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(Mornings 5:00a - 9:00a)
Email Steve Gradowitz
Bakersfield’s premier morning personality has closer ties to the community than most: Steve Gradowitz was born and raised here.
A graduate of East Bakersfield High School, his life altered dramatically within four years. Steve joined the ministry two years after graduation and two years after that married the vivacious Jan Weaver. "Two life changing events, believe me!" he says. In 1968 Steve left the active ministry and began his broadcasting career at KLOA in Ridgecrest. A year later Steve and Jan moved to Hawaii where he held jobs at KGMB and KIKI and also worked as an extra on the TV series "Hawaii 5-0."
In 1970, Steve and Jan returned to California to begin their family. Steve left radio for retail merchandising becoming general manager of Mail Box Men’s clothing store. Two years later he was back in radio, this time at KTIP in Porterville, north of Bakersfield, as an account executive. Three years later Steve and Jan returned home for good with their young family and began Christian Building Maintenance, a janitorial service. That successful business was sold in 1984 during which time Steve moonlighted as an on-air personality at KAFY. From 1984 to 1986, Steve and Jan were top real estate agents for Century 21-Minner and Steve achieved the Million-Dollar Club his first year there while continuing to work at KAFY. In 1986 Steve joined KUZZ as its morning man and has remained the city’s top morning personality ever since. He’s a perennial winner and favorite as Favorite Morning Personality in the Bakersfield Californian’s annual reader’s poll. Steve was nominated as Billboard Personality of the Year in 1991.
Steve and Jan have three children, Justice, Honesty and Harmony, and three adored and spoiled grandchildren, Charity, Marina, and Selah. His off time is spent traveling, country dancing and unwinding with Jan at their place in Pismo Beach.
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(Mornings 5:00a - 9:00a)
Email Geoff Emery
Geoff Emery began his radio career while still in high school in Salt Lake City, Utah and joined the KUZZ family in 1996. Geoff’s done everything from afternoon drive, to producing morning teams, and even anchoring the news. He came to Bakersfield in 1991, and hosted a radio morning show. Wanting to diversify his skills and have a little fun, Geoff took a communications position with Occidental Oil & Gas Corporation. He completed his career with Oxy at Elk Hills in facilities management and administration having designed numerous facility remodels and upgrades.
Geoff got to briefly enjoy his childhood dream, when he signed on as a conductor with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, while maintaining a part-time position at KUZZ. In 2001, Geoff joined "The Gradowitz in the Morning" as producer and co-host. Geoff enjoys home improvement projects, including his current project building a backyard garden railroad with his sweetheart Valerie. He also owns a digital recording studio,
producing many of the commercials and promos heard on KUZZ. Geoff has two four legged critters, Bumper and
Spike, whom he swears are eerily human traited for being dogs. |
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(Mornings 5:00a - 9:00a)
Email Tanya
You’ve heard of celebrities who are known by just their first names: Cher, Madonna, Sting—how about a celebrity who goes by just one letter? Her name is T and she’s the latest part (the fun part!) of the morning show with Steve and Geoff.
T was born and raised in Bakersfield and graduated from Foothill High School. The mother of three boys; Gary, Loren and A.J. Aside from working here at KUZZ, T spends a lot of her time with her boys and enjoying life.
One of KUZZ’s most avid listeners, T played and won her share of contests and her dedication led her to a spot as one of KUZZ’s Breakfast Flakes, meaning she was a steady guest on the Friday morning show. Her enthusiasm, cheerful attitude and smile and her willingness to share that fun with our audience, make her an important addition to our staff.
Music has always been a passion of T’s, whether singing or just listening to music, it seems to be on everywhere she goes. She never guessed that being on the radio would turn out to be her dream job. She loves telling people that KUZZ is her favorite place to be and, honestly, if you love your job that much can you really call it work?
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(Mid-Days 9:00a - 12:00p)
KUZZ prides itself on being on top of everything that’s going on in Bakersfield and Kern County. So does Casey McBride, our mid-day personality and our station’s community service director.
