Posts Tagged ‘Gannon University’

Press and Tower Podcast-Jan. 13, 2010

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.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Miceli: Reality 451 tonight

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.

(more…)

Deep Background for September 27 – October 3, 2009

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!

Radio passages: Cervi, Twomey mourned, Kasem retires

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.
(more…)

Erie media remembers Michael Jackson

Do you remember hearing “ABC” by the Jackson 5 on WJET radio in the 60′s? How about the haunting theme song to the movie “Ben”? Or his first moonwalk on the Motown 25th Anniversary special? The countdown to the debut of the “Thriller” video? The bewilderment at his apprearance on a Barbara Walters special?

What is your memory of Michael Jackson?

Two of mine: When I was in high school, I used to DJ dances after the basketball games. My friend Sam Cohen and I were the S & S Express-the Dynamic Duo of Disco (my nickname at the time was snarkily “Slim”). One of the songs that got the most reaction was “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” from Michael’s first solo album “Off The Wall.” It’s hard to believe that at the time, there was skeptism that a Jackson could get back on the charts as the popularity of the Jackson 5 had been in demise for a few years. “Off The Wall” was a solid R&B, fully danceable record and totally launched MJ into his own.

The second is remembering when MTV came to Erie in the early 1980′s. Michael’s video’s were the most produced of any on the video channel. But nothing matched the buildup for the “Thriller” video. According to Wikipedia, the video was released on Dec. 2, 1983, smack in the middle of my senior year at Gannon, where we were all abuzz at the media phenomenon, and the budget of $500,000! As it turned out, we all absolutely loved it.

RIP: Radio & Records last issue Friday

Radio & RecordsMy addiction to the trade newspaper Radio & Records began at age 17. 29 years later, it’s over.

Nielsen Media announced that the last issue of R&R will be Friday’s, and the radioandrecords.com website has already been taken down.

My first exposure was those many years ago in the lounge area on the second floor of the old Gannon Theatre, where outside of the faculty offices, you could do some last minute homework, get your WERG or theatre mail, pontificate on the latest move in Erie media (had to start somewhere!), and read R&R.

I did a lot of reading R&R.
(more…)

Guest post: Are radio personalities valued?

Chet LaPrice

Editor’s Note: Chet LaPrice is one of those guys who eats, sleeps, and breathes radio. Chet is the Operations Manager of 90.5 WERG radio at Gannon University, one of the few non-NPR college stations that has a solid measured listening audience, where he and his students have put together a very tasty alternative rock station. Chet is a broadcast veteran, having worked at several local stations over the past twenty years, including WLKK, K-104, Planet Radio 93-9, and for ten years at Country 98 WXTA: where he was Music Director and hosted the midday show. Today he asks a question about the value radio broadcasters place on their on-air talent.

I am looking for feedback from radio talent as to how they feel they are treated by their employers and companies. There are so many external forces that we have no control over (economy, new media competition, etc.), but is there more we could be doing from WITHIN the industry to better train, hone, and nurture the talented people who make our product compelling and interesting to listen to? The following link takes you to a quick 10-question survey that tries to gauge how well our industry is treating those who actually create and manage the content we provide. If you currently work in radio or have ever done so full time, I would appreciate some honest feedback.

Please know in advance that your answers are tabulated anonymously and I don’t even ask which broadcast company you work for. This is strictly for academic purposes.

SURVEY LINK: ARE YOU VALUED AS A TALENTED BROADCASTER?