Ray Watson (broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Raymond A. Watson (born 1936) is a former television executive who has been a member of the Board of Supervisors in Kern County, California, representing the western part of the county, since November 2002. He was chairman of the board in 2010. Watson was named Broadcaster of the Year by the California Broadcasters Association
in 2002. He is on the advisory committee of the Carrizo Plain National Monument and is a director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
, in 1936 and moved to Kern County in 1978. He is married to Marlene Watson, and they have two grown children.
Watson is a graduate of the University of Southern California
with a degree in accounting. He served in the United States Army Finance Corps
, when he was based at Fort Irwin, California
. He is a member of St. Paul's Anglican Church.
with the firm of Ernst and Ernst
in Los Angeles and San Diego from 1962 to 1966. He also worked in finance, administration, and personnel for Time-Life
Broadcasting Company and McGraw-Hill
Broadcasting Company in San Diego for nine years.
He was vice president and general manager of television stations in Bakersfield, Fresno
, Santa Maria
and San Luis Obispo for a total of 27 years. Watson was named Broadcaster of the Year (2002) by the California Broadcasters Association
.
He was head of KERO TV-10 in Bakersfield from 1975 to 1981, then went to KMGH TV-7 in Denver, Colorado. In 1983 Watson was back in Bakersfield as vice president and general manager of KGET TV-17. He was on the board of directors of the California Broadcasters Association and the Broadcasting Financial Management Association.
KGET dedicated its downtown studio building in Watson's name upon his retirement from broadcasting in July 2002.
(CSUB), as Community Leader
of the Year. Watson has been president of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
, the Downtown Business Association, and the Bakersfield Rotary Club
. He has been on the Kern Medical Center Blue Ribbon Committee and the CSUB President's Advisory Committee. He has been a board member of both the Bakersfield College
and Memorial Hospital foundations, as well as the board of the Bakersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is on the advisory committee of the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
He was chairman of the Employers Training Resource Private Industry
Council of Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties, Future Bakersfield Foundation, United Way of Bakersfield, Kern Transportation Foundation, and Kern View Foundation.
He was elected to a third term in June 2008. He was accused by his opponent, Cliff Thompson, of "playing dirty backroom games" during the campaign. The latter claimed that Watson had told Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall
, owner of an ambulance service, to move Hall's public relations man
off Thompson's campaign team. Watson denied the charge. Watson had 11,064 votes to Thompson's 8,005. Thompson was endorsed by State Senator Dean Florez
and public employee unions.
In 2010, Watson was named chairman of the board by his fellow supervisors for a one-year term.
The 4th District covers the rural, western part of the county, and in 2010 it included the towns of Lost Hills
, Wasco
, Buttonwillow
, McKittrick
, Tupman
, Taft
, Maricopa
, Pine Mountain Club, Lebec
and Frazier Park
.
Watson strongly criticized State Senator Dean Florez
for introducing a bill that would have banned all dairies within three miles of any school or urban area, to improve air quality. Watson said he wanted "customized buffers around cities that could be closer than three miles in some places and farther in others." He also stated that it was "a local planning issue and it should remain so. Kern County should not allow the state to usurp the authority of local governments to establish land use policies."
Public safety, 2008
Residents of Pine Mountain Club
were "angered by Watson's opposition to the county paying for a permanent ambulance or firefighter paramedics in their small town in the mountains above Frazier Park
."
Oil tax, 2010
Watson declared his opposition to a bill in the State Assembly by Fremont
Democrat Alberto Torrico
to impose a 12.5 percent severance tax
on oil production. "This tax is aimed right at the heart of our economy," he said. He predicted the tax would result in the loss of 7,000 oil industry-related jobs and millions of dollars in unrealized tax receipts. Kern County produced 60 percent of the state's oil in 2010.
Maricopa annexation, 2011
He declared himself open to the county's taking over the city of Maricopa
in the event it would be disincorporated. "It's sad," he said. "When you drive down the street almost all the businesses are boarded up. It could be a quaint little place, but investors would want to know that the city was going to be liquid and provide necessary services."
State prisoners, 2011
Watson said he was encouraged by a plan to retain state prisoners in county jails beginning October 1, 2011. He said he especially liked Kern County's plan to confine the prisoners to their homes with electronic monitoring and the creation of fire camps to train them as firefighters.
As a member of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, Watson voted in favor of a $12-per-vehicle annual fee to fight air pollution, but only on those vehicles registered in the Valley. Activists complained that Valley vehicles contributed only 9 percent of the ozone problem, but Watson said that "I think $1 a month from vehicle owners is not too much to ask, especially if it prevents businesses from shutting down because they can't afford to pay the penalty."
Altamont mitigation, 2011
Watson commented critically on an agreement between the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the developers of a power plant in Alameda County, near Livermore
, by which the developer would pay $200,000 to the district in mitigation of pollution that would be blown into the San Joaquin Valley by the predominantly easterly winds over the Altamont Pass
. The funds would be used to upgrade famers' diesel pumps or replace their trucks or tractors, among other possibilities. "Those engines will be purchased and we will get no gain out of it," he said.
