Kim Komando

Kim Komando
Born July 1, 1967
Watchung, New Jersey
Residence Phoenix, Arizona
Nationality USA
Alma mater Arizona State University (B.S., Computer Information Systems, 1985) [1][2]
Occupation National radio host, author, syndicated columnist, business owner
Known for Digital lifestyle national radio show
Spouse(s) Barry Young
Children Ian
Website www.komando.com

Kim Komando(July 1, 1967) is the host of a radio show about consumer technology. On the weekly call-in show, Kim Komando provides advice about technology gadgets, websites, smartphone apps, and internet security.

The Kim Komando Show is broadcast and syndicated on over 435 radio stations in the United States and two stations in Ontario, Canada to an estimated 3.5+ million listeners. (See Popular US Radio Shows) Her Consumer Tech Daily Update airs on more than 390 stations five days a week. Her shows are also heard internationally on the Armed Forces Radio Network, covering 177 different countries. In 2016, she ranked 29th in Talkers Magazine's "Heavy Hundred", their ranking of the 100 most important radio hosts.[3] She hosts podcasts served to over 200,000 listeners per week.

Komando refers to herself as "America's Digital Goddess".[4][5] As of May 2018, her website, Komando.com, serves 2.7 million unique visitors each month and she sends 500 million newsletters per year to subscribers.[6]

Komando and her husband, Barry Young, own Phoenix, Arizona-based WestStar TalkRadio Network, which distributes the Komando radio program.

Komando has appeared on CNN, CBS, MSNBC, ABC, BBC and Fox News, and her syndicated columns appear in USA Today and other newspapers. She has been a columnist for USA Today since February 2002. She won the Gracie Award for Outstanding Program Host in 2007[7] and in April 2016 was the keynote speaker at the NAB Show Radio Luncheon to an audience of industry leaders.[8][9] In 2016, she was nominated to the National Radio Hall of Fame. In January 2017, she was appointed to Forbes Magazine Tech Council.

Early life

Kimberly Ann Komando was born and raised in New Jersey.

Her father, Richard "Dick" Paul Komando served in the Army during the Korean War and was a management employee for United Airlines. Her mother, Virginia Komando was a Senior Systems Analyst with Bell Laboratories.[10] "Kim" is the youngest of four, a brother Richard and two sisters, Christine and Kathleen.

Kim says in her profile that she first used a computer at nine years of age.[11] She graduated eighth grade from Watchung's Valley View School in 1978.[12] She attended the nearby Catholic private high school for girls, Mount St. Mary Academy, where she was elected to the McAuley Chapter of the National Honor Society in 1981.[13][14][15] After graduating from high school in 1981, one year ahead of schedule as a Junior, and having skipped a grade, she attended Arizona State University. While in school, she started her own business to train people how to use their computers. Kim graduated from Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems.[2]

She is frequently asked if "Kim Komando" is her real name, which it is. The name "Komando" is Russian-Ukrainian.[16]

Career

Kim Komando started out in sales, working for IBM, AT&T and Unisys. At Unisys, she sold mainframe systems. She sold Honeywell a Unisys system valued at $11 million. Kim Komando wrote a column about computers for the Arizona Business Gazette while she was hosting a call-in talk show on computers. It aired late at night on KFYI in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 1992, she formed "The Komando Corporation" with her as President/CEO and her mother as Secretary.[17] She quit sales at Unisys to focus on her syndicated newspaper column and radio show, though she was only earning $60 a week from the column and show combined. Komando developed computer training tapes that she wrote, hosted, and called Komputer Tutor, which she sold via an infomercial.[18][19][20] Over 150,000 tapes were sold for $80 to $120 each. The second generation of tapes included Prodigy. America Online was included with the third generation of tapes. Kim Komando negotiated a role running the computer section on AOL’s site. The domain Komando.com hosted "Kim Komando's Komputer Klinic" for several years.[21]

Komando was the Technology Editor of Popular Mechanics Magazine from 1995 to 1998. She has been a weekly columnist for USA Today since February 2002. She has written 12 books on computers and technology.[22]

Radio broadcasting

In the mid-1990s, Komando started the WestStar TalkRadio Network with her husband Barry Young. They built their first studio in 1994. In 1994, ABC and CBS Radio passed on the show, saying a national radio show on the subject would be unsuccessful, as computers and the Internet were a fad.[23]

In 2015, the staff of WestStar moved into a $7.5 million, 24,000 square-foot multimedia facility with radio studios and production facilities for TV shows and podcasts.

In 2016, Komando was the Keynote Speaker at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas.

