The “Utah Fan Culture” podcast and blog highlight Utah’s unique place in storytelling, arts, and entertainment — as well as the fans that support them.
Utah is unlike any other state due to its clash of conservative and liberal arts scenes, as well as a stunning variety of natural locations showcased at museums, venues, conventions, filming locations, historic landmarks, and more. That, coupled with community support, as Utah is ranked #1 for live arts participation per capita, showcases that “This is the place… for fans!” Even TIME declared it the Nerdiest State of the Union in 2014.
At Utah Fan Culture, former KSL’s “Fan Effect Podcast” host and producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen, continues her work showcasing fans, fandoms, and fantastic storytelling through reviews, interviews, and event spotlights. Along with her fellow fans, she invites others to get out and connect over the stories they love and continue to “Share Joy” wherever it can be found.
Host
KellieAnn Halvorsen
KellieAnn Halvorsen founded the Utah Fan Culture podcast and blog in 2026, building on her previous work at KSL and Deseret News.
Her motto in life is “Be Creative. Be Bold. Be Inspiring,” and she aims to connect audiences around Utah to the fandom community and culture. She hopes to “Share Joy!” into the world, as she has struggled herself with anxiety and chronic illness.
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Halvorsen’s day job is as a self-employed licensed massage therapist in the South Side of the Salt Lake Valley. While massage therapy is too physically draining to do full-time, she is happy to spend the other half of her life on creative endeavors like this, felting, crafting, drawing, writing, and more.
- Massage Therapist: Licensed, Insured & Nationally Certified, Since 2006.
- UT DOPL: 6255083-4701
- NCBTMB: 507834-06
- ABMP: 835854
- Freelance Creative: Audio/Video Editing, Graphics, Design, Writing, Art, Cosplay & Utah Fan-Culture Expert.
- B.S. Strategic Communications, 2016; University of Utah.
- A.S. Mass Communications, 2015; Salt Lake Community College.
From 2018- 2026, she worked at Deseret Management Corporation’s media branch as a radio, podcast, and content producer for KSL NewsRadio, then KSL Podcasts, Church News, and Deseret News. Her work supported DMC’s goal “to be trusted voices of light and truth influencing hundreds of millions of people worldwide.”
During that time, she helped produce thousands of radio shows, podcasts, special programming, events, videos, and other content for the company.
Some of her proudest achievements at DMC are:
- Launching and KSL NewsRadio’s Inside Sources, producing for The KSL Movie Show (and launching their club!).
- Producing and hosting the KSL Podcast’s Fan Effect podcast.
- Working on KSL Podcasts’ COLD and The Letter podcasts.
- Launching and producing the Church News Podcast.
- Assisting with Deseret News ‘ launch of their podcast division after the success of the Church News podcast, including the Utah Business Podcast and Deseret Voices.
- Producing content across various DMC entities, including KSLTV and Deseret Book, a variety of special programming, and radio biannual “Conference Conversations” specials.
- Researching and writing for hosts as well as being a contributor to the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio.
Cohosts
Chris Graham & Jenna “JJ” Safley
Chris and Jenna are a married couple who met through their love of Tolkien and now manage “Games & Things” Utah, dice and games vending at conventions and more.
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Chris Graham’s passion for music and storytelling began at an early age when he discovered “The Hobbit” on a kids’ Read-Along Book and Record set featuring the 1977 Rankin/Bass classic. From there, he launched into a variety of fantasy and fantastic storytelling fandoms, from “Dune” to “Over the Garden Wall.”
Chris studied communications at Brigham Young University, graduating with a bachelor’s in Journalism and Multimedia and a minor in filmmaking. He is currently working on launching a podcast, “What’s the BIG IDEA?!,” and plays guitar.
Jenna Safley is an avid reader, gamer, and dreamer. Her passion for sharing the card, board, and RPG games she loves led her to create the “Games & Things” store and, with the help of her husband, hopes to bring the vending into a real brick-and-mortar store one day, with an event space and other supports for fellow fans and gamers. She regularly participates in creative groups, Dungeons & Dragons, and supports local artists.
JJ spends her free time learning all she can about the spiritual and metaphysical world, reading tarot cards, and meditating on her latest cipher strategy or D&D DM session.
Heather Kelly McShane
Heather Kelly McShane’s voice has been well known across Utah as an on-and-off-airtalent with KSL NewsRadio and iHeartMedia from roughly 2005-2025. Now she is pursuing freelance reporting on “The Heather Kelly Show: Discussing money, science, music, and culture — if it affects your life, she talks about it.”
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Heather has so many interests she sometimes doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. But talking to people is her biggest passion.
After a double major in Aviation & Management with a minor in Theater, Heather spent time in the airline industry, then worked as a veterinary technician and a news reporter. Along the way, she created, produced, and hosted KSL’s “Money Making Sense” podcast, which was nominated five times for the People’s Choice Podcast Awards over eight years.
Heather is now a Public Information Officer for a state government agency, where she’s building another podcast to discuss all things energy. Learning new things by talking to guests is one of her biggest rewards, along with passing that information on to others.
Follow Heather:
- Facebook: HeatherKellyNews
- Instagram: HeatherKellyNews
- LinkedIn: heather-kelly-mcshane
Guests
Rachel Wagner
Film & Theater Critic.
Rachel Reviews
