WJPZ at 50

There are a number of people, on the technical side, that have worked tirelessly to keep our radio station going for half a century.  Over the last 20 years though, Stephen "Tex" Kurtz is at the top of that list. Born in raised in Dallas, he wanted something different.  And having spent some time in upstate New York as a kid, he liked the area.  And when he toured the campus, despite the fact that Z89 was broadcasting from the Ostrom house that year, he immediately fell in love with the people and spirit of WJPZ. Since he was a kid, Stephen has wanted to know how things work.  And new studio was still being finished when he entered as a freshman.  This was a perfect opportunity for him to jump in and work with John Ferracane, Rob Crandall, and others on putting things together.  This included, for the first time, running the radio station from a computer. Ever heard of Jazler? You will. Eventually, the man they call Tex tired of all the snow, and headed home to Dallas to finish school.  But he was never far - always on call for the students.  And he returned with John, Rob, and Alex Silverman to help do another studio rebuild a decade after the previous one.  You'll hear more details about this in episodes with outgoing GM Liz Doyon and incoming GM Corey Crockett, but this group managed to build a radio station in a week and get it on the air. Stephen cites that new studio rebuild, and the upgrade to a 1,000 watt transmitter as two of the technical achievements he's most proud of.   But of course, lessons from JPZ extent much further.   He says that WJPZ taught him you can work with your friends, and how it can be done. Since returning to Dallas, Stephen did some major market radio work in his hometown, before moving to the IT world, and eventually starting his own company, Total IT, in 2009. And while he does a lot of work in that sector, Tex also works with - you guessed it - radio stations, marrying both of his passions. We close with a couple of funny stories from Stephen's time at the station, including Peterman knocking us off the air - with his rear end - and a funny moment at Josh Wollf's expense at Chili's on Erie Boulevard. 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/ 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.

Note: This episode originally published on February 15, 2023. In the time since, Howard Deneroff has gone on to be found Stand By Media, as well as becoming the Director of the Hall of Excellence at the Fountainebleau Las Vegas, a world-class sports and entertainment museum. More here: https://barrettmedia.com/2025/06/05/howard-deneroff-named-director-of-hall-of-excellence-at-fountainebleau-las-vegas/ Today's episode is a must-listen, especially for those of that are sports fans or ever had aspirations to get into the field. Howard Deneroff, WJPZ Class of 1989, is the EVP and Executive Producer of Westwood One Sports.  He's been with the company since immediately after graduation, and has worked the Super Bowl, World Series, Final Four, Stanley Cup Finals, and more. Like many of us, Howard decided on Syracuse because he wanted to be as involved with sports as possible.  He went to WAER, writing for the likes of Mike Tirico and others.  But when it became clear that he could get much more hands on experience at WJPZ.  This proved true his sophomore year, when in addition to calling women's sports and minor league baseball, Z89 was able to cover an undefeated SU football team (wow that seems like a long time ago), and a basketball team that made it to the NCAA Championship game. Additionally, their Saturday morning show "The Press Box" morphed into coverage of Central New York high school football. Staff would call the games, interview coaches and players, and bring the cassettes back.  Then the real work began, splicing highlights on reel-to-reel decks until 3 or 4am, to have them ready for air the next morning.  This is where Howard says he really learned the skills, attitude, and perfectionism that carried him to where he is now.   This really came to fruition when working on a piece commemorating the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.  The desire to always make his work better led to Howard getting some unbelievable audio and previously unheard stories for the presentation. In addition to talent and hard work, sometimes you need to be in the right place at the right time.  We hear a wild story of coincidence, and how a chance meeting turned into a job at Westwood One upon graduation, and a three-decades plus career there. Deneroff started at CBS Radio in 1989, working on baseball and football, where his encyclopedic knowledge and preparation quickly impressed his coworkers.   He also learned how to think quickly on his feet - when he was in studio for an Earthquake during the 1989  World Series.  He's worked with everyone from Jim Nantz to Greg Gumbel, Brent Musburger, John Madden, Terry Bradshaw, Pat O'Brien, Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, and more. Howard tried to learn from the best, and take pieces from folks he's worked with - this led to his "index card system" used in the booth for broadcasts - color coded index cards for promos, sponsorships, and commercial breaks.  If you are into the behind-the-scenes of broadcasting, you'll geek out of this like we did. Despite the responsibilities that come with his current title, today's guest still loves producing radio broadcasts.   He still gets the adrenaline rush and tries to do at least one game a week.  We spend some time talking about the magic of radio, and the advantages it has over television.  We also talk about the future of audio. Deneroff has made it a point to give back to Z89, after the station gave him so much.  He's airchecked play-by-players. provided internships and more.  He firmly believes what he learned at the station got him to where he is now. We close with a couple of funny stories.  Will Howard confirm Lippy's story about shaking a spatula at him?  And you won't believe Mr. Deneroff's reaction when Howie came home and played him a tape of his first sportscast. 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/ 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.

