Radio management and sales career started at WOUB

For Timothy Fawcett, the goal was never to be on the air. He started working at WOUB as an Ohio University student to learn everything about the behind-the-scenes operation so he could go into a media sales and management career.

“WOUB gave me a good overview of the industry and prepared me to do what I wanted to do,” said Fawcett. “I did not work on WOUB TV. I was a radio person. I stayed behind the scenes and ran the audio boards.”

Fawcett grew up in nearby Wheeling, W. Va. After graduating from high school, he went to West Virginia Wesleyan College for two years. But after falling in love with radio, decided he should transfer to Ohio University.

“In West Virginia, I volunteered at a 14,000-watt NPR station, but the funding was cut and the station closed,” said Fawcett. “I fought to start a new 10-watt station because 10 watts is better than no watts. It went on the air in 1977. And that’s when I decided if this is what I want to do, I needed to go to a school that was known for its broadcasting program.”

Fawcett transferred to Ohio University and majored in radio and television management. He immediately got involved at WOUB and ACRN, and loved learning about the ins and outs of managing a radio station.

“I graduated in 1979 with my undergraduate degree, but the economy wasn’t good at the time, so I stayed and got my MBA and graduated in 1981.”

Fawcett accepted a commercial sales job at a radio station in California. After that, his career took him in a number of different directions including moving into selling computer systems to assist with radio station management and corporate and government wireless sales with Cellular One, AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless. Now, Fawcett calls himself “semi-retired,” but is the CEO of Great Day Wellness, a business partnership with Kara Carter who is a licensed chiropractor and acupuncturist, in Santa Rosa, California.

“WOUB gave me a complete overview for radio and television,” said Fawcett. “I was able to learn about what I wanted to do in a hands-on setting. I knew that coming to Ohio University and WOUB was the right choice if radio management and sales was what I wanted to do.”

Learn more about WOUB.