Tobi Pagach '90 Recalls Her WGRE Experience as "A Great Foundation for My Career"

July 7, 2011

July 7, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "I started my radio career as an on-air personality at my college radio station, DePauw University's WGRE," notes Tobi, a disc jockey and co-music director of the online music channel, New Normal Music. "I've always loved music. I don't remember a time in my life when music wasn't the most important thing to me, so it seemed only natural to get involved with my college radio station."

She adds, "During my four years at DePauw University, I was an on-air personality, news director, and production director for WGRE, The Sound Alternative. My years at WGRE were totally rad and my station had creative, nurturing leadership that provided a great foundation for my career."

The profile details how, after graduating from DePauw in 1990, Tobi Pagach (who is known professionally simply as Tobi), worked for an airline, hosted a program on WLBK in DeKalb, Illinois, and -- with a dream of reaching a broader audience -- drove her car to Los Angeles. "I had no contacts, a talk show demo on cassette and a tenacious drive to succeed," she recalls. 

What followed was a series of broadcasting jobs which led to her being hired by XM satellite radio network, which "hired me to build the indie music library for the nation's first coast to coast college/indie music channel, called XMU. In 2001, they moved me across the country to Washington, D.C., and I spent eight years there programming new music on XMU and hosting a daily new music show called The Afterschool Special w/ Tobi. While at XM, I hosted interviews and stage announces at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, SXSW, ACL, Coachella and CMJ. I was also XM's on-camera host for various marketing videos and video coverage at festivals and IndyCar events around the U.S."

Read more here or listen to New Normal Music.

Also available is this previous article.

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