Today's guest is the always passionate Ben Green, aka Ben G, aka Mr. R&B, from the Class of 1985.  He takes us from humble beginnings at Syracuse (including changing majors when he couldn't afford to rent equipment and buy film), to his tour through New York radio, through creating radio stations as a middle school educator today. At Syracuse, Ben G first went to WAER, but when the University took it over, around the time that WJPZ was preparing to go to the FM dial, it was an easy jump.  In addition to doing almost every shift on the station, and staying on campus through many holidays, Ben tells stories of doing a live New Year's Eve broadcast, the Sunday Night Love Flight, and meeting a listener when he left the station. You'll hear of the invaluable advice that Ben received from mentors - everything from networking to etiquette tips for job interviews.   It was tough love at the time that served him well. After landing a gig at WMCA, he headed over to WWRL, then WCBS AM and the new WFAN.   He handled commercial traffic and learned how to showcase his worth and get a significant raise. Ben G also spent time in television, from BET to the fledgling FOX cable network as their channels were just starting out.  Then, like our host, he was laid off right when he got married.  And similar to Jag, Ben's new wife encouraged him to pivot and follow his passion.   Ben's was for teaching. He finished his undergraduate degree and earned Masters Degree in education. This led him to a teaching career in New Jersey, where he continues to pay WJPZ lessons forward.  And that doesn't just mean he teaches kids how to speak confidently.   You'll hear how he's cultivated online radio stations for all age groups. We'd be remiss if we didn't as Ben G about one of his great passions.  The Friends of SU is an alumni organization for students of color.  He became President in the late 80's and now serves as the organization's advisor.   Ben has long been working on a podcast telling otherwise unknown stories of the Syracuse University's students of color.  He's covered everything from the Syracuse Eight - when football players protested inequality in 1969 - to the creation of SU's African American Studies program.   And when he saw a lack of representation during SU's 150th anniversary celebration, he knew he had to change that. You can learn all about the Friends of SU here: https://theofficialfriendsofsu.com/ The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG Podcast Productions 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/ Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/ 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.

Editors Note: In honor of Banquet Week - we are re-relasing the episodes of our three 2025 inductees into the WJPZ Alumni of Fame, beginning with Sharon (Goodman) Michaels, aka BB Good.   Due to a prior commitment, she is deferring her induction until next year, but we wanted to showcase her incredible story. 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" from the Class of 1993.  Several Z89'ers have come on this podcast to talk about how she welcomed them to the station, and we are thrilled to welcome her to this podcast.Like many of us, this Massachusetts native grew up loving radio - and she tells the story of how she recruited Kiss 108 DJ's to do her high school dance in Quincy. BB went to Syracuse for its communications reputation.  She got there early as part of the marching band, and quickly found WJPZ and then-leaders like Hal Rood, Scott Meach, and Brian Lapis.At her happy place, BB made friend with classmates Beth (Russell) Gorab, Bette Kestin, Jeanne Schad, Tina (Mussolino) Perkins, Melanie Kushnir, and more.How "Good" was Sharon as an undergrad?  A commercial station in Utica offered her nights, and held the job for her until she could graduate Syracuse.  From Rock 107 she went to Fly 92 in Albany, Kiss 95.7 Hartford, and JAMN 94.5 Boston.  There, while riding the T, she saw a blind box ad for what would turn out to be the midday slot on Radio Disney, based in Dallas.  A year later, they moved her show to then-MGM Studios at Disney World in Orlando.  That's right.  She was working in radio, at Disney World, every day.  She tells amazing stories of listener interactions, letters, and more.  Also, she interviewed an up and coming *NSYNC and Britney Spears.After five years in Orlando, BB's show was moved back to Dallas.  After a time, she was let go, and decided to stay home with her children.  She became very active in the Jewish community in Dallas and still is.BB has maintained her Z89 connections throughout her adult life, often crossing paths with radio folk when they came to Disney, and even doing a cameo on the sitcom According to Jim thanks to her classmate John Beck. We wrap with BB talking about how much she enjoyed returning to Banquet in 2023, and the question of whether or not the Jonas Brothers did a song...about her.Note: This interview was recorded in May.  BB asked if she could speak about the current situation in Israel and have it included in the podcast.  You can hear that conversation, recorded December 22nd, at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rkh58zh2sg3lrhid56wvy/WJPZ-at-50-BB-Good-Insert.mp3?rlkey=p7o0ndhyszj1gaj6guu83gbwl&dl=0The 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/WJPZat50Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag:  [email protected] 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/Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/ 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.

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/QYwyaCd8MyIResponse Track: Frankie: "FURB:" https://youtu.be/B1K0pUSSFUoJoin Us in Syracuse on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTicketsThe WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit PodcastsConnect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/ 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.