Events:

13 June Lunch: Drama Off-Camera, Off-Mic

Life behind the scenes of a radio or television station is often more
compelling than what goes out over the air (see WKRP in Cincinnati and The Mary Tyler Moore Show). That will be the theme of the June 13th luncheon of Valley Broadcast Legends.

Four veterans who toiled behind the lines will share their stories … of success and failure, of frustration and the surreal … and it promises to be a good time for all.

The four who’ll be telling their tales out of school will be Rory O’Farrell. Linda Bayley, Jan Young, and Joyce Krieg.

Rory started in radio at KUOP FM in Stockton in 1973 when he was a freshman at UOP. After graduating from San Diego State, he worked at KSTN radio in Stockton, then in master control at KXTV/10 in Sacramento. He later put in 14 years at KRBK/31 in Sacramento, and ten seasons working with the A/V crew at Arco Arena. He later moved to Truckee, where he taught video production at Truckee High School, and then as afternoon host at 101.5 Truckee Tahoe Radio. Rory is now general manager of Truckee Tahoe Community Television.

Linda Bayley has had a varied career, beginning her Sacramento phase in 1981 as creative services director at KCRA/3. She recalls that the Kelly family who owned the station had built such a strong brand that her main job as head of promotion was just not to screw it up. Tasked with building a commercial production business, she oversaw the construction and launch of KBC Video, a full service post-production facility. She also was part of the team who started up Kelly’s national syndication arm, Kelly News and Entertainment. After 40 years, eight TV stations, two consulting firms and five Emmys, Linda considers her career time well spent.

Linda’s friend and former colleague Jan Young started at KCRA/3 in 1980 as secretary to the business manager and left in 1992 as creative services director. In between, she worked in sales, news, programming and community relations. After KCRA/3 she worked for the late Assemblyman B. T. Collins, the Department of Social Services and several other firms. She was honored as Sacramento Woman of the Year—Communications in 1990 and won a Northern California Emmy for 1991-92.

And then there’s Joyce Krieg. Joyce worked at KFBK radio from 1978 to 1993, first as a news anchor and reporter and then as promotions manager, during which she recalls “stringing up more banners and handing out more bumper stickers, key chains, coffee mugs and t-shirts” than she could ever hope to count. She also authored three mystery novels about a Sacramento talk radio host, published by St. Martin’s Press. And just for good measure, in 2001 she joined Harry Warren, Charlie Duncan and Maxine Carlin in founding Valley Broadcast Legends. She’s also been the editor of our newsletter since Day One.

Copy by Jim Drenan