KMBY TV launches the “Monterey on Tonight with Host Gary Morris: The Meet and Greet TV Channel”

January 2024. Monterey, CA.  Renowned media figure Gary Cocola has introduced the groundbreaking "Monterey on Tonight with Host Gary Morris: The Meet and Greet TV Channel" on Channel 27.10, available both over the air and via streaming on kmbytv.com. Broadcasting a series of 70 dynamic "Monterey on Tonight" TV programs that Gary has filmed over the past year and a half, the content runs continuously on KMBY, except during the live Sunday evening show tapings from 6 pm to 9 pm.

Gary Morris, the proprietor of KMBY TV, shared his enthusiasm, noting, "Over the past eighteen months, I've had the privilege of interviewing over 200 fascinating community members, most of whom reside in Monterey County. These programs offer viewers a unique opportunity to virtually 'meet' these individuals and subsequently 'greet' them in person or if they reach out to contact them via phone, Zoom or email. Viewers can revisit specific interviews on the kmbytv.com archive page for on-demand viewing where we have all of the guests listed on each show."

For more information and a list of archived shows, go to www.kmbytv.com/archive.

About the "Monterey on Tonight" Show

With a premiere date of June 26, 2022, at 6 p.m., "Monterey on Tonight with Gary Morris" launched on Monterey's KMBY, Channel 27.10. Hosted and produced by Gary Cocola, a stalwart in Central California's local television scene through Cocola Broadcasting Companies, the three-hour program features a blend of interviews with local business owners, artisans, non-profit representatives, and captivating individuals, complemented by music videos handpicked by Cocola and his technical director, Dylan Holmes.

Cocola, adopting the moniker Gary Morris for this TV venture, brings a wealth of on-air experience, having been a panelist on the Fresno series "Open House" over fifty years ago and the host of "TV Record Hop." Gary was known as the “Dick Clark of Fresno” for a long time. He also has purchased and run a large number of independent stations and knows the broadcasting industry very well. A dozen years prior, he and his wife, Juliana, hosted a similar program in Monterey, titled "Monterey on Tonight with Gary and Juls."

Breaking from tradition, Cocola shares the limelight with a different female co-host each week. Those aspiring to co-host can reach out to Cocola via email at [email protected] or by calling (831) 375-1919 or Wendy Brickman at [email protected] or by calling 831-594-1500.

With his vision of featuring diverse guests in each hour, Cocola casts a wide net, welcoming individuals with new businesses, non-profit affiliations, and more. The show's interviews are conducted in-studio, over the phone, or via Zoom, with a singular focus on showcasing the vibrancy of the local community.

Having made the Monterey Peninsula his home since 2005, Cocola's deep understanding of the community contributes to the success of "Monterey on Tonight” which is reaching nearly 2000 viewers per week and over 268,000 biewers to date. For those within the broadcast signal's reach or beyond, the show is easily accessible through KMBY, Channel 27.10, and online streaming at www.kmbytv.com. What he is doing in Monterey, is also duplicated in the large Fresno market on Channel 16.1 over the air, also available on streaming on kmbytv.com.

More About Gary Cocola

Gary M. Cocola is the Owner of Cocola Broadcasting Companies LLC, with headquarters in Fresno, California.

Cocola Broadcasting Companies is the licensee of television stations, serving the Fresno, Bakersfield, and Monterey, California television markets.  He also operates several television stations in the Boise, Idaho market.

He gained his first experience with the television business at the age of 17 while working for a local Fresno television station.  He first worked as a panelist on a local program at KFRE-TV in Fresno, called “Open House” with Al Radka.  His job was to judge new records for a program called “Traffic Pops.”  He then became a co-host of the television program “TV Record Hop,” a local dance-party show in Fresno and the Top Ten Platter Den, a local dance-party show in Bakersfield.

This television experience was gained while he was attending San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno. While attending Fresno State College, he hosted his own programs on both radio & television in the Fresno, Bakersfield, and Monterey, California markets.

Several years later he left the Broadcasting Industry to join his father in the family produce business. After working with his father, he opened his own produce sales and marketing business and it was very successful, but the work didn’t fulfill him.  As a result, he decided to return to his original field of interest.

In l985, after a seven-year effort to obtain a construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission, he built Full Power Channel 59, KMSG-TV (now KFRE CW 59) in Fresno. He left the produce industry to own and operate the station.  At that time, Channel 59 was an affiliate of the Spanish language network, Telemundo.  He sold that station in l991.

In l992, he formed Cocola Broadcasting Companies with the launch of KGMC-TV Channel 43 currently the Fresno markets Estrella TV Network Affiliate.  KGMC also carries Daystar Religious Network, QVC Network, Antenna TV Network, Cozi TV Network, the Laff Channel, and Me-TV Network on its sub channels.

Channel 43.1 is also carried on the Comcast Cable system on Channel 10 and on Dish, DirecTV and ATT U-verse systems on Channel 43. Cozi TV Network (43.8) is carried on Comcast Channel 378 and Me-TV (43.6) is carried on Comcast Channel 375.

In June of 2009 with the switch of television stations from analog to digital, Cocola Broadcasting now operates several streams of video on the converted stations.

Cocola Broadcasting is the largest privately held Television broadcasting company in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

In June of 2022, using the name Gary Morris (his on air name in 1962 at KMBY Radio in Monterey) he launched a weekly Television program on KMBY TV Monterey Channel 19.4 (Now Channel 27.10) called Monterey On Tonight. The show is a blend of interviews with local business owners, artisans, non-profit representatives and people who just have an interesting story to tell with music videos/concerts  selected by Cocola. The program is seen every Sunday evening from 6 to 9 pm PST and can be additionally viewed worldwide streaming at www.kmbytv.com