General News
6 September, 2024
Ron signals retirement
Maryborough local Ron Kennedy has decided to switch off his career in TV antennas after a half-century of service.
Mr Kennedy started his career in 1974, taking a job at Midlands Television Service as they prepared for the launch of colour TV on March 1, 1975.
“When I first started I didn’t like the idea of going onto roofs because I didn’t like heights,” he said.
“Because of that, I’ve always been cautious and I have never fallen off a roof.
“I’ve had one close call and another situation where I’ve had what I call an ‘uncontrolled descent’ off a ladder when the ladder dug into the ground and slid sideways and I went down.”
Despite his early concerns, Mr Kennedy continued to work at the local business for over a decade until he purchased the service from Stan Trengove and Max Brown.
Looking for a new challenge, Mr Kennedy sold the company 10 years later and bought a courier run between Ballarat and Maryborough while still putting up TV antennas occasionally on weekends.
After 15 years, Mr Kennedy sold the courier run to work on antennas full time during the switch off of analog TV starting in 2010.
Mr Kennedy said the evolution and technological advances of the TV industry has been a marvel to see unfold.
“The industry has changed immensely, 50 years ago we had transmissions from Bendigo and Ballarat and they were just relays from Melbourne,” he said.
“To get the signal required we often had to put up five to eight metre poles on chimneys.
“That has changed because very high frequency is gone [and] we now have ultra high frequency that requires smaller antennas.
“The other way it’s changed is that we had the big old TVs where a 26-inch TV was the biggest you could buy.
“Since that time, we have gone through the change to digital with plasma and now up to the LED type screens and 75 inches is not an uncommon sight.”
After much deliberation, Mr Kennedy said the time was right to pull out the antenna on his career and look forward to spending time off the roof.
“I’m getting old, I’m in my mid-70s so it’s time [for me] to retire,” he said.
“I have no immediate plans [in retirement], my wife and I have a very busy six months with family members.
“Into next year we are sure to hitch up the caravan again, it’s been a couple of years since it’s been out on the road so it will get a workout.
“One thing I want to do is complete Australia’s longest shortcut from Perth to Cairns through Alice Springs, I’ve done part of it, but I haven’t done the lot.”
As he reflects on his 50-year career, Mr Kennedy said he is grateful to the Maryborough community for supporting him throughout his working life.
“I’m going to miss meeting the people because I’m very much a people person and I like to be able to rectify their problems,” he said.
“Every job I regard as a challenge and every job is different even though the result is the same, to get them good reception.
“I was born in Maryborough, my parents have always lived here and Maryborough has always been good to us, it’s provided us all with a comfortable living and it’s a good community.”