"Pop Pop" Mike Murphy, Class of 1995

"Pop Pop" Mike Murphy, Class of 1995

Author: WJPZ September 11, 2023 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 multiple sports for the University of New Hampshire, minor league baseball, and more.

Like many of us, when Mike found out he wasn't good at playing sports, he wanted to work in sports. So Syracuse was the obvious choice.  Soon he was auditioning for WJPZ's sports department, landing a coveted on-air gig.  He eventually worked his way up to sports director.

He got married only weeks after graduation, and he tells the story of informing his bride-to-be what his first job salary would be when they moved to New Hampshire.  And yes, they are still together.

Mike takes us through his journey in the Granite State, working in radio, minor league baseball, and eventually joining the staff of UNH Athletics, where he still does play by play today.

And while our guest has some hilarious stories to share, we touch on some of the mistakes he made at the "world's greatest media classrom."   Mike honestly reflects on some of the things he did at the station that he still feels badly about.

The big lessons, however, are network and say yes to anything.  The latter led to a couple hilarious things that happened to Mike inside the costumes of various mascots.

Finally, if you're Facebook friends with Mike, you've no doubt seen the heartwarming posts with his grandson.  We had to ask "Pop Pop" about that.

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
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