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From TV auctions to social media bidding: How the live shopping thrill lives on

Author
KPBS Public Media
Published
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Episode Link
None

What happens when a TV station pauses its regular programming to auction off everything from kitchen utensils and European vacations to toilet seats and rare art — with guests like Big Bird and Dick Van Dyke dropping by? In San Diego, those broadcasts became unforgettable. This episode dives into the history of the KPBS auction — a weeklong fundraising marathon that energized the community for more than a decade. We hear from longtime KPBS figures Tom Karlo and Ken Kramer, revisit archival footage and meet McKenna Hartman, whose father, Paul, guest-hosted auctions in San Diego and at other PBS stations, and still lights up recalling them, even as he faces dementia. The auctions weren't just about bargains. They built community, launched careers and left behind lasting memories. Now, live auctions are remerging on platforms like Whatnot. San Diego jewelry seller Angela McDuffie shows how the exciting bidding experience — and the connections it creates — remain as alive as ever.


Guests:

  • Tom Karlo, KPBS general manager emeritus, 2009-2020
  • Ken Kramer, creator and host of "Ken Kramer's About San Diego"
  • McKenna Hartman, daughter of Paul E. Hartman, retired PBS and NPR on-air personality
  • Angela McDuffie, owner of Baron's Armoire, a San Diego vintage and antique business specializing in jewelry and trinkets


Mentioned in this episode:

  • KPBS: 65 Years in San Diego
  • Tucker Carlson, television commentator and political analyst
  • Carol Burnett, comedian and star of "The Carol Burnett Show"
  • Jerry Coleman, San Diego Padres broadcaster and Hall of Fame second baseman
  • Dick Van Dyke, Emmy-winning actor known for "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Mary Poppins"
  • David Ogden Stiers, actor best known for "M*A*S*H"
  • Whatnot, an online platform for independent livestreamed auctions launched in 2019
  • Cameo jewelry, antique carved or engraved gems, often featuring a raised depiction of a face or bust in relief on a pendant or brooch
  • Cloisonné, a jewelry and decorative art style where metal outlines are filled with colorful enamel, creating bright, detailed designs
  • Fidget spinner, handheld toy that spins between the fingers, popular in the late 2010s as a fad and a stress reliever
  • "Outwitted" poem by Edwin Markham

"He drew a circle that shut me out–

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle and took him in!"


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