Best Of America At Night

Rich Valdés is a seasoned media professional with extensive experience in multiple media
formats including radio, podcasting, television, and print journalism as well as a
demonstrated passion for policy and education.
Valdés is the host of “The Jim Bohannon Show,” a news/talk audio program syndicated by
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One. Each weeknight from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET., Valdés talks
with special guests and loyal callers about a spectrum of topics ranging from current
events and politics to entertainment and pop culture.
Prior to being named permanent host of the Jim Bohannon Show in October 2022, Valdés
was a regular guest host of the show as well as “The Mark Levin Show,” two of Westwood
One’s most popular programs that are heard on more than 300 affiliates. Valdés also is an
associate producer of “The Mark Levin Show,” the second largest nationally syndicated
live daily conservative talk radio program in the US. Both Bohannon and Levin
enthusiastically endorsed Valdés for his new hosting role. Bohannon calls Valdés “a very
bright, vibrant young man” while Levin says Valdés “is superb … compelling, entertaining,
smart, and an unapologetic patriot.”
Valdés also hosts the podcast This is American with Rich Valdés, which started in 2019
with Cumulus Media on WABC in New York City and was signed by YEA Networks in July
2021. The podcast debuted at number 25 on Apple’s Politics chart (2019).
In addition, Valdés hosts a weekend radio program that can be heard terrestrially in
Philadelphia on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT, featuring entertaining and informative
commentary on news, society, and culture along with live calls from listeners. Early in his
media career, Valdés hosted live news/talk call-in programs for 77 WABC Radio in New
York City and 107.1 WLIR-FM and was a frequent fill-in host for “Bernie and Sid in the
Morning” and “The Rudy Giuliani Show” in afternoon drive/evenings.
A conservative commentator, Valdés has been a frequent opinion contributor to
Newsmax TV, a conference speaker at TEDx, and a regular columnist for The Washington
Times, penning “A-List on Americanism,” which examined current events and social
issues through the lenses of politics, entertainment, and popular culture.
In the realm of politics and policy, Valdés was named Advisor to President Trump’s
National Diversity Coalition. Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey appointed Valdés to
his Advisory Committee at the New Jersey Center for Hispanic Policy Research &
Development in 2017 and asked him to serve in the Office of Family Support Services to
provide leadership and oversight to 14 of the 42 state-funded Family Success Centers in
the northern New Jersey region. Valdés also volunteered with the Republican National
Hispanic Assembly of USA to build a membership organization fostering the principles of
the Republican Party in the Hispanic community in New Jersey.
In addition, Valdés has served as Chairman of the Advocacy Committee for the United
Nations Association (UNA-USA) Northern New Jersey chapter (NNJ).
As a Congressional staff assistant for US Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-5), Valdés assisted with
legislative case work and constituent services. He also was a Volunteer Coordinator for
the Republican National Committee.
Valdés was Producer and Director of Special Operations at Project Veritas, an educational
non-profit watchdog group and political action committee dedicated to informing the
public by producing investigative video and public affairs programming focused on
exposing institutional and political corruption, government waste, and fraud.
Education has been an enduring passion for Valdés, who co-founded a charter school and
served as a school board member. He also held positions with Somerset Christian College
and Pillar College, Mandl School: The College of Allied Health, Berkeley College, and the
University of Phoenix, working to engage with the community and boost enrollment. He
was a member of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a group of socially conscious
music enthusiasts endeavoring to become mentors and generate funds to provide public
school children with a complete education that includes music.
Valdés is a proud American of Puerto Rican heritage, who is fluent in Spanish and
possesses a strong working knowledge of (Brazilian) Portuguese. His many pro-bono
efforts include serving as Chaplain and Director of Training and Education for the
Newark Police Department’s Clergy Affairs Unit, where he leads training initiatives for
the Newark Police Clergy Alliance, a volunteer group of interfaith ministers that offer
pastoral care to the police and citizenry of the City of Newark in cooperation with
Chaplains from the NPD Community/Clergy Affairs Unit and officials from the Mayor’s
Office of Clergy Affairs. A Gen-Xer, Valdés was born in Brooklyn, NY, and spent his teen
years in Hudson County, NJ. He is known as “your liberty-loving Latino amigo” and “the
voice of Hispanic conservatives.”