Matt Mulcahy: The WSTM-Channel 3 news anchor will host a live broadcast of this year’s JGB Syracuse Jazz Fest. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO
Mulcahy has been a longtime supporter
and attendee of Jazz Fest. In the 1980s, he worked for the Onondaga
County Parks Department when Jazz Fest was held at Longbranch Park in
Liverpool. One year, Mulcahy had bathroom duty after the event. “I’ve
come a long way in 25 years—from cleaning the bathrooms afterward to
hosting live coverage of it.”
Mulcahy will be on a platform about 50
feet into the audience interviewing performers such as the Ivan Lins
Band and Friday night’s headliner, Sergio Mendes. Robinson will be
backstage conducting interviews with local personalities such as County
Executive Joanie Mahoney, OCC president Debbie Sydow and Jazz Fest
organizers. Highlights from bands that have already performed will be
shown throughout the program.
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“Our broadcast will help people going to
Jazz Fest the next day see what it’s like,” Mulcahy says. “Most people
who go have to pick one day or the other because of what’s going on in
their lives. Maybe they’re a Chaka Khan fan so they’ll go Saturday
night {June 28}. Maybe somebody had a long day at work and doesn’t feel
like going out. Some people might live too far out and don’t want to
drive an hour or more.”
People can now tune in to the Jazz Fest,
even if only for an hour. “The event can grow and reach more people and
new audiences,” Mulcahy notes.
The idea for a live broadcast of the
Jazz Fest came about when staffers at WSTM discussed with Jazz Fest
organizer Frank Malfitano about being a media partner. “We wanted to do
something different,” Mulcahy says, “something that elevated Jazz Fest’s coverage and our relationship to it.”
WSTM general manager Chris Geiger
ultimately made the decision to go live. “It’s different than the
newscast,” says Mulcahy, who will also serve as executive producer of
the coverage. “There is a quality of entertainment, which is nice
because you can see the personalities of the hosts. You can enjoy the
culture in our community rather than listen to us tell you bad news.”
However, the 60-minute show will pose
some challenges. “It’s a live broadcast,” Mulcahy says, “so we’re out
of the building and on the road. The extended area we have to cover
brings a lot of technical challenges. We have to get a signal back, lay
hundreds of feet of cable and set up five cameras.”
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The WSTM crew will carry radios to
communicate with each other on OCC’s campus and with members back at
the station. Because they’ll be near the Emergency 911 center, radio
interference could pose a problem.
But nothing will interfere with people
having a good time and hearing some great, live jazz. “It’s a
longstanding piece of the culture of this community and it’s great to
be a part of it,” Mulcahy says.
—Josh Blair
