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
NFL Senior Coordinating Producer Mike Konner, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:23
(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 directl…
Ryan McNaughton '96 - from small town Ohio to SU Alum Grand Poobah [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:42
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 Ni…
Kat Brady, Class of 2018, On Continuing the Teaching Legacy of WJPZ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:45
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,…
Brent Axe - From 89.1 The Pulse To Jim Boeheim Getting Him Fired [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:20
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…
USA Today's Ralphie Aversa, Class of 2007 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:31
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'l…
Beth (Russell) Gorab, Class of 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:52
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 an…
A Friday Night Party Reunion 20 Years in the Making [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:05
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 t…
From WJPZ to Rihanna, Fall Out Boy and Lizzo - Adam Eisenberg '95 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:16
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…
Beth (Berlin) Cohen and Jana Fiorello, Class of 2002 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:04
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…