CMU 2024 Media Hall of Fame to induct graduates and faculty of journalism, broadcasting and cinema arts programs

In 2019, the CMU Journalism Hall of Fame reorganized to form a new Media Hall of Fame, following the merger of the School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Communication to create the new School of Communication, Journalism and Media. With the support of the College of the Arts and Media, the new School of Communication, Journalism and Media was proud to launch the CMU Media Hall of Fame in November 2023, extending the awards to alumni, former students and faculty from all programs in the school.

“It took many years of effort from a dedicated group of alumni to organize the first event last year,” says Heather Polinsky, director of the School of Communication, Journalism and Media. “I’m pleased that most of these alumni are back and joined by a few others to do it again. We have another exciting class of inductees for 2024, and we are looking forward to hosting another successful event this November.”

The annual awards program now includes alumni of the Broadcasting and Cinematic Arts, Integrated Public Relations and Communications programs. This year’s Media Hall of Fame inductees honor alumni who spent their careers working in newspapers, television, public relations and higher education.

The 2024 induction ceremony and dinner banquet will be held on the evening of Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 5 p.m. at the Bovee University Center on campus. Tickets go on sale today through November 8. Event sponsorships are available.

This year’s inductees include

Tom Caylor, 1980, Journalism (Broadcast and Cinematic Arts)

Tom Caylor spent 40 years in newspaper reporting, public relations, and fundraising for nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including 26 years at nationally renowned Delta College in Michigan, and retired in 2018. At Delta, he led communications projects and its public broadcasting (television and radio) operations. Caylor appeared on-air numerous times during pledge drives, and also wrote private and public sector grants and coordinated alumni relations efforts to advance the college’s financial and alumni support base. He prestigiously served as the president’s chief speechwriter and co-authored a book to celebrate Delta’s 50th anniversary. For his outstanding contributions, Caylor was granted the Willie E. Thompson Outstanding Service Award, the college’s highest honor awarded to an administrative/professional staff member. He remained active in the Public Relations Society of America and Association of Fundraising Professionals, and also participated in leadership programs through chambers of commerce in Bay City and Saginaw. His community volunteerism included the Temple Theatre, Bay City Players, Great Lakes Bay Pride, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Saginaw Valley State University, and Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel.

Eduardo (Ed) Fernandez, 1984, Broadcast and Cinematic Arts

Ed Fernandez spent 40 years building an award-winning career as a broadcast executive in his home state of Michigan, along with Georgia and Illinois. He rose through the ranks at stations in Grand Rapids, including 14 years at WXMI Fox 17, and became its vice president and general manager. In 2003, he joined WSNS Telemundo in Chicago. Earlier in his career, he served as an account executive for stations in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2010, Ed became vice president and general manager of WXYZ (Channel 7) in Detroit. In 2013, he joined the executive ranks at E.W. Scripps, followed by a promotion to vice president of operations in 2018 and then became the company’s vice president of Local Networks in 2023. Currently retired, Fernandez’s stations have won numerous local Emmys and he also has received a number of personal awards, including CMU’s Distinguished Alumni award, an honorary doctorate in Public Service from CMU, the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s "Forty Under Forty" award, and St. Augustine College's "El Puente" award for his commitment to the Chicago Hispanic community. Fernandez’s professional leadership involvement includes membership in the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the Illinois Broadcasters Association Board. Most notably, he was named as the Robert R. McCormick/Tribune Foundation Fellowship Recipient through the National Association of Broadcasters.  

Peter “Pete” B. Orlik, Retired Faculty, Founder and Professor Emeritus of the CMU Department of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts

Peter “Pete” Orlik served as a mass communications instructor at Wayne State University in Detroit for three years before joining the CMU faculty in 1969. He was hired by then Academic Vice President Wilbur Moore to establish a self-standing broadcasting program in the Speech and Dramatic Arts building, which was under construction at the time. He worked to create the Broadcast & Cinematic Arts (BCA) label and new degree programs to encompass both existing radio and television courses, and new film offerings. Under Orlik’s strong leadership and vision, BCA grew from a Theatre Arts sub-area to a separate area within Speech and Dramatic Arts, to an independent department and, ultimately, a comprehensive School. Along the way, he also taught a number of BCA courses, with a major focus on broadcast copywriting and broadcast criticism. He increased WCMU-FM to full-power status and, when it left BCA, originated WMHW to replace it. Orlik authored five textbooks, several achieving multiple editions, and has served for 32 years as chair of the Broadcast Education Association’s Scholarship Committee. He received their premier Distinguished Education Service Award in 2001 and was inducted into the Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2003.

Rich Robinson, 1979-1984, Journalism

Rich Robinson studied journalism at CMU for five years and gained experience as a student reporter at CM LIFE. In the mid-1980s he migrated to Hollywood and built a high-profile and distinguished 20-year career as a journalist, publicist, and Emmy-winning television producer. Robinson worked with many music superstars, including the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and Quincy Jones. As producer, he created more than 1,200 celebrity segments for Comedy Central's quirky talk show, "Turn Ben Stein On," Fox TV's "Good Day LA" and other programs. Preceding his television and public relations work, Robinson wrote a music column for the Los Angeles Reader, an alternative weekly newspaper, and also managed a successful L.A. indie rock band of former CMU students called The Leonards. In 2009, Robinson moved to Washington, D.C. to work as a communications strategist for nonprofits to help strengthen democracy in America. Much of his advocacy career centered on protecting voting rights of historically marginalized communities – people of color, students, and the impoverished. He has written about media and politics in HuffPost, been quoted and placed op-eds in newspapers across the country, and has been a guest on John Fugelsang's SiriusXM Radio show, "Tell Me More."

Barbara Roethler, 1993, Broadcast and Cinematic Arts

Barbara Roethler has spent her career working as a reporter, producer, digital director, assistant news director and news director. She spent more than 15 years as a newsroom leader, helping to steer young journalists toward excellence by guiding them to uphold the highest ideals of truth, integrity and excellence in media. She currently serves as Communications Director for the Huron Valley School District, where she is able to use her skillset to showcase the district’s achievements and innovations. Roethler has been honored by Michigan School Public Relations Association and the National School Public Relations Association. She has actively contributed to CMU by sharing her knowledge and serving as a guest lecturer for News Central students, being a resource for aspiring journalists and recruiting CMU students. Roethler has received multiple Emmy Awards, Broadcast Excellence Awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, Associated Press awards and was recently inducted into the National Academy of Television and Arts Society Silver Circle.

Susan Rozman Delia (posthumous), 1982, Broadcast and Cinematic Arts

Susan Rozman Delia was a natural-born leader and became an honor student at CMU. Among her many activities she produced and directed for News Central, MHTV Sports and worked at WCMU-TV. She was President of the CMU Chapter of AERho of the National Broadcasting Society, where she was named National Member of the Year and twice helped lead CMU to National Chapter of the Year honors. Known for her good humor, hard work, and natural leadership abilities, Rozman Delia graduated and moved to New York to work for ABC Television. She began as an administrative assistant in the Affiliate Relations Department and soon became its leader. In 1987, she joined ESPN, the revolutionary Sports Cable network that was in a period of exponential growth. Again, she rose quickly to the top, being named Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing, making her the first woman to achieve the rank at the network. Sadly, just as her career was skyrocketing, 37-year-old Rozman Delia succumbed to cancer in 1998. At the time of her death, she was Vice President of ESPN. She is dearly missed by her husband, Larry Delia, daughters Nicole and Jennifer, extended family and many, many friends. In 2003, alumni and friends established the Susan Rozman Delia Memorial Scholarship, which has provided support for students pursuing careers in electronic media for 20 years.