about tvgabe


about me

Gabe Ortega is an American photographer, former broadcast engineer, and currently practicing in the information technology trade employed with the State of California.

Ever since he was young,‭ ‬Gabriel has been creating‭ ‬and recording‭ ‬with electronic‭ ‬and traditional‭ ‬media.‭ ‬For instance,‭ ‬in middle school he‭ ‬wrote for the school newspaper,‭ ‬writing stories about his favorite‭ ‬musicians and athletes on a word processor.‭ ‬He first developed his photographic‭ ‬skills‭ ‬studying‭ ‬black and white photography for two years at Roseville High School and also became a licensed television producer at the local cable access channel,‭ ‬RSVL Channel‭ ‬8,‭ ‬in his hometown of Roseville,‭ ‬California.

In‭ ‬May,‭ ‬2006,‭ ‬Gabriel graduated from Sonoma State University,‭ ‬Rohnert Park,‭ ‬California,‭ ‬with a Bachelor of Arts degree in California Cultural Studies.‭ ‬The Interdisciplinary program has given Gabriel a unique perspective‭ ‬on California‭’‬s rich cultural history,‭ ‬it‭’‬s representation in film,‭ ‬literature,‭ ‬and other arts,‭ ‬the geography,‭ ‬diverse socio-political atmosphere,‭ ‬and position on the World‭’‬s stage that can only be rivaled by the likes of Kevin Starr and Mike Davis. ‬His minor in Film History‭ ‬provoked an interest in storytelling via video so he added‭ ‬video production courses to his many academic pursuits.‭ ‬Check out his collection of student video productions,‭ ‬available to view now on the video page.

Before he graduated,‭ ‬Gabriel could be found walking the halls of‭ ‬KRON‭ ‬4‭ ‬News San Francisco as an intern in the Community Relations Department.‭ ‬Gabriel‭ ‬quickly caught the broadcast television bug and decided to pursue working in the‭ ‬broadcast industry.‭ ‬With the help of Javier Valencia,‭ ‬Manager of the KRON‭ ‬4‭ ‬Community Relations department,‭ Gabriel quickly learned how to edit video for promo spots.‭ ‬ Check out some of his spots‭ ‬that are available to view here on this website.

I would recommend Gabriel for any broadcast or networking position
Brent Branley
Chief Engineer at KSPX-TV.

Ion Media Networks gave Gabriel his first paying job in broadcasting when he was hired as a part-time Master Control Operator at KSPX-TV29‭ ‬Sacramento.‭ ‬After working part time for about three years,‭ ‬he was hired full-time and‭ ‬quickly‭ ‬became the Chief Designated Operator in the Chief Engineer‭’‬s absence,‭ ‬an important FCC recognition given to the most knowledgeable‭ ‬operator on staff.‭ ‬Gabriel worked very closely with Brent Branley,‭ ‬the Chief Engineer at KSPX-TV.‭ ‬Working alongside Brent for various engineering projects,‭ ‬Gabriel developed the skills of a broadcast maintenance technician.‭ ‬Often,‭ ‬Gabriel could be found working in the‭ ‬microwave room,‭ ‬transmitter site,‭ ‬or master‭ ‬control studio racks building out the equipment LAN,‭ ‬configuring the routers,‭ ‬assigning subnet IP addresses,‭ ‬and remotely troubleshooting network problems.

Gabriel‭’‬s drive to‭ ‬improve his career is reflected by his commitment to continued education.‭ ‬In fact,‭ ‬during his time with Ion Media Networks,‭ ‬Gabriel obtained Network+‭ ‬Certification,‭ ‬2012,‭ ‬paid for by the company.‭ ‬Also during this time,‭ ‬he studied Electronics Technology and Telecommunications at Sacramento City College,‭ ‬2007-2008.‭ ‬Currently he is engrossed in obtaining the skills of a web developer at‭ ‬Sierra College.

