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Carl Goldman
KHTS AM-1220 Co-owner Carl Goldman.

Editorial: The Sand Fire

As our first responders finish the mop up of the Sand Fire, we wanted to take a moment to recognize the amazing job they did, both on the front lines and behind the scenes.


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The Sand Fire took an army of professionals and volunteers to save our lives, homes and valley. Over the next few days, once the fire reaches 100 percent containment, we will move from emergency mode to recovery. For those who lost their homes, that recovery will take a long time and require much support from our community. For the one life lost, the devastating impact will never disappear.

As firefighters are battling the 33,117-acre brush fire called the Sand Fire off the northbound Highway 14 freeway near Sand Canyon Road, which is forcing the evacuation of some Santa Clarita Valley residents, many residents are left wondering how they can help.

Photo courtesy of Ashley Burns.

KHTS is committed to assisting as we move forward with recovery. In 2004, my wife, Jeri Seratti-Goldman, and Sand Canyon resident Diane Green created the Santa Clarita Disaster Coalition. It still remains as another recovery tool. You may not have heard of it because it remains on the sidelines until an emergency happens, but you will be hearing much more about it after all our recovery needs are assessed.

We also recognize many of you were introduced to KHTS for the first time during the Sand Fire. On Sunday, over 65,000 of you were connected to our radio station, website and emails. My wife, Jeri, and I purchased Santa Clarita’s only radio station in 1990.

Related: Sand Fire Update: Officials Report 65 Percent Containment #SandFire

Twenty-six years ago there was no internet, no Facebook, cellphones were the size of a brick, and many radio stations still had record players. We are the epitome of a “mom-and-pop” business. Over the years, we have not only become a major resource for our valley during an emergency, we lead the way delivering local news through our airwaves, daily email news briefs, our website (www.hometownstation.com) and through our social media. Unlike many of the major media conglomerates who have cut their news staffs, reporters and on-air teams, we have done the opposite.

An LACoFD plane dropping retardant on the fire. Photo by Jeri Serati-Goldman.

An LACoFD plane dropping retardant on the fire. Photo by Jeri Serati-Goldman.

We have always recognized that for us to succeed against the “big boys,” we had to become hyper local and focus all our resources on serving the Santa Clarita Valley. We have been doing that for 26 years, not just with our business, but with the creation and/or support of many of the leading nonprofit organizations in town.

We couldn’t have accomplished any of this without the support of a stellar staff. Our team is lean, and unlike many big broadcast companies, our team works hard and smart. Many are behind the scenes and never want to be in the limelight. We want to take a moment by thanking and recognizing each and every one publicly:

Our on-air team, who jumped in working tirelessly around the clock during the Sand Fire crisis, including George Cummings, T-Katz, Tori Kelly and Aaron De La Torre. None were ever called in — they just showed up to assist.

Our news team, Perry Smith, Melissa Lampert, Chris McCrory, Robert Spallone, Kimberly Beers, Andrew Menjivar, Drake Hougo, Sydney Croasmun, Adria Morales, Chuck Previtire, Justin Powell and Cody Como. And our adopted on-the-scene news reporters, Bill Cloyd Jr. and Jasmine Foster, who spent tireless hours reporting from Sand Canyon.

Related: Sand Fire Area Residents Urged To Report Damage ASAP

Our web and operations team lead by Andrew Delgado, Tom Nobili, Cyndi Kleinfeld, Lori Kozik, Margie Cummings and Jazmine Urbina.

Photo by Jeri Seratti-Goldman.

Photo by Jeri Seratti-Goldman.

We also want to thank our officials who kept us informed and relayed accurate details to help calm all our jittery nerves, including Mayor Bob Kellar, Assemblyman Scott Wilk, Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Congressman Steve Knight, City Communications Empress Gail Morgan and most importantly Los Angeles County Fire Public Information Officer Stephanie English.

We also want to thank all of you for sending us your heartfelt comments, pictures and support for our team’s efforts.

For those who have known KHTS during previous crises, you know we will continue to be the accurate, on-the-scene news source for our valley. This is becoming more critical as social media takes on a life of its own, feeding rumor after rumor. Often, we can’t report information as quickly as it appears online because we need to make sure it is accurate. We ask you to be patient, knowing we want to be giving out the right information, especially during a fast-moving crisis.

For those new to your hometown radio station, we invite you to stay tuned during the Sand Fire recovery, get to know us and support our local advertisers. They are the ones who make it possible for us to exist. We know it will allow you to feel more connected to your valley, and your support will allow us to continue to be one of the many organizations who truly make the Santa Clarita Valley an exceptional place to live.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Editorial: The Sand Fire

12 comments

  1. Kudos to KHTS and your fabulous staff. You are an invaluable resource to our community, especially during times of crisis. Thank you for all you do.

  2. Carl, great job to you and your staff! From the very start of the fire, we kept our ears glued to KHTS. Your on-the-spot reporting was magnificent. You were the beacon of hope for so many friends and neighbors who were trying to saves lives and property. First-class community service and great reporting!

  3. Hi Carl and team!
    The candid updates and perspectives for all of us were not only helpful but downright key to many of us and our safety.
    You and your team made this very personal about a community that you love, live in and cherish.
    Your personal touch – IE a phone call to me on midday Monday that our area (my home) had evaded another disaster with the dozen plus helicopter drops of water. Thank you, Christy, Gary and Whitney Saenger. Ravenhill and Placerita. God Bless us all!

  4. Mr. Goldman, Your radio station KHTS is the only one in all of California that I could get news of the progress and containment and location of the Sand Fire! The TV news stations gave only enough to
    raise anxiety. The first day they were much more interested in Germany, and gave the same news of
    that attack over and over and over, repeating the same thing. It seems to me they should have been
    more of a service to the local disaster happening here. Thank YOU for your great coverage and information
    given.

  5. Carl, Well said! You and your staff and C0-owner all did a great job. In fact, we were in that very slow line on Live Oak Springs Canyon Road for an hour with no movement when you reported that Placerita Canyon was open. My wife, Sara, and I made quick U-turns and headed for Placerita Canyon Road and it was open!!! WE left Sand Canyon at the speed limit or above with no congestion what so ever! We all then listed to KHTS almost 24/7 until we found out we were about to return home Monday night. Thanks aren’t enough for you and your people, but I guess it will have to do for now.

    AS for the valiant fire fighters and their sup[port people, when I want to say “Thanks” I get so choked up I can’t talk. It was 106 degrees on Sunday and those guys in those heavy yellow fire fighting suits must be extraordinary men; What can you say….

  6. Excellent coverage Carl. I was amazed at the constant update that your station, and especially you, provided. During the evacuations and opening up of affected areas, your channel was spot on giving clear, concise and updated information to everyone who needed exactly that. Kudos!

  7. Carl, you, the Mrs., George & the rest of your team are awesome. Continual updates on road closures, imminent evacuations, locations to take horses, … and on & on were priceless. I gotta say, I’m envious of Roving Reporter Carl who got to check out things beyond the barricades! So where can I get one of those KHTS shirts?

  8. I get my daily news from you and you alone. You are the voice of the valley. Thank you.

  9. Carl, Thank you, once again, for your dedication & support of those of us who live in the SCV. I will always remember during the Buckweed Fire from which a finger of the conflagration headed down the hills on the north/west side of Sierra Hwy almost to Soledad. My family lived on the east side of Sierra Hwy, but we decided to pack up the car & leave the area. We waited in the Stater Bros parking lot & listened to AM 1220. At one point you drove your car north/east along Sierra Hwy from Soledad indicating the specific places along Sierra Hwy where you saw flames. You indicated a specific area where the flames had died out. We knew that was near our home & all was well for us. That is another reason why we turn to your station whenever there is an emergency in the SCV. Thank you!

  10. I knew I could count on you and your staff at KHTS for the important and up-to-date news on the fire, Carl Thanks and appreciation to you all!!

  11. I’ve heard it all around town….had it not been for KHTS none of our residents would have known what to do, where to go and how best to get there. KHTS not only saved lives, you saved the broken hearts who left everything in the rear view mirror. The community was glued to the radio, and you KHTS, were the only voice for all of us. There are no words to truly express the gratitude.

  12. Carl you did an amazing job keeping us all informed.

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About Carl Goldman

Carl Goldman, along with his wife, Jeri repurchased KHTS AM-1220, Santa Clarita’s hometown station on October 24, 2003. They owned it from 1990-1998, and then sold it to Clear Channel Communication in 1998, buying it back from Clear Channel in 2003. Since then, they have rebuilt KHTS as a critical voice of the Valley. In 2015 the radio station moved to its new headquarters on Main Street in Old Town Newhall, in the original Newhall Hardware building. In 2018 an FM was added, 98.1, with its signal being simulcast with AM-1220. In January 2020, Carl and Jeri cruised on the Diamond Princess. Carl was one of the first Americans to come down with Covid-19. Months earlier he was impacted by Guillain Barre Syndrome as a result of a Shingles vaccine in September 2019. He is still in recovery from the vaccine.