Under the Sun: Bill Stallings, voice of KSVY

The Sun’s Anna Pier sat down with Bill Stallings, long-term volunteer at Sonoma’s local radio station, KSVY 91.3 FM.

How long have you been volunteering at the radio station? Since 2011. I told Bob Taylor (station manager), “You’re gonna need me as much as I want to work here.”

What do you do? I’m the main person for PSAs (public service announcements). I write them all, keep them updated and timely. I actually keep track of the Community Calendar too, to see what upcoming events we can be promoting. And I enjoy teaching people how to write copy for a PSA, how to use your voice. I do different voices when I record. And I am the Production Manager, but that’s unofficial. I do some camera work for SVTV too. 

Has Covid affected things at the station? So much. I’m the only one allowed in, to do my weather forecasts. It’s a lonesome cave at the station now. Before Covid, I was always trying to get other people involved with radio. Everything I do is volunteer, except I get a small stipend for the weather forecast. It  runs every hour, for 38-60 seconds. I write and produce it. 

You do a couple of shows too, right? Yes, a three-hour show on Fridays at 11. Tasty Nuggets. I play oldies, ’50s, ’60s, and early ’70s. All the genres – folk, folk rock, rockabilly, funk, Motown, British invasion. I play the top hits, and also some that mostly you’ve never heard. I often use a theme to select what I’ll play. Like the other day it was  “up and down.” I chose songs with one of those words in the title. 

Where do you get all the music? I have about 20,000 CDs. My main addiction is music. I’m a musician. I played drum in several groups in Cleveland. With Freeport, we recorded an album on Mainstream Records.

What’s your other show? RoxFiles Radio, I call it. On Saturdays at 5 pm. It’s my main show. It’s more album-oriented. I play everything from ’50s to tomorrow. I really like to play new music, or new releases from a classic artist. My main goal is always to share the music in an artful way. My specialty is the way I present the music. I am a music mixologist, and the music is presented thoughtfully, not just thrown together. My love for sharing the music, especially “new” music, is because of the feeling I experienced and still do of the beauty of the melody, and the thought. The rush I get when hearing something that moves me – lyrics, voice, melody, instrumental  – the entire production. Endorphins are being released and it gives the feeling of being closer to heaven.

How did you get into all this?  Radio was my chosen profession in the ‘70s. It was magical. I worked 10 years at a Cleveland radio station. In ’83-’84, I was at a station in Sacramento. But in the 80’s, radio went down the drain. Corporations bought up all the stations, radio became homogenized. They would replay about 300 tunes, you’d never hear anything else. Radio has never come back. But fortunately, there’s community radio. And KSVY has a new tower, so we reach Glen Ellen and Kenwood  –  the whole Sonoma Valley.

What do you do to support being able to volunteer? My other career is umpiring. I’m with the North Coast Officials Association. I’ve been umpiring for 25 years. Fast pitch, softball, the Sonoma High teams, every Sunday Mexican hardball. I love the game, and I love umpiring.

What’s your team? Cleveland. The Indians, now the Guardians.  At one time I had a job in Sarasota, FL as the Chicago White Sox field announcer. I came close to getting that job in Cleveland when they opened up the new stadium in the mid-’90s, but fell short. 

You grew up in Cleveland? Yes. And a bit of my history –I was at Kent State in the ‘70s, and saw the National Guard open fire on students.

Why did you come to Sonoma? Well, my little sister is Rhonda Stallings, the vet. I am so happy to be able to live in this beautiful community. 

 Any last thing to tell our readers? Above all, I love and take pride in everything I do for the station. Quality sounding production. I feel blessed that I can contribute my talents and experience, because other than KSVY there is nowhere for this type of localized programming. This is a gem in our community, something that should be cherished. Because it’s all about the community.