CBC Radio Vice President Brian Maloney was inducted into the Specs Howard School of Media Arts Hall of Fame on November 14, 2020.
CBC Radio Vice President Brian Maloney is now a Hall of Famer; he was honored by his alma mater on November 14, 2020. Maloney received induction into the Specs Howard School of Media Arts Hall of Fame as a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the educational institution.
Specs Howard had planned a gala event at the Royal Oak Theatre in Michigan, which, like everything else in the past months, converted to a virtual event due to the pandemic. Specs Howard inducted 50 new graduates into the Hall of Fame in honor of the 50th anniversary of the school. Located in Southfield, MI, Specs Howard is the premiere media arts school in the country, training students in Digital Media Arts, Graphic Design and Broadcast Media Arts.
A 1981 graduate, Maloney grew up in Detroit, where the school is based.
“I was fortunate and honored to be included along some of the most talented names in broadcasting,” said Maloney of the induction. “The event was to be held at a theatre in Detroit in November – and of course, it became a virtual event. It was great to see my former instructors and classmates – albeit virtually.”
He continued, “While the honor made me feel old it was a great reminder of how fortunate I have been to make a career out of my passion. I am so very grateful for my journey and especially that it includes a great chapter at CBC. The school has expanded curriculum over the years to include video and graphic arts and partnered in credit-sharing with many Michigan universities.”
Maloney is not alone in his Specs Howard connection among Capitol Broadcasting employees. The late Joe Wade Formicola, former Operations Manager & Program Director for WRAL-FM, was one of the first ever Specs Howard Hall of Fame inductees.
“Another CBC connection to the school is Specs Howard graduate – Michael Shelton, currently an employee at CBC Sports Radio,” Maloney explained. “Ironically, I was the keynote speaker at Michael’s graduation several years ago and ended up hiring him a few years later when he moved to North Carolina. Like many Specs Howard students, Michael graduated from Central Michigan, but went on to Specs Howard to get specialized training unavailable anywhere else.”
Maloney fondly remembers his time in Detroit and his years at Specs Howard.
“Growing up in Detroit, music and media (radio & television) were always a big part of the culture of the city,” he said. “You really couldn’t escape the culture of music and media when growing up. From the Motown sound, to so many other rockers (Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper to name a few) big named media personalities, I got bit by the media arts bug at a very young age.”
He made a connection early on, which he continues to strive to pay forward.
“My big intro to the industry came when my father’s assistant connected me with her daughter – Lynne Woodison,” said Maloney. “At the time, Lynne was one of the premiere DJ’s at Detroit’s W4 album rock station. (WWWW- great call letters!). Because Lynne was so generous with her time to me, to this day, I will always speak to youth interested in joining our industry. It changed my life and gave me a wonderful career.”
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Hear what Maloney had to say about his job during the induction ceremony:
