Sam Van Zandt
Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame
Class of 2014
Sam Van Zandt is a San Jose native, who attended local public schools. At Lincoln High School, Sam participated in Swimming and Water Polo, Theater Arts, and Public Speaking. Sam was a member of the ALHS Debate team, and as a student in Ray Kendall’s Public Speaking class, he narrated a radio program on California history heard on KSJO (1590 AM) when he was 15.
He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1963 and attended San Jose State University, studying media. Sam’s radio career includes 30 years at San Francisco stations KCBS, KFRC, KIOI, KYA, KNEW and KSFO. He wrapped up his 54-year career at San Jose’s 94.5 KBAY doing mornings and Community Affairs programming, until he retired in 2018.
Sam was also the announcer for the CBS-TV network program “Candid Camera” from 1995 through 2004.
Sam has been married to Carol McKinney for 33 years, and they live with their cat Pepe in Walnut Creek. He loves music, golf, old movies, traveling, his wife Carol, his children and his fourteen grandchildren, but not necessarily in that order. He is a proud member of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame’s Class of 2014.
Sam Van Zandt
Radio and TV Résumé
KSJO in San Jose (high school program on California history) – narrator – 1961 -1963
KPER in Gilroy – 1964
KOME in Watsonville – Summer fill-in 1964
(No radio work from 1965 through 1970)
KTEO in San Angelo, Texas – 1971
KDON in Salinas, California – late 1971 – Autumn 1972
KCBS-FM in San Francisco – Autumn 1972- Autumn 1976
KIOI-FM in San Francisco – Autumn 1976 – Spring 1981
KYA AM and FM in San Francisco – Spring 1981- 1984
KSFO in San Francisco – January – April 1984
KNEW – Oakland/San Francisco – Summer 1984 – Spring 1994
KBBG (Big 98.1) in San Francisco – Spring 1994-Spring 1996
KFRC in San Francisco – Spring 1996-98, again Spring 2000 through 2004
KBAY in San Jose – January 2005 – Summer 2018
Television
KGO-TV “AM San Francisco” Film Reviewer – 1976-1978
KPIX Evening Magazine – Summer 1978
KRON TV “Saturday Live” magazine show – 1978-81
TV 20 Host, various programs – 1981-1985
Announcer, “Candid Camera” on the CBS TV Network, 1994-2004