Podcasts by Sonomans, for Sonomans

Four community podcasts posting new episodes now|

Podcasts became a lifeline for many of us in the isolation of the pandemic, as the number of online listeners spiked 40% in the past three years, according to Nielsen ratings. Sonoma organizations are jumping on the bandwagon, using the talk-based medium to promote their platforms.

Last year, a handful of local leaders started making waves — radio waves, that is, by starting podcasts, radio shows that you can download and stream from anywhere.

Rooted in community topics, these shows don’t have the highest of downloads yet, but they are just getting started, with ambitious goals for 2023. Many are recorded at KSVY, the Valley’s community radio station.

These podcasts are all about community connection, and serve as unique resource guides for getting to know Sonoma.

‘Sonoma Community Center Podcast’

Hosted by Gerardo Diaz and Molly Spencer, the podcast first launched in late October.

There are five episodes so far that touch on community topics through the lens of the Sonoma Community Center, a 108-year-old building that hosts classes and events related to creativity and community.

It’s recorded in the center’s music room, which is a little-known or used space on the building’s first floor.

“It has a lot of history,” Spencer said. “It’s plastered with posters and all of these events that’s happened over the years, it’s a fun vibe.”

Spencer and Diaz both work in community engagement positions, and each had the idea to do a podcast through the center, but it made the most sense to team up.

“Basically, Molly is the expert,” Diaz said. “I just go with the flow.”

“I guess I turned into that person to keep it on point and to have questions prepared, and Gerardo comes in with his wonderful flavor as well as humor. I think we’re really trying to bring some humor to this and not be so serious, at least that’s my intention in podcasting,” Spencer said.

Though Spencer has a little experience being a guest on a few KSVY segments, neither of them had any previous podcasting experience. But, they listen to lots of podcasts and thought it best to keep episodes between 40-45 minutes. When it came to creating their own show, they decided to leave it open for changes and creativity as they go.

“It’s very much in an experimental way of doing it right now,” Spencer said. “I would say that we’re definitely, in the long run, trying to reach people that are outside of Sonoma to make them realize what is the Sonoma Community Center. Beyond that, we’re really highlighting a lot of localism as well.”

They seek out guests who can shine a light on the essence of Sonoma for people who haven’t been. So far, they’re interviewed local costume designer Margaret Hatcher, Executive Director Charlotte Hajer and other influential Valley dwellers.

Originally, Diaz wanted to do a show in Spanish that focused on stories within the Valley’s Latino community. Though it hasn’t happened yet, it’s on his list of goals for 2023.

“For me, it would be, later on, would be introducing members of the Latino community, you know, bringing them on, talking to them and making sure their stories are being told, too,” Diaz said.

Spencer plans to get more artists on the show in the coming months in hopes of attracting more listeners from outside the city, and even county.

“Really, the idea is to kind of share what’s happening, what’s current, with local artists and beyond,” Spencer said. “Next steps is interviewing people from afar and bringing in outside sources to put Sonoma on the map.”

Episodes are released every one to two weeks and are available for streaming on the community center’s YouTube, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

According to the hosts, episode two with Reniel del Rosario, an edgy artist in residence at Sonoma Ceramics, is a good place to start for listeners who are new to the show.

The Sonoma Spiel

Hosted by Tim Zahner, this podcast hit the streaming services in early June, and now has a library of 23 episodes.

Zahner, director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, operates the podcast as a way of reaching visitors of the Valley.

He compared the show to the bureau’s newsletter, which goes out to those who have signed up for its mailing list — typically people from other places who are considering a visit to Sonoma. According to Zahner, those people only stay on the list for an average of 18 months before dropping off. He thought the “evergreen quality” of podcasts might help visitors stay engaged for longer.

Plus, he’s hoping to hook some core local listeners by telling stories that have never been heard before.

“The idea was to keep interest in Sonoma while people weren’t traveling,” Zahner said. “The goal was just to create, and inform people about Sonoma.“

Because his show operates under the goal of attracting people to the Valley, he seeks out guests who can touch on things to do in the area, as well as its natural environment.

“I’m looking for all sorts of different people,” Zahner said. “We really represent the totality of the Valley.”

