we've all heard Dr. Wright tell. Bill refers to Rick as a "match made in heaven" for the radio station.  Most Newhouse professors at the time were academics - Professor Wright had the real world radio experience to help the radio station flourish.  They were on the air, growing their listeners, and selling ads. There weren't many women in radio in the 1970's - in music, sports, or otherwise.  But Carol quickly made a name for herself - landing gigs in Buffalo, Chicago, and New York.  And while she never worked with Phil Rizzuto, she and Scooter did get to meet.  Now she's working for the University of Maryland. Bill went into local radio after graduation, but soon reconnected with his passion for public service, working his way up through the police department, "retiring" as a Captain in the Manlius Police Department.  But he never stopped working - as both an engineer at the local ClearChannel/iHeart stations, and in law enforcement.  He's ran the county 911 operations center and jail, before actually retiring at the end of 2022. Bill and Carol reflect on their time at WJPZ, and what they've seen the station do over 50 years.  In fact Bill, never one to brag, enjoyed watching his kids love Z89.   And it wasn't until the 40-year anniversary documentary came out  that they even learned Dad helped start this whole thing. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and <a href="

Mon, February 06, 2023

Hall of Famer Greg Hernandez, WJPZ Class of 1976

In the first of two episodes featuring original JPZ'ers from the 1970's, we sit down with Greg Hernandez.  In addition to being one of the key figures at the start of WJPZ, he's had a fascinating career since, working with some of the top names at ABC News and having a front-row seat to some significant events in history. Like many of us, Greg first got in front of a microphone in high school, and worked his way to Syracuse.  He started at WAER, but Bill Bleyle told him about a new station they were putting on 1200 AM - WJPZ.    As the sales manager, Greg sold spots (yes, commercials) to Acropolis Pizza - even though they couldn't hear the station from their original location on Westcott Street!   On the air, Greg hosted a Friday and Saturday night show, taking calls from students partying in the dorms and elsewhere. Greg also sent over some perfectly preserved documents from those days - which you can link to here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gl0q0m93n2bzi2k/AABrf8_TU9oH3mcio-kQx1qua?dl=0 After a few Central New York radio gigs, Greg tired of the snow and headed south  - to Washington DC, eventually landing a gig at his dream employer - ABC News.  He tells us some amazing stories of working with Peter Jennings, Sam Donaldson, David Brinkley, and Ted Koppel.  These include the Challenger disaster, Reagan's Iran-Contra affair announcement nearly derailing a Syracuse alumni tour, and more. Following his time at ABC, Greg worked as a media contact for several government agencies.  He was at NOAA when they recovered John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane, and was the media contact in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.   He then moved on to the US Mint, where he visited Presidential homes to promote the new dollar coins.   And finally, he ended up at the FDIC during the height of 2008's financial crisis. Now, Greg narrates audio books full time (when you hear his voice you'll see why it's a perfect fit for him.) As we wrap up, Greg reflects on what he learned at WJPZ, and how it informed his career since.  And he marvels at how this little radio station he helped start 50 years ago still endures today. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, February 03, 2023

Hall of Famer Larry "Rocket" Ross, Class of 1992

Today's guest is Hall of Famer Larry "Rocket" Ross, from the Class of 1992.   He was at the station when WJPZ-FM was really coming into his own, but we start today by hearing about the one air shift he'll never forget.   He explains how Z89 was the only media outlet, at one point in time, that had the list of Syracuse University students killed aboard Pan Am 103.  As a freshman covering a midday slot just before Christmas break, he had to field phone calls of terrified friends and family members, asking if their loved ones were "on the list."   Some were. Some weren't. After the break, we return to talk about Rocket's career at WJPZ, starting out in the research department, and working up to chief announcer and VP of Ops. Toward the end of the episode, we hear the hilarious story of Rocket's first break on the air...or was it? During his senior year, Rocket worked for Y94 in Syracuse, then he actually commuted to Watertown for his first job after graduation.  One winter of that drive up Interstate 81, however, was enough.  Eventually he moved to Rochester, parlaying his radio career into roles at an entertainment venue, and eventually, the restaurant industry.  Rocket now works for Sodexo Live, formerly Centerplate, overseeing field marketing for all of the stadiums and arenas, conventions and conference centers, museum zoos, aquariums, amphitheater's, amusement parks, auditoriums, ski resorts and more that they operate throughout North America.   We briefly get into the science and psychology of menu design.  Why is Panera's "You Pick Two" so successful?  Today's guest can explain. Following up on our previous episode with Harry and Dena, we revisit the receivership era of the radio station in the late 90's. Rocket served on both the receivership committee, and then as the alumni rep on the  newly redesigned WJPZ Board of Directors.   He was thrilled to give back to the station, and come full circle, years after graduation. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, February 01, 2023

Hall of Famer Danno Wolkoff, Class of 1986

How does a goofball from the Crazy Morning Crew end up building a massively successful syndication company? You'll find out in today's podcast, with Hall of Fame guest Danno Wolkoff from the Class of 1986. This Cleveland native starts by telling us how he found out about Syracuse and Newhouse by accident, and then how a dorm mate asked him to do a radio show.   This was just before WJPZ moved to FM.  After the move to 89.1, Danno moved to mornings with Danny Klass, E Double R, and one of this year's Hall of Fame nominees, Happy Dave Dwyer.  Even though radio wasn't his career goal, Danno somehow found himself at the station every day from 7 to 10am. Following graduation, Danno went with his then-fiance to New York, but needed to find a job.  After failing to find paid work at all three major networks, he took a gig at MJI Networks - but not after completely blowing the interview, as he explains. He worked his way up through affiliate relations and sales, before deciding he wanted to raise his growing family back home in Cleveland, not New York.  So three decades before the world went remote, Danno convinced his employer to let him open a Cleveland branch of the company.  His wild success spurred openings in Chicago, Los Angeles, and more. MJI was eventually acquired by Premiere Networks.  Danno and his wife created their own company, Envision Radio Networks, leveraging the relationships built with radio stations, and some of the soft skills he learned at WJPZ.    To commemorate Envision's 10th birthday, Danno made a large donation to WJPZ to assist in the building of their new studios at the end of 2012.  Turns out that wasn't as cut and dry as he'd hoped.  There was a lot of "orange" tape to go through. Eventually, Envision was acquired by another company, and the Wolkoffs left, "sort of retired," and are now focusing on other projects.  These include turning podcasts into audio books through Happy Land World. and putting electric vehicle chargers in fast food parking lots - an idea his daughter was instrumental in. Throughout today's podcast, you'll hear about the many lifelong relationships Danno has cultivated through WJPZ, and the lessons learned.  But he leaves us with two hilarious stories.  One involves "accidentally" broadcasting live from a moving bus in downtown Syracuse, and the other involves a big red button they were told not to touch! Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 30, 2023

Consultant Jay Nachlis, '94, on Radio's Past, Present, and Future

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who understands the radio industry as well as today's guest: Jay Nachlis from the Class of 1994.   Like many of us, this San Francisco native came to Syracuse with plans of being the next great sportscaster.  But as luck would have it, he fell in love with the music at WJPZ, eventually becoming the station's program director. In fact, he's the PD that first brought Selector music scheduling software to the station! Jay tells us about the CHR landscape in the early 90's, including a very awkward situation when the station brought Naughty By Nature to a Syracuse club for an all ages show! Today's guest spent 25 years in commercial radio - staring at Y94 in Syracuse, then crisscrossing the country with stops in San Francisco, Buffalo, Detroit, and Raleigh.  Jay tells us about the lessons he learned at Z89 that served him well in radio, and in his current role as VP, Consultant, and Marketing Director at Coleman Insights. We spend a fair amount of time at the end of the episode on radio's future.   Will the industry reinvest in itself?  What can it learn from the compelling content that's now on YouTube, from creators like Rhett and Link, and Mr. Beast?  If you don't know who they are, Jay will blow your mind with what they've accomplished.  In many ways, they're doing what radio stations have always done! Radio is still being done well in many places though.  Jay tells us about Jumpin Jeff Walker on KRZ in Scranton.  He's been the afternoon guy since the 80's, but his content resonates just as much now, as it did then.  We'll hear about one break in particular. Jay admits that he stepped away from the WJPZ family for a few years, but now he's back every year.  Hear why he calls the station "the gift that keeps on giving." Referenced in this episode: Jay's blog on Mr. Beast: https://colemaninsights.com/coleman-insights-blog/brand-management-lessons-from-mrbeast Rhett and Link YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/user/RHETTANDLINK Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, January 27, 2023

