Curriculum Vita Dr. David Michael von Palko General Manager WAPX-FM Professor of Communication Education Juris Doctor 1992 Nashville School of Law Master s of Art 1982 Northern Arizona University Bachelor s of Science 1980 Arizona State University Licensure License to Practice Law 1992 State of Tennessee Academic Assignment 1983 - Current Maintains dual responsibilities as General Manager and Chief Operator of campus radio station WAPX-FM as well as a professor within the department of Communication and Theatre. As general manager and chief operator maintains overall responsibility campus radio station WAPX-FM created under a Title III grant to function as a broadcast teaching environment as source of diverse programming for the community. Responsible for the original station construction and FCC licensing. Continues to manage and operate the station on a 24/7 broadcast schedule supervising and participating in on-air activities. Has successfully managed station through more than 100,000 hours of on-air programming, two FCC license renewals, studio re-location, studio and system re-construction following tornado damage. Has also has planned and implemented significant facility upgrades to include acquisition and installation of new transmitter building, transmission chain, and tower. Successfully negotiated and completed a change in frequency increasing the signal reach of the station.
Teaches graduate and undergraduate courses within the department of Communication and Theatre. Current teaching assignment consists of two undergraduate sections of Media Law, a one-hour class in Broadcast Regulation, and a graduate Communication Law course in spring and fall semesters, and two sections of Media Law during the summer. Has taught other departmental courses to include: Equipment Operations and Technology; Audio Production I & II; Broadcast Announcing; Broadcast News Writing; Broadcast Management; Public Speaking; Social Issue Advocacy; Public Relations; Public Relations Campaigns. Has also taught a two-semester sequence in American Constitutional Law and a Tort law course for the department of Political Science. Works with students enrolled in Equipment Operations and Announcing in small groups or individually during their scheduled class time or in lab settings to further student skill in the respective instructional area. Responsible for advising undergraduate students in communication and serving both as committee chair and committee member for graduate research. Professional and Creative Activity Clarksville Responds: A Relief Effort for Visitation Hospital. Produced and Anchored 12-hour live radiothon as part of community fundraiser for a Haitian hospital following the devastating earthquakes of January, 2010. Production included conducting and airing three half-hour phone interviews prior to the radiothon, and conducting at least 25 other original studio and telephone interviews with local hospital missionary volunteers, local and state elected officials, and musicians participating in the event. 2010
Visitation Hospital: Providing Hope and Heath for Haiti. A radio documentary about a missionary hospital and its close ties to middle-tennessee and Clarksville. In Progress Public Service Announcements Selects content, writes script, voices copy and produces :30 and :60 second public service announcements for on-air use. PSA s are used to publicize and promote important campus and community issues and activities. Produces as many as 10 PSA s per week. Has generated more than 18,000 broadcast impressions this academic year alone. The Return of Ritmo Latino Continuous Selected and arranged music, scripted, directed talent and produced hourlong Spanish music program for on-air use working with a natural Spanish speaking bi-lingual student who translated the script to Spanish and served as program host. 2009 Dunbar Cave Natural Area Narrated a video history of Dunbar Cave Natural Area that is used in the Visitor s Center of Dunbar Cave in Clarksville. Music My Way 2009 Researched, selected music, scripted, voiced and produced half-hour and hour-long entertainment programs focusing on various artists or musical genre. Produced and aired approximately 20 half-hour and 15 hour-long programs. 2004-2007
Insight Researched, produced, edited and served as lead anchor 30-minute public affairs program for cable channel 99. Completed and aired approximately 30 programs. Sorry 2003-2005 Lead three-member production team that worked with high school students in the West TN. Chapter of M.A.D.D. to produce a dramatic video based on a student-written script highlighting consequences of drunk driving. Responsibility included: story-boarding; creating shot-sheet; arranging location shots in two counties; directing video shoots; performing as actor in one scene; creating and performing original percussion audio track; supervising editing process. The 9/11 Attack on America 2004 Produced and served as lead anchor for 9-hour live radio coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attack. Coverage included numerous real-time interviews, insight and commentary. 2001 Election 2000 Co-developed and produced live election coverage and served as lead anchor for local, state and national election coverage. Recent Presentations 2000 What you should ve learned in Comm. Law but didn t think was relevant. Presentation at 68 th National Broadcasting Society Annual Convention. Dallas, TX. 2010
