If you plan to see the USA in your SUV this summer, remember there are legions of UD alums out there working in television and radio. While it's not quite possible to drive from coast to coast hearing Blue Hen voices, we have found alums in communications from New York City to Lahani, Hawaii.
Here's a brief listing of those we were able to catch up with--arranged in alphabetical order by state. If we missed you altogether, let us hear from you!
Colorado
Kathy Walsh, AS '78
Denver, Colo.
Need the news in Denver? Tune in to KCNC-TV, where Walsh is a general assignment news reporter on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and the news anchor on Friday and Saturday newscasts at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Delaware
Donna Cavender, AS '76
Dover, Del.
If you are passing through the state capital on a return trip to UD, you can hear Cavender as the mid-day personality on country radio WDSD. As a production manager, she also does commercials for radio stations WSDS and WDOV-AM.
Robin Bryson, AS '93
Wilmington, Del.
Traffic got you down as you're heading back to campus? Tune in to WDEL-1150 AM or WSTW-93.7 FM, and chances are Bryson can help you out. As the traffic reporter for the stations for 14 years, there isn't a stretch of road from Baltimore to Lancaster, Pa., to the beach that he doesn't know.
Hawaii
Richard (Chuck) Bergson, BE '83
Lahani, Haiwaii
As president and CEO of a radio empire on Maui, Bergson is actively involved in the operation of KPOA-93.5 FM (contemporary Hawaiian music); KNUI-900 AM (classic Hawaiian music; KLHI-101.1 FM (alternative rock); KNUI-99.9 FM (hot adult contemporary); KMVI-98.3 FM (classic rock); and KMVI-5.50 AM (sports). But, even if you never get to Hawaii, you can hear the great contemporary Hawaiian sound of KPOA in the comfort of your home via the Internet.
Maryland
Debbie Rolando, BE '86
Ellicott City, Md.
The next time you see a celebrity narrating a special for Discovery Networks U.S., BBC America, Discovery Networks International or Discovery Enterprises Worldwide, remember a UD alum signs their checks. As senior vice president and corporate controller for Discovery Communications Inc., Rolando says, "Unfortunately, unless the company makes a documentary about the history of accounting, you won't see me on the air."
New York
Denise Lombardi. AS '95
New York, N.Y.
If you have a fashion question, chances are Lombardi will know the answer. As a producer for E! Entertainment Television, she produces the shows, Fashion Emergency, E! News Daily and Joan River's Fashion Review Specials.
Diane Robina, AS '82
New York, N.Y.
Love TV Land and Nick at Nite? Thank Robina, who is associate general manager and senior vice president of programming for TV Land. Her responsibilities include programming for Nick at Nite and sharing responsibilities for the operating business end of the network, including programming--original and acquired--and all the scheduling.
Mark Offitzer, AS '82
New York, N.Y.
Offitzer is vice president and general manager of Nickelodeon GAS: Games and Sports for Kids. As such, he oversees all aspects of the digital channel and its website and magazine components.
Bob Bicknell, AS '90
New York, N.Y.
Bicknell is a producer for CBS News' Up To The Minute, which broadcasts nation-wide from Network headquarters in New York City.
North Carolina
Marcia Good, AG '77
Louisburg, N.C.
If your travels take you close to Louisburg, you can tune in to this Blue Hen on the hour throughout the day at WHLQ-102.5 FM and 1480 AM.
Dianna Bednar, AS '95
Charlotte, N.C.
For you golf fans, Bednar is production coordinator for the LPGA tour and does much of the planning for televised events. One of her tournaments was broadcast from Gaylord, Mich., at the end of July.
Oregon
Steve Dant, AS '75
Beaverton, Ore.
If you are traveling in the Northwest, think of Dant and his wife, Sharon McDonough Dant,
AE '73, CHEP '75. Vice president and general manager of WB-32, the local Warner Brothers affiliate, Steve says he has worked in television ever since his graduation from UD.
Pennsylvania
Benjamin Ringe, AS '93
Glenside, Pa.
Living near Philadelphia, Ringe works for a production company that serves many different networks, including the Good Network, the Discovery Channel and the Learning Channel. Portions of his show, "The Unknown World of Figure Skating," which aired in July on the Discovery Channel, were filmed at UD's Fred
Rust Ice Arena.
Matt O'Donnell, AS '94
Philadelphia, Pa.vIf you need to check the news in the City of Brotherly Love, turn to the ABC-TV affiliate at Channel 6. As a general assignment reporter, O'Donnell is expected to turn out one or two stories a day and "make a lot of people happy." His stories air on newscasts in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Vermont
Ilene Gillander, AS '69
Barre, Vt.
Next time you're heading for the ski slopes, check out Apollo News--a student-run news program from Barre City Schools on Channel 7, supervised by Gillander.
Virginia
Peter Hartogs, AS '94
Arlington, Va.
Passing through Arlington, you may hear Hartogs on sports radio, WWRC-570 AM. That's his second job, of course. His bigger paycheck comes from CNN's Washington D.C. bureau, where he works in health and medical news and produces a weekly medical show, Your Health, with Dr. Steve Salvatore.
David Langrell, AG '83
Newington, Va.
A shop foreman for ABC News, Langrell builds, installs and oversees sets and scenery for many news specials. Watch for his name in the credits the next time you view a presidential debate or this year's Republican and Democratic conventions.
West Virginia
Dave Aydelotte, AS '73
Keyser, W. Va., and Cumberland, Md.
Owner of WCBC-1270 AM in Cumberland and 107 FM, an oldies station in Kaiser, W. Va., Aydelotte is on the air on WCBC from 6-10 a.m., weekdays. A political science major at UD, Aydelotte says radio is in his blood. His dad, Richard Aydelotte, AS '44, is retired from many years on the air at Delaware's own WDEL. Dave started at that station, too, hosting his first show at the age of 15. At UD, he gained four years of radio experience at WHEN, now WVUD--UD's radio station.
Wyoming
Patricia Greiner, AS '75
Casper, Wyo.
If you hear a happy jingle on Wyoming radio, think of Greiner, who prepares commercials for six radio stations. Those stations include KTWO-1030 AM (talk,
sports and country), KMGW-94.5 FM (light rock), KKTL-1400 AM (talk, business and sports), KRVK-107.7 FM (adult contemporary); KTRS-104.7 FM (adult contemporary) and KWYY-95.5 FM (country).
--Beth Thomas