Happy Valley’s Morning Show Gets a Wake Up Call of Its Own
Former Host PJ Mullen at a B94.5 remote at Tussey Mountain in Summer 2014
STATE COLLEGE- For five years the State College radio community started off their weekday mornings listening to a local radio show named “The Morning Zoo” hosted by PJ Mullen.
PJ started the radio morning show in partnership with Results Radio on the station B94.5. The show started with little to no exposure, with intern students from Penn State University partaking in running the station. Five years later, B94.5 reaches nearly thirty thousand people in Centre County and has over eight thousand likes on its Facebook page. The show grew to be more than simply a 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. talk show.
The crew goes all around the area to local schools, charities, and many more local events to enhance the atmosphere and positive energy of wherever they set up their loud speakers.
Now going into it’s fifth year the show, PJ the longtime host, and only five year veteran of the show has moved on to another job. As of September 22nd, the show is now hosted and run by 23-year-old, Sean McDermott.
Sean was intern of the show under PJ during the summer of 2013 when he was a still Penn State student. Now, after one year of experience, Sean has taken over PJ’s position as host of the morning show.
Many may see Sean walking into a fantastic opportunity for the young motivated college graduate; but that is far from the case. The locals have grown so accustomed to the voice of the beloved host PJ, that they were weary of the change.
“I knew this would be a huge obstacle for myself and everyone still involved with the station, but I am up for the challenge and plan on continuing the great success of B94.5,” Sean said.
Sean had some large shoes to fill, to live up to the man with five plus years of experience and community work. It is similar to when a sports team watches their long time best player and fan favorite retire after years of success. The replacement process is always under a large microscope, and is expected to have the same success that it had in the past. That is what Centre county listeners of the Morning Zoo are expecting of Sean.
Not only the listeners, but the interns also expect a great deal of potential out of Sean. They expect him to keep the show enjoyable, fun and grow within this amazing learning experience of an internship. Sean was quickly thrown into the head position, after just growing into the role of right hand man to PJ.
The B94.5 Morning Zoo Crew outside of the station on Clearview Avenue in State College, PA
“Obviously things have been different, but we trust Sean and want to follow his guidance to make the morning show even better than when PJ left it,” said Alex Melso, a current B94.5 producer and former intern under the reigns of PJ.
Even Sean did not completely realize what he was getting himself into. The amount of work and time PJ put into making sure that the crew and himself were at every possible place was not considered even by Sean.
However, Sean is embracing the situation, and doing his best to keep the crew together as a family, and keep the show headed in the right direction.
Leader of the Office of Internships and Career Placement, Bob Martin, has deemed the B94.5 internship one of the best internship experiences a Penn State Communications student could partake in.
“It has been a struggle at first, but keeping strong connections in and out of the station is of utmost importance to me,” Sean said. “B94.5 will continue to be the sole show that Happy Valley wakes up to every morning and sees around Centre County promoting great things.”
B94.5 Host Sean McDermott with Alfonso Ribeiro or Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air