Students Develop On-Air Persona with American Icon Al Roker ’76

Students sitting around a table with Professor Michael Riecke, Vanessa Richards '08, and Al Roker '76

Students in BRC 497 Camera Ready: Developing Your On-Air Persona take a group selfie with their teachers, who include NBC Today show co-anchor and celebrity Al Roker ’76, Professor Michael Riecke and local on-air meteorologist Vanessa Richards ’08.

This fall, students in the broadcasting course, Camera Ready: Developing Your On-Air Persona, are learning what it takes to stand out from the pack and how to apply their skills and knowledge to succeed as an on-air personality in today’s competitive media market from an expert on the subject—Al Roker ’76.

Roker, NBC’s Today co-anchor and American celebrity, is co-teaching the class with SUNY Oswego faculty members: Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Michael Riecke, a former anchor of WSYR-TV The Morning News in Syracuse; and Adjunct Professor of Meteorology Vanessa Richards ’08, a TV meteorologist for Spectrum News, CNY.

The professors discuss with students the methods for connecting with an audience through storytelling, personal branding, presentation styles, on-camera appearance and more, with the goal of creating a demo reel. Students are also analyzing the work of legendary on-air talent in television, radio and digital media as well as examining the characteristics that helped them succeed.

SUNY Oswego’s BRC 497 Camera Ready: Developing Your On-Air Persona class got to visit their co-teacher Al Roker ’76 on NBC’s Today show. Students in the class got to watch the popular program’s taping live in the studio, take behind-the-scenes tours and even appear on the show. They also enjoyed a dinner out in the Big Apple, hosted by Frank DiGioia ’78, president and chief executive officer of Fort Group Inc., a marketing services company.

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