John Ferracane, Class of 2003, On the Ostrom House and More

John Ferracane was one of the key figures in the survival of WJPZ when the station was temporarily moved to an off-campus house on Ostrom Avenue for the 2000-2001 school year.   With the help of an incredibly dedicated staff and some supportive alumni, we were able to keep the station on the air, then upgrade when we returned to Watson - and the new "Menchel Media Center" in the Fall of 2001. As the sophomore Chief Engineer, John and the rest of the team arrived at the station's temporary digs on Ostrom in August of 2000.  The University had moved all of our ancient, shoddy equipment to a new location.  Most of it was on its last legs, and was, as John puts it, "a dumpster fire." Fortunately, Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, then in New York, came to the rescue.  His network had done a massive equipment upgrade, and he donated all of the previous gear.  This was able to keep the station on the air while the new studios were built at Watson.   Then, John and GM Dave "Peterman" Peterson found a way to trade the extra equipment for new gear for the station. The early aughts were a very different time than the station's heyday a decade earlier.   Facing crippling legal debt and many other issues, the station did not have the financial means to survive long term.  John did his homework - he knew there was a time in the station's history where University funding may have meant University control .  This was something the station staff vetted carefully, then when convinced that wouldn't be the case, secured funding from SU.  And it's thanks, in part, to that funding, that the station has survived and thrived 20 years later. Finally, John takes us through his career since graduation - from Syracuse to South Carolina, Detroit, Miami, then eventually to ABC's Good Morning America , where he met his wife.  Now, he's working for Nexstar, building out their News Nation network, designed to be a non-partisan cable news source.     John's hiring, and always willing to talk to students and alumni.  You can reach him at JFerracane@Nexstar.tv. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, January 25, 2023

Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, Class of 1993

One of the hallmarks of any great leader is sharing the credit with his or her team.  Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, Class of '93, rose through the ranks of WJPZ to become General Manager at a very successful time in the radio station's history.  From there, he eventually became VP and GM of talk programming at SiriusXM Radio.   Throughout this episode, you'll hear Dave give the credit to those around him. That starts with his arrival at the station, and the mentorship of people like Hal Rood, Scott Meach, Henri Ferri, Kelly Sutton, and more. He also speaks of contemporaries like Brian Lapis and Scott Taylor. Dave certainly paid it forward, as you'll hear in a clip from a previous podcast episode.  Matt Friedman, '94, talks about a lifelong lesson Dave taught him. You'll hear about some amazing things WJPZ did in the early 90's - from giving away cars and cash, to figuring out how to get a buy from Pabst Blue Ribbon, with their slogan, in a way that was legal on a non-commercial radio station. Dave also tells us about, in his words, "the worst negotiated deal in WJPZ history," which he still catches flack for.  But you'll also hear his surprising reaction when 93Q sabotaged a Z89 remote. Following graduation, Dave tried radio sales and hated it - he missed being part of the creative team. This led him to a career in talk radio, working with Jim Cramer on "Mad Money," and eventually joining up with something called satellite radio in 2004. There were lessons learned at WJPZ that today's guest applies every day now at SiriusXM.  This was true as they built some amazing brands in the talk space, and also when they had to pivot during Covid, as you'll hear. Something we didn't mention in this episode is Dave's massive equipment donation to WJPZ when the station's gear was on its very last legs.  You'll hear about that in Friday's episode with John Ferracane, from the Class of 2003. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 23, 2023

Audacy's Corey Crockett, Class of 2015

One of the amazing things about WJPZ is how many of our illustrious alumni actually grew up listening to the radio station.  This has been true for decades.  Liverpool native Corey Crockett, from the Class of 2015, is no exception.  Upon arriving on campus, Corey quickly got involved with the sports and research departments. He eventually became GM at a pivotal moment for the radio station - the construction of the new studio.  FoodWorks was going away, allowing for an expansion of WJPZ and Citrus TV. For a semester, WJPZ had to broadcast remotely from voice-track studios in Newhouse, while the new station was built.  Corey credits folks like Liz Doyon, Rob Crandall, Josh Wolff, Alex Silverman, and Stephen Kurtz for the rapid install of the station while the construction was still being finished. You'll hear the re-launch in this episode, and you can see it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/wE9wfQZ6TgQ When the new studio was operational, Corey and his staff had to train a new group of talent who'd never done live radio before.  He talks about that.  Like many of us, Corey describes his career path after graduation as "wonky."  He spent a few years in radio in Virginia Beach, before getting the itch and moving to New York City.   There, he worked in television and dabbled in radio, before getting an opportunity to work for the Audacy (formerly Entercom) Corporate Program team in New York.   There, he supports Audacy's local stations.  From his current role, he offers some great advice to current students.  And he shares his perspective of what radio needs to do going forward. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, January 20, 2023

Back to Z89 (and Receivership) with Dena and Harry, Class of 1999

Simply put, Harry Wareing and Dena (Giacobbe) Laupheimer are two people the radio station wouldn't have survived without. Both members of the Class of 1999, Harry first came to the station as a freshman and became a "utility player" for Jeff Wade and Dan Austin when they launched The Pulse in 1995.  Dena joined later. working her way through the promotions department and up into management. In 1997, Harry and Dena decided to restore the Z89 brand.  They explained what went into that decision (a lot of it over Burger King in the Kimmel Food Court), and taking the risk to upend the station for the second time in less than two years.   As with the change to The Pulse, some were in favor of the idea and some were not. In the Fall of 1997, for several different reasons, the station was placed into receivership and had to fight for its survival.  Harry and Dena explain the confluence of events that led to this, and the immense pressure they felt to keep the institution alive.  Harry was recruiting every freshman on campus to supplement the skeleton crew of the radio station, while Dena was handling the business side of things and fielding calls from well-meaning but concerned alumni. The station survived - and then some.   What Harry learned in recruiting freshmen like Marty Dundics in 1997, he "perfected" in 1998, bringing in a new class, empowering them, and getting them excited about the radio station.   Folks like Jag, Beth (Berlin) Cohen, Jana Fiorello, and the station's next GM, Matt DelSignore. In fact, we close the episode with one of Dena's favorite Matt stories. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, January 18, 2023

89.1 The Pulse - With Hall of Famers Dan Austin and Jeff Wade, Class of 97

From December 1995 until July of 1997, WJPZ-Syracuse changed formats, to an alternative lean, and re-branded itself as "89.1 The Pulse."  Today, we talk to the architects of that transition, Hall of Famers Dan Austin and Jeff Wade from the Class of 1997. First, we hear how they both found the station.  For Dan, the native Central New Yorker, it started working summer staff in high school.  Meanwhile, Jeff was in high school in Rhode Island, hearing about the station.  Soon, these two would become great friends, spending many hours together in the back office of the radio station. In 1995, when Dan was GM and Jeff was VP of Programming, CHR was becoming much more fragmented.   And Jeff was having a hard time finding new music that fit the station's current format.  Meanwhile, alternative music was taking off, with stations like New York's Z100 leading the way.   Simultaneously, Dan and the station's business staff were having a hard time making the "major market coin" the station had seen earlier in the decade.   To remain self-supported, they needed to make a splash, and get some attention in a quickly changing media landscape.   The format change accomplished both goals, though not without controversy among students and alumni. The format flip of 1995 was more proof that WJPZ is the world's greatest media classroom; throughout today's episode, Dan and Jeff talk about the radio, business, and life lessons this experience taught them.  Jeff and Dan talk about their careers in the 25 years since leaving Syracuse - Jeff moving from the music side to news/talk programming - and Dan's sales career that went from radio to now television, in the polar opposite of his native Syracuse, at least weatherwise - San Diego. In today's episode, you'll also hear stories of how Jeff hired Jag for his first radio gig, and the awful mistake that cost Jag that job.    But you'll also hear about folding tables hanging out of cars en route to the State Fair, the "Denny's Annex," and the exec staff getting PAGERS - which came in handy when one jock locked herself out of the studio. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Bonus!  See a brief documentary on The Pulse here, complete with 1995 Jeff, Dan, and their classmates! https://youtu.be/kARwzwyvyI0 Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 16, 2023

