“Those things I learned on Eye St: proofreading work, repetition, attention to detail, memorization; they allowed me to… become a successful executive producer,” said Mr. Brian Egan.
As an Executive producer for Westwood One, America’s largest audio network, Mr. Brian Egan, alumni of the class of 1986, is a busy man. He works up to 70 hours each week but still finds a way to carve out time for his family and high school.
For major networks like CBS, a tight schedule is necessary for maintaining professionalism and keeping up with the airtime. Mr. Egan is the head of this at Westwood One, and it is up to him to ensure that programs are where they need to be. Westwood One provides sports, news, and entertainment, including the NFL, the NCAA, the Masters, CNN, the AP, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and Westwood One Backstage.
From his education, career, and well-established skill set, it is no wonder he can also juggle the latest publication medium from Gonzaga: the Echo Ever Proudly podcast. The podcast started as an idea for preserving the history at Gonzaga for the bicentennial, and Mr. Egan has been hard at work contacting, organizing and hosting interviews for every episode of the podcast which can be found on Gonzaga’s website and Spotify.
“The podcast is basically an oral history of Gonzaga; people I’ve interviewed have had such insights,” Mr. Egan said. “I’m doing this pro-bono, but I feel like I am getting more out of it than you guys could ever know.”
It is currently in Mr. Egan’s hands alone to make sure the podcast stays up and running and alumni’s voices are heard. His job is lesser-known in comparison to those present on Eye Street but could be even more vital. After all, what is a culture without its history?
The voices of both alumni and staff who have since left the school may no longer be on campus, but their memory remains strong thanks to Mr. Egan’s hard work.
Mr. Egan is also close with his family despite his long hours, and he says that despite hard times he has no regrets. He has two daughters, and although the oldest is away at college, he still has time to Facetime them regularly. He is currently working from home with his wife and a new puppy they recently adopted.
Mr. Egan is a hardworking individual, for his job, family and community. His podcast preserves the rich tradition of Gonzaga, and without him, its memories might slip away.
Mr. Paul Buckley, a classmate and fellow graduate of the class of 1986, was largely behind the creation of the Echo Ever Proudly podcast.
“I asked Brian to be a part of the production team for that because of his experience in radio and production,” Mr. Buckley said. “Brian is an absolute master at that… it’s incredible.”