WKGC AM/FM Station History WKGC Staff Emily Balazs | News Director Emily was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. She graduated, with honors, from Gulf ... See more om Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State University. Prior to accepting the News Director position here at WKGC, Emily worked in commercial radio broadcasting as an Assistant Creative Director, DJ and Voice talent for local and national commercials as well as the Public Information Officer for the Bay County Sheriff's Office. She has received many awards including the Dale Carnegie Highest Achievement Award, several Addy Awards, the FSU Notable 'Nole award and the First Amendment Award for her series on the homeless of Bay County. When not at the station, Emily enjoys spending time with her husband John and thier 'kids' Rocco and Roman, their adopted Boston Terriers. Peter Michael Bardach | Volunteer and host of "Emerald Coast Studio", "Showcase of Show Tunes" and "Peter Michael's Place" Peter Michael Bardach has been an active WKGC volunteer since 1994. He currently produces and/or announces Showcase of Show Tunes, WKGC On Stage, Emerald Coast Studio and Peter Michael's Place. Prior to his "retirement", Peter Michael spent forty years in professional broadcasting and advertising management. 25 of those years he worked in the New York office of Foote, Cone & Belding, one of the nations top 10 ad agencies. He began in the media department, rising to the position of Senior VP Broadcasting, responsible for the placement of millions of dollars annually in network radio and TV. His first radio job was at WGVA, Geneva, NY in 1950. There, while attending Hobart College, he was a founder of WEOS, one of the first college radio stations. It was then he first learned that radio was a part of his DNA. In 1972, Peter Michael launched WSUS in Franklin, New Jersey, and later added WSUS-TV, a forerunner to News 12 New Jersey. He moved to Florida in 1986 to purchase and manage WRBA-FM Panama City, initially known as "Bay 96 FM". Peter Michael is founder and trustee of the Sussex-Bay Foundation, a small non-profit trust, which encourages a better understanding of local public policy issues and supports local visual and performing arts groups and activities. Peter Michael and his family live in Lynn Haven, the family consisting of Lady of the House Priscilla, one Cocker Spaniel and seven cats. Curtis "C.C." Carter | Producer of Specialized Programming and host of "Blues Before Midnight" A native of Panama City, Curtis Carter, Jr. graduated from Rutherford High School and received an Associate of Arts degree from Gulf Coast Community College. "C.C." started working at WKGC in 1974, its first year on the air. In his off hours, C.C. spends his time working with the youth of our community trying to help them build confidence in themselves and advising them to stay in school and stick to their goals. "I try to communicate subtle messages to the kids that will have a positive influence on them," he states. C.C. also enjoys "spinning records" at local school dances and at the Glenwood Recreation Center here in Panama City. Wally Crawford | Program Director and host of "Afternoon Jazz" and "Lone Star Sunday Night" Wally is a native Texan, but spent about half of his "growing up" in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a graduate of East Texas State University (now Texas A&M-Commerce) with a BS degree in Photojournalism and a minor in English. Half way through his junior year, he became involved with the college radio station, KETR, and was "hooked" on broadcasting from that point on. He came to WKGC on August 15, 1977. Wally is married to Marime Crawford, and has one daughter from a previous marriage, and is now the proud grandfather of Olivia McLain Christie. In his spare (??) time, Wally enjoys gardening, traveling (especially to Mexico), photography, attending live musical performances, spending time with his family, and he is the official Crawford Family Genealogist. Wally is a past president of both the Gulf Jazz Society and the Bay County Genealogical Society. He is a rabid Texas Tech fan, "Get Your Guns Up." Harley | Host of "The Morning Vibe", "My Generation" & "Somewhere in the Middle" Bio to come... Teresa Beaver | Membership & Resource Development Associate Davis Lynn | Host of "The Retro Lounge" and "Big Band Saturday" Bio to come... Robin McNew | Community Calendar/ Part-time Announcer Robin is a native Hoosier but grew up as a Georgia peach. She traveled the world during her service in the United States Navy and served during Operation Desert Storm. Other jobs of note include the distribution of hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to the needy via homeless shelters, food pantries and orphanages as the former Director of the local, non-profit Lighthouse Food Bank and former Publicist at Black Swans Books for Author and Historical Character Interpreter Anne Chancey Dalton. She is the blushing bride of Bill McNew, a Captain in the Merchant Marines, and the Captain of her heart! Together they are parenting a daughter, Alyssa, and a son, Christian. Completing the chaos are an overly timid dog and two spastic cats. Her number one passion is living a sold out life for God. Other passions include quality time with family, the Bay High School Million Dollar Band (GO TORNADOES!), the Bay Breeze Competitive Winterguard, being an encourager, cooking, and investing in the lives of teens through the Godchasers Youth Ministry at Springfield ‘New Lighted’ Methodist Church. Robin is currently pursuing her degree in communications at GCCC and has happily worked at WKGC since 1999 as a producer, writer, website contributor and voice. Chris Thomes | Executive Director of Media & Community Relations; WKGC Station Manager Chris Thomes is a native Floridian and has lived in Panama City since 1996. He graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Advertising in 1992 and began his career with an in-house ad agency at the headquarters of a Florida-based department store chain. After earning a master’s in Social Science Education in 1996 from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Chris moved to Panama City where he taught social sciences, desktop publishing and newspaper journalism at Rutherford High School. In 2001, he took a position as Associate Director of Campus Communications at FSU Panama City and then moved to Gulf Coast Community College in 2005 as Community Relations Coordinator. In 2006, he was promoted to Director of Marketing & Public Relations and currently holds the position of Executive Director of Media & Community Relations. In 2008, he also assumed the position of Station Manager of WKGC. John White | Morning News Anchor A native Long Islander, John moved to Bloomington, Indiana at the age of 6 with his family. He spent the next fifteen years there before enlisting in the U S Army in 1972 and served three years in Germany guarding Pershing Missles. John began his radio career in Paoli, Indiana in 1976, after granduating from the International Broadcasting School in Dayton, Ohio. In 1978 John moved to Connersville, Indiana where he served as Morning Show Host, News Director, and Sports Director for the next 17 years at WCNB, which later changed its call letters to WIFE. In 1995, John moved to Marion, Indiana serving as News Director, Continuity Director and Morning Show host at WBAT. In June of 2001, he relocated to Panama City and currently serves as the Morning News Anchor at WKGC. John resides on the beach with his wife Genesse, who owns and operates Abigayles Interiors. They have two daughters and five grandchildren who reside in Illinois. ------ Shows: All Things Considered, Car Talk (NPR), Celtic Connections, Fresh Air (NPR), Hearts of Space, Latino USA, Living on Earth, NPR's Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, Talk of the Nation Science Friday, The Thistle & Shamrock, Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me, Weekend All Things Considered, Weekend Edition Sunday, Harmonia, Capital Report, Classical Guitar Alive, Metropolitan Opera, Sunday Baroque, Travel with Rick Steves, Women in Music, River City Folk ----- Hosts: Michele Norris, Robert Siegel, Melissa Block, Tom Magliozzi, Ray Magliozzi, Bryan Kelso Crow, Steve Curwood, Bobby Bascomb, Eileen Bolinsky, Renee Montagne, Steve Inskeep, Neal Conan, Ira Flatow, Annette Heist, Charles Bergquist, Peter Sagal Sagal, Carl Kasell Kasell, Guy Raz, Scott Simon, Audie Cornish, Trimmel Gomes, Rick Steves, Tom May