Chances are, you won't find an alumnus from our group who interfaces with current students the way Josh Wolff ('03) does. Sitting on both the the Alumni Association Board and the WJPZ Board of Directors, this former station Program Director is always there to answer a student question.
We open today's show by asking Josh about his journey to Syracuse and Z89. Jag talks about how Josh was instrumental in helping him land both his first full time radio job, as well as his Major Market gig in Detroit.
We could have asked Josh about his long career in radio, with positions in Binghamton, Greenville, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Allentown, and more. But he's much more comfortable talking about others - students like Mina Llona, Sam Kandell, Corey Crockett, Alex Silverman, Steven Krainin, Jacob Belotti, and more, all the way to the station's current leadership.
Some of you may not be familiar with the on-site work that some of the alumni do in the summer in Syracuse (and often year-round for that matter). Josh talks about being in town when it's not snowing - with folks like Stephen Kurtz, Alex Silverman, Rob Crandall, Matt DelSignore, and more - helping the station leadership with everything from G-Selector clocks to upgrading our "100 watt flamethrower" to 1,000.
Jag and Josh wrap up with a funny story of innocence lost in Greenville. We also find out what's in the fridge of a guy who's never cooked.
Join Us in Syracuse for Banquet on March 4th: https://bit.ly/WJPZ50BanquetTickets
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon Gay '02 and JAG in Detroit Podcasts
JAG: Welcome to WJPZ at 50. I am Jon Jag Gay. In the interest of full disclosure, today's guest is one of my very best friends in the world, but it would be fair to say he's also been an even better friend to the students and alumni of WJPZ over the last 20 or so years since we got out of school. In fact, he actually helped me come up with some names from folks that I don't know as well for this very podcast that have graduated in the 2000's, 2010s, 2020s.
And he's one of the most radio people I know, and I mean that as the biggest compliment possible. Welcome Josh Wolff.
Josh: Oh, Jag, that was quite an introduction. Thank you.
JAG: There's so much I wanna get to with you and the idea of us having a conversation in 30 minutes or less seems impossible, but we're going to try here.
Josh: Right?
JAG: Tell me first for our listeners who aren't familiar with you and your story, how you got to come to Syracuse and JPZ and what you did at the station.
Josh: So Syracuse was my reach school. I did not expect to get in, and my guidance counselor was a little skeptical that I would be accepted. But I applied anyway and somehow managed to get in.
I had some pretty good extracurriculars in high school. I thought I was gonna do television. That's what I really wanted to do. And you know, there's no better journalism school than Syracuse, but my freshman year I was in Sadler and always had been a big music guy. And somebody mentioned, oh, well you know that Z89 is on campus, and it sounded so professional, I thought, "Yeah, right."
But sure enough, it was, that's where I met you, JAG. So we've known each other for years, so we don't have to age ourselves. And I kind of fell in love with radio ever since. So I think I started as the research director. I'm not really sure what that was, but that was probably some of my friends just trying to get me on the exec board and I'm forever grateful for that.
But you know, the thing about Z that's so important and it's nice to see that it continues today. Training students is fabulous and seeing them work in any field, whether it's media or not, is. But the best part of Z is the friendships. Look at the two of us, and there are many others I know you're close with from college and Z, as am I. And that's been the social aspect I think is, probably even more important than all of the things you're taught at the station that can make you successful in any business.
JAG: And it really is those relationships. And the funny thing is, an alum who helped me get the most radio jobs would be an alum who graduated the year after me.
I graduated in 2002 and you graduated in 2003. And my first full-time radio job, I'll tell the story since you don't like to toot your own horn. You were working in Binghamton, New York, for Clear Channel, and your operations manager knew the operations manager in Burlington. And you put in a word for me.
Next thing you know, I got a call and I had my first full-time radio job in Burlington, Vermont. Thanks. In large part to you. You got me in the door. And then my big break in radio getting to a major market was you had interviewed for a job here in Detroit at Channel 955 with the program director Michael McCoy.
