Paul Ryan
Host, America’s Heartland

Paul brings more than 35 years’ television experience to his role as host of America’s Heartland. Most recently, Paul served as host of the popular travel series, Experience America. Produced in 2001, the half-hour series is still widely viewed on PBS stations across the U.S.

Paul spent his early years in the small farming town of Wyoming, Illinois and moved with his family to California in the mid 1950s. He attended San Francisco State University where he majored in television and radio production. His strong journalism skills and natural aptitude for television lead to reporting and anchoring jobs at WBBM/CBS in Chicago and KRON/NBC, San Francisco. He was also the host of PM Northwest; a top-rated nightly half-hour on KOMO/ABC in Seattle and the face of Rendezvous, a popular travel series on the Discovery Channel. In addition, he anchored Travel NewsNow and Holiday USA, two long-running series on the Travel Channel.

In the early 1980’s, Paul joined News Travel Network in San Francisco, where he became senior reporter/writer for a company that produced and syndicated daily consumer travel reports for more than 75 local newscasts across the U.S. His duties took him to places as diverse as Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, Ireland, Portugal, Thailand and Australia.

Among Paul's awards are seven Emmys. Paul proudly served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps in its aviation division.

Jason Shoultz
Producer/Reporter, America’s Heartland

Jason brings a solid news background and a great storytelling style to his role as reporter/producer for America’s Heartland. An Iowa native, he graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis on political science.

Jason began his television career as a reporter for KWQC-TV in Davenport, Iowa. His exceptional journalism and storytelling skills soon helped his career evolve into the academic world, as he became a member of the adjunct faculty for Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. There, Jason was the instructor for a graduate-level broadcast journalism course. At the same time, Jason worked as a general assignment and special projects reporter/producer for the Fox affiliate in Hartford, Conn.

In 2004, Jason and his wife moved to the Sacramento area, where he became a reporter for the Fox affiliate. His work is known for being exceptionally creative, accurate, and entertaining.

Respected broadcast veteran and journalist George reading is best known as the very popular former host of California Heartland, a role he handled with skill and warmth for more than seven years.

George’s television news career spans six major California markets -- appearing in broadcasts on major network affiliates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento and Monterey. His career also included stops in St. Louis, Boston, Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago.

An accomplished correspondent and producer, George created documentary productions about volunteer medics in Mexico, underwater exploration in Monterey Bay, civil strife in Northern Ireland, and the 1984 Summer Olympics. His awards include the 1982 Los Angeles winner of the Golden Mike award for best TV news reporting.

Since his retirement as an anchor and reporter, George has established a video news department for Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and does voice-over and audio productions through his company, Voice Works. He and his wife currently reside in the Monterey area.