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Jen Nycz-Conner felt like she applied to every college in the Big East (RIP) before falling in love with the communications program at Syracuse. Once on campus, she found a fellow freshman with a map. She and Steve Donovan went to the radio station, met B.B. Good, and the rest is history.
Living above the station in Watson as a sophomore, Jen got more involved with the station, and soon became VP of Operations as she and her 1995 classmates ran WJPZ. Actually, she wasn't technically Class of 1995 - as she explains.
She also talks about many of the friendships she's formed through the alumni association, with WJPZ family members she didn't go to school with.
During school, she secured internships with Jim Henson productions and HBO Sports, the latter of which led to work after graduation. And this included some entry level "pay your dues" jobs.
Soon, her husband Chris was in DC, and Jen was in New York. Something had to give, and she found a job working with the ProServ agency in Arlington, Virigina.
Through mergers, acquisitions, and a changing economy, Jen's next stop was Women in Film and Video in DC. This nonprofit work connected her with the Washington Business Journal, where she'd work for nearly a decade and a half, including time on air on legendary DC Radio station WTOP.
After the job at Washington Business Journal, Jen had a few different career paths in mind. When her current job at Hilton came up, it checked all of her boxes.
Through her one-of-a-kind career, Jen talks throughout today's epsiode about the lessons learned at WJPZ, and how they've served her well.
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Mike "T-Bone" Tierney may have known more classes in JPZ's history than anyone - having worked at Z89 as a high schooler, undergrad, and grad student. So it's no surprise many of his contemporaries consider him one of WJPZ's greatest program directors.
T-Bone went to Nottingham High School, and saw a recruitment flyer for summer staffers while visiting Bird Library. He walked in that day, was immediately training, and worked his way up from overnights to the Top 8 at 9 that summer.
You'd think this would have led him immediately to SU, but he actually spend at summer at Fordham University downstate. But pull of the atmosphere and people at WJPZ brought him back to the 315. And he's quick to point out how the lessons he learned served him well in his illustrious career.
At the station, he worked with Carl Weinstein, Scott Meach, Gigi Katz, Hot Shot Scotty Bergstein, E Double R, and so many others. These were truly the "flamethrower" days of the late 80's and early 90's - with Janet, Michael, U2, LL Cool J, INXS, and more. And while 93Q was making headlines for not playing George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" and LL Cool J's "I Need Love" - Z89 was banging out the hits. In fact, T-Bone has a great story about how WNTQ called the University to complain about Z89 kicking their asses - and a hilarious conversation that followed with Dr. Rick Wright.
After receiving his Masters, Mike followed Carl and Kevin "Tippy" Martinez to Seattle, where he lived on their couches before landing gigs at KPLZ, then the legendary KUBE. There, he'd meet one of his great mentors, Jerry Clifton. T-Bone, the 25-year-old wunderkind PD, learned how to balance his programming chops with people skills. Despite being a ratings leader. his station was too buttoned up, and he needed to rekindle some of the magic he was part of at WJPZ.
Following his run in Seattle radio, Mike went to VH1, where he learned the limitations of television. He also had a stop at Epic Records, and at one point tour managed for a band.
Later, his former intern, Julie Pilat, recruited him to Beats One, before it merged with Apple Music. An online music platform in its infancy, it had hired a bunch of influencers to be air talent. Through airchecking, T-Bone found out who had the skills, and who was not interested in learning the formatics.
Mike's now been at Amazon Music for 4 years, the longest tenure he's had anywhere since Syracuse. He loves the gig because of the ability to change jobs under the umbrella. And rather than a program director, he considers himself an "off air music director" - yes, they still exist in the digital space, if extinct from radio.
We spend some time talking about the new life cycle of music - breaking at streaming then going to radio. And how to reach Gen Z - a generation that did not grow up listening to the radio. Their behavior as music consumers must be catered to. And how does radio need to reinvent itself? Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLM's) are changing every industry; music and radio are no exception.
We wrap with a hilariously off-color story about T-Bone handing the controls over to E Double R for Zappy Hour one Friday afternoon.
The Book T-Bone Referenced: Range by David Epstein: https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214506
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
It's no surprise that Ethan Charlip ended up at Syracuse University. His New Jersey high school classmates Jacob Belotti and Shruti Marathe were already there when he arrived on campus. In fact, Shruti told Ethan he'd be at the WJPZ spring recruitment meeting and tasked Jacob with making sure of it.
Like so many of us, Ethan immediately found his tribe at the station, quickly earning a reputation for hanging out there more than even the exec staff. And how badly did he want to join exec? He applied for every position. You'll hear that hilarious story.