Casey devotes more than 500 hours a year to community projects, and that’s outside of her station commitments. She’s had such long term affiliations as eighteen years as the volunteer marketing and communications coordinator for the Bakersfield Unit of the American Cancer Society; fifteen years with United Way working on the public relations committee; ten years as a board member of the Kern Press Club and it’s past president, and volunteer media consultant for projects and groups ranging from Toys For Tots to the American Heart Association. At last count she serves on the boards of five local non-profits and works closely with another eleven. With that resume it’s clear that community service is not only her job, it’s Casey’s passion.
A native of Phoenix, Casey was raised in a small farming community just outside of Bakersfield and is a product of local schools with a degree in theatre arts and speech, both disciplines she feels have served her well in her broadcasting career. In her spare time, Casey loves to read, sew and garden and is very committed to teaching religion classes to teenagers at St. Philip the Apostle in Bakersfield. “I think I learn as much as they do, “she says. “Spiritually, it’s very fulfilling.”
A fifteen-year breast cancer survivor, Casey’s commitment to the American Cancer Society has led to her being named the Bakersfield Volunteer of the Year; she’s won the marketing and communications award twice and received the Courage award for most inspirational cancer survivor. “There’s a special place in my heart for all cancer survivors,” says Casey. “Their courage just shines out of them and makes me want to work all the harder for a cure for them and for our children." |
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(KC's Cafe 12:00p - 3:00p)
Email K.C. Adams
Whatever it is you want to know about country music you can discover by accessing the mind of our own Professor of country, KC Adams. He’s spent his whole life studying the music he loves, so listening to his radio show is really a learning experience. KC shares stories and information about the artists and does it in an entertaining way that’s fun to listen to.
KC began his radio career in Arizona in 1974 and made several career stops on California’s central coast and in Fresno, California, before coming to KUZZ in 1983. His love of the music extended to his off-hours as well. KC played pedal steel guitar in Bakersfield nightspots for 10 years. "I probably wasn’t the best steel player you ever heard," KC says, "but I sure had a lot of fun."
Our KUZZ program director since 1986, KC is also a respected member of the national country music community sharing his knowledge at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville as moderator and panelist on numerous occasions in his sixteen years of attendance. He’s been voted the Billboard and Gavin Program Director of the Year three times and is a member of the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.
His proudest professional moments, though, aren’t personal achievements. KC is proudest of being the program director for KUZZ when both the ACM and the CMA voted it Station of the Year.
A Civil War buff, especially because his family tree includes several Civil War soldiers, KC has participated in many Civil War reenactments which he says were "exciting and challenging". His household includes two Jack Russell terriers, Dingo and Molly, "both of whom keep me running!" |
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(Afternoon Drive 3:00p - 7:00p)
Ask anyone in radio and they’ll tell you that 34 years on the air is pretty darned good. Tell them that you know a guy who’s done that and has been the afternoon drive personality in a good sized market for 30 of those years and they’ll tell you he’s doing something very right.
Then tell them that 24 of those years have been at the number one station in the market and they’ll shake their head in amazement. That’s some track record and it belongs to KUZZ’s Chris Conner.
Chris was born in San Mateo, California, and his carpenter father had dreams of his eldest son following in his footsteps but the rock ‘n roll loving youngster would have none of it. His ears were on the music and his eyes on a career in the industry.
A three year hitch in the U.S. Army brought him the rank of drill sergeant in only 22 months, due in part to what Chris describes as his ‘big, booming voice." While stationed in Korea, he took a radio correspondence course and, while serving at Camp Roberts in Paso Robles, California, worked weekends at KPRL. That was followed by a slew of jobs at San Joaquin Valley stations: KVCR in Lodi; what he claims was his first ‘real’ job at KONG in Visalia; KYOS in Merced, KOAD in Lemoore and, in May 1971, a move to Bakersfield to work at rock ‘n roll station KAFY. Two years later he was the program director. He moved across town to his current position as afternoon drive personality and production director at KUZZ in 1977.
Considered the most familiar commercial voice in the Bakersfield market, Chris has won numerous creative awards for his voice and production work and was nominated as Billboard radio personality of the year in 1989.
Chris spends his off time on local links, polishing up his golf game in preparation for his next family reunion: his father and brothers all play and sister Vicky is an L.P.G.A. pro. |
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(All Request Show 7:00p - 12:00a)
Email Donna James
When Donna returned to Bakersfield to complete her dream of working on-air at KUZZ her reaction was textbook Donna: “What, no parade?”
