Peter Kerner died at 88 years old on March 26, 2026. He was the head of Cal’s TV Office when I started at KALX in 1978. I’d like KALX to remember him.
I did not know Peter well, but I worked with him, and I benefited from his work. Peter’s role at KALX was essentially the University’s overseer and liaison to the station for many years. I was the student member of the Radio Policy Board from 1979 to 1980 (approximately), so I saw him in action. Peter was level-headed and a good listener.
According to his obituary, he’d been a producer at KQED-TV, KRON-TV, and in the Army Signal Corps, before coming to Cal and working in instructional technology. I guess that his training – producing on-time and under pressure – showed in his approach to overseeing KALX.
I was looking for him last year because, after talking to Josette Thornhill about KALX in the 70s and 80s, I started wondering how it was that Peter was so forgiving of all the instigations and headaches that KALX’s rebellious, headstrong, inventive staff, many of them non-students, brought on the University and thereby Kerner himself. I am certain other administrators would have simply taken us off the air, given up the license (like KUSF in 2011), fired all the management, sent away all the non-students (like KZSU in 1978), etc. But Peter stayed the course, and KALX’s special role in East Bay culture rolled on until this day, thanks to a modest, straight-laced, soft-spoken administrator.
Whatever it took, all of KALX, and decades of Bay Area independent music, owe Peter Kerner a debt of gratitude. Thanks, Peter.
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Ron Wurtz says, “I was on the KALX staff from 1978 to 1988. In about 1978 to 1981 I was co-Program Director (splitting a $75/month stipend), Production Director, Training Director. I also did air shows, wrote PSAs, did production, live remotes, library work, a little public affairs and sports, did some work on the program guides, I think mine was the first-ever show reviewed by the PRC, and I emptied a lot of trash cans.”