Ethan did become production director, getting the station involved in podcasting and continuing the teaching mission of WJPZ - agreeing to do a free 2 hour Adobe Audition training for anyone who would join his staff. During a semester abroad, he ran for General Manager - interviewing over Zoom (before it was cool) from an airbnb in Prague. He stayed up until 6:00am there awaiting the results. He won.
Like every GM before him, Ethan wasn't sure he was ready for the position, especially as he learned to navigate office politics with friends and more. But his contributions earned him the 2020 Rick Wright Lock Award - right before the world shut down.
Ethan handed the GM reigns over to Melody Emm, and COVID-19 hit. The Class of 2020 never returned to campus after spring break. Ethan's class did not have a senior week, a graduation (save for a "make up" ceremony in 2021), or last Z89 show. It was only thanks to Melody sneaking him in to the station when he returned to pack up his apartment that he got a brief final show.
Naturally, it wasn't easy for the Class of 2020 to find jobs - Ethan found himself doing a desk job at Westwood One, before eventually moving to the world of PR - helping startups get noticed. And you won't be surprised to hear how many WJPZ lessons he employs to this day.
And he still has a Watson theater chair that a classmate eviscerated.
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
(Note link to additional content at the end of our show notes.)
If we were to pick one alumnus who best represented the warm, welcoming atmosphere of WJPZ, it would probably be Sharon Goodman Michaels, aka "B.B. Good" from the Class of 1993. Several Z89'ers have come on this podcast to talk about how she welcomed them to the station, and we are thrilled to welcome her to this podcast.
Like many of us, this Massachusetts native grew up loving radio - and she tells the story of how she recruited Kiss 108 DJ's to do her high school dance in Quincy.
BB went to Syracuse for its communications reputation. She got there early as part of the marching band, and quickly found WJPZ and then-leaders like Hal Rood, Scott Meach, and Brian Lapis.
At her happy place, BB made friend with classmates Beth (Russell) Gorab, Bette Kestin, Jeanne Schad, Tina (Mussolino) Perkins, Melanie Kushnir, and more.
How "Good" was Sharon as an undergrad? A commercial station in Utica offered her nights, and held the job for her until she could graduate Syracuse. From Rock 107 she went to Fly 92 in Albany, Kiss 95.7 Hartford, and JAMN 94.5 Boston. There, while riding the T, she saw a blind box ad for what would turn out to be the midday slot on Radio Disney, based in Dallas. A year later, they moved her show to then-MGM Studios at Disney World in Orlando. That's right. She was working in radio, at Disney World, every day. She tells amazing stories of listener interactions, letters, and more. Also, she interviewed an up and coming *NSYNC and Britney Spears.
After five years in Orlando, BB's show was moved back to Dallas. After a time, she was let go, and decided to stay home with her children. She became very active in the Jewish community in Dallas and still is.
BB has maintained her Z89 connections throughout her adult life, often crossing paths with radio folk when they came to Disney, and even doing a cameo on the sitcom According to Jim thanks to her classmate John Beck.
We wrap with BB talking about how much she enjoyed returning to Banquet in 2023, and the question of whether or not the Jonas Brothers did a song...about her.
Note: This interview was recorded in May. BB asked if she could speak about the current situation in Israel and have it included in the podcast. You can hear that conversation, recorded December 22nd, at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rkh58zh2sg3lrhid56wvy/WJPZ-at-50-BB-Good-Insert.mp3?rlkey=p7o0ndhyszj1gaj6guu83gbwl&dl=0
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Kelly Sutton, '92, is the first female general manager in the history of WJPZ. And, like many of us, the station launched her into a prolific media career.
This Buffalo native went to Syracuse, in part, because of the opportunity to double major in both Newhouse and business. And when a local radio owner back home promised a summer job, she knew she needed experience. By the spring, she found Z89, and folks like Scott Meach, Hal Rood, Dave Gorab, Dave Roberts, Dave Morgan, and more.
Despite doing an overnight shift, she knew she wanted to work off-air, and she worked her way up to promotions director, and also doing sales (there was a commission structure in place at the time). Kelly was encouraged to run for General Manager, which she did, and won. While she didn't see it as a big deal at the time, she's certainly proud of the legacy of strong female leaders at the station since.
After Syracuse, Kelly returned home to Buffalo where she worked in various sales and management roles. Soon, she got her "major market" opportunity to head east to Boston. She relied on the advice of some lifelong JPZ friends to make the move, and the first person she met at CBS Boston also had JPZ roots. The conversation starter of "where did you go to school" was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Julie Bruno.
After a succesful run at Boston's rock station WBCN, she was recruited to head over to then-Entercom, and sports station WEEI. We spend some time on what the sales side of sports radio looks like. Do wins and losses matter? What happens when a personality crosses the line? Or an advertiser THINKS they did, but got bad information?
