Mustang Media Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees Announced
Four new members will be inducted into the Journalism Department Mustang Media Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Cal Poly. The 2018 inductees are music industry executive Bruce Flohr, advancement professional Susan Houghton, political consultant and KCRA-TV analyst Kevin Riggs, and former KCPR faculty adviser and broadcaster Ed. J. Zuchelli.
This year’s inductees will be honored at the Hall of Fame and KCPR Through the Decades Gala, part of a weekend-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Cal Poly’s student radio station, KCPR-FM. The gala will take place on campus at the Multi-Activity Center, starting with a 5 p.m. reception. Dinner and program will follow at 6 p.m.
All of new inductees have ties to KCPR:
Bruce Flohr
Bruce Flohr
Flohr is on record stating that his music business career would not have been possible without KCPR. While still a broadcast journalism student, Flohr was hired at RCA to lead the alternative radio promotion department. From there he worked his way up to senior vice president of A&R, signing bands such as Dave Matthews Band and Foo Fighters. In 2002, he joined Red Light Management and helped build one of the biggest management companies in the business, managing artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton and Allen Stone. Flohr is also a founding partner of Greenlight Media as well as a frequent speaker at conferences and universities around the world.
Susan Houghton
Susan Houghton
Houghton has more than 30 years of experience in public affairs, corporate communications and philanthropy. The former Mustang Daily reporter and public affairs director/ reporter at KCPR started her career as a journalist at KSBY-TV, KFSN-TV and KMGX-FM and later served in leadership and managerial roles at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, UC Berkeley, Cal State Bakersfield, Allan Hancock College, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Safeway and Contel. She has personally founded three non-profit organizations. One, Sunflower Hill, is developing vocational options and residential communities for individuals with special needs. It was named Nonprofit of the Year in 2017.
Kevin Riggs
Kevin Riggs
An award-winning television news anchor and reporter for 40 years, Riggs has covered the major local, state and national stories of the day, including the Columbine shooting, Oklahoma City bombing and the highly contested 2000 U.S. presidential election. The Emmy-winning political journalist got his start as a journalism student producing news for KCPR. He now leads strategic communication efforts for statewide political campaigns, businesses and non-profits as senior vice president at Randle Communications in Sacramento. True to his journalistic roots, he also delivers regular political analysis, The Riggs Report, for KCRA-TV in California’s capital.
Ed Zuchelli
Ed Zuchelli
As faculty adviser to KCPR from 1969 to 1986, Zuchelli helped the fledgling 1.7-watt radio lab mature into a 2,000-watt, 24-hour news and music station. A lifelong sports enthusiast, “Zuke” also was known as the voice of Cal Poly football and basketball in the 1970s. The World War II veteran and veteran broadcaster also served on the city council in Santa Maria, where he was instrumental in securing the license for the city’s television station, KCOY.
The Journalism Department Mustang Media Hall of Fame was established in 2016 to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the student media organizations in the Journalism Department, distinguished themselves professionally or demonstrated social responsibility in giving back to their profession, community or Cal Poly.
Tickets for the gala are available now.
More information on the Hall of Fame inductees and KCPR anniversary celebration is available at (805) 756-2508 or jour@calpoly.edu.