John Ferracane was one of the key figures in the survival of WJPZ when the station was temporarily moved to an off-campus house on Ostrom Avenue for the 2000-2001 school year. With the help of an incredibly dedicated staff and some supportive alumni, we were able to keep the station on the air, then upgrade when we returned to Watson - and the new "Menchel Media Center" in the Fall of 2001.
As the sophomore Chief Engineer, John and the rest of the team arrived at the station's temporary digs on Ostrom in August of 2000. The University had moved all of our ancient, shoddy equipment to a new location. Most of it was on its last legs, and was, as John puts it, "a dumpster fire."
Fortunately, Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, then in New York, came to the rescue. His network had done a massive equipment upgrade, and he donated all of the previous gear. This was able to keep the station on the air while the new studios were built at Watson. Then, John and GM Dave "Peterman" Peterson found a way to trade the extra equipment for new gear for the station.
The early aughts were a very different time than the station's heyday a decade earlier. Facing crippling legal debt and many other issues, the station did not have the financial means to survive long term. John did his homework - he knew there was a time in the station's history where University funding may have meant University control. This was something the station staff vetted carefully, then when convinced that wouldn't be the case, secured funding from SU. And it's thanks, in part, to that funding, that the station has survived and thrived 20 years later.
Finally, John takes us through his career since graduation - from Syracuse to South Carolina, Detroit, Miami, then eventually to ABC's Good Morning America, where he met his wife. Now, he's working for Nexstar, building out their News Nation network, designed to be a non-partisan cable news source.
John's hiring, and always willing to talk to students and alumni. You can reach him at JFerracane@Nexstar.tv.
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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