ABOUT KAREN, ART & KNYE
In January 2006 station founder, owner, and internationally known talk show phenomenon Art Bell chose Karen Jackson to manage and operate his station; KNYE. The search for a successor to fill this very special position included applicants from across the country. Karen was selected above the rest because Art’s intuition told him her unique background and commitment to the community made her an ideal candidate for such a diverse and demanding job.
Originally from San Diego, Karen’s varied background includes more than 20 years of commercial banking, including a Senior Vice President position with South West Bank and 10 years in marketing and advertising. However, managing KNYE has been the ultimate challenge for this accomplished woman.
It was Karen’s passion for community outreach that inspired her to make some major changes to the station’s programming. The station had never had a live radio show since its inception in 1999. So Karen began hosting a live afternoon show to give a daily forum for local Community News and Events.
Karen in Control!
May 29, 2008 – “The day that changed my life!”
Karen and Art Bell Signing Final Sale Documents.
To entertain her listeners and encourage audience interaction she has created a show that includes “Commercial Trivia” and “Games” along with other contests and prize giveaway’s all afternoon long.
She has also implemented a very successful “Loyal Listeners Club” with over 1100 members since January 2008 and new members joining daily.
Karen says “I want to make it fun and give everyone a chuckle or two each day. The community knows I care deeply about what happens in this valley and in return they show me they care about this station and support what I’m doing here”
Not only does Karen talk to the community, she also listens. To better serve the KNYE audience, changes have been made to the general format of the station.
Some of the new programming includes daily listening of “Newer Oldies”; the most popular music from the 1960’s up to today’s hits.
Another hugely successful addition is a show for the fans of the music from the 1940s & 50s. Every Sunday afternoon from 3pm to 6pm KNYE features music just for them.
Seasonal music has been added to the line up during the Holiday Season.
In a very exciting new development, after managing KNYE for 2 1/2 years Art decided it was time Karen owned the radio station. So, on May 29, 2008 the sale was completed and Karen now owns and operates KNYE.
What are Karen’s future plans for KNYE? To continue to be a big part of this community with food drives, coat drives, school supply drives and any other drive that is needed to benefit our community.