Behind the Banquet Scenes With Eileen Spath, Class of 2014

For several years, Eileen Spath (Class of 2014) chaired the Banquet Committee.   When we all come back to Syracuse every year for one of our favorite weekends, we may not realize what happens behind the scenes to get this show "on the air."  Today we go behind the scenes. We start, however, with Eileen's story - how she got to Syracuse and then found Citrus TV and WJPZ.   And while she loved her time on the morning show, Eileen also excelled behind the scenes, serving in various roles from human resources to broadcast consultant.  In her time since graduating, she's worked several jobs, ending up at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany.  She is now their communications director, overseeing a "small but mighty" team. When she took on the job of running the Banquet, she of course leaned heavily on her predecessor, Dena (Giacobbe) Laupheimer, forming a great friendship. In addition to the usual Syracuse weather challenges, the Banquet has thrown Eileen various curve balls.  In fact her first Banquet as Chair was 2016 - the year we had to move Banquet back a month, due to construction at the Syracuse Sheraton.  The only problem was: the new date was Final Four weekend.  Every sports guy in our group (and there are many) assured her there was no way the Orange would make the Final Four.   Until they did.   And as for the "construction" at the Sheraton: it never happened. Eileen also helped navigate our annual event through the pandemic - from a cursory concern in 2020, to going virtual in 2021, to finally coming back in 2022.   To bookend that last year of her tenure, there WAS an issue at the Sheraton - necessitating a last minute venue change to Drumlins. While today's guest is quick to credit the team around her, she deserves a lot of credit for keeping this event going for the better part of a decade.   As for this year?  She's happy to be a resource for new Banquet Chair Sam Kandell ('18), but is also looking forward to working a little less in Syracuse. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, January 13, 2023

Damian/JD/Governor D Redman, Class of 1995

You may know today's guest by many names - JD, Governor, or even his given name, Damian Redman.  He talks about coming to Syracuse the summer before his freshman year, meeting Dion Summers, and finding WJPZ together. You'll hear Damian's true character come out in this interview, when he talks about his passion for working with on-air talent.   This started in his days as Chief Announcer, and continues to this day as an alum, always offering feedback to younger alumni and students.  He credits the folks who came before him, and he aims to always keep paying it forward. The governor has constituents all across this great nation. He takes us through his career from WJPZ to California, Texas, Albany, and all points in between. Eventually, he changed careers, but was able to take the lessons of WJPZ and a radio career, and apply them to where he is now. You'll hear about that too. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, January 11, 2023

Hall of Famers Chris Bungo and Rocco Macri, Class of 1986

Chris Bungo and Rocco Macri met at WJPZ when they were working in production and promotions, respectively.  Their friendship has led to a business partnership of over 3 decades, creating the first-of-its-kind software for radio stations, Promosuite. As members of the Class of 86, today's guests have the rare vantage point of joining the station on AM, but witnessing the transition and the power of the move to the FM dial.  In fact, you'll hear a hot-rocking, flame-throwing promo Chris produced for the station's first FM birthday in 1986.  Did it sound a lot like Z100?  Depends on how you define "statute of limitations." (Spoiler: there are lasers.) Chris tells a great story of how he had to beg, borrow, and plead to CRANK UP 89.1's audio processing to make it sound more like a CHR. Following graduation, Rocco was working in promotions at Hot 103 in New York, Emmis's predecessor to Hot 97.  But there was no software to do his job.  He enlisted his buddy Chris to figure out what they need.  It was a lot more than either of them bargained for, but PromoSuite was born. In the time since, they've hired notable WJPZ alumni like Jana Fiorello ('02) and Christy (Ogonis) Vincent ('05).   Chris and Rocco share how the company has grown, and how the lessons they learned at Z89 inform them to this day.    We also talk about what's next for the company, as their new products seek to serve both giant radio companies and mom and pop stations alike. Rocco also talks about the starts of the Alumni Association and Banquet, and the great pride he feels to have seen these entities become as successful as they are. More: https://promosuite.com/ Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 09, 2023

From Cuse to ESPN and Back - Molly and Alex's WJPZ Love Story

There have been several long-lasting relationships formed over the 50-year history of WJPZ, and today we look at a special one - Alex Brewer ('12) and Molly Nelson ('14). Two avid sports fans, from Maine and West Virginia, respectively, both came to Syracuse for the student media capabilities.  When Molly arrived, Alex was already two years in, and she developed a crush.   A future ESPN employee who didn't need help with her fantasy lineup, she nonetheless asked Alex for his help.   At the time, he didn't realize she had ulterior motives. Alex was General Manager when the station's expansion and renovation started.  And Molly, who was was also the assistant general manger of Citrus TV, was there to see the project through.  Both guests talk about how proud they are of that accomplishment and how it served them well in their Emmy-winning careers. Molly and Alex both ended up at ESPN - Molly working on everything from the Australian Open to the launch of the ACC Network.  Alex worked on everything from NASCAR coverage to College Gameday.   Alex tells a great story of being at Ole Miss when they knocked off Alabama. For Molly, she was quarterbacking the logistics of the ESPN team being in Greensboro, North Carolina, to cover the men's and women's ACC tournaments....in March of 2020.   While most of us were returning from Syracuse unscathed, Molly all of a sudden had to coordinate getting the entire team back to Connecticut.   She continued this work helping run SportsCenter with a skeleton crew, some remote, in the earliest, scary days of the pandemic. In 2017, this Mainer and West Virginian got married - but in neither of their hometowns.   They brough their friends and family back to campus, got married at Hendricks Chapel, and had their reception at Dinosaur Barbecue.  (Yes, Otto joined).  And while Molly and the girls were doing hair and makeup, Alex and the guys were right back where it all started -on the air at Z89, on his wedding day.  We have a clip. The pull to the 315 was always strong with today's guests.  When they wanted a change, Alex got a remote job, at Chess.com , which freed them up to go anywhere.   Soon, Molly landed a gig at Sidearm Sports in Syracuse, and they returned to the Salt City. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, January 06, 2023

Going Deep with Banquet MC Stephen Donovan, Class of '95

(Disclaimer: This episode contains more "explicit language" than most. That's what happens when two Malden kids get together.) If you've been to the annual WJPZ Birthday Banquet, chances are you've enjoyed the jokes from our MC,  Class of 1995 alum, and stand up comedian Stephen Donovan.  And if you came to this episode needing to laugh, you're in the right place.  Steve takes us through his very unusual path to Syracuse University and Z89.   He also shares a morning show story involving a certain part of the male anatomy. But in a bit of an unexpected turn, this episode gets deeply personal.  Steve shows a vulnerability not often seen publicly in our group.  He was let go from his last radio gig 18 months ago, and spends some time self-reflecting on his childhood and own insecurities.  How much does one need the "social proof" of ratings, laughs, and more?   He talks about a place that so many of us have been in as we transitioned out of traditional media, and how the friendships of WJPZ have helped sustain him. We do bring it back around to WJPZ though.  Jag asks Steve how he preps the "roast" part of his Banquet monologue every year, speaking to the importance of including all generations of WJPZ'ers.    Then, our conversation take another unexpected twist: where we recall a joke that Jag felt went too far (at the time), and how the two of them mended fences after.  (And yes we include the jokes.) Think Steve is funny here? Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, January 04, 2023

