Ron Baker was a versatile part of the news and sports departments at KNEW for nearly thirty years.
Before landing in the Bay Area, Baker was a popular TV weatherman in Phoenix. After joining the news staff at KNEW in 1966, Baker played numerous roles, staying with the station through several format changes, from Oldies and Adult Contemporary music to Talk, and finally Country Music.
Hired by news director Gil Haar, Baker had a significant assignment on September 18, 1966 when he provided airborne traffic reports for the inaugural event at the new Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. While the Kansas City Chiefs took a bit of the luster off of the day by beating the Oakland Raiders 32-10, the crowd of over 50,000 was the largest in Raiders history and traffic around the Hegenberger Road stadium complex was a major story.
Baker entertained listeners as KNEW’s sports director for several years, then switched to covering the news, working under Knowles Robertson throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. During those years, Baker provided first-hand reports on numerous major stories including the 1982 Caldecott Tunnel fire, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake,, and the 1991 Oakland Hills fire. Baker’s quick wit as a member of the Wailin in the Morning show helped to boost KNEW’s ratings.
Baker was deeply involved in community and charity work, opening his home to listeners to help raise funds for the American Diabetes Association and other nonprofits. He retired in 1994.