By Darayus Sethna, Nordonia High School Student
Let’s face it, the city of Akron may not be known for its direct impact in the radio industry, however it can also be seen that there is a growth in the opportunity; and WMVU Host Christavus Dominic is taking full advantage of the platform.
Dominic has been involved with the entertainment business dating all the way back from 1989. But this was not always his primary aspiration. In a telephone interview this past week, Dominic explained to me his goals were at first being involved with the University of Akron Band Program:
“I had the opportunity to play drums at St. Vincent St. Mary. The plan was originally to play drums in the University of Akron Band… and when I got there, I saw that these drummers had been playing since they were three or four years old, so I was like, ‘well, I don’t know if I want to do that.’ “
So what was the other choice? You guessed it… the radio industry. In his first few years after college, Dominic worked with the WZIP Radio Network in Akron and was an intern at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After working with WZIP and Clear Channel Radio, Dominic recently ceased upon a new opportunity with WMVU:
“In January of 2019, I saw the post come across, and said, ‘okay I’ll go ahead and do that, I’ll step in as a volunteer and start working with this radio station called WMVU, which means “Many Voices United,” and that’s kind of how I started getting involved with the station.’ “
At WMVU, Dominic has associated with Ted (“Golden Voice”) Williams with getting the station started. Williams’ story of perseverance and talent helped him rise to glory, and Dominic is the centerpiece of making sure Williams is a major influence as the station continues to grow. He has recently been teaching various broadcast techniques at the Ohio Media School in Valley View. However he doesn’t want his young students only to be focused in the broadcasting, he is devoted to mentoring them more:
“I’m teaching them various aspects of broadcasting, but also aspects of the entertainment industry.”
Dominc’s perseverance and commitment towards WMVU has led to his goal of making sure that not just Akron, yet the entire Northeast Ohio Community can access his plethora of works. In the interview this past week, Dominic informed me of how vital he thinks it is for his station to play a variety of cultural music, and address social issues such as mental health. Dominic then explained to me his plans of incorporating WMVU with the “Alexa” voice control function, taking another step forward in the technological aspects of his station. He also discussed his hopes on the possibilities of this station’s overall affect in this region:
“On a Northeast Ohio basis, god willing this continues to grow, is to teach and educate someone who wants to do something like this to look into doing it, but then look beyond.”
In all, the efforts and determination of Christavus Dominic should provide us with a reason to believe in ourselves and how we can achieve anything in any field if we put our minds to it. Here is an individual who was committed to the media industry early on; and with diligent, conscientious work, Dominic is now officially on the radio scene in Akron, making an impact with his new station: WMVU.
If you would like to hear more about Christavus Dominic and his rise in the Akron area, visit www.wmvu.org and listen to our full interview on my Twitter Account (@NordoniaSports), or “The Cleveland Sports Show” channels on SoundCloud and Spotify.
Editor’s note:
Darayus Sethna is 17 years old and is a Junior at Nordonia High School. He is a major Cavs fan and enjoys watching the NBA. He is part of the Nordonia High School Digital Journalism and Sports Broadcasting Club and hopes to become an NBA color analyst one day.