The radio industry is tough, and Kelly prefers to be in the sales side over the management side - through COVID, corporate mergers. and more. (The Entercom/CBS merger in Boston was so complicated, the DOJ took Kelly's laptop at one point!) We talk about what it takes to be successful today in radio, from both an an on and off-air perspective.
We close the conversation by getting very personal. Kelly has a special needs son, Devin. When she moved to Boston she was a single Mom, and certainly had a lot on her plate. That first encounter with Julie Bruno resulted in a piece of advice from Julie that Kelly says changed her life. It's one of our favoirite JPZ'er-helping-JPZ'er stories yet. You'll hear about that today, as well as the inspirational young man Devin is, as well as Kelly's other son, Brady.
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jordan Capozzi grew up in Syracuse, and like many Salt City Natives, did not know WJPZ was run by college students. When his high school guidance counselor released how much he liked to talk (sound familiar?) she recommended he look at SU. When Jordan learned that he could work at Z89, the station was one of his first stops.
He got involved in sports, music, and the morning show. Jordan talks about the inclusive and welcoming environment of the station to students of all majors. Before long he was on executive staff, starting as public service director and working his way up to VP of Operations. In those roles, Jordan was sure to pay the education forward.
Following graduation, Jordan employed his WJPZ skills in landing work locally at Galaxy Media. He started as a board op, doing everything he could. He worked his way up to his currrent role, executive producer of Cuse Sports Talk.
We spend some time asking Jordan for his perspective on the radio industry, as someone who's currently working at a live and local station. And we wrap up by revisiting the classic April Fools Day Western flip of the station.
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Many of us have spent time on the air at various radio stations, but if there's one jock the current students know, it's probably Ryan Sampson, '99, the host of the Morning Mashup on SiriusXM's Hits 1.
Like many of us, Ryan grew up a news and sports junkie, and considered himself fortunate to get in to Syracuse. He joined WAER and WJPZ, but had more fun at Z89, where he succeeded Scott MacFarlane as news director.
After his parents moved to Baltimore, Ryan did some promotions and other work there, before getting hired at Hot 1079 his senior year. There he experienced a real radio moment. When Cox gave the station to ClearChannel, they were without a program director for a period of time - the airstaff collectively figured out what they wanted to do.
When PD Tommy Frank arrived, he was of the "mess with the other stations" mentality. They went hard after 93Q (Ryan shares a couple examples). But WJPZ wasn't immune from the radio wars. While Ryan points out he'd moved on to Baltimore for some of the particularly egregious moments, we do spend a few minutes on the WWHT-WJPZ rivalry.
Then, in Baltimore, Ryan turned down part time work in New York to get music director stripes. But the job wasn't necessarily what he was expecting. He needed PD experience, and through a small world story, landed a programming gig in Lincoln, Nebraska - where he experienced some Big Ten culture shock. #GoBigRed
Years earlier, Ryan had put a word in for Rich Davis to get a gig at Hot. Well, it was time for Rich to return the favor, and recruited Ryan to come to New York and fledgling Sirius Radio, which had yet to hit its first million subscribers.
Ryan started as an entry level programming coordinator, and began climbing the ranks, before he was tapped to move to the (then voice-tracked) morning show on Hits 1. He walks us through the wild story of how the team of he, Stanley T, and Nicole came together in 2006. They've been doing the show ever since.
We pick Ryan's brain about the current state of radio, and he uses a stark analogy to describe the current state of music radio. He wonders if the industry is due for a massive overhaul, like in the 1950's.
Today's guest really does love his WJPZ roots. He talks about meeting so many of his current friends there, and the lessons learned he still applies today. Recently he's joined the board of the WJPZ Alumni Association, where he hopes to continuing paying those lessons forward.
Ryan and Mark Zito's podcast "This Is Happening"
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-happening-with-mark-zito-and-ryan-sampson/id1578714347
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1J4cjMpLuSj0qgl5JUPqe3?si=1ab878b4c45448e3
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today's guest is one of many alumni who took the lessons of WJPZ and applied it to every job she had before and after graduation.
Tina Stoklosa is a Philadelphia native who was obssessed with the news growing up. The first in her family to go to college, she new Syracuse's Broadcast Journalism program was the way to go. And while TV was always her first love, the camaraderie of Z89 quickly pulled her in. She started doing a Saturday morning news update, and worked her way all the way up to news director. In between, she was filing live reports on WJPZ during the 1992 Election of Bill Clinton.
She did play in the "music" sandbox as well - "Tina T" did some on-air shifts, eventually working professionally in Syracuse.