Major Market Morning Man Jeff Kurkjian, Class of 2015

Jeff Kurkjian hasn't been out of college a decade yet, but he's already been a successful major market morning show host in Cleveland, Las Vegas, and now Philadelphia.   Today, we go through his time at Syracuse, as well as his many stops since.   You'd be hard pressed to find a more positive guy in our organization, and you too will likely come out of this listen with a smile on your face. Jeff's radio journey actually began before Syracuse, when as an 11 year old, he tagged along with his Dad (ESPN's Tim Kurkjian) to a Baseball Hall of Fame Induction in Cooperstown, New York.  There. he was interviewed by Fordham University's WFUV, and he became enamored with the interviewing side of the business.   Jeff actually followed his sister to Syracuse, with many ideas for what he might want to do professionally.  But when he first started on the Z Morning Zoo, he just knew .  Through his time as a student, Jeff relied on many of our prominent alumni to listen to his tapes - folks like Ralphie Aversa, Ryan Sampson, Josh Wolff, Craig Hoffman and more.    This feedback gave him the talent and confidence to start sending out tapes prior to graduation.   He tells the story of how he landed his first job - and having to do an "emergency morning show," of sorts. At his first stop in Cleveland, Jeff continued to rely on our alumni to answer questions he may not have been comfortable asking his new co-workers.  He also talks about using our network to land his next gig in Vegas. In Sin City, Jeff met his wife on Tinder.  And thanks to country artist Ashley McBride, he actually has a  picture of their first date - which lasted 8 hours. Shortly after getting married, Jeff and Emily were faced with the reality of the business when station changes meant a move to Philadelphia.  That meant yet another radio move for Jeff, and an even bigger move for Emily, born and raised in Nevada.  Fortunately, the love Philadelphia and are thriving there. Jeff talks about some important lessons he learned at WJPZ about teamwork, understanding, and patience, and how that has served him well in his career.  He also shares his thoughts on the importance of digital and how that interplays with traditional radio going forward. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, January 02, 2023

From WJPZ to Broken Arrow, Face Off, and Veep, with Chris Godsick, '87

Chances are, Chris Godsick has been chewed out by more Hollywood A-listers than you've met in your lifetime.  But we'll get to that. As a member of the Class of 1987, Chris was a sophomore when WJPZ moved to the FM dial.  He really captures the enthusiasm and excitement of that moment.  The radio station's passionate staffers could now be heard in the market, and soon they were pulling ratings away from 93Q, "The Bagel Station." During this episode, we also remember the late Larry Barron, and what an influence he had on the radio station at that time.  Chris tells us about the year that WJPZ was able to secure the exclusive announcement of when to buy SU Basketball tickets, and the entire campus was listening, waiting for Larry to make the announcement.   Then, if you know Chris, he follows that story with one that Larry would probably rather forget, may he rest in peace. Following his time at Syracuse, Godsick went out to LA, where he started in the mailroom at William Morris, working his way up to messenger, dealing with everyone from Bea Arthur to Richard Simmons. Eventually he was at one of the premiere desks for the co-head of the motion picture department. He was yelled at by Si Maslow (Tom Hanks' agent), Sir Sean Connery, and Mel Brooks.  But let's be honest, who among us wouldn't want to be roasted by Mel? When he became an agent, Chris went after some untapped markets.  He found Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr. Bean) in the UK, and eventually formed a company with a man he met in Asia.    That would be director John Wu.  He and Chris did Face Off and Broken Arrow together, along with (Chris's words) "some really horrible" stuff.  We press him on that.  Throughout his career, Godsick spent time behind the scenes with the US Military and other organizations, and it was an invitation to shadow the US Marshals that spawned the idea for his latest project, a true crime podcast called Chasing Evil, which we highly recommend. https://www.chasingevilpodcast.com/ We wrap up talking about Chris's time working on HBO's Veep.   He tells us about Julia Louis-Dreyfus nailing her audition, and we hear about Chris's invitation to then-Vice President Biden's home that the writers were able to turn into this scene in the show.    Oh yeah, and he won some Emmys too. https://youtu.be/DU-0Xi6aafo Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, December 30, 2022

TuneIn's Mark Verone, Class of 95, On The Future of Audio

Today we are joined by another member of the great WJPZ Class of 1995, Mark Verone.  Mark grew up listening to the station, even when they worked with Whirlin' Disc DJ's coming to East Syracuse Minoa High School. Mark was determined to work at Z89 - even if it took a brief detour to Onondaga Community College before eventually transferring into Newhouse and SU.   The first half of the 90's were a great time to be at WJPZ - as they refreshed the logo and sound, and gave away a car at the New York State Fair.    You'll actually hear the promo in this podcast (8:11).  The promo won the station national recognition and a story with Bill Maher. After graduation, Mark spent a decade in radio. He worked with former Soviet countries through Metromedia International to get radio stations running.  He also spent time at Jacor, ClearChannel, and their Critical Mass Media, where he began learning about ad tech and digital sales. The next phase of Mark's career was on the digital side, working for Orbitz and GoGo, before marrying his tech knowledge and radio routes at TuneIn.   He shares how his company's discovery platform is opening up the entire world to content creators. Mark's also done extensive work with the alumni of Syracuse University as a whole, serving as President of the national alumni club, and recruiting other WJPZ alums into the fold.  (By the way, he met his wife through the Chicago alumni club, as he shares.) WJPZ taught Mark a lot about working hard and playing hard.   He talks about learning scrappiness at Z89, and how that hustle has served him well in his career.   And he also talks about 507 University Ave.  You'll have to listen to the podcast to hear those stories. More: TuneIn Website: https://tunein.com/ Listen to this podcast on TuneIn: http://tun.in/pnKwa Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, December 28, 2022

Bernie Kim '02 Takes Us Inside Fox NFL Sunday

It would be most football fans' dream to work backstage with NFL legends Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson and more.  Today Bernie Kim, from the Class of 2002, takes us on his journey from WJPZ to what's known as the "Avocado Room" at Fox Sports in Los Angeles. Like many in the WJPZ Family, Bernie got to Z89 with an intense love of sports - and he was able to marry that with comedy on-air with the Z Morning Zoo.   It was there where he honed his comedy chops, parodying everyone from LFO to DMX. Following his time at Syracuse, Bernie headed out to Los Angeles to further study the intersection of sports and comedy while working for The Best Damn Sports Show Period.   And he's spent most of the last two decades with FOX. He's worked with Fox covering golf (he shares a great Mike Tirico story), baseball and more.  It's often on Bernie and his team to come up with funny bits during coverage of major events.   He tells us about creating the "Hamm Slamm" chain with Jon Hamm at the MLB All Star game. Most of Bernie's focus is on the NFL though.  He spends his week coming up with bits for Fox's football coverage.  And on gameday, he's working with the network's top analysts to hone what they're going to cover at halftime and beyond. We ask Bernie for his best advice to current students and young alumni.   It's simple - network, network, network.  He talks about how it's helped him in his career. Finally, here's the clip that Bernie referenced - redemption for himself with Donovan McNabb, years later. https://youtu.be/ZYCkQ3wdQa4 Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, December 26, 2022

