Above: Barbara and Eric Duthie pose together with their awards for Businessman and Businesswoman of the Year for 2008.

Barbara Bruce is the Director of Community Relations for White Mountain Radio and Talk Show Host of five weekly radio shows, one of which is filmed for television and is also on the Internet. She served as President of the Show Low Chamber from 2002-2007 and is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management.

Barbara served as Co-Chair of The Character First Program for The City of Show Low from 2006 – 2010. From 2004 - 2008 she was appointed to The Governor‘s Council for Small Business, chairing the Small Business Finance Committee, and served as Associate Faculty at Northland Pioneer College from 1999 - 2009.

Barbara was elected “2008 Business Woman of the Year” by the Snowflake-Taylor Chamber of Commerce. She continues to serve the community as a board member for Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center Foundation, Salvation Army Advisory Board, Catholic Charities, RTA Hospice and is Secretary of the Snowflake-Taylor of Commerce Board of Directors.

Barbara is a member of the Navajo County Coalition Against Drug Abuse Steering Committee and President of Friends of the Coalition. She is also a member of The White Mountain Woman's Club. She is an Arizona certified cessation specialist and hosted, produced and directed the first radio talk show in the world regarding tobacco - which she retired after a nine-year run in January 2008.

Prior to coming to Arizona Barbara worked as an Insurance Professional and taught the National Association of Legal Secretaries’ Course at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.

MY ROAD TO RADIO

In 1999 while I was working for The Health Department, I approached a local radio station to see if I could do a show on quitting smoking. The Program Manager listened to me and politely asked of my radio experience, I told him I had "none." He said they would not hire someone with no experience.

I thanked him and as I began to exit, he asked me a couple of questions: 1) what was my idea for the show; 2) and, how long would the show be? I told him I needed an hour. He advised me that 2 minutes was a long time; then he asked what my format would be. I told him the first 30 minutes I would interview someone on issues of smoking and then the last 30 minutes I would have people call in and ask questions.

He looked at me and said, "I don't know why I am going to do this, but you have 90 days. If it works, fine; if not, I want you to go away and not come back." He said that I was to cut a promo each week to give people a carrot to listen to the show. He then led me into a room where there was reel-to-reel, gave me a quick – real quick – instruction on cutting the promo, and then asked if I got it. I said I did, but I wasn't sure; I didn't want to ask again, in case he changed his mind.

I came in after writing the 30-second promo and then did the show. It was a hit... and nearly nine years later, I finally retired the first radio talk show in the world regarding tobacco. That was the beginning of my radio career.

In 2007, I resigned as President of the Show Low Chamber of Commerce to do radio full time. I knew in 1999 when I sat behind the mike for the first time that I never wanted to do anything else.

Today, as I slide behind the mike to do any of my shows, that same feeling re-emerges and the magic is new all over again. I always remember one thing every day: that sitting behind that mike and disseminating information is a privilege, and with God's help, I will never forget that. My goal is to be the like the Velveteen Rabbit: to always be REAL.

A bit about THE SHOWS:

THE CUTTING EDGE

In 2000, I had just come to NEWSTALK with my first talk show, "Tobacco Talk." I was invited to host THE CUTTING EDGE and all I knew was that it was a 30-minute show on community events. The show was mine to expound upon. I quickly gave it a by-line, which remains today, "The White Mountains public forum for people on the go who want to be in the know." I focus on community events and people, along with national, state and local issues affecting the citizenry of the White Mountains.

DRUGNET

DRUGNET was born our of a desire of Dr. C.J. Shaw, an addictionologist, to bring the local marijuana issue to the forefront in 2005.  With Dr. Shaw being a person recovering from alcohol and my black-belt in co-dependency, I was "in."  I was already a founding member of The Drug Coalition and President of Friends of the Coalition, so DRUGNET was a natural fit.  Before we could launch the show, the drug of choice had changed to methamphetamine.  Dr. Shaw and I spent months providing education on all drugs, including designer drugs.  We opened up the phone lines and we were inundated with calls.  We knew we were on to something.  Our next step was to bring on people in recovery to tell their story.  The phones kept ringing but people did not want their voices heard on the radio.  Our Tech would answer the phone and type the questions on the screen for us to answer. 