Following graduation, she landed in northern Michigan, working for a news director who liked to hire Syracuse grads. She tells the story of how she transitioned into producing, got to bigger Michigan markets, before getting the chance to return to her hometown of Philly. First she worked at WPHL, before moving to WCAU, the station her and her family grew up watching.
Tina credits WJPZ for teaching her how to write news, among other lessons. And she has maintained close friendships throughout the years with her 1995 classmates. In fact, you'll even hear who's son she's a godmother to.
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
"Cousin" Danny Corsun shares much in common with many of our alumni - a New York kid who liked sports and went to Syracuse. But as you'll hear today, his life's journey is as unique as they come.
Danny started at WJPZ doing sports, and after the station moved to FM, he found his way to the Crazy Morning Crew. There, he and the late Larry Barron teamed up for one of the most prominent AM drive shows in the station's history. He tells a classic story of the moment when they realized the whole town was listening, and some problematic phone calls then-GM Carl Weinstein had to field. He also has a Mike Tirico story to share.
Danny also shares his memories of the Student African American Society sit-in at the station - protesting the musical direction of WJPZ. With the benefit of time and life experience, his views on that event have changed greatly, years late.
Following graduation, Danny and Larry could have pursued radio full time, but eventually headed out to LA. Danny found himself working his way up the ladder at the preeminent TV show in the country in those days - The Cosby Show.
To supplement his writing career, Danny took a substitute teaching job that would change his life. He was brought into a special needs classroom, and found a way to connect with his students through cooking. He broke down barriers with Gen Ed students, and a two-week stint lasted five years.
This inspired Danny to educate the kids of Southern California through his Culinary Kids Academy. Later, he leaned into his faith and started teaching Jewish principles through cooking with the Culinary Judaics Academy. He's shot countless videos in his backyard with his daughter, now at Berkley.
Danny leaves us with two great stories. One involves why he should never have been running the board. And the other is a Rick Wright classic that may have elicited the longest sustained laugh from Jag yet.
Learn more about Danny's latest venture, Culinary Judaics Academy, here: https://www.culinaryjudaicsacademy.com/
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In her current role at LinkedIn and Microsoft, Jeanne Schad (Class of 1994) specializes in employee engagement. So it's not surprising that she's part of the team that's working to make the WJPZ Alumni Association and Hall of Fame more inclusive.
We start with our favorite native Iowan's backstory. Jeanne's parents owned a radio station, and she had her FCC license before her driver's license! In high school, she researched the best broadcast schools, and had good instincts - she picked Syracuse over Northwestern and Mizzou.
She started at WJPZ in the news department and tells the story of being suspended in her first semester. She felt this "knocked her down a few notches," and she got to work - also in music, promotions, and was on the air at Y94 by the summer before her junior year.
If you were at this year's Banquet (or get the emails), you may be familiar with our group's efforts in the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) space. It's no secret that our Alumni Association and Hall of Fame are dominated by white men. And while it's important to point out that nobody has ever been intentiionally exclusive, this thing can happen when there isn't a specific effort to be inclusive. Jeanne says this conversation has been happneing for several years, and the timing is finally right. So a group has been formed to reform some of our processes. And it's on all alumni to help in any way they can. The goal is to move forward, even if it's not perfect.
Following her career at Syracuse, she talks about learning from failures. She did sales in Jacksonville, Florida, learning how hard it can be to do that job in a market you haven't spent time in previously. This led her to the agency side and TBWA/Chiat/Day. That led her to Dallas and Katz Media, and eventually on to Los Angeles.
While in LA, Jeanne took what she had learned about belonging and inclusion, and became certified in executive coaching. This allowed her to reconfigure her network and career - selling for a global consulting firm, before being hired by LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft) in 2022. She now specializes in employee engagement and works with their GLINT product, part of the Microsoft Viva suite of employee experience tools.
In this role, we ask Jeanne what she wishes more employers knew. She talks about flexibility - too many C-suite executives are waiting for the pre-COVID office life to return. It's simply not going to happen. And employees should think about their careers like a chessboard. Don't think about what's "next." Think about what's "next next." She explains.
The WJPZ at 50 Podcast Series is produced by Jon Gay, Class of 2002, and his podcast production agency, JAG in Detroit Podcasts.
Sign up for email alerts whenever we release a new episode here: jagindetroit.com/WJPZat50
Want to be a guest on the pod or know someone else who would? Email Jag: [email protected].
Want to stay in the loop with WJPZ Alumni events? Subscribe to our newsletter on the right hand side of the page at http://wjpzalumni.org/
Want to be on the show? Email JAG at [email protected]
Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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