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Career journeys in media took centerstage at Emmanuel College on Nov. 18th, with a studio-audience recording of the popular music history podcast “Takin A Walk.”
Hosted by longtime broadcaster Buzz Knight, the program focuses on intimate discussions that tell the story behind songs. It’s the top-rated music-history podcast on iHeartRadio media, and it opens with a signature question: If the guest could take a walk with anyone, who would it be—and why?
The guest on this particular episode was longtime Boston radio personality Chuck Nowlin, who is host of the morning drive program on the classic rock station 100.7 WZLX. He chose a walk with his now-deceased father, a man who greatly valued career stability and was deeply concerned when his son opted for radio.
“My first job was at an AM station in Worcester, running the religious programming on Sunday mornings,” said Nowlin. “[My career in radio] took a long time to really get going….I’d like to take a walk with him and say it all worked out okay.”
Nowlin and Knight first met in the early 90s, when Knight was program director for WZLX. Providing feedback for on-air talent was part of Knight’s job, and Nowlin said listening to himself in Knight’s office and awaiting the critique was one of the harder parts of the job. For his own part, Knight was impressed with Nowlin’s preparation and skill at guiding conversations; he quickly identified Nowlin as a keeper—and 30 years later, Nowlin is still with WZLX.
Knight has since moved on, founding his own company, Buzz Knight Media, which has produced more than 700 episodes of four distinct programs about music and comedy. He also provides consulting to help others build successful podcasts and offered some advice for students in the studio audience. He identified resilience, passion, and consistency as key ingredients—adding it’s important to find the right focus for the programming.
“Find a niche—you can’t be broad into the market,” said Knight. “And have fun with it.”
A Case Study in Event PR and Promotions
It was an afternoon of firsts at Emmanuel: The first time the College hosted a podcast recording with a studio audience. It was also the first time Knight or Nowlin had done it too, and the event came about through a connection between Knight and Emmanuel Associate Professor of Communication & Media Studies Dr. Mark Flynn.
“He reached out via LinkedIn a while back to see if we could chat about potential collaborations, and I am so glad that he did,” said Dr. Flynn. “We share a vision for mutually beneficial partnerships between industry and higher ed that provide students with unique and meaningful experience as a part of the class structure.”
“This type of classroom experience is often used alongside internships on students resumes and can be a differentiator in a competitive entry-level job market for our graduates,” he added.
Dr. Flynn approached the collaboration as a live case-study for his public relations class, with students helping to plan and promote the event. They convened a mock focus group to identify themes to highlight in the promotions and also identify the ideal venue on campus.
Working as a team, students helped develop and distribute promotional materials, both before and after the event. They also pitched the story to music and news journalists in the Boston area.
Knight supported the educational aspect as a guest speaker earlier this semester, telling Dr. Flynn’s class about his own journey from radio to podcasting. Dr. Flynn deeply appreciated him bringing that perspective into the classroom.
“It was a great learning experience that helped students better understand the current media landscape and a bit about the history of radio,” said Dr. Flynn. “From this guest lecture alone, students were able to gain practical insight into relevant content for the course, from media planning to reputation management and branding in podcasting.”
During the podcast, Knight and Nowlin spoke about the growing importance of streaming, with the expectation it will eventually replace terrestrial radio. It’s a shift that they’re navigating and while the medium is changing, Nowlin urged students to follow their interests.
“If you really have a passion for something, go for it and give it shot,” said Nowlin. “Because if you don’t, you might look back and regret the fact that you never tried.”
Speaking afterward, Dr. Flynn thanked Nowlin for sharing his perspectives with the students.
“Radio has played a crucial role in shaping our current relationship with mass media in society, dating back to the 1920s, and to gain Chuck’s perspective, as someone who has been an icon in Boston radio for more than 30 years, was truly remarkable,” said Dr. Flynn. “It was fascinating to hear from Chuck and Buzz about their take on shifts in radio, the impact of streaming, and recent explosion of podcasts.”
Dr. Flynn credited three students for going above-and-beyond to help lead the project: Mimi Esch ’27, Tori Gibson ’28, and Bridget Keane ’25. The students shared their thoughts on the experience in a written reflection (below), saying it was a great learning experience.
“This event was singular and special because of its interactive nature with students,” said Keane.
Reflections from the students:
Bridget Keane ‘25: This event was singular and special because of its interactive nature with students. After media production CEO Buzz Knight came to speak to our PR class, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity to help produce a podcast episode. With the digitalization of the music landscape, I thought it was genius to bring together two experts in their respective fields. We got to meet and collaborate with Buzz Knight and the longest-running radio personality in Boston, Chuck Nowlin of WZLX.
Professor Flynn gave us creative freedom in the planning process. During our meetings we were encouraged to share and give feedback on ideas to reach a collective theme. We wanted to highlight that this was Emmanuel’s first ever live podcast recording and the cultural ties both Buzz and Chuck bring to Boston music. Through this collaboration we hoped to bridge the gap between college-aged students, podcast listeners, and local radio. Based on the full RSVP list, I would say we succeeded.
I designed a Canva poster we used to promote the event through many mediums including newsletters, Instagram posts, Engage listings and print advertising. I was also able to put my cinematography experience learned in Professor Flynn’s documentary class to work. Using a variety of shots, I was able to highlight the camaraderie between hosts and audience members- especially during the Q&A.
During this process I learned the importance of researching the audiences and brands involved to craft a story to share the basic question of “why does this matter?” I learned how essential audience and brand research is to effective storytelling that answers that question.
I also learned to let the creative process guide you because the first design or pitch may not be the one that fits but, experimenting can bring your vision to life.
Mimi Esch ’27: I learned so much from this experience, but most importantly, I realized how much work it takes to put on an event like this. You have to think about all the little details and make sure you don't miss anything. You also have to ensure the event is promoted properly. Overall, I had such a great time learning, and it was truly a great experience.
Tori Gibson '28: I've always been passionate about event planning, so when Dr. Flynn brought Buzz into class, I immediately knew this was an opportunity I wanted to be part of.
Planning this event was an experience that taught me far more than I expected. In the beginning stages, coordinating logistics and designing promotional materials were challenging, but rewarding in the end. I was able to create promo slides that were displayed on the e-boards around campus, and it was amazing to see my work showcased to my peers.
One of the most valuable parts of this experience was applying skills from my Public Relations and Persuasion course directly to a historic event. Whether it be drafting press releases and pitches in class or fully writing an event description for this podcast, all of the skills that I had learned in class prepared me to work with my peers and put on an event like this.
This was truly an amazing experience, and it inspires me to continue finding opportunities to plan events that bring our campus community together.
