We thought our readers/viewers might like to learn about some of the folks that work at IdahoPTV. Because there are so many people who work behind the scenes, you may have seen some of them, or maybe only heard about them. Today we would like to introduce Production Manager Aaron Kunz.
IdahoPTV’s Carol Beres sat down with Aaron to find out about his beginnings in the eastern part of the state, the places he loves in Idaho and why he works for public television in Boise.
For those who don’t know what a production manager does, Aaron said, “I help the production department run. It’s like the ‘Production Wrangler.’”
Aaron grew up in Blackfoot, Idaho. “It’s between Pocatello and Idaho Falls. I think of it as a bedroom community.” Before graduating from high school, Aaron said he “joined the National Guard and decided that college just wasn’t for me.”
He returned to Blackfoot after his time in the military, finished high school and entered into the broadcasting business. “In high school I started in the radio industry. On the weekends as a high schooler, I pushed buttons. They called them a board operator. So I played the next song, I played the commercials…it was kind of fun. So when I came back from the military, the job that I had had at ‘Classy 97’, they were like ‘Hey, we want you back.’ So I went back and worked for them.” He worked for several different stations, eventually working in television. “I ended up at the CBS station, over there at Channel 3, as a weekend camera operator.”
Aaron worked his way up to videographer. “I worked for Channel 3 for three months…Channel 6 offered me a full-time opportunity. March 2001, I was hired by KPVI, the NBC affiliate over there as a videographer. So I was out in the field, working with their reporters. And I loved it, absolutely loved that. I worked with some really great reporters. They taught me a lot of things while I was in the early stages at KPVI. September 11th happened and that was my first on-air live shot. As things turned out, the reporter wasn’t available, so I did the live shot as an on-air reporter.” A few months later, Aaron was named the morning anchor. “We really did extremely well in the ratings.” But he couldn’t stay cooped up in the studio for long. “I anchored on the weekends, but I got to report three days a week. And I just loved that.” Aaron also worked for a radio station at the same time for the last three years there. “I did that right up until I came to Idaho Public Television.”
Funded by a federal grant, he was hired to report for Boise State Public Radio and Idaho Public Television as an environmental reporter. “It was a two-year federal grant, for what they called at the time a local journalism center. It did so well it got extended one more year.” Then he was tapped to fill an opening at Idaho Public Television. “I was co-anchor of Idaho Reports and also production manager.” He did double duty until 2017. Then, Aaron helmed the start of a new program called Idaho Experience and focused on that with his production duties.
While he lives and works in the Treasure Valley, his heart lies in the eastern part of the state. “It’s always been home for me. But I really, really love the Sawtooths. The mountains are just beautiful.” He recommends going there off-season. “The winter time, in the early spring – it’s quiet, it’s beautiful…I just love it.” In Aaron’s free time, he puts his work skills to use. “Photography, videography – those two things I really enjoy.” In addition to some other side work, he shoots dance recitals. “I certainly didn’t ever think that I would do that. But, here I am. I think I’ve been doing it for at least five years. Maybe six or seven.”
His kids enjoyed watching PBS Kids when they were younger. “My girls liked Caillou. My oldest…when she was younger, I was asleep on the couch, and she came up to me…she wanted to watch Caillou, but I had never heard of it at the time. I just thought she was saying baby talk…’I wanna watch Caillou.’ I was getting frustrated and so I was going through all the channels, and sure enough, there was Caillou. And I thought ‘Oh! She’s actually saying what she wanted to watch!’” As for the character he prefers, he likes a fuzzy friend. “I’ve always liked Elmo.”
When the mood strikes, Aaron enjoys a particular snack. “Oatmeal creme pies. I’ve liked them pretty much all of my life. When I was younger, I would pay my younger siblings to run down to Walmart and buy oatmeal creme pies and bring them back to me.” He’ll have one occasionally these days, especially when traveling.
As for why he likes working at Idaho Public Television, he realizes the need that public television fills. “We are education based. Even though I didn’t go to college, even though while growing up going to school I didn’t do well…education is vital to kids and to adults alike. And Idaho Public Television and PBS covers that whole gamut…everything is geared towards getting people interested and telling good stories. And maybe at the end, leaving a question mark. That way, people don’t think they know everything, but they’re interested enough to go start looking. People who may not do well in school, who may not think they can hack it through four years of college…there are still many things that you can do to benefit yourself and benefit society. A lot of times the ones who don’t do well in college, they’re curious people. They want to learn. They just don’t learn in the same ways that everyone else learns. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, a lot of times, they do very well in whatever field they find because they’re just naturally drawn to things…I love history and I love telling history and I love going out and experiencing history…for Idaho Experience, going through peoples’ old boxes that they have in their garage, finding these old photos and old memorabilia and items and objects that came from a time that I don’t remember…you’re learning simply by putting your hands on something and then asking questions. And that’s what we do at Idaho Public Television.”