WCWP Hall of Fame

Victoria Esteve
Staff Writer

The alumni association of WCWP, LIU Post’s campus radio, met on October 20 at the station at 4 p.m. to announce the second class inducted into its Hall of Fame. The event was a casual barbeque where radio station alumni had a chance to mingle with the staff and current students. There was also a 50/50 raffle being held where 50 percent of the money would go to the station and the other 50 percent would go to the winner. Inductees included Bill Mozer, Maura Bernard, Steve Radoff, and Harry Lowenthal.

Mozer, who was station manager from 1970 to 1990, was also an engineer at WABC and WPLJ radio, and Emmy-award winner for his audio work on daytime soap opera, One Life to Live. He currently works on the ABC show “The Chew.” Bernard spent years at LIU Post as a student in 1960s and 1970s and went on to become on-air personality at WBAB and Voice of America and is currently a WCWP on-air personality and LIU Post adjunct professor. Radoff was one of the first Chief Engineers of WCWP and helped build the first control console to get the station on the air via carrier current. Lowenthal, another Chief Engineer, worked to help make the station “state of the art” and taught engineering classes at the station.

“WCWP has always been a part of my life,” said Bernard. “Since I was a student until now as a professor, this is my home. It is nice to receive this honor.” The names that were announced will be officially inducted on April 20 in the Tilles Center.

The hall of fame class is selected through an election process by a board consisting of alumni and current WCWP hall of famers. At the last year’s WCWP 50th Anniversary Dinner, a dinner celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the launch of the station, the alumni association had a chance to raffle off an iPad for $500. The inductees included people that made a lasting impact and contribution to the student body at LIU Post through the radio station.

“This place is for the students, for the students to excel,” said Peter Bellotti, the association’s program coordinator. Last year’s Hall of Fame inductees were the founding class of 2012 members. They included Art Beltrone, Hank Neimark, Virgril Jackson Lee, and Dr. Herb Coston.

Some of the more recent graduates came out to support the radio station and many claimed that working at WCWP helped mold their career. “I would not have a career if it wasn’t for the radio station,” said Karen Fiorelli, class of 2003, who is now a news producer for News 12. “I tried something different while I worked at WCWP, from the news department to production. It helped me know how to pick put important stories, which is a great tool.”

“I want to give back because [WCWP] had a huge influence on me. I want to see it prosper,” added Karen Sangimino, class of 2003. As a student, Sangimino helped with fundraiser events and was very hands on. “I knew what it was like to work hard. It was like any other job I had.”

“We hope to unveil a plaque on the side of the radio station to honor The Hall of Fame inductees,” added Bellotti. In honor of the alumni, the station also broadcasted its programming all weekend long. “WCWP Alumni took over the airwaves with live shows; all different alumni as well as coverage of the football game.”