California Broadcasters Association
The California Broadcasters Association represents radio and television stations in California. It has sponsored debates between California gubernatorial candidates....
in 2002. He is on the advisory committee of the Carrizo Plain National Monument and is a director of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
Biography
Watson was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, in 1936 and moved to Kern County in 1978. He is married to Marlene Watson, and they have two grown children.
Watson is a graduate of the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
with a degree in accounting. He served in the United States Army Finance Corps
Finance Corps
The United States Army Finance Corps is a combat service support branch of the United States Army. The Finance Corps is the successor to the old Pay Department, which was created in June 1775. The Finance Department was created by law on 1 July 1920 . It became the Finance Corps in 1950. It is...
, when he was based at Fort Irwin, California
Fort Irwin Military Reservation
Fort Irwin & the National Training Center is a major training area for the United States Military and is a census-designated place located in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Fort Irwin's...
. He is a member of St. Paul's Anglican Church.
Television experience
Watson was a certified public accountantCertified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
with the firm of Ernst and Ernst
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
in Los Angeles and San Diego from 1962 to 1966. He also worked in finance, administration, and personnel for Time-Life
Time-Life
Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
Broadcasting Company and McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, broadcasting, and business services...
Broadcasting Company in San Diego for nine years.
He was vice president and general manager of television stations in Bakersfield, Fresno
Fresno
Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
, Santa Maria
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
and San Luis Obispo for a total of 27 years. Watson was named Broadcaster of the Year (2002) by the California Broadcasters Association
California Broadcasters Association
The California Broadcasters Association represents radio and television stations in California. It has sponsored debates between California gubernatorial candidates....
.
He was head of KERO TV-10 in Bakersfield from 1975 to 1981, then went to KMGH TV-7 in Denver, Colorado. In 1983 Watson was back in Bakersfield as vice president and general manager of KGET TV-17. He was on the board of directors of the California Broadcasters Association and the Broadcasting Financial Management Association.
KGET dedicated its downtown studio building in Watson's name upon his retirement from broadcasting in July 2002.
Community service
Watson was awarded the John Brock Award by the School of Business and Public Administration at California State University, BakersfieldCalifornia State University, Bakersfield
California State University, Bakersfield is a public university located in Bakersfield, California, United States which was founded in 1965. CSUB opened in 1970 on a campus, becoming the 19th school in the California State University system...
(CSUB), as Community Leader
Community leader
A Community Leader is a designation, often by secondary sources , for a person who is perceived to represent a community. A simple way to understand community leadership is to see it as leadership in, for and by the community...
of the Year. Watson has been president of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, the Downtown Business Association, and the Bakersfield Rotary Club
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
. He has been on the Kern Medical Center Blue Ribbon Committee and the CSUB President's Advisory Committee. He has been a board member of both the Bakersfield College
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield College is a public community college located in Bakersfield, California, USA. Bakersfield College has an official Twitter account at @bcrenegades and an official...
and Memorial Hospital foundations, as well as the board of the Bakersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. He is on the advisory committee of the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
He was chairman of the Employers Training Resource Private Industry
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
Council of Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties, Future Bakersfield Foundation, United Way of Bakersfield, Kern Transportation Foundation, and Kern View Foundation.
Elections
Watson was elected to the county Board of Supervisors in November 2002 to represent the 4th District after Supervisor Ken Peterson died in office. He was reelected in 2004.He was elected to a third term in June 2008. He was accused by his opponent, Cliff Thompson, of "playing dirty backroom games" during the campaign. The latter claimed that Watson had told Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall
Harvey Hall
Harvey L. Hall is the current mayor of Bakersfield, California, serving his third term, having last been re-elected in June 2008. Hall was first elected in 2000, and first re-elected in 2004...
, owner of an ambulance service, to move Hall's public relations man
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
off Thompson's campaign team. Watson denied the charge. Watson had 11,064 votes to Thompson's 8,005. Thompson was endorsed by State Senator Dean Florez
Dean Florez
Dean Raymond Florez was a California State Senator from the 16th Senate District from 2002 until the end of his second term in November of 2010.Florez was born and reared in the Central Valley....
and public employee unions.
In 2010, Watson was named chairman of the board by his fellow supervisors for a one-year term.
The 4th District covers the rural, western part of the county, and in 2010 it included the towns of Lost Hills
Lost Hills, California
Lost Hills is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Lost Hills is located west-northwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 305 feet...
, Wasco
Wasco, California
Wasco is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California, United States. Wasco is located northwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 328 feet...
, Buttonwillow
Buttonwillow, California
Buttonwillow is a census-designated place in the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California, United States. Buttonwilliow is located west of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 269 feet . The population was 1,508 at the 2010 census, up from 1,266 at the 2000 census...
, McKittrick
McKittrick, California
McKittrick is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. McKittrick is located northwest of Taft, at an elevation of 1056 feet . The population was 115 at the 2010 census, down from 160 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Tupman
Tupman, California
Tupman is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Tupman is located west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 331 feet...
, Taft
Taft, California
Taft is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet . The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census...
