Tanya Free is carving her own niche in the radio talk show world.

She’s already come a long way.

She started with a one-minute broadcast a few years ago.

Now, the 54-year-old Richmond resident is the host of a homegrown weekly, hourlong broadcast she produces on Wednesday afternoons called “Tanya Free and Friends.

And her show is now being heard far from her base at WCLM AM 1450, a tiny Richmond outlet mostly heard across the city.

It’s also on FM stations in places like Las Vegas and Tampa, Fla., and she is ambitiously working to take it coast to coast. Listeners also tune in on their computers and cell phones.

Like other broadcasters, she focuses on current events — from immigration and the gridlock in Congress to high-profile crime cases and gender equality.

“I’d say everything is grist for the conversation,” says Ms. Free.

Instead of bouncing from topic to topic, though, she brings in a panel to focus on just one topic, which she calls the question of the week.

This week, for example, the show focused on the controversial death of a man who died after a New York police officer used a chokehold to subdue him.

She says sticking to a topic gives the panel “time to discuss it and allows listeners to focus.” Once the lines are open, calls come in from near and far with questions and opinions, which she says keeps the program lively.

“We get callers from California, New York and other places from people who have tuned in over the Internet,” she says.

Ms. Free is proud that her show is catching on outside Richmond. If she has her way, one day it will be on daytime TV.

A close-up of this week’s Personality, Tanya Free:

Place of birth: Washington, D.C.

Current home: Richmond.

Alma mater: Virginia State University, bachelor’s in English.

Occupation before the show: Insurance sales.

My career in broadcasting began: In 2005 with a weekly one-minute radio message titled “Tanya’s Tips.” I wanted to do more so I started writing a blog and then got a shot at a show.

Reason I got started: To give a voice to my TanyaFree.com. blog. I received encouragement and mentorship from Richmond radio legends Kirby Carmichael and “Chocolate Chip” Johnston, both longtime family friends. They introduced me to the owner of WCLM radio Preston Brown and to Elbravador, our engineer and announcer.

Stations where I’ve worked: WCLM 1450 AM in Richmond, WHAP 1340 AM in Hopewell and WMXP 95.5 FM in Greenville, S.C.

How I came up with the idea of Tanya Free and Friends: The show started as an opportunity to bring old friends around the table to discuss the world as they see it.

When show began: 2009.

Where show began: WCLM 1450 AM.

Other stations on which it now airs: 100.7 FM, Boulder, Colo.; 95.5 FM, Greenville, S.C.; 102.1 FM, Lancaster, Pa.; 107.1 FM, Las Vegas; 87.9 FM, Macon, Ga.; 104.1 FM, Milwaukee, Minn.; and 102.1 FM, Tampa, Fla.

Where ideas for topics come from: Straight from the daily news, from listener suggestions, from personal experiences and from special guests.

What drives me to do shows: The opportunity to cover a lot of stories that are not covered by the mainstream media and to share the airwaves with our friends on the panel and our listeners across the country.

Examples of topics: We call it social and political straight talk. In the past month alone we have covered topics ranging from the White House and Congress to race relations, gender equality, religion, sports, immigration and bias in the media. If it’s relevant, we will talk about it.

Reaction to show: Overwhelming. Our listeners are not shy when it comes to sharing their opinions on the air and on social media during and after the show. Many of our listeners listen on their smart phones through Live365.com and Tunein.com

Estimated number of listeners locally, nationally: We broadcast live 2 p.m. Wednesdays and have a reach of 75,000 people locally and an estimated 250,000 nationally on WCLM, the seven affiliated broadcast stations and the three internet networks. We have hundreds of downloads weekly of our archived shows.

My goal for the show: To continue to inform and to provide an opportunity for discussion.

Best part of the show: The fact that we are unscripted and our panelists and contributors represent views across the political spectrum that often leads to some pretty spirited debates.

Where I find panelists: Friends, associates and people I meet. Most are from Richmond.

What it means to have the show reaching other markets outside of Richmond: We are blessed.

Advice to young people who want to broadcast: Listen to a lot of different radio formats, study, find a mentor and volunteer at a radio station.

Three words that best describe me: Focused, committed and purposeful.

I am most motivated by: A challenge.

I am most discouraged by: Dishonesty.

Nobody knows that I am: Really an introvert.

Persons who influenced me the most: My parents. They instilled a strong work ethic in me at a very young age.

What I’m reading now: “Mayor for Life: The Incredible Story of Marion Barry, Jr.” by Marion Barry.” (I hope to have former Mayor Barry on the show in coming weeks.)

If I’ve learned one thing in life, it is: To always live with a purpose.

Next goal: To expand the number of radio stations carrying the show and to develop a TV version.