Ernie Baron

Ernesto J. Baron (August 15, 1940 – January 23, 2006), professionally known as Ka Ernie Baron, was a Filipino broadcaster and inventor. He spent more than 40 years in the field of broadcasting. He was best known as the weather presenter in the ABS-CBN news program TV Patrol. He was also known as The Walking Encyclopedia of the Philippines.

Career
Considered one of the pioneers of Radyo Patrol, which counts as contemporaries, among others, Rey Langit, Noli de Castro, Joe Taruc, Mario Garcia, Bobby Guanzon, Orly Mercado and Bong Lapira, Baron, started his radio career with the general information program Gintong Kaalaman on the old DZAQ, the forerunner of what is now DZMM Radyo Patrol 630. During the Martial Law era, he also worked as one of the news anchors of the station DZSA 1230 kHz (now DWXI 1314 AM).

When ABS-CBN returned on the air after the Marcos regime, he hosted the radio program Knowledge Power as well as its television spin-off. He also advocated the use of herbal medicine called pito-pito and "cleansing diet" in his programs and media appearances, which irked medical professionals who dismissed him as promoter of quack medicine.

Baron made his first and only movie appearance on Pera o Bayong, based on a game segment from Magandang Tanghali Bayan.

Baron was also known for his endorsement of a line of TV antennas known as the DC Super Antenna, later rebranded as the Baron Super Antenna.

Personal life
Baron was married to Josephine Baron and had one daughter named Shirley. The Barons are adherents of Iglesia ni Cristo, thus codifying his professional nickname "Ka Ernie".

Death
He died of heart attack on the morning of January 23, 2006, in Muntinlupa City Medical Center, Muntinlupa, at the age of 65.

Several months after his death, he was replaced by his protege Kim Atienza until October 2021, as weather presenter of TV Patrol (then TV Patrol World), and the program's weather segment had been renamed "Weather Weather Lang" (now Weather Patrol). Atienza was replaced by Ariel Rojas in December 2021.