Hall of Famer Rob, aka Rusty the Bailiff, Berrell hopped in his truck to spend a few minutes with us today.
Doing his research on the best communications schools in the country, this Fargo kid soon found himself at Syracuse, and then WJPZ just in time for the move to FM. During his time at the station, Rusty did a little bit of everything, as Chief Announcer and eventually station and general manager.
There's now quite the Berrell family legacy at Syracuse. Not only did Rusty meet his wife Karen on campus, both of their kids went to school at SU, following in their parents' and uncle's footsteps. We spend some time talking about the unique experience of sharing a similar college experience with your children.
Following graduation, Rusty worked on air in North Dakota and Maine, before heading back west to Minnesota. Eventually, Rob made the transition to radio sales, where he worked for several major radio station in Minneapolis, including the legendary KDWB.
After a long run in radio, Rusty saw that the industry is changing, and he joined Ron Schara productions, an outdoor television production company. We talk about how his experiences at WJPZ and in commercial radio come into play every day in his current role. He's been there for nine years.
(Thanks to WJPZ Alum and Newhouse Professor Tina Perkins for editing this episode.)
Rusty was gracious and willing to talk about the bombing of Pan Am 103 in 1988. 35 Syracuse University students were killed on that flight, including Rusty's brother, WJPZ staffer Steven Berrell. When it happened, Rusty was a morning show host in Augusta, Maine. He told us how he found out, and we gives credit to the US government and Syracuse University for pursuing justice and honoring the victims' memories, 34 years later.
When I asked Rusty to wrap up with a funny story, he talked about someone in station management who really wanted to be on the air, but didn't necessarily have the chops.
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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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