, Maricopa
Maricopa, California
Maricopa is a city in Kern County, California, United States. Maricopa is located south-southeast of Taft, at an elevation of 883 feet . The population was 1,154 at the 2010 census, up from 1,111 at the 2000 census. Maricopa lies at the junction of Route 166 and Route 33...
, Pine Mountain Club, Lebec
Lebec, California
Lebec is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Kern County, California. It is one of the Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass, and the home of the Tejon Ranch Company. Lebec is south of Bakersfield. The population was 1,468 in the 2010 census, up from 1,224 in...
and Frazier Park
Frazier Park, California
Frazier Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Kern County, California. Frazier Park is west of Lebec, at an elevation of 4,639 feet . It is one of the Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass...
.
Positions
State powers, 2003Watson strongly criticized State Senator Dean Florez
Dean Florez
Dean Raymond Florez was a California State Senator from the 16th Senate District from 2002 until the end of his second term in November of 2010.Florez was born and reared in the Central Valley....
for introducing a bill that would have banned all dairies within three miles of any school or urban area, to improve air quality. Watson said he wanted "customized buffers around cities that could be closer than three miles in some places and farther in others." He also stated that it was "a local planning issue and it should remain so. Kern County should not allow the state to usurp the authority of local governments to establish land use policies."
Public safety, 2008
Residents of Pine Mountain Club
Pine Mountain Club, California
Pine Mountain Club is an unincorporated private community and census-designated place in Kern County, California, northwest of the San Fernando Valley and west of Gorman. It is one of the mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass, and sits in a deep valley on the San Andreas fault, in the same area...
were "angered by Watson's opposition to the county paying for a permanent ambulance or firefighter paramedics in their small town in the mountains above Frazier Park
Frazier Park, California
Frazier Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Kern County, California. Frazier Park is west of Lebec, at an elevation of 4,639 feet . It is one of the Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass...
."
Oil tax, 2010
Watson declared his opposition to a bill in the State Assembly by Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
Democrat Alberto Torrico
Alberto Torrico
Alberto Torrico is a member of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. He formerly represented the 20th Assembly District which includes Fremont, Newark, Union City and Milpitas among other cities in the East Bay...
to impose a 12.5 percent severance tax
Severance tax
Severance taxes are incurred when non-renewable natural resources are separated from a taxing jurisdiction. Industries that typically incur such taxes are oil and gas, coal, mining, and timber industries....
on oil production. "This tax is aimed right at the heart of our economy," he said. He predicted the tax would result in the loss of 7,000 oil industry-related jobs and millions of dollars in unrealized tax receipts. Kern County produced 60 percent of the state's oil in 2010.
Maricopa annexation, 2011
He declared himself open to the county's taking over the city of Maricopa
Maricopa, California
Maricopa is a city in Kern County, California, United States. Maricopa is located south-southeast of Taft, at an elevation of 883 feet . The population was 1,154 at the 2010 census, up from 1,111 at the 2000 census. Maricopa lies at the junction of Route 166 and Route 33...
in the event it would be disincorporated. "It's sad," he said. "When you drive down the street almost all the businesses are boarded up. It could be a quaint little place, but investors would want to know that the city was going to be liquid and provide necessary services."
State prisoners, 2011
Watson said he was encouraged by a plan to retain state prisoners in county jails beginning October 1, 2011. He said he especially liked Kern County's plan to confine the prisoners to their homes with electronic monitoring and the creation of fire camps to train them as firefighters.
Criticism
Watson was accused by The Californian newspaper in 2008 of having an "ivory tower style, which leaves many constituents, especially those living in outlying communities, feeling abandoned." To charges like these, of being a "drive-by supervisor," Watson responded that it was more efficient to schedule meetings back-to-back in his office than to spend time driving.San Joaquin Valley
Motor vehicle fee, 2010As a member of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, Watson voted in favor of a $12-per-vehicle annual fee to fight air pollution, but only on those vehicles registered in the Valley. Activists complained that Valley vehicles contributed only 9 percent of the ozone problem, but Watson said that "I think $1 a month from vehicle owners is not too much to ask, especially if it prevents businesses from shutting down because they can't afford to pay the penalty."
Altamont mitigation, 2011
Watson commented critically on an agreement between the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the developers of a power plant in Alameda County, near Livermore
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
, by which the developer would pay $200,000 to the district in mitigation of pollution that would be blown into the San Joaquin Valley by the predominantly easterly winds over the Altamont Pass
Altamont Pass
Altamont Pass, formerly Livermore Pass, is a mountain pass in the Diablo Range between Livermore in the Livermore Valley and Tracy in the San Joaquin Valley in Northern California...
. The funds would be used to upgrade famers' diesel pumps or replace their trucks or tractors, among other possibilities. "Those engines will be purchased and we will get no gain out of it," he said.
See also
- Frazier Mountain Municipal Advisory Council controversy
External links
- James Burger, "Appointment Book Pages Capture Life of County Supervisor," The Californian, May 23, 2008
- Biography at Carrizo Plain Monument Advisory Committee With photo.
- Biography at San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District With photo.
- Interview concerning high-speed rail proposal between Northern and Southern California, Tribune Business News With photo.