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.

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


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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
Hall of Famer "Neon" Dion Summers, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:30
For most of our alumni, today's guest needs no introduction. He's a WJPZ Hall of Famer, he's the VP of Urban Programming for SiriusXM, and he's got as charismatic an individual as you'll find in our group. From the Class…
Happy/Father Dave Dwyer, '86, Hall of Fame Inductee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:02
Today's guest will be inducted into our Hall of Fame at this year's Banquet. His classmates know him has "Happy" Dave Dwyer, but now his listeners on SiriusXM's Busted Halo show know him as Father Dave Dwyer. Before he g…
Imaging Guru Maureen "Mo" Cooper, Class of 1999 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:43
Maureen "Mo" Cooper from the Class of 1999 is the first voice you hear at the beginning of this podcast. An imaging guru, she and Ed LaComb ('85) have done the production for this show. A Central Square native, Mo grew u…
Liz (Doyon) Gupta, Class of 2014, on Rebuilding The Station [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:30
Liz Gupta (nee Doyon), always knew she wanted to be an attorney. And when she learned that an undergraduate degree in journalism would provide her a great foundation, she headed off to Syracuse. And while she knew what s…
Kendall B, Class of 1992, On 30 Years in Radio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:52
"If you stay ready, you ain't go to get ready." - Sugar FreeThat lyric is a mantra that Southern California native Kendall B has lived by ever since he got to Syracuse University and WJPZ. When a morning show co-host did…
Hall of Famer Bill Bleyle and Carol Mason, Class of 1976 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:55
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…
Hall of Famer Greg Hernandez, WJPZ Class of 1976 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:56
In the first of two episodes featuring original JPZ'ers from the 1970's, we sit down with Greg Hernandez. In addition to being one of the key figures at the start of WJPZ, he's had a fascinating career since, working wit…
Hall of Famer Larry "Rocket" Ross, Class of 1992 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
Today's guest is Hall of Famer Larry "Rocket" Ross, from the Class of 1992. He was at the station when WJPZ-FM was really coming into his own, but we start today by hearing about the one air shift he'll never forget. He…
Hall of Famer Danno Wolkoff, Class of 1986 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:01
How does a goofball from the Crazy Morning Crew end up building a massively successful syndication company? You'll find out in today's podcast, with Hall of Fame guest Danno Wolkoff from the Class of 1986.This Cleveland…