Radio programs:
CinemaScore
Musical Journeys
The Romantic Hours
Music on My Mind
Guitar Concerto
Guest Conductor
In the Wings
Fantasia 2000
Concert Broadcasts
More Radio:
Hollywood Bowl Shows
Radio Dramas
Opera from Franco's
Airline programs
Program Director:
California Classical Network
KKHI, San Francisco
KKGO, Los Angeles
X-Bach, San Diego
My formal music training and extensive broadcast experience provide you with a combination of technical expertise and artistic taste.
Master of Music degree
California State University, Fullerton
Composition and Music Theory
Radio Program Host
KXO, El Centro, Ca. 1970-1973
KFAC, Los Angeles, 1975-1989
KKGO/KMZT, Los Angeles 1989-present
KSUR, Monterey ,Ca. 1992-1993
Director of Programming
California Classical Network
KKGO, Los Angeles
X-Bach, San Diego
KKHI, San Francisco
Audio Production
UCLA Center for the Performing Arts
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
American Youth Symphony
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Los Angeles Opera
AM Drive Programs:
KFAC, Los Angeles
KSUR, Monterey, Ca.
PM Drive Programs:
KFAC, Los Angeles
KMZT, Los Angeles
Program Director:
K-Mozart, Los Angeles
Radio Host:
Evening Concert
K-Mozart M-F 7-9pm
Producer/Host:
CinemaScore
John Santana got his start in radio and television as a teenager in El Centro, California. As a sophomore in high school he hosted the eponymous John Santana Show, a weekly variety program on local TV for which he procured and interviewed guests, played the organ, and even swept out the studio before each show. At 18 he became a weekend disc jockey on KXO, El Centro, honing his broadcasting skills while going to college during the week.
In 1975, as a music major at Cal State, Fullerton, John auditioned for the legendary Carl Princi at KFAC, Los Angeles, and was hired as a part-time classical announcer. After completing his Master’s degree in Composition and Music Theory in 1981, John eventually became KFAC’s morning host.
When KFAC was sold in 1989, John continued his classical radio career on KKGO, Los Angeles, serving as the afternoon drive host for many years, through their change in call letters to KMZT (K-Mozart). He was Program Director for the California Classical Network, which included KKGO, KKHI-San Francisco, and X-Bach-San Diego.
In KMZT’s present incarnation, broadcasting on AM and on the new digital HD radio, John is again Director of Programming. He hosts Evening Concert, Southern California’s longest running radio program, now in its 67th year; and he is producer and host of CinemaScore, a popular program featuring “music of the movies, stage, and TV” and conversations with composers, actors, directors, musicians, and conductors.
Along with CinemaScore, John has produced a multitude of other programs, including a classical series for children, Musical Journeys, and In the Wings, daily vignettes highlighting cultural events in and around Los Angeles. He also developed The Romantic Hours with Mona Golabek, and was that series’ first producer. John has numerous concert broadcasts to his credit, as well; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Opera, and American Youth Symphony have all benefited from his services as a producer and announcer.
His training as a musician and composer have put John in demand as a pre-concert speaker for such organizations as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, Opera Pacific, Pacific Symphony, and the Angeles Chorale. His humor and quick wit have made him a popular emcee at pops concerts, most notably for the Pacific Symphony, the Orange County Four Seasons Orchestra, and for the Capistrano Valley Symphony Orchestra, where he will soon be hosting his 16th season. In 2006, John was pleased to present the Classical Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
In addition to his musical activities, John develops software for classical radio stations all over the U.S. and Canada. He is also the creator of Announcer Pronouncer, an interactive guide to plausible pronunciation of the myriad names and languages classical announcers face every day. John spends what downtime he has at home with his family in Chino Hills, California, where he enjoys photography, writing music, and playing the organ. He is a magician-member of the Hollywood Magic Castle.