Brian Smith

Brian Smith is KBACH’s Operations Director. He programs the broadcast software and helps Program Director Matt Rogers keep the station moving, among a few other off-air chores. He also hosts weekend shows and sits in for weekday hosts.

He comes to KBACH having worked at public and commercial radio stations in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, dating back to 1988.

Brian’s love of classical music, public radio, and music performance all began at the same time: the age of ten. He’s pictured here with the instrument that started one side of things, but it was listening to the evening classical mix on Atlanta’s public radio station that hooked him. Right now, it’s probably not a good idea to ask him to actually play that trumpet.

When in high school, Brian was in the first classes at the Georgia Academy of Music, studying music theory and composition. There followed time in the Air Force, during which playing in a Drum & Bugle Corps made the armed services more fun for him. His college performance highlight came at The University of Georgia, playing in the Redcoat Marching Band in what was football-great Herschel Walker’s final college year.

In public radio, Brian was a host and Music Director of Georgia’s state radio network then called Peach State Public Radio. Years later, he moved into the news at Atlanta’s WABE as the local anchor of NPR’s Morning Edition. He also hosted an afternoon show on WGKA, a commercial station with an arts/eclectic format.

Brian left radio to grow a voice-over and audio production business, but after a dozen years, he greatly missed radio and kept his eyes open for opportunities. Finding KBACH was the answer and, he moved to Phoenix in March of 2017. He’s happy to be back in radio -- and in the West for the first time. Be sure to listen closely when he’s on the air… every once in a while, he’ll say something Southern!