Craig Stevens in the WCDO Studio (Photo by Sophia Root)

By Sophia Root

COMMERCE CHENANGO

CHENANGO COUNTY – Do you remember that high school classmate who always did the loudspeaker announcements? Do you ever wonder where they are now?

In the case of the former classmates of WCDO General Manager Craig Stevens, their high school PA announcer is getting inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame later this year.

Stevens, who has worked at WCDO for 37 years, is honored to have been one of the five broadcasters chosen to be inducted this year. The induction ceremony is set to take place on October 26 in the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Plaza.

“For the first time in my life I was speechless” he remarked. Many aspects of this distinction were surprising to him, like when he found out the vote to induct him passed unanimously. On the other hand, he is not surprised by the community support he has received. 

Stevens is proud of his career, evidenced by the many stories of his successes and celebrity encounters he shared. From the time he opened for Ray Romano to when he met President Bill Clinton, Stevens reflected on the highlights of his career. His most impactful stories are the ones where he reinforces the integrity of mass communication and has a direct hand in benefiting the community. 

He said was appreciative of the listeners and the community.

The appreciation for his legacy is obvious when in the WCDO office, containing a large cork board full of children’s drawings, thank you notes, and kindly worded Letter to the Editor snippets. Many of these letters came in for weeks at a time following the flood of 2006 to thank the station for their work in staying on air during uncertain times.

Residents may recall the flood in 2006, affecting much of the Sidney area for days at a time. WCDO (CDO standing for Chenango, Delaware, Otsego) was determined to continue to disseminate information to eager and frightened listeners, but they had lost power in their studio. Stevens and his fellow staff members went to the FM transmitter site out on the edge of the woods to grab the signal and connect it to their music computers and equipment, stored in the back of an SUV.

They managed to conduct interviews using a tape recorder to grab the information and play it in the microphone, all to keep listeners informed. This included interviews with public officials and the location of safe sites. Stevens and his staff worked diligently to be as helpful and transparent as possible. 

Stevens shared another memory from the flood: when police came to him and said they needed him to take action to settle restless community members. Days into the flood, people were wondering if they could leave their homes and resume their everyday routine. At the time, it was not safe, and Stevens was sent out to give them a visual and keep them at bay.

Stevens thought this was a bizarre request for a radio personality, but he agreed to help convey the magnitude of the situation. The best way for him to express this information was to go out on a rescue boat with a recorder and describe what he sees: vehicles and playgrounds underwater and the tops of street signs peeking above the flood line. “It was one of those moments where I wasn’t really thinking about what I was saying, it was just genuinely- oh my god,” he said.

Stevens is also proud of the drive WCDO held for the local Toys for Tots in 2013 after the toy storage facility burnt down weeks before Christmas. WCDO was on the air raising money to replace the damaged items and ended up raising more than $12,000 quickly. This made Christmas for the kids and reaffirmed the purpose of radio, to use their public platform for good.

However, when he looks back, Stevens is most proud of his staff. He is proud of them for not questioning the overtime hours and strange requests during the flood, and how efficiently they did their job and informed as many people as possible. Stevens still hears about the positive impact and reassurance the station had during the flood to this day. 

He praises Rob Ray, the WCDO Morning host, for having his own legacy as well. Stevens said that he has people come to him and say things like: “I don’t know what I would do without Rob in the morning, he’s like my alarm clock”. 

WCDO truly is part of their listeners’ days, from playing oldies during lunch hour to doing giveaways on air to experiences like Water Safari and Broadway in Binghamton. When asked about the importance of Radio, Stevens claimed: “There are so many options to listen to music now, but radio is the only one that gives you constant information like weather and updates. When there’s a fire in Preston, can you ask Alexa for updates? Is Spotify going to tell you about the success of the Oxford Girls Basketball team?”

The tri-county heartbeat covers news and local sports. Stevens claims that often, both the home and opposing team listen to WCDO’s coverage of their game. The station also posts community events on their website calendar, visit: wcdoonline.com to keep up to date with the station and to listen to the livestream anywhere, even outside the counties it broadcasts to.

Stevens has had a great career this far and makes sure that the radio maintains its status as a constant in the community. Not too many stations travel to report on sports games or share local events anymore. It disheartens him to watch broadcasting staff get cut across the country, and promises that as long as he is here, “radio will be live and local”.

Stevens said that he still feels a bit of nerve before he goes on air, just like he did behind a podium or a microphone speaking at his high school events. This nerve excites and motivates him to keep doing the work he does.

Craig Stevens’ career exemplifies the best that a small community has to offer, and he truly deserves to be recognized in this Hall of Fame. What a way to represent our community and continue to make it proud.