Ended up not getting the job, but said, Hey Jag, this guy's really smart. You should send him a demo and see if he'll give you a critique. I did. He gave me a great critique. A year later you said, Hey Jag, Michael McCoy's looking for a night guy in Detroit. You should reach back out to him. And I did. And I said, Hey, I tried to follow your advice from the air check. And he said, wow, impressive. You really did. Next thing you know, I'm in market 1,. Thanks in large part to you.
Josh: Well, that's nice of you to say. It's the talent. I may have made a connection, but you got those shots because of your acumen, so you know, nice of you to gimme the credit, but I wouldn't take any of it.
JAG: Well, speaking of that, you have been instrumental in helping so many students land gigs, and they've picked your brain about the radio industry. You said you don't wanna date ourselves, but look, it's been 20 years you've been doing this. Tell me about your roles both on the station's board of directors and in the Alumni Association.
Josh: Sure. So, you know, it's a real honor to be on both of those boards. And for me, I'm really passionate about the medium and I'm passionate about giving back to the station for everything it's done for me. So on the stations board of directors, I'm the alumni rep, so I'm there to sort of talk about you know, if the students are trying to go down a road or they wanna do a new show or they maybe want to change the structure of the board, I'm sort of there as the old guide to say, Hey, here's why it's been done this way, or here's the structure, here's the history. And then it's also to help guide them. One of the things that was really cool about the station a few years ago, they were able to get money to boost social media posts.
And that was something that I suggested because that was something that was happening at my radio station. So I think my role with the board of directors is to look at the past, the present and the future. As for the Alumni association, I was a President of it a few years ago, and that was a real honor.
Kevin Rich is doing an amazing job today in that position. So today I sit on the education committee, I chair that, and I'm also the secretary, or COO, the chief operating Officer of the alumni Association.
JAG: What's been really cool for me as a close friend of yours and someone who talks to you, probably a couple times a week, is to see you interact with all of these students that I don't know.
I mean, as students, we know the people that we went to school with and then the alumni that were there when we were students that we've gotten to know over the years. But you know, I graduated in '02, you graduated in '03. There are two decades of students that I've only met once a year. But you do such an incredible job of interacting with all of these students.
Can you talk to me a little bit about some of the students that you've collaborated with and advised in the years since we've been out?
Josh: Must you use the word, decades? Thanks Jag. You know, I'm constantly amazed by the students. I don't know how they are as smart and polished and put together as they are at their age.
To your point, I have many years on them and they handle themselves better today than I do. You know, many years they're senior. There are so many, I'm sort of reluctant to mention one student because I would forget about others, but we really have some home run hitters. If you want to talk about Mina.
You know the thing about Mina that was always so fantastic is she had and has the innate ability. She had it from the get-go, but she was somebody who always took coaching and said, Hey, I'm thinking about doing this. How would you suggest I do it? Or, what's your perspective? And one of the things I always like to say to students, I never give them the exact answer because they probably have a better answer than I do.
But what I try to do is give them something to think about. So hey, here's option one, and here are some of the pros and cons of this route. Option two is to go down this path, et cetera, et cetera. But Mina, again, was super talented on day one, but had a vision for the station and was always just so receptive.
And sometimes people ask for feedback, but really what they want is for you to tell them how great they are. And Mina certainly is, but when there was something. Hey, you know, you may wanna try this. She was always so receptive. I think another one is Sam Kandell, who is so impressive. And Sam, I think, gave the best answer to why she wanted to be GM.
So I should back up for a second. One of the things that the board of directors does for the station is we elect the GM. Every other position on exec staff,the students elect that. But we as the old timers, we help to elect the GM. And so one of the questions we ask all the GM candidates, I give a long preamble of, it's a thankless job. You're hearing all of these complaints. It's a lot of work. There's no pay. It can get in the way of your school life and your social life. Why on earth do you want this job? And sometimes the students answer, you know, they're honest in that they don't have a great answer. And that's also OK.
