Replay: 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee Deaf Geoff Herbert, Class of 2005

Replay: 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee Deaf Geoff Herbert, Class of 2005

Author: WJPZ February 25, 2025 Duration: 29:37
WJPZ at 50
HistoryEducation

Editor's Note: This week we are re-releasing the episodes of our 2025 Hall of Fame Class.  Here, you'll catch our interview with the inspiring Geoff "Deaf Geoff" Herbert, Class of 2005.

Geoff "Deaf Geoff" Herbert is a machine -serving as WJPZ's GM while working as a morning show host at a commercial station in Syracuse.   Oh by the way, he was working a night shift at Blockbuster Video (RIP) and somehow attending classes.

Geoff was bitten by the radio bug early, serving as General Manager of his high school radio station in Acton, Massachusetts.  This experience made attending Syracuse and joining Z89 a no-brainer.   During his time at the helm of the station, WJPZ vastly expanded both its sports and music offerings.

Yes, today's guest was born deaf, hearing only about 10% as well as the rest of us (50% with hearing aids).  He talks about giving himself his nickname/on-air moniker, his lip-reading skills (which come in handy during Syracuse basketball games), and even how he became the instructor in a music production class.

It was another SU class - taught by Dr. Rick Wright - that landed him an internship at Hot 107.9, that he eventually turned into a full time producer gig before even graduating.  And his instincts were good - preparing to leave commercial radio just before his show was taken off the air for syndication.

In the time since, he's become a prolific writer for Syracuse.com and the Post Standard, maintained his music chops as a Wedding DJ, and fallen in love with Syracuse as home.

Referenced in this podcast:

Eamon: "F*ck It (I Don't Want You Back): https://youtu.be/QYwyaCd8MyI

Response Track: Frankie: "FURB:" https://youtu.be/B1K0pUSSFUo

Join Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets

The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts

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

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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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

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WJPZ at 50
Podcast Episodes
Tony Renda, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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As the son of a radio station owner, Tony Renda grew up in broadcasting. His dad, Tony Renda Sr, started with an AM station in East McKeesport, Pennsylvania, before growing the company to many station in several markets.…
Tracey Turner ('00), Lisa Phillips ('03), and Sarah Fox ('02) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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"Kid" Michael Rock, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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"Kid" Michael Rock grew up taping Casey Kasem and trying to talk up the songs himself. So it's not surprising that he applied to Syracuse, and only Syracuse. And he set out to find WJPZ before his parents had finished un…
Play-By-Play Man David Resnick, Class of 2010 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:38
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Final Program Update from Jag [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13
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T-Bone! Programmer Mike Tierney, Class of '91 and '93 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:29
Mike "T-Bone" Tierney may have known more classes in JPZ's history than anyone - having worked at Z89 as a high schooler, undergrad, and grad student. So it's no surprise many of his contemporaries consider him one of WJ…
Ethan Charlip, General Manager and Class of 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:47
It's no surprise that Ethan Charlip ended up at Syracuse University. His New Jersey high school classmates Jacob Belotti and Shruti Marathe were already there when he arrived on campus. In fact, Shruti told Ethan he'd be…
WJPZ Legend and Radio Disney Vet B.B. Good - Class of '93 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
(Note link to additional content at the end of our show notes.)If we were to pick one alumnus who best represented the warm, welcoming atmosphere of WJPZ, it would probably be Sharon Goodman Michaels, aka "B.B. Good" fro…

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