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WGLS: Rockin' Round the World

Its motto is "The Music That Matters" but Rowan Radio, WGLS, is more, way more, than that.

It's a 750-watt flamethrower, capable of broadcasting nearly 40 miles in every direction and, via the Internet, all the way around the world.

On any given day, at any given hour, Rowan Radio feeds its listeners a steady diet of classic rock supplemented with heaping portions of rhythm and blues, jazz, show tunes, talk, even a Saturday morning Beatles Brunch.

But the real power of Rowan Radio cannot be measured in the wattage of its transmitter, its vast music library, even its ability to stream live audio and podcast programming.

Its real power is as a career incubator. Numerous WGLS alums have gone on to major broadcasting careers including Angela "Ang" Mason, on-air personality for 98.1 WOGL in Philadelphia, Victor Sosa, an overnight DJ for 106.7 WLTW in New York and Howard Rosenblatt, senior account executive for 95.5 WPLJ in New York.

The careers that matter
Less than ten years out of college, Sosa believes the lessons he learned at WGLS helped him land a gig at the leading Arbitron-rated radio station in New York, the number one media market in America.

"When you get to 'GLS there is a certain structure and format that you must follow, a way things must be done," said Sosa ('98), a radio/TV/film major. "'GLS is run by Frank Hogan, someone who spent 20 plus years in professional radio. He treats you like this is a professional environment and it's very much like anything you would experience in the real world of radio."

And the real world, Sosa said, can be a tough place so it helped to get a taste early.

"People who deviate from the play list get fired," Sosa said. "At the very least they get lectured but, depending on who your boss is, you might get fired."

Aside from the structure, Sosa said the equipment, studios, and overall atmosphere at WGLS made it an ideal training ground.

"As in any walk of life, (getting a start in radio) is as much about who you know as anything else," he said. "By the same token, once you get in the door, no one's going to put you on the air if you can't deliver."

Mason ('93, R/T/F) held several radio positions up and down the East Coast -- from DJ to program director -- before landing her present gig at one of Philadelphia's premier music outlets. At WOGL ("Oldies '98), she juggles on-air DJ tasks with administrative and programming duties.

At WGLS "I learned EVERYTHING to get me started," Mason recalled. "Going into a radio station for the first time was real cool because I knew all the equipment." She said WOGL management is so impressed with the level of professionalism at Rowan Radio that she is just one of several alumni on staff.

"We have four here now," Mason said. "Go Profs!"

In fact, Mason said she's often surprised by how much students from some other institutions don't know.

"You'd be amazed," she said. "Some of these kids know absolutely nothing. They'd look at me like a dog with his head turned sideways."

The training that matters
Rosenblatt ('90), also an R/T/F major, was an on-air personality all four of his years at the former Glassboro State College and did whatever else he could to meld himself with the medium.

"I was on the air, I was a training director, I sold grants," he said. " I loved it all. It was literally the best experience of my life."

Rosenblatt credits Hogan, then a radio instructor but not yet station advisor, with early inspiration and guidance.

"Frank's been involved in radio since Methuselah so he knows," he said.

Hogan, who disputes that he's been in radio since Methuselah (an Old Testament figure purported to have lived 1,000 years), became general manager in 1991. Since his arrival the station has won more than 120 awards including College Station of the Year by the National Association of College Broadcasters (1997) and first place in the highly prestigious National Headliners Awards (2005).

Hogan said the three dozen or so volunteers who help run the station each year complete a 10-week training course that covers everything from equipment operation and FCC law to station guidelines.

"We're a training ground," he said. "We're housed in the College of Communication but not connected to it. I've had people who aren't R/T/F majors come in who do great."

Still, he said, it isn't for everyone.

"I've had kids come to me after six months and say 'I don't want to do radio' and I say that's wonderful," he said. "It means they've learned something. This is something they don't want to do and they can now go out and find what it is they do."

But the lessons students learn at WGLS are key to opening doors whether they go into radio professionally or not, he said.

"Learning how to get along in today's world is the most important lesson we teach," he said.

The students that matter
With its community format, WGLS is a little different than many so-called college radio stations. As a rule, it isn't geared to serving the eclectic, fringe musical tastes of some college students but focuses instead on broader appeal. Talk shows include community-oriented programming such as The Women's Room, The African American Profile and Your Health Matters plus a variety of live sports broadcasts including Rowan football and live play-by-play of Camden RiverSharks minor league baseball.

Still, though much of the daily song roster is preset, evening and weekend jocks have the ability to flex their music muscles.

"The thing I love about it is promoting music I find to be totally amazing," said student manager Omarey Williams, a public relations graduate student who hosts Locals Only Tuesday evenings from 10 to 11. "For me to play songs from bands that I respect - there's almost no way to put it into words."

Junior Julia Giacoboni (R/T/F '09) produces two afternoon talk shows as well as a Tuesday night rock show. She recently interviewed Werner Berger of Yardley, Pa., who, in May, became the oldest man ever to climb Mount Everest.

"It's neat to have people share their story with me," she said. "(Hosting a show) can be stressful but what it all comes down to is what comes out over the air is all mine."

Derek Jones, who after working at the station through college and grad school was hired as assistant station manager in 2002, said a relatively small percentage of students who pass through WGLS seek on-air opportunities after college but many gravitate toward other careers in radio.

"It's wide open," Jones said. "Some want to produce, some go into promotions, some help out in the news departments, scheduling interviews."

Hogan said there's a work ethic at the station that, after nearly two decades, doesn't cease to amaze him. Students often put in long hours to keep the station's 24-hour programming fresh, fun and relevant and, in so doing, learn to work as a unit.

"For many of our kids this isn't just the best radio experience in college," he said. "It's the best college experience, period."