Sam's answer was because I wanna give something back. She was a sophomore at that time, and my jaw dropped because it was the most honest and probably best answer I've ever heard, and she truly felt that way, you know, without saying much about Sam. I think she would tell you that the station really gave her a new perspective on things.
She was kind of a shy person before coming to Z, and I think the station gave her a lot of confidence and encouragement. So a very impressive answer from Sam. Corey Crockett, another outstanding GM, and also one of my closest friends, Steven Crainin, a fantastic GM, Alex Silverman. I mean, we've been so fortunate I could go down the list to, you know, Kyle who graduated last year to Emma, the current GM to Shruthie.
I'm gonna leave somebody out and I don't want to do that. But there are so many amazing GMs. And then there's Jacob Belotti, who was the VP of Ops at the time, and he was going to LA and I think for spring break or for a vacation of some sort. And he said, is there an alum who is in the TV industry? Cuz I know that's what I wanna do upon graduation.
I connected him with our mutual friend John Ferracane, who was producing a show for the Fox TV network at the time. And they got along really well. Had a great conversation. Well, fast forward a year or so, I think February of 2021, John calls and says, Hey, I have a position for this new show I'm producing, and is there a student?
Is there an SU person? Because I know the acumen they have when you come from JPZ. So do you know somebody? And I said, remember that guy you talked to a while ago who was visiting LA? I think Jacob would be great. And now lo and behold, he is kicking butt. Jacob, in the TV industry. Allie Gold, another fantastic alum.
I'm just so afraid to mention names. I could talk about our friend Kimmie Carruba, who was on the air at Z and was working part-time at 93 Q in Syracuse. And every week she would send me an aircheck and say, what do you think? And she sounded fantastic at that time, but I would offer some pointers and you could listen to kind of like your story in Detroit.
She really took the coaching and every week it was, wow, you did a better job of incorporating this component or that component. And now she's kicking butt in Atlanta. So I'm so nervous to talk about alumni, cuz I know I'm gonna miss so many of them. But.
JAG: It's just like you're giving your Academy Award speech. I'll play the music if we go too long on this. It's fine.
Josh: I think we already have, but go on.
JAG: Josh, you mentioned the name Alex Silverman a couple minutes ago. I want to come back to that name because there's a group, and for alumni that do not know about this, there's a group of Alex Silverman and Josh. And Stephen Kurtz and Rob Crandall and Matt DelSignore, there's a handful of them that have gone back to Syracuse, a number of summers to help install new equipment at the station, to help put in new software, to help train the current students because they now have the best of the best. If you've been in the radio station, they have all top of the line stuff that many of us over the years definitely did not.
Whether it was broken cart machines or Denon CD players or reel to reels, depending on what year you graduated, they've got the best of the best to prepare them for a radio career if they want to go into that. What is it that you guys have done up there over the summer to help continuously keep the station up to date?
Josh: Well, I go up for a couple of reasons. One, it's an excuse to see all those people you just mentioned, all of whom are fantastic people and very close friends. It's very rewarding for me because you can get that light bulb moment when you're showing a student something in G selector or in NexGen where they know what they're trying to do, but they don't quite know what course of action to take to accomplish it.
So it's so rewarding for me. You know, last year we were up in Syracuse and Matt helped with the GSelector clocks. And as I was showing Kyle, who's the GM at the time, not the PD, kind of the finer points of G selector, you could just see the light bulb go off when I explained, here's why, you know, we call for this song or this category X number of times in the hour.
This is why it rotates so fast. It's really just basic math that you're doing in a GSelector clock. He's now using that experience so well in Seven Mountains,Media, in State College. You know, where he's very familiar with G Selector and NexGen, and often training people who've been there far longer than he's been there.
So why I go up there, it's honestly a mini vacation. And if you've never been to Syracuse, when school isn't in session, the campus is obviously pretty quiet. Marshall Street is pretty quiet, but the weather is fantastic. Even in July, there is no snow on the ground in Syracuse. It's nice to get off the campus bubble for a little bit.
