Kim Komando
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| Kim Komando | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 1, 1967 Watchung, New Jersey |
| Residence | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Nationality | USA |
| Alma mater | Arizona State University (B.S., Computer Information Systems, 1985) [1][2] |
| Occupation | radio host, author, columnist |
| Known for | computer radio show |
| Spouse(s) | Barry Young |
| Children | Ian |
Kim Komando (born July 1, 1967) is the host of an American talk radio program about consumer technology. The program focuses on the use of smartphones, televisions, tablets, personal computers, the Internet, and other consumer electronics.
The Kim Komando Show is broadcast and syndicated on over 450 radio stations in the U.S. and two stations in Ontario, Canada. Her Digital Minute airs on more than 390 stations five days a week. Her shows are also heard internationally on the Armed Forces Radio Network covering 177 different countries and every ship at sea. According to a Talkers magazine report for the fall of 2006, Komando's weekend program reached a weekly cume of 2.25 million.[3] Komando refers to herself on her show as "America's Digital Goddess."[4]
Komando has appeared numerous times on CNN, CBS, MSNBC, ABC, BBC and Fox News, and her syndicated columns appear in USA Today and other newspapers. Komando also owns with her husband Phoenix, Arizona-based WestStar TalkRadio Network, which distributes the Komando radio programs. Also, through the publishing arm of WestStar, Komando publishes daily and weekly email newsletters/advertisements addressing issues topical to her radio program.
Contents
Early life
Komando was born and raised in Watchung, New Jersey.[citation needed]
"Komando" is her actual last name, and is Russian-Ukrainian.[5] Her father served in the Army during the Korean War and was a management employee for United Airlines.[citation needed] Her mother was a Senior Systems Analyst with Bell Laboratories.[citation needed]
After graduating from high school in 1985, she went on to attend Arizona State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. [6] While in school, she trained people to use their computers.
Career
Komando started out in sales, working for IBM, AT&T and Unisys. At Unisys, she sold mainframe systems. She sold Honeywell a Unisys system for $12 million. Komando wrote a column about computers for the Arizona Business Gazette. This led to a call-in talk show on computers. It aired late at night on KFYI in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 1992, she quit sales to focus on her column and radio show, though she was only earning $60 a week from the column and show combined. Komando developed computer training tapes, which she sold via an infomercial. Over 150,000 tapes were sold for $80 to $120 each. The second generation of tapes included Prodigy. America Online was included with the third generation of tapes. Komando negotiated a role running the info section on AOL’s site.
Komando has written 12 books on computers and technology.
Radio broadcasting
In the mid-1990s, she started the WestStar TalkRadio Network with her husband Barry Young. They built their first studio in 1994. In 1994, ABC and CBS Radio passed on the show, saying a national radio show on the subject would be unsuccessful, as computers and the Internet were a fad.[7]
Today, The Kim Komando Show runs on more than 475 radio stations.
At the peak of the network's success in the mid-2000s, WestStar's radio offerings diversified into a number of other radio formats. Among the shows Komando and WestStar syndicated included Your Weekend, an adult contemporary music program hosted by pianist Jim Brickman; Quiet Music, a smooth jazz program hosted by Nick Francis; Goddard's Gold and The '70s, classic hits/oldies programs hosted by Phoenix-area disc jockey Steve Goddard; The Other Side with Steve Godfrey, a call-in talk show in which the title host attempted to communicate with spirits; and An American Christmas, an annual Christmas special produced by Mannheim Steamroller. As of 2015, WestStar currently only carries The Kim Komando Show and An American Christmas; the other programs have either ceased production or moved to other networks.
Personal life
She is married to Barry Young, host of The Nearly Famous Barry Young Show, a local radio show on KFYI in Phoenix. Their son Ian was born in 2000.[8]
She has two sisters named Christine and Kathleen, and a brother named Richard.
Awards
- 2001 Arizona State University College of Business and SRP Spirit of the Enterprise Award [2]
- 2006 recipient of the Judy Jarvis Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Woman to Talk Radio.[9]
- 2007 Gracie award.[10] She was also voted “Woman of the Year” by Talker’s Magazine.
- 2009 featured speaker at Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Summit.
References
- ↑ "Profile: Kim Komando", Society of Women Engineers, Keynote address, 1999 Annual Conference
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ku, Tony, "Radio host's enterprise recognized by ASU, SRP", ASU archive, Monday, September 24, 2001
- ↑ The Top Talk Radio Audiences, Talkers magazine, Fall 2006
- ↑ "Kim Komando." FamilyFirst.com. 2007-03-09
- ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions. Komando.com.
- ↑ "About Kim-No overnight success. Komando.com
- ↑ "About Kim-Setting sights on national radio. Komando.com
- ↑ "About Kim" page on official website
- ↑ "Talkers Magazine.talkers.com. 2007-05-26
- ↑ The Gracies: 2007 Gracie Awards Winners. thegracies.org
