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

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

Author: WJPZ June 12, 2023 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 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.

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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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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…