One of Fresno’s most popular radio segments is returning.

For decades, KMJ radio aired “Valley Legends and Legacies,” a daily segment highlighting the history of the Central Valley. Voiced by Al Smith — former KMJ general manager and CEO of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce — the series offered a fascinating audio journey through the people, places, and backstories that shaped the region.

The series continued for several months after Smith died in 2025. Cathy Rehart, who researched and wrote several segments, died in 2013.

KMJ announced the segment is back, with the first new episode airing this week. Mark Standriff, an actor and the man behind the city of Fresno’s Beautify Fresno program, will narrate the retitled “Valley Legends … The Legacy Continues.” Elizabeth Laval, president of the Fresno Historical Society, will serve as chief researcher.

“We are thrilled to relaunch ‘Valley Legends … The Legacy Continues’ as we further highlight the historical events of the past and present that celebrate what makes Central California so unique!” KMJ General Manager Patty Hixson said in a news release.

The show will air at 8:30 a.m. and 5:55 p.m.. This week’s stories posted on the KMJ website feature Carrie Sage, Nisei baseball, the Fresno Scraper, and the Wilson Theater.

Burke North Joins ABC30, As Station Celebrates 70 Years

Danyelle Burke North joined the ABC30 lineup in March as its latest general assignment reporter. This is her second TV job. She moved from KYMA-TV in Yuma, Arizona, where she worked for two years. Burke North graduated from Chapman University in Southern California in 2023.

“I’m so excited to grow and learn in this new journey and to be reporting back home in California! I’m really excited to continue serving the community, uplifting local voices, and sharing community stories,” Burke North posted on her LinkedIn page.

ABC30 is celebrating its 70th year on the air and will air a special Sunday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. ABC30 signed on May 10, 1956. The special takes a look at the history of the TV station, as well as its development into the top news broadcaster in the region.

Signing on as KFRE-TV on Channel 12, the station was a CBS affiliate — the third station in the market behind channels 24 and 47. Original owner California Inland Broadcasting Co. sold the station to Triangle Publications — publisher of TV Guide — in 1959. By 1961, the signal moved to Channel 30. The move from UHF to VHF was risky at the time, but one insisted upon by the Federal Communications Commission. Not all television sets could pick up stations beyond Channel 13, and the value of stations in the UHF range was still in question.

When Capital Cities bought the station in 1971, the call letters changed to KFSN. Capital Cities purchased the ABC network in 1985, and KFSN switched to ABC that fall. It became one of the smallest-market stations owned and operated by a network — now Disney.

Under Capital Cities, ABC30 invested in its news operation, adopting the “Action News” format of quicker stories and more stories per show. It also developed popular anchor teams such as John Wallace and Nancy Osborne.

Congratulations, Faith!

Faith Sidlow, the longtime KSEE24 anchor, has retired from her post-TV job as a professor in Fresno State’s Media, Communications and Journalism Department. She also served as department chair.

Starting her career at a San Diego radio station, Sidlow spent most of her 28 years on the air at KSEE. Since 2009, she has helped grow the next generation of reporters, teaching several classes ranging from writing to media law. Fresno State students produce the campus newspaper, The Collegian, and produce a campus TV newscast.

“My biggest takeaway is just how many wonderful people there are in Fresno, in the media, and at Fresno State. We have incredible students, faculty, colleagues at TV stations. This is just a really wonderful place to live and be,” Sidlow said.

Sidlow said longevity at one station and in one market comes from a “different era.”

“People in media markets put down roots, as I did. We were happy at a location, and there was no real reason to leave. When I came to Fresno, my plan was to stay two years and then move on to a different market. But, you know, I put down roots and I fell in love with this city. So it’s hard to leave when you have something like that. And you have a station and management team that really supports you,” Sidlow said.

Sidlow earned several reporting and academic awards, including an Emmy, and was inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

She plans to spend her retirement visiting her grandchildren, improving her golf game, and taking master gardening classes.