While at KSPX-TV,‭ ‬Gabriel was often called upon to produce long form video at the request of clients and management.‭ ‬One such program was Healing Hands Magazine,‭ ‬a magazine-style show from Dr.‭ ‬Summer Reed.‭ ‬The program aired in smaller markets on Ion stations across the country.‭ ‬At KSPX-TV,‭ ‬Gabriel produced several short form promo spots and PSAs.‭ ‬In fact,‭ ‬in‭ ‬2007,‭ ‬Gabriel collaborated with Mark Faris,‭ ‬the local Traffic Manager at the time,‭ ‬to produce and broadcast‭ ‬several holiday greetings spot IDs featuring overseas military personnel.‭ ‬Gabriel‭ ‬also‭ ‬edited several in-house station/network ID spots.‭ ‬Those spots are available to view on the video page.

A whole lot more than just an intern. Incredibly dependable with a can-do attitude at every turn. Great personality and prepared himself as a co-worker. It's hard to find interns like Gabe. Look at him know, I'll be glad to say I knew him when...
Frontis Abney
President/Consulting Engineer at AbStraxx Media.

His interest in media does not cease with television and the web.‭ ‬In‭ ‬2006,‭ ‬Gabriel began an internship in radio at KDEE-LPFM‭ ‬97.5‭ ‬in Rancho Cordova,‭ ‬California,‭ ‬an urban AC/talk radio station owned and operated by the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce.‭ ‬Here he worked wit the station Program Director,‭ ‬Frontis Abney,‭ ‬also known by his on-air personality,‭ ‬Tristen Mays.‭ ‬Under the guidance of Mr.‭ ‬Abney,‭ ‬Gabriel learned how to control and operate the audio console for talk show production for shows such as Health Matters with Azizza Goines,‭ President/‬CEO Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce.‭ ‬Gabriel also learned audio post-production in Adobe Audition,‭ ‬learned about balanced and unbalanced audio connections,‭ ‬XLR/TRS audio connector fabrication,‭ ‬microphone care,‭ ‬and radio‭ ‬automation.‭

Further diversifying his skills in the local television market,‭ ‬Gabriel was hired in‭ ‬2007‭ ‬for an on-call Air Operations Technician at KVIE Channel‭ ‬6‭ ‬Sacramento.‭ ‬Working at Channel‭ ‬6‭ ‬has offered Gabriel a unique opportunity to assist with many‭ ‬local productions such as America‭’‬s Heartland and Viewfinder by producing dubs and recording satellite feeds for the producers and editors.‭ ‬He also gained considerable experience with live video and audio switching for unscripted on-air pledge drives during the PBS pledge seasons.‭ ‬KVIE has afforded Gabriel considerable knowledge of different audio and video technologies such as Dolby‭ ‬5.1‭ ‬audio,‭ ‬HD video,‭ ‬video aspect ratios,‭ ‬resolutions,‭ ‬conversions,‭ ‬and file formats.

specialties

  • portrait photography
  • RF, microwave, SMTPE 310, ATSC, QAM
  • hand soldering, electronics fabrication
  • Autodesk CAD
  • HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Wordpress
  • Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects
  • Network+, Security+
  • Final Cut Pro X, Apple Motion 5
  • Screenwriting, storyboard drawing
  • LAN, WLAN, WAN, network security
  • XLR, TRS, SDI, coax, RJ-45, RJ-11 fabrication
  • Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, iOS
  • Linux server, Windows server
  • M365, EAC, Azure AD (Entra), ITSM, IAM, Sharepoint, Endpoint
  • PowerShell, C#, .NET
  • & more!

His volunteer work at the Placer SPCA‭ ‬Outreach Department has afforded Gabriel the opportunity to explore his skills as a Graphic Designer.‭ ‬Here he manages photos of adoptable animals,‭ ‬adds graphic art to the same photos and create graphic digital advertisements for Placer SPCA promotions.‭ ‬The photos he manages are displayed on digital picture frames at Placer SPCA locations in Auburn and Roseville,‭ ‬California.‭ ‬He also manages a high definition display at the Pet Foods Express store at the Fountains in Roseville.‭ ‬Gabriel has also produced videos showcasing available adoptable animals for the Placer SPCA.‭

In 2018, Gabe photographed over 130 KTXL staff members for new headshots. Please see a collection of his favorite headshots of employees who have left the company at his website, headshots.

In 2022, Gabe was helping design two new sports broadcast announcer studios and full duplex talkback system at KTXL for the Sacramento Republic FC.

At the moment, Gabe is currently employed as an Endpoint Engineer at the California EMSA.

Thanks to everyone who let Gabe take thier photos and post them on this website.

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