Gavin has worked in community media for over 25 years as a journalist, producer, DJ, host, director, and leader. He grew up between Seattle and Austin, winning the Texas Young Playwrights Festival and writing a music column called The Bomb in the Austin American-Statesman, getting his first SXSW press credential at age 16.
Gavin got his start in radio at KVRX Austin ‘None of the Hits, All of the Time’ his freshman year of college. His first paid radio gig was for Seattle’s Progressive Talk, the Air America Radio affiliate where he was a producer, board operator, and promoter. Next he staffed fiercely independent KAOS Olympia at The Evergreen State College where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in media production and community organizing in 2008. He met his wife at Free Press conference for Media Reform that year. He helped launch KRBX Boise and wrote for Boise Weekly, became the first ever news director at KYRS Spokane, worked as a junior editor for RawStory.com, and volunteered for KDVS and KDRT in Davis while serving in AmeriCorps with the nonprofit Common Frequency.
A role with David Barsamian at the nationally syndicated program Alternative Radio brought him to Colorado for what ended up being a decade of his career. There he volunteered as a programmer and board member at KGNU Boulder/Denver, wrote for Boulder Weekly, hosted for Free Speech TV, and led the government transparency video archiving project at Open Media Foundation including two legislative sessions working in the control room for The Colorado Channel at the Capitol.
He moved across the Rockies to become news director at KDNK Carbondale/Aspen. Soon after arriving, he was promoted to general manager at KDNK and he and his wife welcomed their daughter. He chaired the board for Rocky Mountain Community Radio coalition when RMCR began expanding news collaborations leading to the hiring of a managing editor. Next he served as news director & Morning Edition host at KVNF Paonia/Montrose where he won Colorado Broadcasters Association awards and earned recognition in the Society of Professional Journalists Top of Rockies contest.
Most recently, Gavin moved to Salt Lake City in 2022 to serve as Executive Director at KRCL Salt Lake City, where he hosts Bubbling Up playing 50 new songs every Tuesday night. Gavin is a frequent guest speaker for university courses and always loves helping facilitate conversations at NFCB conferences and other gatherings of like-minded folks.
