Rich Valdés is an American radio personality, television commentator, and entrepreneur known for hosting radio talk shows on WABC-AM and WLIR-FM in New York, WPHT-AM in Philadelphia, and on the nationally syndicated Westwood One Network.
In 2022, Valdes went from hosting a local talk show on station WPHT Philadelphia to a national show, inheriting the nightly nationwide talk show slot that was hosted by Jim Bohannon until Bohannon’s retirement and was pioneered by Larry King decades before that.
Valdés’s program maintains the same interview format as his predecessors with guest interviews in the first two hours of the show followed by the “Open Phones Across America” call-in format established by King in 1978.
Since 2018, Valdes has hosted talk shows on TalkRadio 77 WABC (770 kHz) in New York City, New York; a weekday call-in program on News Talk 107.1 WLIR (107.1 MHz) on Long Island New York, and weekends on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT (1210 kHz) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He is the host of This Is America with Rich Valdes streamed on iHeartRadio and distributed by YEA Networks. The show peaked at number 25 on the Apple Podcast chart for News/Politics (2019).
Nationwide, Valdes is known as the radio personality “Mr. Call Screener” or “Richie V.” the associate producer of the nationally syndicated “Mark Levin Show,” where he is a frequent substitute host of the program.
Occupation
Broadcaster, Radio Host, Radio Presenter, Media Personality
Early life
Valdés was born in Brooklyn, NY where he attended New York City Public School PS 197 and IS 240 Andreas Hudde Intermediate School. He moved to Hudson County, NJ when he was 12 years old. He attended Anna L Klein School, North Bergen High School, and North Hudson Vocational Technical School before becoming an entrepreneur and going to college.
Career
Rich Valdes studied cosmetology and held a state permit to cut hair he is the founder and original owner of Phat Fades Barber Shop.
Valdes served in the Administration of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from 2011-2013. In 2017 Valdes was appointed to the Governor’s Advisory Committee at the New Jersey State Center for Hispanic Policy Research and Development
Since 2018, Valdes has hosted talk shows on TalkRadio 77 WABC (770 kHz) in New York City, New York; a weekday call-in program on News Talk 107.1 WLIR (107.1 MHz) on Long Island New York, and weekends on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT (1210 kHz) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the host of This Is America with Rich Valdes streamed on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms and distributed by YEA Networks.
The tutelage and mentorship of two disciples of the late broadcaster Bob Grant (Mark Levin and Curtis Sliwa) can be heard in Valdés’s on-air use of satire. Valdés has also shared that his on-air analysis was also influenced by his friend and colleague John Batchelor, as well as James Dobson, Chuck Colson, and Spanish broadcaster Luis Jimenez.
