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Announcers
Ty Flint - Mornings / News Director
Weekdays 5:30-noon & Sat 6-10am
Ty Flint started his broadcasting career as a Tumwater High student working with Dick Pust at KGY. He went on to become a Seattle radio mainstay at stations such as KJR and KUBE, where he co-hosted the popular “Charlie and Ty” show in the ’80s and ’90s. Eventually, he moved on to Phoenix and then New York. Now he’s back where he began, living on Olympia’s Eastside and co-hosting the new “Good Morning Mixx” with millennial magician Lorri Tracy. In his spare time Ty and his partner Gary (over 50 years together!) like antiquing and exploring the smaller communities in the South Sound. He collects Olympia Brewery artifacts and has a model bus collection!
Lorri Tracy - Mornings
Weekdays 5:30-noon & Sat 6-10am
My husband and I moved to Olympia from the Midwest and have fallen completely in love with this city and the Pacific Northwest. I have been been on stage since I was 10 and continue to perform on the stages here in Olympia. Most of my hobbies center around the arts – fiber arts, music, and painting – and, like Ty, I like to go antiquing. Happy listening!
Anna Winter - Afternoons
Weekdays noon-7pm
I am a true Pacific Northwesterner – born and raised in Tacoma, right here in the beautiful South Sound. I graduated from Foss High School and Whitman College. I moved back to Tacoma after college and am proud to have raised my son here as well. When I’m not at work, I spend time with family and have volunteered with some great organizations including PTA and Safe Street. I like to spend time outside – hiking, camping, and kayaking. I’m also a ham radio operator, an activity my husband and I enjoy together. I first became interested in radio while at college. Although I majored in social sciences, I also had a show on the college’s radio station. It was more fun than I could have imagined, and I was hooked! I eventually studied broadcasting at Clover Park Technical College and landed my first “real radio job” here at KXXO Mixx 96.1 in the mid-1990s! Although I went on to work at a few other terrific stations, I’m happy to call KXXO “home” again.
Jennifer Mathis - Weekends
I’ve been in radio for many, many years (most of that at KXXO Mixx 96.1) after graduating from the radio broadcasting class at Bates Vocational Tech in Tacoma. I’d originally planned to be a veterinarian but decided to try radio after having several people tell me I’d never be any good at it. (Editor’s Note: As you can hear, don’t ever tell Jennifer she can’t do something!)
I enjoy living here in Olympia because the people are so genuine. It doesn’t matter here if you’re not mainstream, people don’t even look at you twice.
I’m a two-time breast cancer survivor, a tried and true redhead, and SuperMommy to two young men, a spouse, and our dog Patriot.
Dick Pust - Public Affairs
Olympia grew up listening to Dick Pust chatting with candidates for local office and representatives from almost every community group one could imagine. e. On his “Your Community” program (on-air Saturdays at 7am) and podcast (Spotify, Apple, or Google on demand), Dick talks with non-profit groups, community leaders, candidates, and local businesses. His non-fiction book AM 1240 – Life at a Small Town Radio Station is local history at its best – worth it just for the photos of Olympia in the late 20th century.
Jeff Hirschberg - Evenings / Billing-Traffic / Web-Tech Wizard
I grew up on the mean streets of Hoquiam, where I developed a hardcore computer gaming habit and a love for music and schlocky horror films. I headed south to graduate school in Santa Cruz, CA, where I helped design and build Kestrel, a parallel computer for genetic sequence analysis. Burned out on school and perpetual sunshine, I returned to Washington and became a corporate drone, writing software to test designs for the world’s largest chip maker. After 10+ years of soul sucking, I fell in love with the idea of being broke and decided to become a voice actor. I quickly realized I knew nothing about acting, so I began to study and perform, and eventually write, and I even made a little money doing it. Now I work as an actor, voiceover artist, writer, computer guy, and whatever else comes along, building my media empire from home in Tumwater, close to family and my fabulous partner Anita.
Katie Nelson - Weekend Announcer
Katie Nelson was born and raised in Lacey. She graduated Utah Valley University with a BA in Communication and Audio, and started her radio career as an on-air dj and production assistant at KPCW in Park City, Utah. Coming back home and continuing her radio career with KXXO Mixx 96.1, as well as KLOG radio down in Kelso, has been a dream come true. Beside radio broadcasting, Katie loves playing wheelchair basketball with her husband Ryan on Tacoma’s Rollin’ Rainiers team, cooking, playing classic N64 games, and being with her two dogs.
Seth Triberry - Weekend Announcer
Seth lives in Tacoma with his spouse and three kids and has been infatuated with the South Sound since he first moved here from Orange County, California in 2003. He feels the art, culture and landscape, combined with the finest, most creative and industrious citizenry, make this the best community in which to live in the whole world. When not on KXXO, you can find him browsing the Museum District in Tacoma, playing Dungeons and Dragons at a game shop on Antiques Row, or perusing one of the Stadium District’s comic shops.