In 2017, Komando was nominated for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Marconi Radio Award in the Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year category.[24]

The Kim Komando radio show airs on more than 435 radio stations in the United States and in 177 different countries on Armed Forces Radio. As of 2016, Compass Media Networks handles some sales for the Kim Komando podcasts in conjunction with WestStar.[25]

WestStar's radio offerings diversified into a number of other radio formats. The shows Komando and WestStar syndicated included; Your Weekend, an adult contemporary music program hosted by pianist Jim Brickman; Quiet Music, a smooth jazz program hosted by Nick Francis; Goddard's Gold and The '70s, classic hits/oldies programs hosted by Phoenix-area disc jockey Steve Goddard; The Other Side with Steve Godfrey, a call-in talk show in which the title host attempted to communicate with spirits; and An American Christmas, an annual Christmas special produced by Mannheim Steamroller.

Personal life

Komando is an avid car collector and owns a 1946 Chevrolet truck, a 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang, a 1966 Custom Corvette, a 1967 Corvette that was in the movie Con Air, a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, a Mercedes-Benz GTR, a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, and a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. She splits her time between her homes in Arizona and Maui, Hawaii. She has full broadcast studios in both locations. She is married to Barry Young, who is her business partner and former host of The Nearly Famous Barry Young Show, a local radio show on KFYI in Phoenix until November, 2014.[26] They have a son named Ian.[4]

Awards

  • 2001 Arizona State University College of Business and SRP Spirit of the Enterprise Award [2]
  • 2006 Judy Jarvis Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Woman to Talk Radio, also known as “Woman of the Year” by Talkers Magazine.[27]
  • 2007 Gracie Individual Achievement Award for Outstanding Program Host.[7]
  • 2009 speaker at Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Summit.[28]
  • 2016 Keynote Speaker at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas

References

  1. ↑ "Profile: Kim Komando", Society of Women Engineers, Keynote address, 1999 Annual Conference
  2. 1 2 3 Ku, Tony, "Radio host's enterprise recognized by ASU, SRP", ASU archive, Monday, September 24, 2001
  3. ↑ "2016 Talkers Heavy Hundred 26-50". TALKERS.COM. 7 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 "About Kim" page on official website
  5. ↑ Kim Komando." FamilyFirst.com. 2007-03-09 Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "Advertise". The Kim Komando Show. 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
  7. 1 2 The Gracies: 2007 Gracie Awards Winners. thegracies.org
  8. ↑ "Kim Komando to Address NAB Show Radio Luncheon | NAB Show". www.nabshow.com.
  9. ↑ "Kim Komando offers keynote speech at NAB 2016". 28 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Virginia Komando Profile. LinkedIn.
  11. ↑ "The Life And Times of Kim Komando (A Professional Profile)". 18 October 1996. Archived from the original on October 18, 1996.
  12. ↑ "Ninety-Two Graduate From Valley View". Echoes-Sentinel from Warren Township, New Jersey. June 29, 1978. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Campus Corner". Echoes-Sentinel from Warren Township, New Jersey. January 22, 1981. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  14. ↑ Mount Saint Mary Academy Mountain Chimes Yearbook 1981. E-Yearbook.com.
  15. ↑ Mount St. Mary Academy. Reunion.com.
  16. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions-Is Kim Komando her real name?. Komando.com.
  17. ↑ "The Komando Corporation". ecorp.azcc.gov. Arizona Corporation Commission eCorp. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "How to Avoid the 29 Biggest Computer Mistakes (1993)". 1 January 2013.
  19. ↑ "Early '90s Kim Komando Infomercial". 25 April 2013.
  20. ↑ "Komputer Tutor Infomercial Part 1". 12 September 2007.
  21. ↑ "Kim Komando's Komputer Klinic". 18 October 1996. Archived from the original on October 18, 1996.
  22. ↑ "Amazon.com: Books". Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  23. ↑ About Kim-Setting sights on national radio at the Wayback Machine (archived December 26, 2010)
  24. ↑ "2017 NAB Marconi Radio Award Finalists Announced - NAB Newsroom". National Association of Broadcasters. 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
  25. ↑ Kim Komando Show at Compass Media Networks.
  26. ↑ "Barry Young Announces Retirement from 550 KFYI & Mike Broomhead to Host Mornings | KFYI Blog | 550 KFYI". 550 KFYI. iHeartMedia Phoenix. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  27. ↑ "Talkers Magazine.talkers.com. 2007-05-26
  28. ↑ "FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit 2009 - Speakers". www.fortuneconferences.com.
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