Our Constitutional Court in Changing Times; The Impact of Judicial Appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. Presentation to faculty teaching Administration of Justice Mesa, AZ. 2007 Previous presentations and participation as a panelist include appearances the Tennessee Judicial Conference, regional and national conventions of NBS-AERho, the National Association of College Broadcasters, Marst College and Austin Peay State University. Also served as legal analyst for WSM radio during the O.J. Simpson civil trial. Recent Broadcast Awards First Place Professional Video Competition Creative Video Sorry National Broadcast Society 2005 First Place Professional Audio Production Competition Public Service Announcement Crisis Call Line National Broadcast Society WAPX-FM 2005 First Place Professional Audio Production Competition Feature News Series Winter Fire Safety National Broadcast Society WAPX-FM 2005 First Place TN. Associated Press Broadcast Association Breaking News Coverage The 9/11 Attack on America WAPX-FM 2002 First Place March of Dimes Air Awards Continuing Coverage The Ice Cream Killings WSM 1997
Has earned 16 other broadcast awards in categories of Breaking News, Feature News, Public Affairs, Radio Documentary, Radio Production and News Writing. Also narrated two award-winning university video productions. Related Professional Accomplishments Successfully negotiated frequency swap agreement with Moody Bible Institute of Chicago; allowing for significant upgrade to radio station equipment and facilities with minimal cost to the university. This contractual agreement brought the station upgrade plan to fruition by providing all necessary legal representation before the FCC in Washington, and full funding of a new broadcast transmission chain to include state-ofthe-art studio transmitter link, new transmitter, coaxial cabling and antenna system. The swap allowed the station to double its effective radiated power to 6kW, and to increase the height of the antenna system by 40 resulting in a dramatic increase in signal reach. The agreement resulted in acquisition of approximately $150,000 of property and improvements. 2002-2004 Developed, negotiated and implemented successful plan to convert an oncampus cable channel into a community channel capable of passing approximately 100,000 residents providing the university with an additional means of reaching residents in the Clarksville-Montgomery county area with programming and institutional messages. 2002 Successfully negotiated a long-term lease between the university and Bell South and its successors in interest for the creation of a cell phone repeater site at the transmitter location. Under the terms of the lease, the university received a 200 tower and a new equipment building both of which would be used for subsequent station upgrades. Additionally, proceeds are channeled use to facilitate future equipment and engineering needs of the campus radio station. Lease value approximately $250,000. 1998
Professional and Community Service Serves on department and college committees to include recruitment, retention, tenure and promotion. Serves or has served on numerous university to include Student Scholarship Appeal Committee; General Education Standing Committee; Intellectual Property Committee; Technology Access Fund Committee; Institutional Research Board; Commencement Committee, and the 50-Year Reunion Committee. Holds membership in the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, the National Broadcasting Society, the Montgomery County Bar Association, Bikers Who Care, and as a licensed attorney in the Tennessee Bar. Is a member of the national Theatre Honorary Alpha Psi Omega and the broadcast honor society Alpha Epsilon Rho. Provides radio station for local schools (grades K-6) as well as tours and merit badge instruction local scouting groups. Is a member of the Board of Directors of the Crisis Call Line, the National Advisory Council of NBS-AERho, and serves as legal advisor to NBS-AERho. Participates in fundraising efforts through BWC for Dream Factory s summer camp for children with serious and life-threatening maladies, Buddy Ball (a sports league for disabled children) and the Child Advocacy Center for physically and sexually abused children. Other community participation includes volunteering for two telethons for the Area 12 Special Olympics, Relay for Life, Sunrise Rotary Annual Road Race, and Crisis Call Line Hole-in-One tournaments. Has provided Pro Bono legal services for young offenders and juveniles in need through the Montgomery Country Courts system. Is a graduate of the Clarksville Police Department Citizen s Police Academy.