A Short Message from Jag

A Short Message from Jag

Author: WJPZ February 25, 2023 Duration: 1:52

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.

Want to be on the show? Email JAG at jag@jagpodcastproductions.com

Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/


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For fifty years, the student-run airwaves of Syracuse University's WJPZ at 50 have been more than a radio station; they've been a launchpad. This oral history project captures that legacy not through dry facts, but through the voices that built it. Each episode is a conversation with a different alumnus, from the pioneers of the 1970s to recent graduates, tracing how their hands-on experience in what's called the "world's greatest media classroom" shaped careers in broadcasting and far beyond. You'll hear personal stories of late-night broadcasts, technical mishaps turned into triumphs, and the forging of lifelong bonds that created a unique professional family spanning generations. This podcast digs into the real, often messy, work of learning by doing, revealing how a campus station became an enduring institution. Tune in for a collection of fifty interviews that together form a living archive, celebrating the people, not just the programming, behind five decades of student-led radio.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

WJPZ at 50
Podcast Episodes
Mike Lacett '05, A Sportscasting Career with WJPZ Roots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:05
We look back on Mike Lacett’s path through WJPZ and Syracuse, and the conversation quickly shows how deeply those years shaped him. Mike explains that he first heard about Z89 from a Radio Disney DJ (you probably know wh…
Lizzie Gottlieb and Bella Galan, Current WJPZ PD and GM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:31
In this episode of WJPZ at 50, we sit down with Bella Galan and Lizzie Gottlieb, the current GM and PD of WJPZ, to talk about how they found Syracuse, how they found the station, and how they are helping shape its cultur…
Savannah Bananas' Chris Sacchi, WJPZ Class of 2021 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:22
Today we explore Chris Sacchi’s journey from a sports-obsessed kid in Connecticut to becoming a “video legend” with the Savannah Bananas. We start by tracing how early exposure to Syracuse athletics (the 2000's were a go…
Inside Sports Rights With Dan Girard, Class of 2012 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:33
Note: The WJPZ at 50 Podcast has returned! If you or someone you know would like to be a guest, email JAG: jag@jagpodcastproductions.com Our first guest back is Dan Girard, Class of 20120. on how WJPZ helps us find our f…
Replay: 2026 HOF Inductee Stephen "Tex" Kurtz, Class of 2005 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:14
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…
Replay: 2026 HOF Inductee Howard Deneroff, Class of 1989 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:55
Note: This episode originally published on February 15, 2023. In the time since, Howard Deneroff has gone on to be found Stand By Media, as well as becoming the Director of the Hall of Excellence at the Fountainebleau La…
Replay: 2026 HOF Inducteee Ben Green, Class of 1985 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:33
Today's guest is the always passionate 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 bu…
Replay: 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee Deaf Geoff Herbert, Class of 2005 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:37
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 mach…
Replay: 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee Jon "JAG" Gay, Class of 2002 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:35
Editor's Note: This week we are re-releasing the episodes with our 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees. Here, our host became the guest, as Jag's 2002 classmate and fellow Hall of Famer Matt DelSignore sat him down to hear his s…