Hall of Famer "Merry" Mary Mancini, Class of 1985

Hall of Famer "Merry" Mary Mancini has done it all - both in her time at WJPZ and since.   When the University took over WAER, she found a better, more tightly formatted, home at the world's greatest media classroom.  Starting (like many of us) as an overnight jock, she eventually became part of the Crazy Morning Crew and also music director. While she's quick to give credit to other Hall of Famers that put the station on FM, the new sound at 89.1 was carefully crafted by Mary.  She made it a point to play all types of music within the CHR format.  Throughout Syracuse, reaction to the FM station was big.  Mary witnessed an uptick of record sales for songs she put on the air.  The morning show's phones were lighting up.  The station was no longer just a place to learn radio - it was having a real impact on its listening area. Following Syracuse University, Mary takes us through her "twisty turny" journey - from working with Rocco Macri at Hot 97 in New York, to moving to A&R for a record label, and eventually packing up and heading to Nashville, Tennessee. Imagine this former music director's horror to find that the city did not have an independent record store. She created one, "Lucy's Record Shop," in 1992.  It quickly became a community staple.  Its all ages shows attracted musicians, visual artists, and thinkers alike. Following the record store, and a career in IT, Mary's radio roots pulled her back in - getting on the air talking politics in Nashville.  As her profile grew, more opportunities opened up, becoming executive director of Tennessee Citizen Action, and eventually chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party.   She credits what she learned at WJPZ for helping her every step of the way. As she ponders her next move, she created a podcast, featuring the "kids" from Lucy's Record Shop,  now 30 years older.  You'll find it here: https://www.lucysrecordshop.com/ We wrap up with a story involving Mary, Jag, and a favor from a very famous distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. The story is a microcosm of what WJPZ alumni do for each other. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, December 23, 2022

Jordan Hayes, '14, Goes from WJPZ Listener to Exec Staff

On social media, you won't find a more enthusiastic supporter of WJPZ than Jordan Hayes, from the Class of 2014.  He tells us how he first found the station in fifth grade as we played "Summer Girls" by LFO.   Once he found out the station was run by Syracuse University students, he knew that's where he wanted to be.   At Baldwinsville High School, he worked at WBXL.   From there he went to OCC and eventually transferred in to SU. At the station, Jordan had 3 goals.  He wanted to do something nobody had done before at Z89, he wanted to be on the exec staff, and he wanted his own show.  He learned some tough lessons along the way, but eventually Jordan accomplished all three of those goals. We spend some time talking about the mentors who worked with Jordan, and from a larger perspective, the folks who have helped keep WJPZ alive for 50 years.  And Jordan tells us about one of his favorite episodes of his throwback show, done with the alumni of The Pulse one Banquet weekend. More: Jordan's Friday night online radio show: https://jordanhits202.web.app/ Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, December 21, 2022

Alex Silverman '10 Builds a Major Market Career - While Helping Rebuild WJPZ

You may know today's guest as a former General Manager of WJPZ.  You may know him for his major market news career, between Seattle, New York, Philadelphia, and now KNX in Los Angeles.  But you may not know how much of the current station was built with his hands.  We cover all of that today with Alex Silverman, from the Class of 2010. Alex talks about getting to Syracuse and loving radio, but not being sure which career direction that love would take him in.  He became VP of Operations and GM at Z89, tracing every wire and learning how everything works.  Meanwhile, he ended up getting an opportunity to anchor weekends at WSYR-Syracuse, and that cemented his love for news radio. Alex talks about networking by accident.   And how a tweet about 4/20 as a student led him to Wayne Cabot at WCBS New York, eventually leading Alex to a job as a reporter then into station management.   We then trace his career to Philadelphia and now Los Angeles.  (There may be a question about Philly sports fans in today's show.) There are a number of lessons today's guest learned at WJPZ that have served him well - from how to manage people to how to handle the University bureaucracy when they overstepped their legal bounds. We spend a fair amount of time talking about Alex's technical contributions to Z89 as an alum.  Most notably, he was part of the station rebuild in 2012, when they secured funding to revamp and expand the entire station.  He, Rob Crandall, Stephen Kurtz, and more worked with the staff over winter break to do a month's worth of work in a week. Alex also talks about a new transmitter, upgrading our 100 watt flamethrower to 1,000, and more. Finally, we talk about the current state of radio.  For radio to survive and thrive, Alex feels two things must happen.  Provide the content our audience wants, where they want it, and do a better job of marketing where to find it. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, December 19, 2022

Going to Camp with Mitch Reiter, Class of 1979

Today we sit down with Mitch Reiter, WJPZ Class of 1979, to go through his journey from AM 1200 in Syracuse to running Camp Towanda in the Poconos. Mitch paints a picture of the old station inside of Spectrum Sundries, now the site of the Sheraton on campus.  And we spend some time talking about the leadership of classmate and WJPZ Hall of Famer Mike Roberts. Mike recruited Mitch to the radio station, and empowered him to become promotions manager, then eventually station manager.  It was on these classes from the late 70's to keep alive what the founders before them had built. After graduating, Mitch worked at WPIX-TV in New York, doing everything from field producing to being their first ever satellite coordinator.   He also worked on ABC's "After School Specials," before pivoting and following another true passion of his, summer camps. Camp Towanda is a seven-week summer camp in the Poconos area of Pennsylvania.   The kids are unplugged.  No devices. They have to communicate face to face (imagine that?).   But running the camp is a year-round job, doing corporate retreats in the fall, and of course planning the next year's events.  Mitch does a great job explaining how his experience at WJPZ prepared him for this job.  And  yes, the camp has done television, radio, and even podcasts. Mitch throws out the idea of a big WJPZ reunion, with all of our families, at his facility.  This may be an idea to look into... More: Friday Night Flix, Camp Towanda's Highlight Reel: http://www.fridayniteflix.com/ Camp Towanda Website: https://www.camptowanda.com/ Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, December 16, 2022

Allie Gold '15, on Going from Z89 to Z100

Allie Gold, Class of 2015, joins us today.  She's a former general manager of WJPZ, and is currently the digital content manager for Elvis Duran and the Morning Show at Z100 New York.  Allie, like many of us, talks about her obsession with the radio growing up.  Given how far out on Long Island she was, she was more of a WBLI P1 than Z100.  But BLI is what made her fall in love with radio. She got to Syracuse, however, thinking she wanted to get into television.  But it was a chance meeting with Craig Hoffman at accepted students day in the Dome that brought her to WJPZ.  After training on-air, she quickly became a part of the Z Morning Zoo with Jeff Cucinell and Luke Walsh. Allie had aspirations of being General Manager, but after spending a semester in Florence, she didn't think it would work out.  But it did, and she ended up choosing Z89 over a second semester in Italy.    Back stateside, she had to re-establish the community of the station after a remodel.  The station had been voice tracked out of Newhouse for a semester during construction, and it was on Allie and her team to rebuild the social fabric of WJPZ.  She did this with by establishing a kickball rivalry with Citrus TV, social events like "HallowZeen," and more. The lessons Allie learned at WJPZ, and the relationships she built, eventually landed her at Z100 in New York.  We close the podcast by talking about what Allie sees as radio's future in a post-pandemic world.  She talks about the importance of positivity and rebuilding communities. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, December 14, 2022

Josh Wolff, '03, on Alumni-Student Relations

Chances are, you won't find an alumnus from our group who interfaces with current students the way Josh Wolff ('03) does.  Sitting on both the the Alumni Association Board and the WJPZ Board of Directors, this former station Program Director is always there to answer a student question. We open today's show by asking Josh about his journey to Syracuse and Z89.   Jag talks about how Josh was instrumental in helping him  land both his first full time radio job, as well as his Major Market gig in Detroit. We could have asked Josh about his long career in radio, with positions in Binghamton, Greenville, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Allentown, and more.   But he's much more comfortable talking about others - students like Mina Llona, Sam Kandell, Corey Crockett, Alex Silverman, Steven Krainin, Jacob Belotti, and more, all the way to the station's current leadership. Some of you may not be familiar with the on-site work that some of the alumni do in the summer in Syracuse (and often year-round for that matter).  Josh talks about being in town when it's not snowing - with folks like Stephen Kurtz, Alex Silverman, Rob Crandall, Matt DelSignore, and more - helping the station leadership with everything from G-Selector clocks to upgrading our "100 watt flamethrower" to 1,000. Jag and Josh wrap up with a funny story of innocence lost in Greenville. We also find out what's in the fridge of a guy who's never cooked. Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, December 12, 2022

