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KERO Celebrates 65 Years: Gene Greer, engineers and the people behind the scenes

Posted at 12:24 AM, Sep 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-24 20:22:09-04

As KERO celebrates 65 years of existence, we're also celebrating the people who work behind the scenes.

The engineering department at KERO consists of engineers, who install and maintain broadcast equipment, and directors, who direct the show and make sure it runs like it's supposed to. The department is vital for anything to actually make it on air, but it's a job that generally goes unnoticed by viewers.

"Like my mom, she would say 'you just go down there and push buttons, that's all you do, you push a button and something happens'," said Gene Greer, a retired KERO director. "I said no, there's a little more to it than that."

Greer worked at KERO for 47 years in the engineering department, first as a cameraman and later as a director.

"I just enjoyed the work, I enjoyed the people... it was exciting to me," Greer said.

Greer saw the progression to color television as KERO became Bakersfield's first live color TV station. He was also there for the transition from film to tapes and then tapes to digital videography over the course of nearly five decades.

Verlyn Gaines also worked in the engineering department, and both men would have to physically stay at the station's transmitter site on Breckenridge Mountain. The transmitter is much more automated now, as are many things at the station, but the work the engineering department does is still essential for the station to run properly.

"I loved the job, I loved what I did," Gaines said. "And I loved 23, it was a good place to work."

You can view a special Made in Kern County on the 65th anniversary here, and you can learn more about the set here. More 65th Anniversary pieces will be released throughout the week.