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 JAG in Detroit Podcasts
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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