There are so many great restaurants that we go to when we're up in Syracuse, so part of it for sure is for pleasure, but for the aspects of giving back to the station, it's something I love to do. And besides which the students always teach me something. I think that's a point you talked about working with the students and one of the things that's so enriching for me is to get their perspective and to hear how they think about things and what's important to them and what they're looking for in terms of a career or how they're using social media.
So while I certainly believe that alumni teach students how to do things. The students are as instructive, if not more for me. And they help kind of keep me in check with trends and pop culture. So I guess to answer your question, in my typical long-winded way, certainly I enjoy showing them things and giving them some information and a how-to on the various pieces of equipment.
But it's also a lot that they give to me in return. And I think it's really important to acknowledge, particularly, Tex and Alex. I think what you were saying is right. People don't realize how much they give back to the station. It's not just coming up in the summer or at fall conference or during the banquet, and those contributions are massive, but it's the things throughout the year when there's an issue with the board or NexGen isn't behaving properly, they will remote in at all hours of the night and fix things. And often at great expense they come up to Syracuse.
And the station wouldn't have its thousand watt upgrade that happened a few years ago without those guys. Not only are they extremely competent and good people and excellent friends. but they're very humble and they do things in the shadows and they would both be very uncomfortable knowing that I'm giving them this kind of credit.
But it's deserved and it's important. So while it's nice, I'm sort of flattered that you're lumping me in with those guys. And certainly Matt's contributions behind the scenes are too many to name. And Matt's another one who does his work in the shadows and why it's super exciting that he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He is so deserving, he's so thoughtful, so meticulous when he helps with music and rotations. I'm just lucky to work with everybody I work with, whether it's the students or the alumni, whatever little bit of knowledge I may have is theirs as far superior and they make me better.
JAG: Well, that's very kind of you to say to all of those folks. And a little behind the scenes here The way I was able to bait Josh into getting him into this podcast was say, oh, I'm not gonna ask you about you because I know you don't like tooting your own horn. I'm gonna ask you about all the other alumni.
That was the deal I made to get him on this podcast, cuz unlike many alumni, myself included, he doesn't like to toot his own horn. We've talked a lot about the second half of the 50 years of JPZ, Josh, those that have come after we graduated. Are there any alumni that are older than us that come to mind that have been resources for you, folks that you've learned a lot from over the years that you've been involved with JPZ?
Josh: I think I'm afraid to do it cuz I'll forget people, but the first ones who come to mind are people like Dena and Harry and Jeff Wade. And I would put you and Matt DelSginore, because you know, sorry, you guys are a class year older.
JAG: A class year older. I like to tease Josh because I'm a class year older, but he's technically three weeks older than me. Anyway, go ahead.
Josh: All right. Settle down. Cowboy. I'd be remiss not to mention Dan Austin. Also, Hal Rood. Who's one of the first guys who's always willing to help at a Fall Conference. And the students absolutely love his insights and perspective, and I'm sure I'm missing so many others and I'm really embarrassed.
But I guess it's a good problem to have because we have so many strong alumni. There's also Scotty MacFarlane, who's absolutely sensational and always willing to help. That's the funny thing, JAG, you know, when I and others help put on Fall conference or Friday Conference, there's never somebody who says, no, I don't wanna help.
It's always amazing, you know, the resources. Mo Cooper, another one who always gives her knowledge back with imaging and production and writing. I know I'm forgetting people, but we really are fortunate. It's amazing to stop and think about how powerful the alumni association truly is. And I don't mean, you know, the 15 people on the board, although their contributions are many, but I'm talking about the larger association, all of us who've set foot in the door.
Stacey Simms, who you've been with many times for podcasting. Her expertise is invaluable to the students. And again, you're making me uncomfortable because I know I'm forgetting people, but we're really lucky to have so many sensational alumni.
JAG: Well, in that case, let me make you a little bit more uncomfortable and turn the mirror back on you.
