Date: Dec 09, 2011

WRHU Radio Hofstra Inducts New Hall of Fame Members

Ceremony also highlights unprecedented second-year partnership with NY Islanders.

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY --   WRHU Radio Hofstra University 88.7 FM will induct four new members into its Radio Hall of Fame this Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011 at Nassau Coliseum.   The evening also serves as a celebration of WRHU’s continued partnership with the NY Islanders  -- for the second year in a row, the station has won exclusive rights to broadcast all New York Islanders games during the 2011-’12 National Hockey League season, with an option for a third year. 

The 2011 Hall of Fame inductees are:

Scott Cinnamon, ’81:  Scott Cinnamon served as Station Manager and Remote Operations Chief before graduating cum laude from Hofstra University with dual degrees in Communication Arts and Political Science.  At WHVC Scott hosted a jazz show, produced “Learning about the Law’ and worked as a sports announcer doing color and play-by-play with fellow Hall of Famer Todd Ant.  He later attended law school, and took a law clerk position with a small firm where one of his first tasks was to file FCC papers to change the Hofstra radio station’s call sign from WVHC to WRHU.  Scott is now a communication attorney, helping radio and television station owners resolve their problems with the FCC.

Jim Del Balzo, ’78:  Jim Del Balzo began his broadcast career at Hofstra in the 1970 as Sports Director and Music Director.  After graduating from Hofstra, he worked at Polydor Records and Columbia Records before joining MTV as Director of Talent Relations in 1986.  He returned  to Columbia Records  and soon became the Senior VP of Promotions, working closely with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, System of a Down, among others.   In 2002, he formed his own consulting and management firm, with clients including Elvis Costello, James Taylor, LL Cool J, Burt Bacharach and John Mellencamp.

Phil Selby, ’76:  Phil Selby held a wide variety of positions at Hofstra’s radio station while he was a student here, eventually becoming Program Director and Station Manager.  Beginning his professional career at WLIW, he then moved to a position as Technical Director at the CBS Broadcast Center in the 1980s, where he worked on numerous shows in production and managed almost every major live broadcast for CBS News during that time.    For the last 13 years, Phil has been Director of Operations and Studio Operations at CBS News, where he oversees the design and construction of state-of-the-art studios and control rooms.

Shelly Feuer Domash, ’68:  Shelly Feuer Domash is a Hofstra University Kaltenborn Radio and Television Scholarship recipient, and served as Public Relations Director and a music show host during her time at Hofstra.  She went on  to become an evening news anchor at WLIW, a production assistant at WABC, and a news reporter and anchor for the Long Island Network  before turning to work as an assistant professor  at Queens College.  In 1987, she founded Rochelle Productions where she served as the investigative and feature reporter for the Long Island Press, routinely developing and writing stories for the metro desk and Long Island Weekly section of The New York Times, as well as contributing feature stories to Newsday.   Shelly now serves as the Director of Communication and Public Affairs for the Town of Hempstead. 

The honorees were nominated by a committee of WRHU alumni and Hall of Fame members.   “WRHU has been the incubator for many great careers in broadcasting,” says School of Communication Dean Evan W. Cornog.  “The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals of extraordinary career achievement who have also played a major role at Radio Hofstra University.”

“It’s wonderful to have a night like this where we can celebrate both the great things our radio station alumni have done, as well as what we’re accomplishing now.   WHRU is the only university-owned radio station to broadcast an entire season of a major sports franchise, and being able to continue the success of our groundbreaking partnership  with the Islanders cements the idea that this is now the ‘new normal’  in radio broadcasting,”  says John Mullen, WRHU Director of Operations.

This season, Hofstra students are once again serving as color commentators and sideline reporters on all 82 games as well as playoffs throughout the season, under the guidance of Hofstra professionals-in-residence Ed Ingles and Mullen.  Islanders radio veteran Chris King will continue in the play-by-play position.   Typically about 20 students are involved in each broadcast, including doing vital behind-the-scenes work in production and engineering.  The games are also broadcast on WRHU’s free  iPhone  app, which can help the NHL take on a fresh appeal among a new generation of sports fans.   “The Islanders are investing in the young people who are leading the way as sports radio evolves into webcasting and creates a social media presence,” says Bruce Avery, WRHU General Manager.  “The WRHU app offers web-savvy fans of hockey a new way to  enjoy a longtime favorite sport.”

WRHU, housed in Hofstra’s School of Communication, also has the largest radio news team on Long Island with more than 75 student journalists who have won numerous prestigious awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, Hearst, Collegiate Broadcasters Inc. and others. 

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 150 undergraduate and 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied health services and honor studies, as well as a School of Law and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.

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