A Bakersfield native, Donna was the morning personality at KTIE-FM in Bakersfield in 1995 and left to begin a long and winding road back to Bakersfield. Her work took her to KKJG in San Luis Obispo for eight years as program director and mid-day personality then on to KSJJ in Bend, Oregon for three years as morning personality and program director.
Her favorite radio moment: 2001 when Tim McGraw kissed her on stage at the Mid State Fair. Her worst radio moment: when her kiss wasn’t enough for him to leave Faith!
She admits to never having met a stranger and is a true people person. That, combined with her upbeat personality and relentless energy, should make her a winner as she begins handling the evening all-request show and KUZZ music director responsibilities.
Not bad for a true daughter of the Valley, after all, she was born at Bakersfield’s Memorial Hospital while her dad was across the street shooting pool with Merle Haggard! |
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Blair Garner hosts the highly acclaimed country radio show After MidNite. Syndicated nationwide, Garner’s show grew from 30 to 300 affiliates in just three years. An estimated 4,000 calls are made to the show each night, representing only one percent of the listeners trying to get through.
Garner keeps his show fresh and entertaining with guests such as Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, Reba McEntire, Brooks and Dunn, Vince Gill, Martina McBride and Randy Travis.
Garner started his radio career in Canyon, Texas, later moving to Houston where his ratings continuously climbed on KKBQ-FM. Months later, WPLJ-FM in New York recruited Garner as their afternoon-drive host, where he was named among the top ten most-listened-to disc jockeys in America. Garner then moved to the West Coast and served as the afternoon-drive personality for KIIS-FM in Los Angeles where morning show host Rick Dees took him under his wing. From there he created After MidNite which was purchased by Premiere Radio Networks in 1997.
This Canyon, Texas native graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Advertising. He currently resides in Los Angeles and prides himself in his car collection. His passion for cars has actually become an obsession over the years. To date, Garner has owned and renovated more than 70 cars.
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KUZZ News Director Mark Howell came to KUZZ as a reporter/anchor in September, 1976. He was named News Director in January, 1977. After leaving KUZZ in the 1980's for jobs in Fresno, San Francisco, and Cincinnati, Mark returned as News Director and morning anchor in 1988. Since then he has been honored four times as Radio Reporter of the Year and nine times as Radio Anchor of the Year by the Associated Press Television and Radio Association of California/Nevada (APTRA). Under his leadership KUZZ has twice been honored as APTRA Station of the Year. He has also won numerous awards from the Kern Press Club, and has three "Golden Mike" trophies from the Radio-Television News Association of Southern California. Mark holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and currently serves on the Earlham Alumni Council. He has taught at numerous professional seminars, and takes pride in mentoring talented young journalists. He was a founding member of the Minter Field Air Museum at Shafter Airport and for many years has volunteered as an announcer for the museum’s air shows. |
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Peter Samore came to the KUZZ news department in late August 2006. He had been a radio news producer, director, writer and editor for three years with KNX-AM Newsradio in Los Angeles. Since moving to Kern County, he has reported on several major news events, including the high-profile Vincent Brothers trial. Peter delivered live coverage and commentary of all five first-degree murder verdicts, which came back guilty. When he is not reporting, Peter is anchoring news breaks during afternoon drive with Chris Conner. A native of Glendale, California and a graduate of USC's Annenberg School of Journalism, Peter says his move to Bakersfield went incredibly smoothly. However, he says he is disappointed that he couldn't escape the smog! |
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Suzanne Grant is a California native who hails from the dry riverbeds of San Bernardino and Los Angeles, with family roots tracing back to Spanish land-grant soldiers and some of the locals. She has also lived in Virginia, and on Long Island, NY, before coming ‘home’ to California to attend school and be near family. While earning her degree in Business Management, Media, and Studio Art from Sonoma State University, she spent most of her time running the student radio station and taking ballet class. Suzanne recently quit the world of corporate television news, started dancing again, and found her way back to Bakersfield, where she worked briefly for another station in 2003 before it changed format. |
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