Ken Kramer (broadcaster)
Ken Kramer | |
|---|---|
| Education | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1960s–2015 |
| Known for | About San Diego |
Ken Kramer is an American television and radio broadcaster, producer, and journalist based in San Diego, California. He is the creator, producer and host of Ken Kramer's About San Diego, a long-running local-history program that began on radio in 1972 and later became a television series. Kramer has worked in San Diego broadcasting since the late 1960s, including at KPBS, KSDO and KNSD.[1][2][3]
Kramer has received 14 Emmy Awards, 8 Golden Mikes, the KPBS Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction into the KPBS Hall of Fame.[4][5]
Early life and education
[edit]Kramer grew up in Pasadena, California. He developed an interest in radio as a child and later attended Pasadena City College, where he worked in broadcasting, before transferring to San Diego State University.[1][2][6] He graduated from San Diego State in 1974 with a degree in radio and television.[6]
While attending San Diego State, Kramer began working at KEBS, the university radio station that became KPBS. He initially worked as an announcer and subsequently became involved in news programming. By 1971, he was the station's director of news and information programming.[6]
Kramer has cited Los Angeles broadcaster Ralph Story and his local-history television programs as an influence on his approach to broadcasting.[6]
Career
[edit]Radio and journalism
[edit]Kramer began working in San Diego broadcasting in 1968.[1][2] During his early career at KPBS, he worked in radio and television production and news. He later contributed reports to NPR; by 1985, the Los Angeles Times reported that he had written approximately 250 feature reports for the network.[1][2]
Kramer also worked in commercial radio, including at KENK and KSDO. At KSDO, About San Diego was broadcast as short local-history and human-interest segments during morning and afternoon drive time.[1][2][6]
About San Diego
[edit]Kramer created About San Diego at KPBS in 1972, initially as a half-hour radio program.[6][7] The program focused on local history, unusual places and people in San Diego County.
Kramer produced experimental television versions of the concept during the late 1970s. The television version debuted on KPBS in 1979.[1][2][7]
After leaving KPBS, Kramer continued About San Diego in commercial broadcasting. The program aired in radio form on KSDO beginning in the 1980s and later became associated with KNSD (NBC 7 San Diego).[6] Kramer worked as a reporter at NBC 7 and produced a half-hour television version of About San Diego there before the program returned to KPBS in 2010.[7]
Kramer's stories typically focus on lesser-known aspects of San Diego history and local culture. His approach has included withholding the identity of a location or subject until the conclusion of a segment, a storytelling technique developed during his earlier radio work.[6]
Kramer announced his retirement from regular production of About San Diego in 2015.[3][6] He later continued producing occasional installments of the program. PBS describes the series as an Emmy-winning local-history program about the people, places and history of San Diego County.[8]
Recognition
[edit]Kramer and About San Diego have received numerous honors for local broadcasting. His work has received Emmy and Golden Mike awards as well as recognition from organizations including the Society of Professional Journalists and San Diego Press Club.[9]
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors proclaimed a "Ken Kramer Day" in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to documenting local history.[9]
Kramer was inducted into the KPBS Hall of Fame as a Lifetime Achievement honoree. KPBS has also recognized his decades of work in public broadcasting and local-history programming.[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Josephson, Judith P.; Fine, Edith H. (1985-07-31). "Master of Ad Lib Seeking Angel for S.D. Program". The Los Angeles Times. p. 48. Retrieved 2025-11-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Josephson, Judith P.; Fine, Edith H. (1985-07-31). "Master of Ad Lib Seeking Angel for S.D. Program". The Los Angeles Times. p. 49. Retrieved 2025-11-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Wilkens, John (2015-02-16). "About Ken Kramer: He's retiring". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2025-11-29.
- ↑ "KPBS Hall Of Fame". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ↑ "Ken Kramer's About San Diego". Ken Kramer's About San Diego. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pollack, Mimi (2015-06-24). "Ken Kramer's Last 'About San Diego' Airs Thursday". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2025-11-29.
- 1 2 3 4 "KPBS's Ken Kramer Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award". KPBS. February 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Ken Kramer's About San Diego". PBS.
- 1 2 "Ken Kramer". KPBS Public Media.