KPBS Premieres New Episodes of Ken Kramer's About San Diego

“Ken Kramer’s About San Diego” is returning to the air Thursday nights at 8 p.m., beginning January 25 with five new episodes on KPBS.

“Ken Kramer's About San Diego” is a collection of stories about the history and people of the area we call home. Ranging over all of San Diego County, the stories often deal with little known things about our past, and how they relate to places we see everyday. Almost everything and every place in San Diego has some kind of story behind it. “Ken Kramer's About San Diego” tells those stories in a fun and informal way.

“Some of the stories and locations featured in this series of new shows were suggested by viewers,” host Ken Kramer says. “It’s through them and their story tips that I myself learn new things all the time about San Diego.”

There are five new episodes:

Thursday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.

They are among the most remarkable metal sculptures to be found anywhere in the world, but who created them and why? We meet the artistic genius behind Borrego Springs’ one-of-a-kind desert creations. Plus we discover a place that was at the very forefront of top-secret communications technology a couple of decades ago, a man who made San Diego history because of a song that continuously repeated in his head.

Thursday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.

Where in San Diego did some of the greatest names in country perform? Discover Bostonia Ballroom, a hot-spot for Western Swing music in El Cajon a half-century ago. Then uncover the history of a small graveyard by Highway 56 in Carmel Valley, visit a one-of-a-kind granite house and its 103-year old owner, and discover how the sun was responsible for the design of a century-old landmark.

Thursday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.

We meet a man who loves the life and history of the fiercely independent mountain men of the 1840’s and built a fort in Alpine to pay tribute to their world. San Diego’s centennial cannon was lost for years but now it’s been found and restored. How did it happen? We take a look back at San Diego’s early baseball history and remember a time when the game was much more civilized and less competitive than today.

Thursday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.

In the Gaslamp days of San Diego’s past, everybody loved “Bum,” the city’s official town dog, who became so popular and well known, his likeness appeared on dog licenses. We take a look inside the old-time general store in Santa Ysabel, remember the national champion San Diego State Aztec basketball team of 1941 and see what movie from the 1940s had everyone falling in love with San Diego.

Thursday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.

Get an update on several stories About San Diego, including a return visit to the Kensington Caves, a network of tunnels and rooms beneath a house on the rim of an urban canyon. We then visit a man who is always on watch, working from a fire lookout in a remote part of San Diego’s backcountry. Go back in time to remember a famous car salesman in post-war San Diego who would make you the deal of a lifetime in order to sell you a car that might be running…or not.

“I love that KPBS has become home to this series, and it’s exciting to be part of the Explore series of local programs on the station. The best TV is always local. There’s a connection between the show and its viewers that I truly treasure,” says Kramer.

For more information about “Ken Kramer’s About San Diego” and to stream episodes, visit video.kpbs.org/show/ken-kramers-about-san-diego.

About KPBS:

KPBS serves San Diego and Imperial counties with trusted news and programs that inspire, respect and educate. KPBS delivers this content to more than one million audience members weekly via multiple outlets, including television, radio and digital media. As a public service of San Diego State University, education is a core value – from our children’s programming to our local news coverage. KPBS is committed to being a reliable source for in-depth, thoughtful and high-quality content. For more information, visit kpbs.org.