Former KGO Radio reporter-turned-podcaster Kim McCallister has been declared the winner of the inaugural Bay Area Audiocaster of the Year Award presented by the Bay Area Radio Museum and Hall of Fame. McCallister’s The After Party LIVE! focuses on non-political topics like weird news, science, pop culture, trivia, and engaging human interest stories. It airs Monday through Friday and is available on major audio and video platforms.
In voting conducted between May 1 and July 1, McCallister bested 15 other finalists. Her final total of 67,332 votes, aided by a strong surge in the final days of balloting, represented 38% of the more than 175,000 total votes cast.
The award aims to recognize “the people’s choice” among individuals who provide audio entertainment or information in any way: terrestrial radio, streaming audio, podcasting, satellite radio and more. The one requirement: the recipient must be “Based In The Bay”–meaning the program or personality has a clear connection to the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Bay Area Audiocaster of the Year Award replaces the longstanding Don Sherwood Award, which was limited to terrestrial broadcasters appearing on stations licensed to cities within the nine-county Bay Area market.
“We want to thank everyone who took the time to vote–and vote often–for their favorite audio personalities,” said Bay Area Radio Museum and Hall of Fame Advisory Board Chair Stan Bunger. “We know radio remains a powerful form of social connection and we’re thrilled to know that as technology evolves, the same bond between performers and audiences is with us today.”
Interesting how she came out of nowhere but congratulations
Kim McCallister was at KGO radio for years before starting her own podcast, and also works with Mark Thompson (another KGO alumnus) on his podcast. I’d hardly call that coming out of nowhere!
Congratulations to all and the runners up.
That’s so cool. Kim is a long time veteran of broadcasting news. She’s been reporting on the scene, in the studio and even in the traffic helicopter over the bay. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. Congrats to her, but also to all the other great broadcasters of the region. You all have great content and awesome fans.