KXO RADIO - Biography - Traci Lyon-Ramirez

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Biography - Traci Lyon-Ramirez

Todays is : Tuesday, 02 December 2008

Biography - Traci Lyon-Ramirez

Written by KXO Radio

Friday, 20 July 2007

Traci Lyon-Ramirez is a voice most of Imperial County residences find familiar and synonymous with home, family, and community. She is one of the homegrown celebrities of KXO Radio El Centro California. If you are new to Imperial Valley and have not listened to Traci as yet, check out http://kxoradio.com/kxo-main/kxos-lineup.html to find her on-air times.

One could easily say she is a small town gal with a B-I-G personality. It is hard to find anyone in Imperial County who does not know her voice and is not also a friend or a relative. That's the way it is in a farming community.

Traci was born in Blythe California, another nearby farming community along the Colorado River. She came to the Imperial Valley in 1978, when she transferred to Jr. High in the Imperial Valley. Traci's family was from the Imperial Valley so even her last name Lyon was already familiar in this small farming community. "Yes", she says, "If their last name is Lyon, we're related.", which does not take into account the people who have other last names in the valley and are still related to her in some manner.

Most people were surprised to hear such a big voice coming from such a little girl and would often tell her so. That big voice and the comments of others were something Traci didn't think much about until she was out of High School. She was attending Imperial Valley College, known in the valley as I.V.C., full time, when she got her first job in the Radio business. Elmo Richards from KOZN or Z99.3 FM. gave Traci her first job in radio. KOZN was able to keep Traci for about a year until she took a new position with KXO Radio in El Centro California. There must be something special about KXO, because Traci has stayed eighteen years so far. Realizing how long it has been all she could say was, "WOW!".

Traci believes living in a small community, and a bit of luck, played a major role in her career choice. It is the small community way of thinking that Traci reflects on as the reason she was able to acquire such a position so young with no real preparation or experience. "Every subject in school and every bit of life's experiences are all a training ground for a career in small market Radio." Traci relates.

LOUD!!, is the descriptive word most people and co-workers use to describe Traci. She has never needed nor probably ever will be given a microphone to be heard. There is nothing shy about this radio personality. Most of the people at KXO refer to themselves as "family" even if the last names are different. Having worked with most of them for ten years or more it is hard not to feel like family from Traci's perspective. Traci says family in the most kind and loving way, just like referring to siblings, parents, and all the extended family relations that exist anywhere.

Currently Traci's duties with KXO include Office Manager, Traffic, Operating Systems Lead, On-Air Personality, Commercial Voices, Live Remotes and any other job on an as needed basis. Some of the interviews Traci fondly remembers are Jim Brickman, Kansas, Crystal Gayle, Mary Wilson, Paul Rodriquez and many other artists and comedians. She also interviews local politicians and other well-known names in the Imperial Valley from time to time for local news.

Traci is excited and happy to be working at KXO as long as she has. She finds the opportunities fun, ever changing and very rewarding. She enjoys the challenges even though the work can sometimes be demanding to get the finale product on the air. Traci says she feels fortunate to have landed one of the few "On-Air" positions for live radio in the Imperial Valley.

When Traci is "On-Air" she can be heard telling bad jokes, relating a life's philosophy, or talking about a recent family or community event. There is always an opportunity to meet Traci in person when she is broadcasting from a local business in what is known as a "remote". Traci is always doing her meet and greet along with other KXO Radio personalities at the Imperial County Fair in the KXO Radio booth as people enter the fair each year. Many people are familiar with Traci's face as one of the advertising images of KXO Radio throughout the Imperial Valley. Getting a laugh out of people now and again or being told by the listening audience in the community they are enjoying her work and making their day go by a bit faster givers her satisfaction. Traci likes knowing the community relies on KXO Radio for accurate news and information, which she is a part of.

As all young people want a bigger piece of the pie, or in this case a bigger part of the Radio Market listening audience, Traci too thought she would one day take a position in maybe the San Diego Area. She changed her mind and became very happy with the rewards of family time in a small community and the opportunity to know most of her listeners personally. Tracy finds the big cities fun to visit but too fast paced for the life style she has come to enjoy. "There is a small town USA everywhere, so why not the one I grew up in?.. Also the Imperial Valley is so centrally located to everything we could want within a two-hour drive in any direction you leave town. Why would I want to leave?" Tracy remarks.

Traci wanted to take this interview opportunity to thank her listeners in the Imperial Valley, for as she says: "Thanks for putting up with me so long!!"