In Memory of Frederick C. Birks (1950 - 2024)

The Oakland Television Committee, the Oakland Communications Commission, and the Borough of Oakland are sad to announce that we have learned of the passing of former Control Room Engineer, founding member of Oakland TV, and original Communications Commission Commissioner Fred C. Birks at the age of 74. 

"I had the honor of getting to know Fred Birks and his wife Nancy when I joined the Commission and took over the Communications Commission as its Chairman in 2018," said OCC Communications Commission Chairman Ryan Schwertfeger. "Fred and I spent countless hours in the Control Room over the years as he showed me the ins and outs of our television system, told me the history of the cable TV operations, explained his philosophy and reasoning behind why things were the way they were, and gave me guidance, insight, and advice on how to work with the Borough and accomplish the vision I had to try and revive the Commission and the committees. I will greatly miss his intelligence, his spunk, and his straightforwardness and we are forever grateful for Fred's work on the Commission and his work in helping to make Oakland TV what it is today. My prayers go out to Nancy and the entire Birks Family during this difficult time."

Jim Barry, TV Committee Chairman stated that Fred Birks "designed it all" and that "Fred is the George Washington of the TV Committee. His contributions are immeasurable."

After a career working for VCA Teletronics and Unitel Video for 15 years, which included helping to put MTV on the air, Fred said he saw a newspaper ad that the Borough ran around 1999 asking for assistance to run the Borough’s soon-to-be-launched local access channel. He reached out to the Borough and immediately got to work with another volunteer, Greg Kelly, to establish and launch Oakland TV around the year 2000.

Shortly after launching Oakland TV, the Communications Commission and the Television Committee were created by the Borough around the same timeframe to help oversee, manage, program, and grow the channel and other communications related initiatives the Borough had in mind, including a Borough website. "The Commission and Committee system was set up because at the time, the Borough was in a period of being very divided between Republicans and Democrats and both sides were afraid that if one side took a majority of the Council that people the previous governing body put on would all be removed", said Fred Birks in an interview in Autumn 2023 that was part of the Communications Commission's most recent Five Year Plan Document. "To resolve this issue, a Commission was created to provide some autonomy to make some decisions independently without political interference and create a steady hand of sorts at the top of the leadership pyramid without the potential of volunteers being added and removed year after year."

While Fred Birks was involved with the creation of the governmental entities that established the structure we know and see today, Fred adored the hands-on work that came with the job of Control Room Engineer and being a member of both the Television Committee and the Communications Commission. "The best time I had in my 20 years with the OCC and Oakland TV was when we did the live broadcasts of Exit 58 Live! which was filmed in the early to mid 2000s. It was a fun time and a great learning experience for the volunteers as it was the closest thing to a “real life” television production. The topics and guests were also interesting, relevant, and from the community so the public wanted to tune in and see what was being discussed. The live audience also added another layer of intrigue and a feeling that it was a legitimate production."

In asking Fred in 2023 what he hoped would become of the Television Committee and the Communications Commission in the future, he stated that some new volunteers and new energy would help revive the two entities and help to capture the hearts of residents again. "I believe that bringing back live, recurring (series) programming of interest to residents will bring back viewers to the station and engage the Oakland public," said Birks. "I would say that when we did Exit 58 Live! that that show was the high point of Oakland TV’s history and it showed the Borough government and the public what we could do and that we are worth their time, attention, and investment."

Those who wish to pay their respects may attend the Celebration of Life service from 1 to 3pm at the Oakland Memorial Home on March 9, 2024.