Posts Tagged ‘Gannon University’

All ears tune to WERG to follow Lady Knights

March 12th, 2010 joel

WERG mic flag

90.5 WERG, the Gannon University FM and internet station, will be the center of attention as they provide the coverage of the opening rounds of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball tournament, Atlantic Division.

The Number One ranked Lady Knights host No. 8 Fairmont State at 6:00 PM tonight to begin the Atlantic Regional. If they win, they’ll play the winner of tonight’s nightcap between Seton Hill and Fayetteville State tomorrow night.

Veteran sportscaster and Gannon alum Steve Bohen provides the play-by play, with help from WERG student Sports Director Caitie Ryan. If Cleve Wright’s Golden Knights continue to the semi’s, the broadcast crew will be Bohen and Beth Gaertner, the station’s Promotion Director.

Faculty Operations Director Chet LaPrice is tickled pink to have his live stream and student broadcasters in the spotlight. “We are just thrilled for the women’s basketball team. It is truly a historical moment for Gannon and we are just glad to be along for the ride.”

LaPrice said that the WERG team was especially excited to be able to bring this unprecedented event to Gannon alumni via their webcast, available at wergfm.com, along with the strong signal of 90.5.

Good luck to all of the Gannon community!

Posted in Radio Tags: , , , , , , No Comments »

Erie mainstream media shines spotlight on pirate radio operator

February 18th, 2010 joel

Now that the FCC has identified Marshall Jones as operating a radio station without a license, he is telling his story to Erie’s mainstream media.

Last night on WJET/WFXP, John Treanor reported a package on Jones where they showed that he continues to operate the station with a computer, some microphones and a transmitter connected to a small mast at the top of a building in Erie’s Little Italy neighborhood. Despite the possiblity of major penalties, Treanor reports that Jones is determined to continue with 90.1 The Movement:

But Jones, a former Super Soul Saturday DJ, tells us he can’t stop – if he’s not on air, a whole genre would disappear in the city.

“The question always remained, why don’t we have this 24 hours a day, what do we have to do to do it and basically I went ahead and said let’s see what happens, you know what I mean,” says Jones…

…Jones is staying on air as long as he can before getting fined – his dream is to make the movement legal.

“I have to I have to go forward and see what it is that has to be done to make this happen,” Jones says.

This morning (Thursday), David Bruce continues his reporting on the pirate radio stations in the Times-News, complete with pictures of Jones’s operation. Bruce describes the chain of events leading to the sign-on:

A club disc jockey and former announcer at Gannon University’s WERG-FM, Jones said that he started broadcasting in October because there wasn’t enough urban music being played in Erie.
“Blacks, whites, Hispanics all had a major concern about the type of music played in Erie 24/7,” Jones said. “It was my mission to get this station up and running.”
Jones said that he started broadcasting at the low-frequency limits, then increased power.
“The response from people was so strong that I just turned it up,” Jones said. “Then someone ratted me out to the FCC.”
One problem was that Jones’ signal was intruding on the signals of other, licensed, radio stations, said A.J. Miceli, who oversees WERG as Gannon University’s chairman of theater, communications and fine arts.
What’s a little frightening to me is that the FCC doesn’t need any more incentive to fine these guys; once they find a unlicensed station and cite it, the breaking of Federal law has already occurred. If you happen to have  a kindly Enforcement Agent who will write you a warning first, it’s wise to take that as a blessing and not push the issue. We’ll keep watching this unfold.
Posted in Radio Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 8 Comments »

Deep Background for February 14-20, 2010

February 14th, 2010 joel

Your media checklist:

  • check out the new anchor team at 11:00 on WSEE
  • follow the play-by-play of Gannon University’s undefeated woman’s basketball team on WJET-AM
  • enjoy the amazing images from the Vancouver Winter Olympics, including the incredible super slo-mo
  • scan the want ads in the Erie Times-News for the non-existent new media jobs
  • leave a comment at Press and Tower

Remember you can also e-mail me or tweet @pressandtower.

Embrace the chaos!

Posted in Deep Background Tags: , , , , 9 Comments »

Press and Tower Podcast-Jan. 13, 2010

January 13th, 2010 joel

A.J. Miceli in the WERG Audio Production Studio

The significance of the tectonic change in the media landscape locally and nationally in the last decade has not been lost on AJ Miceli.

The chair of the Comm Arts department at Gannon University sounds off on the toll taken and opportunity embedded in the state of media today after such a period of change that we find ourselves in.  In our podcast, we discussed a broad range of topics, hopefully with a firm grasp of the tough reality that media organizations find themselves in. Thanks to AJ for taking the time with me and thanks to you for listening.

Download The Press and Tower Podcast for Jan. 13, 2010 or listen below.

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Posted in Podcasts Tags: , , 2 Comments »

Miceli: Reality 451 tonight

October 7th, 2009 joel

A.J. Miceli is turning up the temperature on reality television Wednesday night.

One Book One ErieThe Gannon professor, and this editor’s career mentor, is presenting the lecture “Reality TV:  Meaner, Edgier, Nastier” at the Children’s Theatre area in the Blasco Memorial Library downtown tonight (Wed. 10/7/2009) at 7:00. The event is part of the One Book, One Erie and The Big Read campaign, described by it’s promoters as the following:

The idea of One Book, One Erie is to encourage all of Erie County to read the same book at the same time and then come together to discuss it. This year, we will again be reading  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in conjunction with The Big Read.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

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Posted in Television Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments »

Deep Background for September 27 – October 3, 2009

September 27th, 2009 joel

This week has been one very long computer session, and I’m looking forward to some more old media activities this week…maybe an episode of 30 Rock or The Office..woohoo!

At the beginning of last week, the major national headlines were about President Obama’s media blitz of the TV Sunday talk shows, with every major network represented except Fox News. That was curious to me since their ratings are highest for the 24-hour cable news channels, and because the President of the United States shouldn’t be fearful of talking to anyone. Anyway, the blazing headlines were regarding the Blitz, and my thoughts went to CommArts 101 and Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the message.”

So what was the story last week: the President’s details on health care, or that he was ubiquitous on the airwaves?

As always comment here on Erie media by clicking the title and scroll down. Or you can opine via e-mail at joel@nataliemedia.com, or tweet @pressandtower.

Embrace the chaos!

Posted in Deep Background Tags: , , , , , , 10 Comments »

Radio passages: Cervi, Twomey mourned, Kasem retires

July 16th, 2009 joel

Over the past few weeks the radio community both locally and nationally has seen more losses.

The founder of WVCC, now WMVL/Linesville-Meadville, Art Cervi passed away on Sunday, June 14th at the Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie. He was 89. According to the obituary in the Meadville Tribune, Cervi was a World War II veteran who went to work at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh after the war. It wasn’t until he was 50 years old when he went after his dream and began WVCC after receiving notoriety as a DJ of big band and pop music first in Pittsburgh then throughout the Meadville area. He operated WVCC for 33 years, selling it to Joe Vilkie in 2003. I remember Art as a very kind and generous gentleman who was in his element out in the public, holding court on “radio row” every year at the Crawford County Fair.
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Posted in Radio Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »
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