Hall of Famer and Imaging Legend Ed LaComb, '85

Hall of Famer Ed LaComb, from the Class of 1985, has been involved with the station for years.  He started his own imaging company, Digital Sound and Video , in 1998. He's spent most of the time since then working with the Program Directors of WJPZ to help refine the station's sound. Ed was also at Syracuse when WJPZ moved to FM.  He walks us through his time playing records overnight on carrier current to then the station moving to FM and some real "wow" moments in that process. We also go through Ed's career, bouncing between snowy upstate New York and sunny Daytona Beach, Florida, where he started his company.  He shares his  advice for both aspiring business owners and audio producers, including his current thoughts on the radio industry today.  Spoiler: he's not a fan of stations being bought by the same company and cross-promoting each other. We wrap up with a Rick Wright story.  Always the station's best ally, we hear about how Dr. Rick gave an impassioned speech to the Student Government Association when the station was trying to secure funding for the move to FM. Join Us in Syracuse for The Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, December 09, 2022

The Move to the FM Dial - Bob Flint, Phil LoCascio, Eric Fitch, and Chris Mossman

Today we are joined by four WJPZ Hall of Famers, who will take us through the station's move to the FM dial in the 1980's - Bob Flint, Phil LoCascio, Eric Fitch, and Chris Mossman. In the Summer of 1982, there was a confluence of events, as Bob puts it.  WJPZ owed Syracuse University $5,000. The station's antenna was taken down, leaving it only to broadcast on TV's and carrier current (we explain that). And oh by the way, the school was going to build what is now the Sheraton on the site where the station stood. Through allies, including advisor Rick Wright, and Mark Ellenbogen in the Student Government Association, the tide started to turn.  The University found WJPZ a physical home, but the station had to find a home on the radio dial.   The station had to be incorporated, with bylaws and a continuity plan.   All of this needed to happen to the satisfaction of both Syracuse University and the FCC. Our guests today take us inside the old AM studios, and how they had to find ways to keep the station going.  Chris explains what it was to "slip cue" a record.  Eric talks about dealing with the bureaucracy of a large University (and how it helped him in his professional life).   Phil talks about the culture they walked into at WJPZ, and how it became incumbent upon them to keep it going. Chris tells us story's happy ending, in the summer of 1984, when he went to the station mailbox, and found the approval from the Federal Communications Commission. The late Dr. John Oldfield gets....um....a shoutout in this episode - turns out he was a thorn in the station's side when we moved in to Watson, and when we moved out. Of course, the guests today have many great stories.  They include a cleaning lady unplugging the radio station, and Dr. Rick Wright....let's say.....always putting the education of his students above all else. Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, December 07, 2022

Stacey Simms '93 on Gender Equity, Diabetes, and More

Stacey Simms, '93, has done it all.  She's worked professionally in radio, in television, and now in podcasting.   (She also voiced the Greatest Media Classroom documentary for WJPZ's 40th anniversary!) Stacey temporarily walked away from Z89 early in her Syracuse career, but it was the staff of the station that eventually brought her back into the fold as an upperclassman and an alum.   Today, we walk through her professional journey from Syracuse to Utica and back, then eventually to her current home in Charlotte. Stacey's podcast, Diabetes Connections, was created when she saw a void in the space.  Her son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and while many shows focused on lifestyle and stories, this newswoman craved information.  So her news-center diabetes podcast was born, it became a business and even two books!   We actually take a few minutes in this episode to dispel a few myths, misconceptions, and stereotypes about the disease. Stacey has been an advocate for women both in the media industry and even among the WJPZ Alumni Association.  We ask her about the gender gap, what can be done, and even some bigger picture issues within the radio industry. Naturally, there are WJPZ connections throughout Stacey's life, and she shares one story in particular - living in Utica with WJPZ legend Sharon Goodman, aka BB Good. More info: Stacey's Podcast, Diabetes Connections: https://diabetes-connections.com/ Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, December 05, 2022

T.J. Basalla '06 and Kevin Rich '07, on Friendship, Careers, and International Incidents

T.J. Basalla and Kevin Rich are the best of friends, and like many of us, that relationship got its start at WJPZ.   Oddly, that wasn't what brought them together originally.  It was a shared love of another team - Michigan Football.  And while their initial connection was born out of Maize and Blue, their careers and lives since have a distinctly Orange hue. Both of today's guests talk about some significant station moments they were witness to.  When then-GM Kevin was faced with FCC license renewal, he reached out to the alumni - Dena Giacobbe in particular - who could help walk him through it. For T.J., he was there for the return of local high school football on WJPZ.  He talked about what that meant to the community covering games, and one story in particular that will always stay with him. Kevin and TJ represent the alumni association as a whole pretty well.  They both started in radio, but one (Kevin) stayed in it while the other (TJ) has gone on to a successful marketing career.  We learn about what they've both been up to in a decade and a half since graduation.  This includes what they learned at WJPZ and how that knowledge has served them both. We wrap up with a New Year's Eve story about a night involving Vermont, Quebec, and Tim Hortons. If you've ever met these guys, you'll certainly appreciate it. Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, December 02, 2022

Matt DelSignore, Class of 2002 and Hall of Fame Inductee

Matt DelSignore was elected to the WJPZ of Hall of Fame in 2022, and will be inducted at this year's Banquet celebation. Growing up outside Watertown, New York, Matt's parents had season tickets to Syracuse Football.  But while most other Walkmans (Walkmen?) in the Dome were tuned in to the game on WSYR, Matt's headphones found Z89, then programmed by our own Neon Dion Summers.   The station sounded so good, Matt never thought it would have been run by students. Joining the station upon his arrival on campus was a no-brainer. Then, like several of his classmates from the Class of 2002, this freshman was tapped by then GM Harry Wareing as a future leader of the radio station.   In the 1998-1999 school year, the station staff was small.  Harry and broadcast consultant Dena Giacobbe new they had to empower the next executive staff.    Harry suggested Matt run for General Manager and Program Director, and Matt talks about his sense of "serving his community," a tradition his family has deep roots in. The dual role is not an easy one.  While Matt relished the opportunity to program a station like WJPZ, it was also his responsibility to keep the lights on.  And while the station was making enough money to pay its monthly bills, it was facing an enormous debt the current students inherited.   But it was the passion and personalities Matt found at the station that helped keep it going. Those relationships continue to this day. Matt also takes us through his post-college career in news (and why he chose reporting over records) - from Watertown to Syracuse, Albany, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. Finally, Mr. DelSignore tells us a hilarious personal story about himself, Redman, Method  Man, and the movie How High . Bonus: Matt's Summer 1999 Playlist.  Hard to believe these all hit that summer! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6HbF5OilemvmkfxePsJXbA?si=518052ef610f4361 Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, November 30, 2022

From WJPZ to ESPN with Mike Couzens, Class of 2011

Mike Couzens grew up listening to the radio in White Plains, New York.  So it's no surprise that when he got to Syracuse,  he immediately gravitated to both WJPZ and WAER, spending far more time in those facilities than on coursework. Today he tells us about being surprised, as a sports guy, when his predecessor Alex Silverman suggested he run for General Manager.  Throughout this episode, Mike talks about lessons he learned as GM, and how knowing "all aspects" of a broadcast help in his current play-by-play role at ESPN.  And while the sports department had "one of their own" in that role, Mike was always cognizant of the push-pull between music and sports.  The station didn't only flourish with its play-by-play.  The station launched a competition for local musicians, had a presence at the annual Mayfest, aired its public affairs show, Orange State, and more. Mike takes us through his career post-graduation, using the Syracuse network, and never saying no to an opportunity.  That includes covering volleyball and wrestling, and driving 12 hours round trip to call a game in Wisconsin.   His career path wound through the Midwest, had a stop in Vermont, and eventually wound up with him at ESPN. This year, he's moved closer to his roots - doing less games on television and more on radio.   We talk about the power and opportunity that comes with calling games on the radio. Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, November 28, 2022