After Dr. Shaw retired, two recovering people - Roger N and Randy - joined me as co-hosts.  The show evolved into sharing the 12 steps and how to get in to recovery.  After these two co-hosts left, I was joined by Dr. David Greenburg who had come from Scottsdale to The White Mountains to work in The Medical Detox Unit at WMRDC in Springerville.  With Dr. Greenburg's experience as an addictionologist, we gained a new perspective to the current drug crisis.  With Dr. Greenburg's job having been eliminated at WMRDC, the slot has again opened for new folks to slide in the co-host chair beside me and offer still another perspective.  Dr. Jennifer Foran, Community Counseling Center's Medical Director for the new Behavioral Center in Lakeside and Kirstin Hendershot, Program Manager/Counselor at CCC will alternate as my co-hosts each week beginning June 8, 2010.  

Our continued goal with the show is to be  "Your White Mountain Radio Source for information on drugs, alcohol and recovery."  Additionally, bringing hope to the addict or alcoholic and their families is our key mission on the show.   DRUGNET is  live each Tuesday night at 6 pm on 93.5 KSNX, streaming at 935KSNX.com.  Listeners can call in with questions or comments or email us during the show at DRUGNETLIVE@Gmail.com.  The most current show can be downloaded each weekend after the show at DRUGNETONLINE.com.  PrAvis shows have been archived and are available at any time.  Each month I write a DRUGNET article in The Maverick Magazine to further the educational component of the show.  

BUSINESS MATTERS

In 2004, while I was serving as President of the Show Low Chamber of Commerce and serving on the Governor's Council for Small Business, I was offered a slot to begin a new radio show, which would focus on business. I invited another local chamber exec to join me as my co-host, and we launched BUSINESS MATTERS. The first half-hour of the show focused on chamber events and then we brought on local business owners and introduced them to the community. The show was quickly a hit. In 2005, City 4 Television requested to televise the radio show; now we were radio and local TV; another year into the show, we then went to the World Wide Web.

When I left the chamber in 2007, I expanded the show to include another White Mountain Community and now we record the show at City 4 Television, using the top of my desk from the chamber on the set. According to City 4, Business Matters gets more hits than any other show on their network. The show airs on NEWSTALK 970/1270 each Sunday morning at 8:30 am, can be seen/heard on the net at www.showlowtv.com or on City 4 Television on Saturdays at 10am, Sundays at 3pm and Monday and Thursdays at 5pm. 

BELIEVE

BELIEVE is the show I dreamed of doing to "open and uplift people's consciousness." In 2007, I launched BELIEVE on April 1st, but it was no joke. The show was intended for women, but men listen too... and come out when I take the show "ON THE ROAD,' once a month. I find that everyone is looking for things that make them feel good, things that enlighten and educate them.

BELIEVE has four segments: body, mind, spirit and success. I bill BELIEVE as "The White Mountain Talk Show destined to empower you to believe you can do anything you set your mind to, if you just believe." BELIEVE's goal is to empower people - to give them information to help them test their belief systems, to make wise choices that empower them to feel good about themselves. The show is positive. I interview local, national and international persons who have something to share that has the potential to help change lives.

THE BELIEVE COOKIE BAKEOFF has become an annual event. It is held each December and the winner "who believes they have the best cookie recipe" lives in infamy for a year and then relinquishes their crown to the next winner. BELIEVE is LIVE each Sunday from 3 to 5pm on NEWSTALK 970/1270 and streams at 970kvwm.com.

THE PULSE

In 2008, after nine years of hosting "Tobacco Talk" (aka: "Smoke Break”), I decided to retire the first radio talk show in the world regarding tobacco. Timing is everything and as a member of The Foundation Board for our local hospital, I knew that with a spot open on the airways, I could do a show promoting the positive changes and advances of our rural hospital. THE PULSE is the name of the hospital newsletter and, with the blessing of the hospital, I launched THE PULSE, billing it as "Your connection to the heartbeat of the medical community, bringing you the latest healthcare information, newest technology, and up close and personal interviews with the physicians and employees who serve Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center." The physicians and employees share their specialty or job at the hospital and then show their personal side to the listening audience. The show airs each Monday at 6pm on 93.5 KSNX and replays on Sunday evenings at 7pm on NEWSTALK 970/1270.