Santa Barbara County 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray put down roots in local public radio when she was a sophomore at Santa Maria High School. There, she co-anchored a weekly, half-hour show called Saint Speaking, in which she discussed everything “Saintly”—that is, everything about the goings-on at her now alma mater.
“That was quite fun,” Gray recently told the Sun. “Back then, in a small town, it was nothing to give a high school student 30 minutes on the radio. It was all about keeping it local.”
Gray’s love of reaching people through radio followed her into the professional world. For several years, while serving as 4th District supervisor, Gray appeared every Wednesday on veteran newscaster Doug Nelson’s KSMX 1240 AM talk show to discuss the Board of Supervisors’ meeting the day before. From 2002 to 2007, she also appeared frequently on KUHL AM 1410’s Sports Talk, hosted by Rick Blaemire.
Now, after a brief hiatus, Gray will be returning to the radio on two new KSMX talk shows. Gray, along with Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino, will appear every Friday for the last half-hour of Nelson’s live news show, which airs weekdays from 6 to 8 a.m. Gray will also stay on every Friday to cover local sports on a new version of Sports Talk, co-hosted by Nelson and Blaemire. Sports Talk is scheduled to run every weekday from 8 to 9 a.m.
So why is a county supervisor so involved?
“There’s a need for having this kind of community interaction, where people aren’t just listening to what we have to say, but have an open forum on the radio,” Gray said.
As the producer of each 30-minute segment, Gray said she plans to bring in officials each week to talk about various issues affecting the community. Some guest speakers slated for upcoming shows include new Vandenberg Air Force Base commander Lt. Gen. Larry James and presiding Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Art Garcia.
“We’re going to be asking a lot of people with historical roots in the community to come talk about what’s going on,” Gray said.
She explained that she also wants to use the airtime to promote fundraisers and other philanthropic events planned by local charities. And, staying close to her roots, Gray said she wants to give young people making a difference in the community a chance to get on the air.
“I want to get that local feeling back into the radio,” she said.
Lavagnino, who was asked by Gray to participate, said he thinks the show will both inform and empower people. He’d like to address some of the lesser-known, but nonetheless important, issues affecting the community, such as code compliance regulations and parking regulations.
“As mayor, I get asked questions by people all the time, just walking around or at the grocery store,” Lavagnino said. “I think this will answer a lot of questions for people.”
After the news on Fridays, Gray will combine radio with another of her passions: sports.
“That is my all-time hobby, sports,” Gray said, adding that some of her favorite sports include football, baseball, and rodeo, which she competed in during college.
“I like to watch the skill and ability of [the game],” she said. “I don’t have any favorite teams.”
Gray will cover local and regional sports, similar to what she did with Blaemire on KUHL.
Nelson’s first show featuring Gray and Lavagnino is scheduled to air on Jan. 16. Currently, members of the public won’t be able to call in, but Gray said that’s something that could change in the future.
Until then, listeners can voice their opinions by contacting the radio station at 361-1366. Listeners can also contact Gray at 346-8407 (Santa Maria) or 737-7700 (Lompoc), or Lavagnino at 925-0951, Ext. 191. m
Contact Staff Writer Amy Asman at aasman@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 15-22, 2009.