Josh, as you look back at your time at the station, what fond memories stick out to you from your days as a student? ,
Josh: I really loved my senior year. I specifically made it so I had no Friday classes and I did the Zoo senior year with Christy Ogonis. Today we know her as Christy Vincent, and let's be honest, it's a tough ask for a student to get up at six o'clock in the morning any day of the week, but certainly on a Friday.
But she made it worth it. And you know, Christy's a dear friend and while she's done some unbelievable things in her career because she's so talented and smart, she would've had a really long run in radio as well. And she made doing the Zoos an absolute pleasure.
JAG: So in the time I've known you, probably my favorite Josh Wolff story that we've gotten a lot of mileage out of over the years, and hope you don't mind me telling it, is when I went to come visit you, when you were working in Greenville, South Carolina.
I think you know where I'm going here.
Josh: Oh boy. Yes, I do.
JAG: This is January, 2007, I believe. No, 2008.
Josh: That sounds right.
JAG: So we're 27 and I flew into Charlotte. You drove the hour and a half up to Charlotte to come pick me up, and I was gonna stay with you for a couple days. We're gonna hang out in Greenville, South Carolina. Great town, by the way. Lo and behold. JetBlue lost my luggage. It didn't make my connection in New York. And I got down there and I didn't have my bag and they were gonna have to deliver it down to Greenville the next day. And some guy was gonna have to drive from the Charlotte airport a hundred miles to Greenville and drop the luggage off to me.
And we were sitting there and not very old and wise at that point. And we were like, well, do we tip the guy? He's driving down here. And I remember your mom had called and you asked your mom, Hey, Is this a situation where you would like tip the guy delivering the luggage and your mom said, "Ah, give him five bucks. You guys are just kids." So you relayed the story to me and I looked at you and this sounds so funny in hindsight, all these years later. I go, "Josh, we're 27. We're not kids anymore."
Josh: Jag, I'm haunted by it all these years later.
JAG: You went white as a ghost when I said this, and it was like your whole world came crashing down and it was like you lost all your innocence in this one moment to realize we're not kids anymore.
And now to look back at 27 and think we weren't kids then, Ooh, look where we are now.
Josh: And I thought you were gonna tell also about when you visited me in Greenville, South Carolina. And what did I have in my kitchen? Because I literally never cook. I had what? Water and I think yogurt in my fridge. That was it.
JAG: No, no, no. There was no yogurt. I opened your fridge and it was only Aquafina water bottles. I remember in my mind's eye, I can see it 15 years later.
Josh: That makes me chuckle. I have a little bit more in my fridge today. I probably do have some yogurt and, you know, maybe some iced tea.
JAG: Well, hang on. It's a podcast. Rick Wright taught us this. Theater of the Mind. Open your fridge, what's in it, I'm gonna put you on the spot.
Josh: Let's see what is in there? I have yogurt. I have a meal from the Fresh Market. That's a cheap plug, but I like them. What else would be in there? Applesauce? Yeah, not much. I don't cook.
I've never turned on a stove I think in any place I've ever lived. So when I was living in an apartment living, I always got the full security deposit back. Cuz if you think about it, what's gonna be one of the messiest rooms of an apartment, but the kitchen. I never cooked. I barely even use the microwave.
JAG: So bottom line, Josh, we may not be kids anymore, but just still don't cook.
Josh: Right?
JAG: Josh Wolff, Class of 2003. You've had many, many contributions to WJPZ as a student, as an alumnus in a number of different roles. I know on behalf of the Alumni Association, while you would be the last one to toot your own horn, and I wanna thank you for everything that you have done to contribute to the long history of WJPZ and the roles that you've had.
And I wanna thank you for joining us today.
Josh: That's really nice of you to say, Jag. And the only thanks needed would be to allow someone like you and Matt DelSignore and others from our era to welcome me into the station and to show me the ropes and being involved with the station some 20 plus years later.
I'm very grateful for everything the station's given to me, so it's a real pleasure if I make even a small contribution. It's something I'm very grateful to be able to do,
JAG: Josh. Always a pleasure. I'm sure we'll talk soon.
Josh: Thank you, Mister.