Nercy Escobedo
Christine Ianuzzi
Professor Keith W. Ross
Iryna Zenyuk

From EE labs to rock ‘n’ roll
Christine Ianuzzi leading the ABC of radio technology

Somewhere in the dead quiet of space, floats one busy—and noisy—satellite. Signals constantly bouncing off it hit thousands of ABC Radio-owned and affiliated stations coast to cost, allowing Paul Harvey to tell the “rest of the story,” Sean Hannity to argue with a more liberal caller, Johnny Holliday to recap last night’s game and hit tunes to jam the room.

The woman directing the organized cacophony behind the space-age curtain is Christine Ianuzzi ’87EE ’94ISE, vice president for broadcasting technology, engineering and operations at ABC Radio Networks. Working out of New York City, Ianuzzi oversees studio operations in that city as well as in D.C., Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles, delivering content—be it music, news, sports or Paul Harvey—to 60 ABC Radio-owned stations and 4,700 affiliates nationwide.

Although her VP title is impressive and her media environment glamorous, Ianuzzi still thinks of herself as an engineer. Much to her surprise, most people are in awe of that too. “When I tell people I’m an engineer, most react enviously,” she says. “Me, I always wanted to be rock star.”

The Brooklyn native also wanted to be a doctor when she was young. However, after a year in the pre-med track at a local college, the reality of long hours in training and lack of money for medical school made her rethink her career choice. “Engineering was a good fit for me,” she says of her decision to transfer to Poly. “I enjoyed math, was intrigued with science and liked tinkering. I chose electrical engineering because I thought that discipline, with its emphasis on mathematics and analytical skills, was the most promotable in a career, and the most usable and marketable.”

Ianuzzi must have been reading the minds of ABC Television executives. One day after walking on stage to accept her diploma, she landed an engineering job at the news and entertainment conglomerate. The odds had been against her: She didn’t have the professional experience and she was a woman—there were no women engineers at ABC at the time. But she showed them her notebooks from her EE classes and labs—demonstrated what she knew and what she was capable of doing.

Ianuzzi started her career as an aide in the broadcast operations and engineering division. Her division was responsible for designing studies, building mobile units and creating audio, video and satellite systems. As time went on, she began designing systems on her own and quickly rose through the ranks. She designed at the board level—right down to the relays and tubes—something that’s not done today. “Today, you buy a box, and it’s all done for you,” she says. “I really got a chance to use my degree.”

In her 13 years at ABC Television, she worked her way up to director, overseeing engineering broadcast systems and maintenance. During that time, she also amped her knowledge of the industry, going back to NYU-Poly to earn a master’s in information systems and engineering and then on to Baruch College for an MBA. In 2000, she moved to her current position at ABC Radio Networks. In addition to leading and directing the technical goals of the network, she also stays on top of emerging technologies. Her recent successes include converting to a new digital/audio distribution platform and rolling out 4,500 new receivers to owned and affiliated radio stations.

“When I was at Poly, I would have never believed I’d end up in the media industry,” she says. “But, with my personality, I wasn’t destined for a quiet, programming career.”

Perhaps rock star is next on the dial for Ianuzzi.