Join us for an evening with some of the best known and most respected figures in the Pittsburgh sports media. This complimentary event is hosted by the Alumni Office and the Department of Communication at Waynesburg University. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served prior to the panel, and a cash bar will be available.
Schedule of events:
Reception | 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Sports Media Panel | 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
RSVP online by Monday, March 25. You may also RSVP by calling the Alumni Office at 724-852-3256.
This event is part of our Comm 3 to 1 Campaign, an effort to equip our Department of Communication students with upgraded technology, including the addition of HD capabilities. To learn more about the campaign, click here.
Introducing the Panelists
Lanny Frattare
Lanny Frattare is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Waynesburg University. He also serves as a Special Assistant to University Relations.
Prior to his career at Waynesburg University, Frattare established himself as one of the most recognizable sports personalities in Pittsburgh, and in all of Major League Baseball, as the voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates. His tenure with the team is still the longest of any play-by-play announcer in team history.
A Rochester, New York native, Frattare graduated from Ithaca College in 1970 with a degree in broadcasting. He hosts a golf tournament each year at St. Clair Country Club on behalf of the charity Family Links. Over the past 24 years, the classic has raised more than $3 million. Frattare has two children: Megan, who lives in Pittsburgh, and David, who lives with his wife Ann Marie and their children Spencer and Carly in Cleveland.
John Steigerwald
John Steigerwald graduated from South Hills Catholic High School and attended Kent State University before launching his career in Sharon, Pennsylvania, with a local TV station. A Pittsburgh native, Steigerwald made his way home in 1977 when he accepted a sports director position with KQV Radio. From 1978 to 1985, Steigerwald served as a sports anchor with WTAE-TV. In 1985, he joined KDKA-TV as a sports anchor and remained there until 2007.
Steigerwald also served as an internet talk show host at tribweb.com and still writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter. His books, “Just Watch the Game” and “Just Watch the Game (Again),” shine light upon his 40-year history in Pittsburgh sports media.
Joe Starkey
Joe Starkey brings over 24 years of experience working in the Pittsburgh sports industry. After graduating from the University of Buffalo (undergraduate) and Duquesne University (graduate), Starkey began his career as a sportswriter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in 1995 and has worked the past seven years as a columnist.
Starkey worked the Pittsburgh Penguins beat from 1997-2002 and also has experience covering Big East football for ESPN.com from 2005-2007. Starkey also previously hosted Pittsburgh Game Day on Saturdays.
Starkey continues to make a splash in the sports world by hosting an afternoon Pittsburgh sports show on 93.7 The Fan.
Melinda Roeder Skrbin, Moderator
Melinda Roeder Skrbin is an Instructor of Communication at Waynesburg University. On weekends, you can also hear her anchoring the news on KDKA-AM Radio.
Before joining the faculty at Waynesburg in 2016, Melinda spent more than 20 years in broadcasting, covering the news in places like Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Lexington, Kentucky; and Evansville, Indiana. She has earned several awards for her work in both TV and radio, including 13 regional Emmy awards, seven Edward R. Murrow awards, and dozens of honors from the Associated Press. Melinda has covered several major events, including presidential inaugurations, Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Katrina, the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, and three Super Bowls. Melinda earned her bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Duquesne University and a master's degree in communication and Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University. She currently serves as the faculty advisor for WCTV, Waynesburg University's student-run television station. Melinda and her husband Aaron have a two-year-old daughter, Gabrielle.