Jim Dedelow -- Co-Owner Of WJOB grew up in Munster, Indiana. He attended the University of California and worked at WJOB AM 1230 in the mid-1980s. After trading for 18 years at the Chicago Board of Trade, Jim and his wife, attorney Alexis Vazquez Dedelow, bought WJOB. In 2016, WJOB started streaming video to Facebook Live. In 2018, Jim started WJOB Network.
Watch Jim on JED in America, JED in The Region, This is Dead Air, and check out Jim's Blog for some light reading. |
Sam Michel is a Highland native. Since a young age, Sam has been playing baseball, coaching and umpiring. A passion for sports also led Sam to have an interest in broadcasting. With that interest, Sam attended Purdue University Northwest and majored in communication. After graduating in the fall of 2015, Sam started to work at WJOB first as an intern and play-by-play broadcaster. In April of 2018 Sam began hosting his own show “The Sam Michel Show”. Sam now co-hosts "The Region Rush Hour" with Tony Panek from 3:00-5:00 PM.
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Ryan Walsh grew up in Griffith, Indiana. In 2009, Ryan graduated from Indiana University, with a degree in Sports Broadcasting. After college, he started at WJOB as an email-deleting, floor-mopping, board operating sports intern. From intern, Ryan has evolved into the role of Sports Director, Producer and Intern Manager at WJOB. You can also catch Ryan hosting the NCAA Insiders.
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Rick Kubic -- Musician, artist and writer from the Southeast of Chicago, Rick's enthusiasm for radio burgeoned while working within the music industry both here in the U.S. and abroad. He’s a host and also does production work for the network. He joined WJOB in 2011. He and his wife, Kat Marlow, host the podcast "The FrunchRoom" that can be seen on the FrunchRoom Channel.
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Tony Panek was raised on the mean streets of Roxana in East Chicago, IN. He graduated from Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, IN with a communication’s degree in broadcasting. He also had a stint as an intern at Lakeshore PBS in Merrillville, IN. From there he came to WJOB, where he does on and off air/screen work. Tony produces for a few shows on WJOB including "JED in the Region", "The Sam Michel Show" and "Bob After Dark" with Bob Anderson. He also co-hosts his own worldwide downloaded podcast with Joe Ramirez called The Region Ramble where they talk about anything that comes to mind. Make sure to check out the "Panek in the Region" where he documents important events on-the-go.
He also dabbles in local filmmaking and improv. |
Gene Sferruzza -- Chicago-born and raised, Gene “Geno” Sferruzza has been a member of the WJOB broadcast team since June 2009. Music has always been a major part of Geno’s life, joining his first band in 1965 and later hired as a guitar teacher in Chicago in 1969. Ultimately, he established himself as a multi-instrumentalist in the late 1970’s playing guitar, Dobro, pedal steel guitar, 5-string banjo and bass guitar. Since becoming a member of the WJOB broadcast team, Geno has produced several on-air programs including the Edison Community Watch Program, The Alsip Home Nursery Show as well as the award-winning Veteran’s Views Radio Show.
Listen to "Region Bandstand" on Saturdays with Geno and Dave Innes 10 AM to noon. |
Sonny Santana was raised in the great city of Hammond, Indiana. He graduated from Whiting High School in 2017.
He is currently pursuing a degree in Communications with a focus in Broadcasting at Purdue University Northwest. Sonny’s love for sports began at the age of 3. Sonny’s interest in sports broadcasting began second he started watching Sportscenter and from there on he’s wanted to be nothing else than a broadcaster. Sonny currently hosts “The Bench Mob." |