WTUD Dragon Radio

WTUD Tiffin University Dragon Radio is the on-campus radio station for Tiffin University. WTUD radio broadcasts athletic events for all 22 teams. It is a great way for friends and family to watch and listen if they are unable to make it to the game. What people do not realize is the setup before the broadcast takes a team effort as we arrive a couple hours before the game begins to set up the equipment. Throughout the week we set up interviews with coaches and prospective student-athletes to give the viewers a glimpse of the type of person we have representating tiffin university athletics.

Russel Snyder-Director of Broadcast Operations

WTUD was formed in 2014, when Russell was named the director of broadcast operations. Prior to 2014, Russell was the play-by-play commentator for tiffin university while also working for WTTF Radio 93.3 FM, and obtaining his Bachelors Degree in business administration from tiffin. From 2008-2013, Russell worked for BAS Broadcasting, where his roles included all internal aspects of the radio station except for sales. He oversaw the scheduling for all on-air events, which included coverage for high school events, and collegiate athletics, remote broadcasts, and promotions.

Currently, Russell covers about 150- 200 athletic events each season, while also responsible for hosting on-campus events. Russell is in charge of the audio and video feeds that will air on campus and throughout the conference. He engages with the marketing team, the coaches, the communications team, the alumni, and the parents to provide feedback to provide the best coverage for all 26 athletic teams. He is in charge of the social media websites, as well as the streaming for all events that are occurring on campus, both academically and athletically. Along with the responsibilities at Tiffin, he also has a radio show at Jemp Radio called Pool House Rocks that airs every Saturday at 2 pm. The show consists of all kinds of different music, such as Phish, and the great Ohio bands that represent that are not as known. The show will also have remote broadcasts that will promote certain businesses in Tiffin. For example, a couple of weeks ago Russell hosed a show at the Tiffin Brewery to promote the unique business style the brewery provides for their customers. The show also consists of all things happening in society, sports, and in life, such as how Covid-19 is affecting has affected the business side of sports. Russell is also the chair for the Alzheimer's Association Walk to Find a Cure.

Russell is in charge of broadcasting the alumni banquet. He is also in charge of hosting the hall of fame banquet every year. He also has the responsibilities of broadcasting the Green and Gold Awards every Spring and at the end of every school year has the opportunity to stream hundreds of students live out their dream by receiving their degree, and officially become Tiffin university alumni. He also created an opportunity for Tiffin students like myself to have an opportunity to internship in a wonderful, fun and exciting environment that will give students the chance to learn real life experience of the radio industry.

Russell has been married for 14 years to his wife Erica. They have two children, a son Issac and a daughter Mollie. They currently reside in Tiffin.

Jared Orskog-Intern

Having joined the station in August of 2019. Jared assists in the day-to-day operations of the radio station. After obtaining his bachelor's degree from Defiance College, Jared went into the workforce and worked at WKKI 94.3 FM as a board operations, where he organized the music and commercials for the station. Jared realized he wanted more in life and has enrolled in the MBA program at Tiffin University, where he is looking to earn his masters degree in sports management and become a sports broadcaster.

During his internship, Jared will be responsible for the camera operations of the athletic events, as well as play-by-play commentary for various games,as well as possibly streaming basketball games throughout the year. He will be record a host a show every weekday morning from 9 a.m.-noon and will record a sports podcast that will air on the show.

Mission

Provide friends, family, alumni, students, and fans a way to connect with Tiffin University athletics through radio and video. Gives viewers watching and listening an opportunity a great resource to follow and get to know the coaches and student-athletes on a personal level, while also listening to some great Ohio music each and every day.

Values

WTUD is a radio station that has built a great reputation throughout the community of Tiffin, and through the music industry in the state of Ohio for the station's professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile to provide solid and accurate reporting, which is hard to come by in society. The solid reporting has set the foundation for more bands, not only in Ohio, but across the country to reach out to WTUD about playing their music. Within the last few years as word has gotten out about the credibility of the station, viewership has steadily increased during game broadcasts and more families have stopped in to let the station know how much they appreciate the hard work and dedication that it takes to cover all of the athletic events.

Services

Becoming a sports broadcaster demands a lot of patience, learning, aptitude, and confidence as many people are afraid to speak on the radio. However, at WTUD there is a step by step process an individual must go through before they are able to host a radio show or broadcast games.

1. Orientation

When an applicant first begins working at the station, the first order of business is to make sure they understand where all of the equipment is suppose to go and how to properly set up and tear down each piece of equipment. During orientation, the applicant is given first hand knowledge on how to use the camera and computer for basic needs, such as broadcasting games or editing audio and video. We also explain the expectation level that comes with the position, and how the person needs to conduct themselves while on the job.

2. Set-Up

After orientation, the person will need to know how to hook everything up, such as the audio mixer. In order for a broadcast to be successful, the audio mixer and other equipment has to be hooked up right and it is possible the person might be solo on a job, so they will need to know how to set up the equipment properly.

3. Social Media

Fans that listen to the station expect professionalism from our station. Any employee must keep listeners up-to-date on upcoming music that will be playing throughout the day, as well as any upcoming concerts by local Ohio bands. It is important to have constant communication with our listeners and local bands and we strive to provide a way to promote the best music in the state. We want to continue to have a great relationship with Ohio bands and musicians in the future.

4. Broadcasting

After an employee has fulfilled certain obligation and has sufficient knowledge of the equipment, they are allowed the opportunity for some broadcasting duties, either in studio or during games. The only requirement is if any broadcasting is done in studio, the Ohio music needs to left as is otherwise, an employee can be as creative with their show as they want to be.

Facilities

WTUD Tiffin University Dragon Radio is located at 124 S. Sandusky Street. Tiffin, Ohio 44883. A picture of the radio station is provided.

Venues

Working with WTUD, I have traveled to a few away events, and I have gotten to see different venues and each one is unique in it's own way. Every stadium I have attended has shown that each individual institution has a different philosophy in how to build their stadiums based on how they see fit. Below are some pictures of the venues that I have traveled to during my time at WTUD.