Ray Taliaferro
Rafael "Ray" Taliaferro (born February 7, 1939) is an American talk radio host and broadcast personality in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Broadcast career
Taliaferro is currently an on-air personality for KGO NEWSTALK AM 810. His principal role is as the host of a Monday through Friday phone-in radio talk show that airs between 1 A.M. to 5 A.M. The program is simply known as the "Early Show" and primarily consists of lively (and sometimes confrontational) discussion of contemporary issues in American politics, culture, and current events. The program has been on the air in this format and time slot since 1986. Taliaferro also routinely participates in charity and promotional events as a spokesman, moderator and panelist.
Taliaferro has been in broadcasting for over 30 years. He started in talk radio in 1967 at San Francisco's KNEW (AM). Shortly thereafter, he also got into television, commuting every day to Burbank to host a show on KHJ-TV (KCAL-TV) before accepting a news anchor position at San Francisco's KRON-TV. Taliaferro joined KGO Radio in 1977, when he also co-hosted KGO-TV's AM Weekend program.
Taliaferro was the first African American talk show host on a major market radio station in the country. He helped found the National Association of Black Journalists in 1975, and was honored by the San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce in 1994 with the Black Chamber Life Award, recognizing him as a "forerunner in broadcasting."
Broadcast persona and format
Taliaferro's nighttime talk show mainly deals with political issues affecting the United States and the state of California. He can best be described as a progressive Democrat and is one of the most prominent left-wing talk show hosts in America. He is known for his consistently strong (and often strident) criticisms of George W. Bush and other prominent conservative politicians, as well as conservatives who call his show. The Taliaferro show rarely features guest interviews, but does periodically feature special broadcasts related to poetry and music.
Public service
Although Taliaferro is widely known for his role as an on-air radio personality, he has also been personally acknowledged for his active involvement in the arts and community service. A native San Franciscan, Rafael has dedicated considerable time and energy to public service.
Among his many achievements, Rafael served as president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP and the Frederick Douglass Symposium. Because of his tremendous efforts to help raise money for leukemia research, he was named board president of the Northern California Chapter of the Leukemia Society of America for 1995-2000. He was the Mayor's Commissioner of the War Memorial Trustee Board from 1992-2000, and he headed up the San Francisco Art Commission for 16 years. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Governors of The Commonwealth Club of California.
Personal background
Taliaferro grew up in the Hunters Point district of San Francisco. An accomplished musician, Taliaferro conducted the "Ray Tal Chorale" and served as director of music for the Third Baptist Church.