Inside WJPZ on September 11th, 2001

Today is a very special episode of the podcast.   Three of Jag's classmates from the Class of 2002 reflect back on a day at the beginning of their senior year - September 11, 2001. Dave Peterson, aka "Peterman," was the station's GM and morning show host that morning.  Leah Hoffman was his co-host, out on campus interviewing folks about the Syracuse primary elections, scheduled that Tuesday.   Brett Bosse was the news director, and Jag was on in afternoon drive. Peterman and Leah start the story in the morning when the towers were hit, and how they had to get information, with no televisions in the station, only one other station in the market that would come in to the new WJPZ facilities, and no internet. Brett picks it up with the station's skeleton news crew.  Having just come back to a rebuilt studio after a year in an off-campus house on Ostrom Avenue, he was trying to rebuild the news department as the school year started.    And Jag chimes in with what happened in the afternoon of 9/11. You'll hear some raw emotion in this episode as the four of us recount our memories of that day, and a very personal connection for one of our cohosts.    But you'll also hear about the power of the WJPZ family - not only how everyone stepped up to help in any way possible, but how the station became a gathering place for so many.  In that moment of fear and uncertainty, we all needed to be with our Syracuse Family. This episode isn't all serious though.   We wrap up on some brighter notes, reflecting on some hilarious stories from our time at Z89.   And Peterman shares two of them - as only he can. Link: Peterman's handwritten notes from the morning of 9/11: https://twitter.com/pieceofpeterman/status/1436749769683124229?s=20&t=cUMIDjlgiL10cxC7_bo9Pg Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, November 25, 2022

Hall of Famer Matt Friedman, Class of 1994

Chances are, if you have ever been involved with WJPZ, you know Matt Friedman from the Class of 1994.   This Hall of Famer and proud Michigander is one of our most active alumni.  (In fact, he even helped make some connections for this podcast.)  Today he takes us from his journey to Syracuse, through television news, and to the helm of his agency, Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications. Matt actually knew about WJPZ before he ever left Metro Detroit - thanks to alumni like Larry Barron, Scott Meach, and more.  While at his local community radio station in high school, WJPZ and Syracuse University, in some ways, became one and the same. A lover of news, sports, and music, Friedman actually found his home in WJPZ's news department, helping run their breaking news coverage of what we now know as Operation Desert Storm (yes, he has a clip).   But before getting into station management, he was taught an invaluable lesson by Dave Gorab that he takes with him to this day. Following his WJPZ career, Matt worked in TV, producing newscasts in Atlanta and Orlando, before returning home to Detroit. Eventually he moved out of television and into PR, then starting Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications.   We talk about his career arc through many changes, and how Friedman's experiences and relationships from WJPZ have buoyed him every step of the way. When asked for a funny story, Broadcaster Friedman shares a culture clash that's sure to crack you up.  It involves the Barrio Boyz, heard here: https://youtu.be/_qR1PL13T-U Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, November 23, 2022

Geoff "DeafGeoff" Herbert, Class of 2005

Geoff "Deaf Geoff" Herbert is a machine -serving as WJPZ's GM while working as a morning show host at a commercial station in Syracuse.   Oh by the way, he was working a night shift at Blockbuster Video (RIP) and somehow attending classes. Geoff was bitten by the radio bug early, serving as General Manager of his high school radio station in Acton, Massachusetts.  This experience made attending Syracuse and joining Z89 a no-brainer.   During his time at the helm of the station, WJPZ vastly expanded both its sports and music offerings. Yes, today's guest was born deaf, hearing only about 10% as well as the rest of us (50% with hearing aids).  He talks about giving himself his nickname/on-air moniker, his lip-reading skills (which come in handy during Syracuse basketball games), and even how he became the instructor in a music production class. It was another SU class - taught by Dr. Rick Wright - that landed him an internship at Hot 107.9, that he eventually turned into a full time producer gig before even graduating.  And his instincts were good - preparing to leave commercial radio just before his show was taken off the air for syndication. In the time since, he's become a prolific writer for Syracuse.com and the Post Standard, maintained his music chops as a Wedding DJ, and fallen in love with Syracuse as home. Referenced in this podcast: Eamon: "F*ck It (I Don't Want You Back): https://youtu.be/QYwyaCd8MyI Response Track: Frankie: "FURB:" https://youtu.be/B1K0pUSSFUo Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, November 21, 2022

Brian Lapis, '91 Gives WJPZ some Sweet Lippy Love

Brian Lapis refers to himself as the "court jester" of WJPZ, but in today's interview, you'll hear the true passion he has for the radio station.   In fact, he starts by telling us about his biggest regret from his time at Syracuse - not joining Z89 sooner. Brian actually came in as a freshman working for Y94FM in Syracuse, before really becoming more involved with WJPZ in the second half of his career.  This was in part thanks to some peer pressure from some folks who would go on to do very big things in their own careers. Lippy talks about doing engineering off-air, including a great story from the top of Day Hall with Scott Meach.   Eventually he came to be Chief Announcer at the station in addition to his on-air work. Following graduation, his radio career took him from Hartford to Philadelphia to Providence.  But he was simultaneously exploring another career route - television meteorology.  Thanks to some advice from classmate Dave Roberts, Brian became certified in broadcast meteorology, and joined WWLP-TV in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1996.  And he's been there ever since. WJPZ's favorite "Weather Entertainer" takes us through a day in the life of a television meteorologist in 2022, before we circle back to the many lessons learned at Z89. And you know I had to ask Lippy for some of his favorite funny stories from the station.  You won't want to miss those! Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, November 18, 2022

Scott Meach, Hall of Fame Inductee, Class of 1990

Scott Meach's contributions to both WJPZ and the Alumni Association are nearly immeasurable.   In two stints as General Manager, he and his team helped shepherd the station out of a mountain of debt, bring in some major market coin, and pull off some big-time promotions in the Syracuse market. In his time since graduation, he's served as President of a revamped Alumni Association, created the bylaws for the WJPZ Hall of Fame, and so much more. In today's wide ranging conversation, we cover the financial turnaround of WJPZ in the late 80's, what the station overcame on and off the air, and how it ushered in what we now know as the "Flamethrower" era.  We also talk about how the Alumni Association has evolved over the last two decades. Scott also talks about his professional journey, from working with "Up With People" to radio promotions and contest insurance, ultimately to starting his own business in the secondary ticket market, SecondTicket . Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, November 16, 2022

Kyle Leff, '22, on Being GM During COVID

In the 50 year history of WJPZ, there have been many trying times and events.  But dealing with a once-in-a-century global pandemic was certainly a first for the station.  That's what Kyle Leff, Class of 2022, walked into when he was elected General Manager in the Spring of 2020. In this episode, Kyle walks us through 4 semesters of COVID-19 on campus and at WJPZ.   When everyone the campus shut down in 2020, the staff had employ technology and a skeleton crew to keep the radio station on the air.  As was the case for all of us, there was no playbook for how to handle a situation like this. When the students returned in the fall of 2020, precautions had to be taken - from staggering jock shifts to wiping down equipment before and after each person left the studio.   And for the entire 2020-2021 school year, jocks were on the air masked. But WJPZ was one of the few campus organizations that could exist in COVID - Kyle talks about what that did for the station's recruitment efforts.    Then in the 2021-2022 year, the station slowly got back to normal, now with a much larger staff. Kyle praises the leadership at the station - both before and during his tenure as GM - as working together to solve problems and keep the station running through the pandemic.   And it was this lesson of collaboration that has served Kyle well in his first post-graduation job, on the air at B94.5 in State College, Pennsylvania. Beyond COVID, we talk about the radio industry in 2022, through a recent grad's perspective.   Kyle believes great radio is still being made by smaller radio companies, and he takes us behind the scenes at his current gig.  Live on air, social media content, and more. Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, November 14, 2022

