"Wide Open Air Time" - Country, Computers and Convergence.....

It's not the format you would think a computer show would be on, but it fits. Country is so vast in its listenership that it really opens the floodgates for trying out new and creative things on-air and that's exactly what KHAY 100.7 FM is doing in Ventura County.

The night show jock, Matt Michaels runs a full show with impersonations, voices and a studio flooded with guests at his "Santa Fe Cafe." The show is packed, and each night features a different topical guest. Everything from dogs to psychics to me, the Computer Diva on Wednesday nights from 9-12. A true diva I may not be, however we feature tech news, new products, cool web sites and offer help to callers. The main objective is to entertain the restless country-listening folk in between the latest Garth Brooks song request.

Matt Michaels features impersonations, voices and a studio flooded with guests

One thing I have learned about country listeners; they love the on-air staff and they consider us part of the family. Sometimes they aren't even calling to talk about technology. Callers have anecdotes about their divorces, criminal backgrounds, jobs, and political affiliations. They share stories about living in Ventura County and loving it here. They are kids, teens, new parents and seniors......there's no limit to the diversity in our listeners.

KHAY's reach is pretty large. We chuckle when someone calls in from Agua Dulce or far out of the county, but the fact remains, it's a family friendly station and it has been serving the local community for 30 years.

The callers have pretty simple questions......"How do I keep an eye on my kids on the computer," and "Why do I keep getting those pop-ups?" I haven't been stumped yet, but I am sure that time will come. I get especially excited when someone has a graphics or web design question; my specialty. I could talk for days about flattening gifs or navigational animation on the internet!

How-To shows have really gained momentum in the last few years. The networks have swelled with tutorial type programming. You can plant a hygrangea with Martha, cook a meal under 20 minutes with Rachel, create a windowbox at the Old Yankee Workshop or even build a robot you may have seen on Monsters Garage. The idea that you can "Do it yourself" has jumped across all mediums, airing right alongside the traditional tv sitcom or within a regularly formatted music show. It's working, it's cheap production and I doubt it's going away any time soon. It's making celebrities out of Jesse James, Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay while simultaneously keeping production costs low and ratings high.

You can catch me on Matt's show spewing useless knowledge about bits and bytes each Wednesday night from 9-12pm. We laugh, we sing, we give away bits of advice; but most of all we entertain. Isn't that what it's all about?

Update: The "Computer Show" is now over. Following her stint as Computer Diva, she was offered her own show. Jocelyne is now J.R. and you can catch her on Saturday Nite Request Live on KHAY Radio, 100.7 on Saturday nights.