Rowan Radio Celebrates 60 Years of Success

The Whit Online

Ryan Schaller, Staff Writer • October 2, 2024

Derek Jones, Rowan Radio’s station manager, introduces the night’s program and panelists in the Chamberlain Student Center, Glassboro, NJ. Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. – Photography Editor / Gavin Schweiger

On Friday, Sept. 27th, Rowan University celebrated 60 years of Rowan Radio WGLS-FM.

In attendance were alumni from previous classes at Rowan University who were a part of Rowan Radio and also current Rowan students who are a part of WGLS-FM. 

The president of Rowan University, Dr. Ali Houshmand, attended the event and spoke about how he believes Rowan Radio is an important club for students to gain useful skills outside of the classroom. 

“Grounded in hands-on learning, Rowan Radio embodies the university’s commitment to offering meaningful experiences outside of the classroom that foster both personal and professional growth among our students,” said Dr. Houshmand. 

The Dean of the Ric Edelman College of Communication and Creative Arts, Sanford Tweedie, who listens to WGLS on his four-minute commute to work, also attended the historic celebration. 

“We are not just here to celebrate Rowan Radio, we are as importantly here to celebrate the great people who are Rowan Radio,” said Dean Tweedie. 

Derek Jones, the current station manager for WGLS-FM has contributed 23 years to Rowan Radio’s history. 

Jones was a student here at Rowan University in 2001 and utilized Rowan Radio as a tool for his future career as a sports broadcaster. However, when he became a station manager he discovered a whole new perspective of Rowan Radio. 

“Rowan Radio has meant a ton to me,” said Jones. “I arrived here as a student when I joined Rowan Radio, I knew I wanted to be involved in sports broadcasting. Once I became an employee, it’s just opened the door so much for me to learn about people and, really the joy you get from seeing other people succeed.”

This celebration demonstrated how radio broadcasts continue to be relevant today. Radio is quickly becoming overtaken because of consumers’ changing listening habits, but Rowan Radio continues its operation. 

“We’re in a time where college radio is either being given up, abandoned, or it’s now just something that is on the internet like a student podcast kind of thing,” said Leo Kirschner, Assistant Station Manager for Rowan Radio. “We’ve worked very hard, Derek and I, during our tenure here to keep the station as professional as possible for students.”

Rowan Radio has helped produce students who have built careers in their chosen profession including broadcasting. One of them being Nicholas and Matteo Iadonisi. Both were a part of Rowan Radio when they were students in 2018 and 2023. Both say they have learned many valuable skills through Rowan Radio that they use at 6ABC Action News. 

“Rowan Radio was a critical stepping stone that took me directly into my career in broadcasting,” said Matteo Iadonisi. “I was the director of production here for three years, and it gave me an opportunity to explore my creative self.” 

His brother, Nicholas also contributed a lot of his career success to his experience at the station.

“I really got into it in my sophomore year of college and I’d gone through a lot in my personal life and mentors [like] Derek and Leo really helped me through it,” said Nicholas Iadonisi. “[They] taught me how to be a professional and gave me the many opportunities that really got me far in life and prepared me for the job I have now at 6ABC Action News, in Philadelphia.”

One student by the name of Megan Steckler came into the radio station with no experience on-air and walked out of the radio station as a two-time Gracie Award winner. The Gracie Award is an award for women’s achievements in the media and entertainment. Steckler was proud to represent women in media. 

“Honestly, I did not know I was going to get it, to be so honest, but it was a really surreal accomplishment for me to be able to represent women in media,” said Steckler.  

While the celebration was historic for Rowan Radio, there was one person who was on people’s minds and it was the man who kept the radio station going, Michael Donovan. Donovan who was the advisor for Rowan Radio passed away on July 6, 2023. To honor Donovan’s contributions not only to Rowan Radio but to Rowan University, they decided to create a scholarship named after him. 

“I think Mike Donovan is very pivotal for the College of Communication and Creative Arts, and I think he’s very pivotal for Rowan Radio,” said Jones. “So, the opportunity for a scholarship to be named after him, to be able to, pay tribute to his legacy and give students an opportunity to continue their education through this scholarship.”

One award that stands out for the Rowan Radio team was winning the Best College Radio Station Award in 2022. It was the first time they won it since 1997.    

“I would say from an employee standpoint, winning best college radio station of the year in 2022 was a high point because we had not won it since 1997,” said Jones.

Many members find that Rowan Radio has helped them discover their true passion in broadcasting and has helped them achieve accomplishments.

“It’s helped me turn my passion for sports into a reality,” said Aidan Dougherty, Sports Director for Rowan Radio.

https://thewhitonline.com/73242/arts-entertainment/rowan-radio-celebrates-60-years-of-success/