KMJ (AM 580) program director Skip Essick is facing an entirely different situation with his new agriculture reporter, Don York, than he faced with previous ag guy, Sean Michael Lisle.
"Sean was a disc jockey who we made an ag reporter. Don's an ag man who we need to make into a broadcaster," says Essick.
This isn't a problem. While York learns the broadcasting ropes, Essick says his knowledge of the local agriculture market has already increased the content of the ag report heard on the local talk and news radio station.
York does have some training: He studied broadcast journalism and theatre arts at Sacramento State. Before moving to Fresno in 1995 to help launch the "Valley Ag News" on KMPH (Channel 26.1), York worked in radio in Sacramento and at TV stations in New Mexico. Locally, he worked as a reporter and producer at KGPE (Channel 47.1).
York got the ag reporter job when Lisle left Fresno for a job as a program director at a radio station in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Another voice
Andrea Tantaros has become the latest addition to the KGED (AM 1680) radio talk show lineup.
"The Andrea Tantaros Show" can be heard 9 p.m. to midnight weekdays and 5-8 p.m. Saturdays. Her program, which launched nationally three months ago but joined the KGED lineup on Friday, can be heard on more than 100 radio stations.
"KGED is excited to have Andrea join our conservative talk lineup," says Paul Deffebach, KGED account manager/program manager. "She brings fresh, fearless and fun commentary on American politics and culture. From entertainment to news to politics, she covers interesting and important topics with wit and wisdom. Not only covering what we need to know, Andrea also covers what is fun and good in the world. Talk radio is hard work and Andrea Tantaros has built a show that is engaging and vibrant."
Along with the radio program, Tantaros is co-host of "The Five," the cable series that airs 2 p.m. weekdays on the Fox News Channel. She also writes a political column for The New York Daily News.
Play ball
With all of the recent changes in local radio, several baseball fans have asked where they can hear the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A's broadcasts when the major league season opens.
Here's what the teams are reporting on their websites:
-- The Giants will be broadcast on KFIG (AM 1430) and KFPT (AM 790).
-- The Dodgers can be heard on Fresno's KCBL (AM 1340) and Visalia's KEZL (AM 1400).
-- The A's will be broadcast in English on KFPT (AM 790) -- and in Spanish on KWRU (AM 1300).
Final days
KFSN (Channel 30.1) veteran weather forecaster Angelo Stalis, 67, is planning on retiring after 43 years on the air.
Well, he's sort of retiring. His official retirement date is May 31, but Stalis plans to be the fill-in for Kevin Musso for at least another year.
It's going to be hard for Stalis to completely cut his ties with KFSN. He started there in 1970 as an announcer and director. His big move came six years later when he was asked to be a temporary fill-in weather anchor. He has been manning the weather station ever since.
Stalis is a Fresno High School and Fresno State graduate.
Catching up
Comcast will make its On Demand service free to all subscribers from March 25-31.
This is where you can watch past episodes of such TV shows as "Game of Thrones," "Downton Abbey," "Mad Men," "The Following" and "Psych." There will be more than 3,500 episodes from 100 TV series available during this free period.
The event -- being called "Watchathon Week by Comcast" -- will provide almost the entire on-demand libraries of HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax.
TV and movie critic Rick Bentley can be reached at (559) 441-6355, rbentley@fresnobee.com or @RickBentley1 on Twitter. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.
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