Zahner releases episodes on a weekly basis, usually on Fridays. He finds that he never runs out of people to interview, and often pitches them to come on the show in coffee shops and other places where public rendezvous are prominent.

He records at KSVY and has had guests like Mark Bodenhamer, CEO of the Sonoma Chamber of Commerce, and Gary Saperstein, founder of Gay Wine Weekend.

His focus is local, but it’s not exclusively Valley guests.

“They don’t have to 100% be Sonoma Valley local, it’s just there has to be some sort of connection, however tenuous, to Sonoma Valley. I’d much rather have a good talker and interesting person than somebody’s whose born and bred in Sonoma Valley,” Zahner said.

Zahner said that his recent episode with the Velvet Bandit, a North Bay street artist who’s work often adorns the Valley, is a good one for new listeners to get a feel for the show.

“The Sonoma Spiel” can be streamed anywhere listeners get their podcasts, including the Visitors Beureu’s YouTube channel.

‘Hello Sonoma!’

Hosted by Sonoman Francisco Kilgore, this podcast started off in March of 2021 at KSVY.

“’Hello Sonoma’ began in an effort to better understand the community around me. When I moved back to Sonoma in 2019, I realized how much I didn’t know about the city where I grew up,” Kilgore said.

He truly embodies the idea of getting to know his neighbors through his podcast platform and beyond. He recently visited three of Sonoma’s sister cities in France, Italy and Hungary to interview people there and broadcast their stories on Sonoma radio.

His main requirement for guests on his show is that they have a connection to Sonoma, and a story.

“I've spoken to business and nonprofit leaders, artists, refugees and restaurateurs — even community members experiencing homelessness. Every person I've spoken to has taught me something insightful about not only Sonoma, but about myself and my place here,” Kilgore said.

He releases episodes every Thursday at 4 p.m. on KSVY, and then they are uploading to his website and all of the streaming platforms shortly after. When planning, recording and uploading his shows, Kilgore has his audience in mind.

He’s targeting fellow local Sonomans with the goal of introducing them to their neighbors and people in their community that they otherwise not not get the chance to meet.

“I try to vary people week-to-week based on their perspectives, careers, and more. Until now I have mostly interviewed Sonomans, but I also try to include voices from outside the Valley/county to add new perspectives for us to engage with,” Kilgore said.

He’s had on guests such as Kathy King, executive director of Sonoma Overnight Support, and Karina Garcia, a field representative to Supervisor Susan Gorin.

“In a social media world that often values celebrity interviews and world travel, we sometimes forget to seek out stories from our neighbors in our own backyards. By creating spaces for local people to share their stories, the show aims to inspire listeners and to build bridges within our community and beyond,” Kilgore said.

Kilgore mentioned that his recent upload, “Highlights of 2022” would be a good episode to introduce new listeners to the show.

“Hello Sonoma!” can be streamed anywhere listeners get their podcasts, or by visiting hellosonoma.org or tuning into KSVY 91.3 FM on Thursdays at 4 p.m.

La Luz Podcast

Hosted by Victor Ferrer, the outreach specialist at La Luz Center, this podcast also launched in 2021, with an episode that highlighted an upcoming job fair at La Luz Center.

This podcast’s library of 34 episodes are entirely in Spanish.

The center aims to strengthen the community through family services, economic advancement and community engagement. During the pandemic, providing those essential community connections became more difficult than ever.

“During the pandemic we tried to find a way to connect more with our Spanish speaking community and we decided that producing a podcast could be a good tool for us to do a better and more complete job doing outreach about our programs, classes, events and activities,” Ferrer said.

The podcast was launched as a part of La Luz’s Community Engagement to help bridge that gap.

The episodes vary in length but are typically between 20 to 30 minutes, and explore programming at La Luz and community opportunities, such as children’s activities and camps, new classes at the center and more.

“Our main goal is use this podcast to reach the Spanish speaking community and inform them in more detail about our on going classes, services, programs and activities,” Ferrer said.

According to Ferrer, new listeners should start with the episode about Lideres Campesinas, a leadership network of woman farmworkers, who came to the show to talk about all the injustices they had fight during the pandemic.

New episodes get released almost every Sunday, and are available on Spotify, BuzzSprout and La Luz’s YouTube channel.

Contact the reporter Rebecca Wolff at rebecca.wolff@sonomanews.com.

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