WERS Welcoming Four New Alums to Hall of Fame

WERS 88.9 FM will honor four Emerson alums who, collectively, shaped the television industry, told the stories of New England and its residents, and spread their love for music and community across Greater Boston, by inducting them into the WERS Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame was created “to honor alumni and faculty who contributed to the station’s success or distinguished themselves in the industry.” The four will be formally inducted in a ceremony on Saturday, November 15, 2024, in the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre at the Paramount Center.

This year’s inductees are:

Douglas Holloway ’76, LHD ‘24

Douglas Holloway, a longtime member of the Emerson Board of Trustees, is a media executive with more than four decades of experience in network, cable, and streaming television strategy, sales, marketing, and development. He began his career in the early 1980s with CBS TV’s financial strategic planning team, helping to develop and launch CBS Cable, then moved to Time Inc. and launched the cable listing guide TV Cable Week. He joined USA Networks in 1983, where he developed and led their affiliate relations division. In the early ‘90s, he developed and launched the SyFy Channel, and in 2004, with NBC’s purchase of Universal and USA Networks, Holloway was named President of Cable Investments, managing AETN, Peacock Productions, and National Geographic International, among other properties.

In 2008, he became President of NBC Television Networks’ Affiliate Relations, Marketing, and Strategic Partnerships. He later became President of Multichannel Distribution at ION Media Networks, Inc. In 2020, he launched two multicultural urban streaming channels serving BIPOC communities: UKWmedia and Urbn-tv.

He has received a long list of industry awards and recognitions, including the National Cable Television Association’s Vanguard Award for Marketing, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, and Alumni Achievement awards from both Emerson and Columbia University, where he earned his MBA. He also had been granted a Doctorate of Human Letters from Emerson in 2024. A Cable Pioneer, in April, 2023, he was inducted into The Cable Center’s Cable Hall of Fame, and joined the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame in September 2024.

Darrylyn Paxton ’96 (posthumous)

Darrylyn Paxton was an on-air personality with a passion for all things media and entertainment. While a student at Emerson, she was a renowned DJ on WERS 88.9 FM, and served as Treasurer of EBONI. Despite losing both of her parents while in college, she persevered and graduated with a degree in Mass Communication. She never missed an opportunity to remind people that she was a proud Emersonian.

After graduating, Paxton held many jobs in media, including team liaison for the Boston Celtics; production assistant to on-air personalities at WJMN 94.5 FM and WHDH-TV Channel 7; and communications assistant at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She transitioned to a career in retail, and was a poet, rapper, MC, and TV host for BNH-TV’s Strictly Hip Hop. She also was an on-air personality for her original programs, The Sweet Dee Show on CCTV; Yellow Tulips, Chandelier, and Pink Jeans on WMFO 91.5 FM at Tufts University; and the Cry-Let It All Out podcast. Paxton had a deep love for her community, her family, food, and fashion, and her musical passion was centered around Biggie and 2Pac.

Darrylyn Paxton died on July 29, 2024, after a hard-fought battle with ovarian cancer. She was 51.

Matt Shearer ‘09

Matt Shearer is a reporter for WBZ NewsRadio, although he is best known for his viral storytelling on social media. The latter earned him a National Murrow Award for “Excellence in Innovation.” He also has been named “Best of Boston” two years in a row by Boston Magazine, is a three-time Emmy nominee, and is the reigning On-Air Personality of the Year, according to the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association. His work has been featured by CBS Evening News, Bloomberg, Today.com, The Daily Mail, AV Club, and more. A lifelong Massachusetts resident, Shearer uses his local knowledge and creative mind to share fun, often heartwarming stories about the people who call New England home.

Tori Bedford ‘15

Tori Bedford is an Emmy Award-winning journalist at GBH News, where she primarily covers community issues, homelessness, politics, socioeconomics, and investigations. She has worked as a television host on WGBH’s Greater Boston evening news program, as a freelance writer, radio and podcast producer, and host, most notably as News Director and half of the George and Tori Show on 88.9 WERS FM.

Previous Hall of Fame classes include Trustee, Emerson Los Angeles Founding Director, and Friends Executive Producer Kevin Bright ’76, LHD ’11; play-by-play announcer Wayne Larrivee ’77; Emmy Award-winning journalist Tina Martin ’97; rock promoter Roger Lifeset ’67; CBS Radio News operations manager Linda Coombs ’77; and Trustee Emeritus and America’s Funniest Home Videos Executive Producer Vin Di Bona ‘66.

For more information, or to reserve tickets to the induction ceremony, visit the Eventbrite page.