WONC station managers rapidly advance in broadcast careers

Former and current station managers of North Central College’s student-led radio station WONC-FM 89.1 are quickly rising to the top. Kevin Jackman ’14 and Russell Tanzillo ’15 have landed coveted broadcast positions at leading Chicago radio stations, and Samuel Reiman ’16 was awarded a prestigious broadcast award.

Jackman was hired by WBBM-AM Newsradio 780 as a weekend sports anchor. He will deliver sportscasts on Saturday and Sunday evenings at :15 and :45 minutes after the top of each hour. As an undergraduate at North Central, Jackman was very involved in WONC sports broadcasting and did the sports play-by-play every year.

Tanzillo was hired as an on-air personality for 101 WKQX. On Sundays, he will be on air from 6 to 10 a.m. Tanzillo hosted hundreds of hours on air while at WONC. John Madormo, assistant professor of broadcast communication and general manager at WONC, recognizes Tanzillo’s efforts: “In my 35 years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone work harder at landing a job in radio.”

Both Jackman and Tanzillo were named by faculty the Outstanding Major in Broadcast Communication their senior years.

“Most WONC alums with aspirations of on-air careers will begin his or her career at a small market station outside the Chicagoland area, then work up to the middle market and hopefully to a major market station,” says Madormo. “These young men have accomplished something very few have done or will ever do at their ages.”

In addition, Reiman (right), a broadcast communication and interactive media studies: convergent media double major, won a first-place Silver Dome Award from the Illinois Broadcasters Association in the Best Station Website category. His work on WONC’s website prevailed against commercial, nonstudent radio stations.

WONC station manager for the 2015-2016 academic year, Reiman was assistant manager with station manager Tanzillo when WONC was awarded the Abraham & Brost Award for Best Overall Radio Station in the nation at the 2015 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System International Conference.

By Lauren Baltas ’16