Jordan Capozzi, Class of 2019

Jordan Capozzi, Class of 2019

Author: WJPZ December 11, 2023 Duration: 25:10

Jordan Capozzi grew up in Syracuse, and like many Salt City Natives, did not know WJPZ was run by college students.   When his high school guidance counselor released how much he liked to talk (sound familiar?) she recommended he look at SU.   When Jordan learned that he could work at Z89, the station was one of his first stops.

He got involved in sports, music, and the morning show. Jordan talks about the inclusive and welcoming environment of the station to students of all majors. Before long he was on executive staff, starting as public service director and working his way up to VP of Operations.  In those roles, Jordan was sure to pay the education forward.

Following graduation, Jordan employed his WJPZ skills in landing work locally at Galaxy Media.  He started as a board op, doing everything he could.   He worked his way up to his currrent role, executive producer of Cuse Sports Talk.

We spend some time asking Jordan for his perspective on the radio industry, as someone who's currently working at a live and local station.   And we wrap up by revisiting the classic April Fools Day Western flip of the station.

The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.

Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50

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

Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events?  Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/

Want to be on the show? Email JAG at jag@jagpodcastproductions.com

Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


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: 50

WJPZ at 50
Podcast Episodes
GM Shruti Marathe, Class of 2019, on Larry Barron and JPZ Culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:04
You might say Shruti Marathe was destined to be General Manager of WJPZ. She followed other alumni in working at her high school radio station in New Jersey. And when she got to Syracuse, her peer mentor was none other t…
DEI and Higher Ed Guru Kafele Khalfani, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:55
Since graduating SU in 1996, Kafele Khalfani has done it all - moving from the advertising world to following his passion to help young people. Today you'll hear about his career in higher education, as well as his time…
Emmy Winning Reporter Eva Zymaris, Class of 2014 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:18
Eva Zymaris, Class of 2014, has gone from Z89 News Director to Emmy winning reporter in New Haven Connecticut. And she credits so much of her career success to the WJPZ family.This New Jersey news aficionado quickly lear…
Sal Capaccio - from WJPZ to the Bills Sideline and Damar Hamlin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
Today you will hear two incredible stories from Sal Capaccio, Class of 1995. The first is his own "origin story." At 37 years old, he quit his job to follow his dream. He and his wife moved back to his hometown of Buffal…
"Hot Shot" Scotty Bergstein, Class of 1989 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
Today's guest gobbled up every airshift he could, and now makes his living directing commercials, after learning under Ridley Scott.Scott Bergstein came to Syracuse, like many, chasing the sportscaster dream. When he saw…
MTV's Matt Gehring and SNY's Sam Kandell, Class of 2018 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
WJPZ has formed many deep bonds and friendships - and that is certainly the case for Matt Gehring and Sam Kandell, who served as PD and GM respectively, for the Class of 2018.As you'll hear, their origin stories differ g…
Julie Bruno, '85. on Reconnecting as an Alum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:09
A few days before Banquet 2023, Jag sat down with fellow Massachusetts Native Julie Bruno from the Class of 1985. Julie's from the small town of Mansfield, and was the first in her family to go to college, and quickly we…
"Pop Pop" Mike Murphy, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:28
(Thanks to alum and Newhouse professor Tina Perkins for editing this week's episode.)Mike Murphy, from the WJPZ Class of 1995, has gone from Z89 sports to the face of sports in the state of New Hampshire, having called m…