Hollywood Hal Rood, Hall of Famer, Class of '91

"Hollywood" Hal Rood is a WJPZ Hall of Famer who programmed the station at an incredible moment in its history.  From there, he went on to several radio jobs, before founding his own company, Strategic Solutions Research, 15 years ago. Despite his impressive resume, Hal credits his classmates at Z89 for shepherding the station out of some dark times and into the "flamethrower" days.  Folks like Scott Meach, Henry Ferri, Carl Weinstein, Scotty Bergstein, Mike Tierney, and more.  This incredible team got the station out of debt and profitable.  It ran a successful PR campaign to explain the mission of the station, and garnered some of the highest ratings in the station's history. And oh by the way, it gave away a Pontiac Firebird at the Great New York State Fair. He tells us to great stories, including one about a Mike Tyson fight on Pay Per View, and one that you may know of.   Talk about "kicking the competition," Hal shares the story of the famous 93 "Q Ball." More: Hal's Company Website: https://www.strategicsolutionsresearch.com/ Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Fri, November 11, 2022

Mina Llona, aka MinaSayWhat, Class of 2008

Mina Llona is a radio and social media rockstar.  In the 15 years since graduation, she's worked on the air in New York, in Philadelphia, and two stints at SiriusXM. We start today's show with her unusual trajectory toward radio, and the very surprising reaction she got from her Mom when she told her she wanted to switch from pursuing a law career to one in radio. One key constant throughout her career has been the guidance of fellow alum Dion Summers ('95), who first barged in on her shift as a freshman, and now works with her on his SiriusXM Channel "The Heat." Mina recently became a Mom and gives us the perspective of being pregnant while working in the radio industry, including covering the BET Awards in LA while being 7 months along.   Reactions ranged from incredulous to incredibly supportive, including some great interactions she had with artists like Lizzo and Ne-Yo.  Mina was Program Director of WJPZ at a pivotal time in the station's existence - the transition over to NexGen and the introduction of voice-tracking.   While opinions differ on the topic, it's a skill that broadcasters today need to graduate with.   Mina talks about how important it was to learn, and teach , new radio software to fulfill the station's mission as the World's Greatest Media Classroom.    And it was learning that software that put her at an advantage when she landed her first job after graduation. Finally, we talk about WJPZ at "home."  Mina explains how on a big campus, the radio station was always home. More: Mina's Website: http://minasaywhat.com/ Mina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minasaywhat/ Mina's daughter Athena's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athenathebabydoll   Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Wed, November 09, 2022

Scott MacFarlane '98, CBS News and WJPZ Hall of Famer

In a very impressive alumni association, Scott MacFarlane is a rockstar among rockstars, although he'd probably be the last person to say so.   A Hall of Famer and currently Congressional Correspondent for CBS News, he joins us today to reflect back on his time at WJPZ, and how it's prepared him for a career on the national stage. Some of the biggest lessons Scott learned at WJPZ were personal ones, including "how to play well in the sandbox."  The ability to get along with others is a skill that has helped him make many jumps in his career.   We also talk about what he learned about the history of the station in producing "Greatest Media Classroom," the documentary for WJPZ's 40th anniversary a decade ago. Scottie Mac tells the story of a challenge he had to come on his first day live on the air, nationally, on CBS News, and how his professional development at WJPZ prepared him for that moment.   Related to that, we also dive into his outstanding reporting around the January 6th insurrection, and how his time covering Congress and federal courts perfectly positioned him to be a reliable source of information.  Also, how has he dealt with online blowback to his reporting? And what advice does he have for young, up-and-coming journalists? Finally, Scott talks about the family of WJPZ.  And how it doesn't matter if you graduated in 1975 or 2022.  You're just "his friend from school." Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Bonus · Mon, November 07, 2022

Dr. Rick Wright's History of WJPZ (Album Cut)

For our first episode, we went back to Professor Rick Wright to tell the story of WJPZ.  And we put out the 38 minute "radio edit."  But we felt many of you would want to hear the entire conversation with Rick - all 98 minutes of it.   So we are releasing it here as a bonus episode. Rick tells us about his first stint in Syracuse, and how he left and came back prior to that famous "knock on the door," and the detail of what that first WJPZ-AM studio looked like in 1975.  This, again, is the "album cut," full of details about that fateful time in the mid-1970's. This goes in to the story behind the "Lock" scholarship, nearly being shut down by the FCC, the move to cable television, then finally over to the FM dial.  For this part of the conversation, Rick gets a little deeper into the details of how the unpopular move of WAER to National Public Radio affiliate paved the way for WJPZ-FM.  And yes John Oldfield's name comes up in this version. Also from the 80's, you'll hear names like Sean McDonough, Mike Tirico, and a story about Larry King that many of us know from Banquets past. Next, we talk about Pan AM 103 - and see the events of that day and week through our old Professor's eyes, including the decision to head home to North Carolina that Christmas to be with his Dad, and how he became a representative of the University back in Elizabeth City. Next we dig into the 90's, from the flamethrower days to receivership, and the mixed emotions with which Rick looks back on the latter. You'll be surprised by Rick's memories of the Ostrom House in 2000.  He might be the only person that liked our temporary digs. Then, the question we had to ask - Rick Wright Radio Bingo.  What happened when he figured it out?  Be prepared for a lot of jock names and call letters. We have a bit of an extended discussion of the power of radio, where it was, what it's become, and how it can return to it's glory days.  As Rick says, "the fire sale is coming." Finally, Dr. Wright reflects back on his time at WJPZ, and the six decades of alumni he's gotten to know.   You'll be happy to hear he's gotten just as much - if not more - out of the station than we all have. Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Mon, November 07, 2022

Rick Wright's History of WJPZ (Radio Edit)

For our first episode, we wanted to give you a choice between our full 98 minute interview with Dr. Rick Wright or this one, the 39 minute "radio edit." In this shortened version, we stick to (mostly) the 50 year history of the radio station, beginning with that famous "knock at the door" of Dr. Wright's office in 1975.   From there, we wind through the 80's and the story behind the move to the FM dial, Pan Am 103, and the "flamethrower" days of the early 90's,  We also touch on the receivership era, and the infamous house on Ostrom that was the station's temporary home for a year. Jag also asks the question all Banquet attendees want to know:  When did the old Professor figure out what was happening during "Rick Wright Radio Bingo?" We wrap up with Dr. Wright's thoughts on the current state of the radio industry, and what could be done to save it.   And finally, we zoom out to hear his takeaways from 50 years of the World's Greatest Media Classroom. Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/

Trailer · Thu, October 20, 2022

Trailer

For 50 years, WJPZ Syracuse has been the world’s greatest media classroom, preparing Syracuse University Students for whatever was to come after graduation.   In the WJPZ at 50 Podcast, we’ll hear about some of the lessons learned, You'll hear how alumni from six different decades each had their own set of challenges to tackle. And perhaps just as importantly, you’ll hear about the relationships that have formed throughout this giant WJPZ family. The WJPZ at 50 podcast is put together exclusively by the alumni of the world’s greatest media classroom, from artwork and imaging, to production and editing.   I’m your host, Jon Gay, aka JAG, from the Class of 2002.   I hope you’ll join us as we chronicle the station’s incredible half-century history. It’s the WJPZ at 50 Podcast – with new episodes releasing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting November 7th. With special guest Dr. Rick Wright.   Find us at Simplecast dot com slash WJPZ at 50.  Or follow the show on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Just search WJPZ at 50. Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/