Steve Leonard - Substitute Announcer
A native of Western Washington, I have returned home to settle down in the Pacific Northwest with my wonderful wife, young son, and dog. I am very passionate about music and radio. When not on the radio, I can be found playing the clarinet, restoring wooden boats, and chasing a wild toddler. I’m thrilled to have landed at a station that has such a great history and is part of the community I call home.
Wayne Carlson - Substitute Announcer
Wayne has been a staple in Seattle radio for the past two decades, doing a morning show at KGRG, being Chris and Dana’s producer, voicing commercials, on-air work, and consulting. Wayne enjoys all the Pacific NW has to offer; living in a quiet neighborhood in Tacoma with his cats and cozy kitchen where he enjoys cooking for himself and houseguests. When not doing the radio thing, Wayne’s in his studio lending his voice to commercials or helping musicians record their music in his home studio. He also enjoys riding his bicycle, walking around the neighborhood, parks, playing games, and the farmer’s market. Wayne holds an MBA and enjoys teaching communications, broadcasting, life skills, and how impactful it is to tell a good story.
Ruby Brown - Substitute Announcer
Ruby Brown started her radio career 25 years ago in Olympia as a student at Evergreen State College. Upon graduating she was hired in Seattle at KMTT (The Mountain) where she was on air for nearly 5 years. Ruby then worked for KPLU/KNKX in Seattle/Tacoma hosting Jazz and Blues from 2004-2022. In 2022 she retired but, missing radio, decided to come back (part time/fill in) to Mixx 96 in April this year! When not on air Ruby enjoys spending time with her lovely spouse Loretta and their two wonderful kitties, Magic and Bootsy.
Marketing
Brian Butler - Sales Manager
Would you buy a used car from this man?
That’s good, because I don’t sell used cars!
I grew up imitating ’60s Top 40 jocks which had absolutely nothing to do with landing in radio. Since 1979 I’ve been working with businesses to develop effective marketing campaigns utilizing radio and other mediums. I’m a member of the founding staff of KXXO Mixx 96.1 and bring over three decades of marketing and promotion experience in the Southwest Washington market to businesses.
In my spare time I enjoy playing with my wife Penny in the great Northwest outdoors as a skier, windsurfer, and mountain bike enthusiast. Write me at butler@kxxo.com
Kelly Malloy - Business Development
I am new to Olympia and radio, but I am so excited to be here! I have nearly two
decades of experience in the hospitality industry and truly enjoy meeting and talking to
people. I think radio is such a great medium for connecting people to their communities,
and I feel privileged to be a part of it! My husband Mark and I relocated from Seattle in
2021. We’re both avid cooks and spend a lot of time in the kitchen together. We share
our home with our orange tabby named Gus. Well, if you ask him, he shares his home
with us. Write me at kelly@kxxo.com if you’d like me to help your business connect
with listeners.
Support Team
Toni Holm and David Rauh - Station Owners
As college students in Olympia, Toni Holm and David Rauh dreamed of owning and running their own radio station. And, after a decade of trials and tribulations, they made it so! KXXO Mixx 96.1 went on the air January 16, 1990. Toni is the station manager and David is the General Manager.
Dave Cowan - Program Director
My radio DJ days began in the early ’80s at the Virginia Tech Student station and it wasn’t long before I was spending more time at the station than in class. Before graduation I managed to stumble into an overnight shift at a little AM station in Roanoke. For the next 30 years I was a DJ, newscaster, and play-by-play person for stations in Virginia, Wisconsin, and Montana, and I was even a station manager for the final dozen years. My wife and I bought a pet boarding and grooming business in Washington so I left radio for seven years until we sold the business in 2021. I was fortunate enough to find some fill-in work here at KXXO and after all these years, it’s still exciting to walk into a station. My wife Jackie and I live in Olympia with our five dogs.
John Foster - Associate Program Director
Hi. I was KXXO’s first and only program director until 2024, having joined Team Mixx in 1989 to hire announcers and build the music format. While I still putter about the office, helping out where I can, I happily passed on the torch to Dave Cowan. My passions are playing basketball, listening to music (obviously), following sports (Go Storm!, etc.), reading, and spending time with my family: Dana (an artist and teacher, my beloved partner since 1979), Kajaat (a nanny), Rama (an aspiring botanist), our cats, and our big dog Noa. I love living in Olympia. Write me at jsf@kxxo.com.
Tim Vik - Engineer
Tim is hardy, adventurous, and brilliant – a good combination for a radio broadcast engineer in the unpredictable Great Northwest! He has gone to great lengths to keep us on-the-air through great adversity – including the time the transmission tower fell over in the ’90s (not his fault!). Sometimes he would have to snowshoe up to our old tower site on Rooster Rock. He works 20-hour days without complaint and will meet an unexpected challenge with an “Oh yay!” when most of us would scream in frustration and rage.
KXXO Krew Promotions Team
These are the folks who set up and tear down the tent, talk you into spinning the prize wheel or entering for a beach weekend, troubleshoot why the PA isn’t working, and generally run things at fairs and festivals or while the announcer is interviewing clients for a live broadcast. They’re generally college students or trusted friends of the station who will do whatever needs to be done with a smile!