The Spring 2025 semester brought exciting changes to the communication and media studies department when Stan Piccirilli joined the department as the new WCLH radio manager.
Piccirilli was born and raised here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He attended nearby King’s College where he earned his degree in communications.
Piccirilli said he always wanted to do something in the media. However, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to get into radio.
His interest in radio started when he was a teenager. He started listening to the radio and noticed he was listening to the DJs more than the music.
“It just sounded like they were having a blast and having fun,” Piccirilli said.
While attending King’s College, he wandered into the radio studio and knew that’s what he wanted to do. Piccirilli worked as the station manager and music director for WRKC, the King’s College radio station.
While attending college Piccirilli had also worked part-time at WILK, which he said “was a top 40’s and oldies station at that time.”
After he left WILK, he then worked for WARM and Magic 93 as the program director for 35 years. He said despite the changes like automated programming, where you don’t need to always have a physical person in the station, he still finds that people are still very passionate about the music that is being played.
As the business changes, he noticed that podcasting is increasing in popularity, and it is something that he is working on here at WCLH. He said that just being able to go in and talk is a great way to build your communication skills and engaging with listeners is one of the most important things about being in radio.
He believes that people will remember things you have said and that you can run into someone a few years down the road and that one thing you said will have made a difference and stayed with them.
Keeping up with new technology and trends are one of Piccirilli’s favorite aspects of being in the radio industry.
Piccirilli said so many changes have happened in the radio industry since he started, from the way we communicate to new philosophies. He argues the change can be a positive thing and a negative thing in some ways, but you just have to stay on top of the changes.