KMJ News Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM has relaunched Valley Legends: The Legacies Continue, a reimagined version of the beloved Legends and Legacies radio series. New episodes air twice daily, with stories written by the Fresno City & County Historical Society's Elizabeth Laval and narrated by Mark Standriff. Photo composite made in Claude

A longtime Valley storytelling series made its return to KMJ News Talk 580 AM & 105.9 FM with new voices and an expanded format.

Earlier this month the station announced the launch of “Valley Legends: The Legacies Continue,” a reimagined version of the long-running Legends and Legacies radio series that featured stories researched and written by Cathy Rehart and narrated the late Al Smith, former KMJ general manager and proclaimed “Voice of Fresno.”

The revived series will feature stories written by the Fresno City & County Historical Society’s Elizabeth Laval and narrated by Mark Standriff. Episodes began airing May 4 at 8:30 a.m. and 5:55 p.m. on KMJ News Talk 580 AM and 105.9 FM, with three new stories making their debut each week.

KMJ described the relaunch as an effort to continue the legacy built by Smith and Rehart.

 

“Sadly, both Al and Cathy have passed on, yet the station strongly felt that the best way to honor the contributions of Legends and Legacies would be to refresh the series — there are so many stories left to tell,” the station said in a news release.

KMJ said the format will expand beyond traditional historical storytelling while still drawing heavily from archival materials and Valley history. The series will feature stories connected to legacy Valley businesses and families and will spotlight modern-day figures in sports, entertainment and local communities.

The station also plans to distribute the segments digitally and through social media platforms, incorporating visual elements and archival materials from the Fresno City & County Historical Society, allowing audiences to engage with the stories visually as well as through broadcasts. It will also be available on digital platforms.

 

The original Legends and Legacies series started over 30 years ago after Smith arrived in Fresno via New Orleans, Louisiana. Smith became KMJ’s general manager in the early 1990s.

Smith partnered with the Fresno Historical Society after realizing that many transplants to the region were unfamiliar with Valley history. The collaboration eventually led to the creation of the program, with Rehart researching and writing the stories and Smith narrating segments on-air.

Longtime colleague John Broeske said the original creators initially didn’t see the project lasting.

“Al and I both thought this would be about a 50-part series that might run for a year or two,” Broeske said in the release. “And here we are 34 years later.”

KMJ officials said community partnership opportunities tied to the series are available through the station.