Beth (Russell) Gorab, Class of 1993

Beth (Russell) Gorab, Class of 1993

Author: WJPZ June 26, 2023 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 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.

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Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:  jag@jagindetroit.com.

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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
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