Communiqué
Cable TV Executive Started Media Career at WOUB
< < Back toSteve Matela graduated from Ohio University in 1969
ATHENS, OH – Steve Matela’s media career has taken him across the country. He’s worked as a radio personality in New York City and San Diego. It’s a career that Matela said would never have happened without Ohio University and WOUB.
“I grew up in Cleveland, and had an interest in radio,” said Matela. “I spoke to my high school counselors, and they told me that Ohio University was the place for me.”
Matela graduated from high school in 1965 and came to Ohio University that fall. He learned about the opportunity for students to work at WOUB during his freshman year.
“I went to the station and signed up to work,” said Matela. “I started out running the board for radio, and eventually I started working on the air. I was working about three on-air shifts a week.”
Even though Matela’s primary interest was radio while he was in college, Bob Coe, an Ohio University professor encouraged Matela to explore television job opportunities as well. Coe set up an interview for Matela at ABC TV in New York City. Matela got the job and worked in affiliate relations for three years. But Matela’s interest in radio never went away.
“I had a friend who worked at a radio station in Long Island. He told me they were looking for someone to host on the weekends. So, I decided to do that while I was working Monday through Friday at ABC,” said Matela.
Eventually Matela left ABC for a full time opening at the radio station, and that led to several different positions at radio stations across the country. Then in 2002, he was presented with the opportunity to leave radio and start working in affiliate relations in the cable television industry. Now Matela is the managing director of U.S. operations for Eurocinema. Eurocinema is a television service dedicated to film festival and award-winning European and foreign movies.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without WOUB. Before I walked into WOUB, my experience at a radio station was just going to visit one in high school. I had watched people run the radio equipment, but never got to touch it. WOUB let me gain that hands-on experience,” said Matela. “I encourage students to pay attention in all their classes and pick up the hands-on opportunities outside of the classroom, like WOUB. Talk with professors and the WOUB staff and get as much from their experience as you can. That’s what I did, and it paid off.”