Rachel Briers is leaving the ABC13 Houston KTRK weather department and saying goodbye to TV for now to be a stay-at-home mom, sources tell mikemcguff.com.
During her time forecasting Houston weather, Briers also gave birth to twodaughters.
The meteorologist's last day will be Tuesday, December 9, 2025, but I understand she might return to do some fill-in work in the future.
Briers joined ABC13 in December 2018 and is now a three-time Emmy award winner.
Before Channel 13, Briers worked for NewsWest 9 KWES Midland-Odessa and KLBK Lubbock.
A native of Plano, Briers graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Atmospheric Sciences, interning at WFAA 8 Dallas-Fort Worth and KBTX News 3 Bryan-College Station.
Ethan Pilson joined KCEN 6 Waco-Temple-Killeen as a weekend meteorologist in November 2025.
He attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and interned at FOX8 WGHP in High Point, North Carolina.
Pilson most likely takes over for Jeff Mangum, who was previously the KCEN weekend meteorologist. While writing this post, it appears meteorologist Whitney Huddleston is no longer with KCEN either.
FOX 26 KRIV Houston chief meteorologist Mike Iscovitz took to social media to give us a 2025 update on the justice system's handling of the tragic murder of his father, Stanley, in December 2020.
In the same month, FOX 26 legal analyst and attorney Chris Tritico's daughter, Maria, was also killed in a shooting.
The awards will be presented during a special ceremony at the NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2026.
Since 1987, these awards have honored radio stations for their outstanding community service efforts, from radiothons for their local children’s hospitals and support for veterans to food drives after severe weather events. Ten Crystal Radio Award winners will be chosen from the finalists by a panel of judges representing the broadcast industry, community service organizations, and public relations firms.
Ashley Gonzalez joined KSAT 12 San Antonio as a sports reporter in November 2025.
Gonzalez comes to San Antonio from Jacksonville, Florida, where she spent more than two years at First Coast News WTLV 12 as the weekend sports anchor.
Before her move to Florida, Gonzalez made her mark in Corpus Christi. She became the first woman to serve as sports anchor at 3NEWS KIII Corpus Christi. She began at the station in 2019 as the weekend morning editor while still a college senior, later transitioning to a full-time news reporter before stepping into the sports anchor role.
A native of Weslaco, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, Gonzalez graduated from Texas A&M University–Kingsville with a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications and a minor in Journalism.
Her earlier experience includes roles with the Corpus Christi Hooks, where she worked on the Game Day Production Staff, and the sports information department at Texas A&M–Kingsville.
Alan Holt is leaving his 3NEWS KIII Corpus Christi chief meteorologist position to join TEGNA sister station News Center Maine WCSH Portland, Maine.
Holt has been with KIII for 13 years will have his last day on Friday, December 5, 2025.
“I’ve grown into my adult life here, both personally and professionally,” Holt said in an online statement. “I’ve celebrated milestones that will forever tie me to the Coastal Bend – covering Hurricane Harvey, the snow that followed that December, getting married, and welcoming our baby girl into the world.”
In 2021, Holt transitioned from the morning newscast to become KRIS-TV’s chief meteorologist, succeeding longtime weather leader Bill Vessey upon his retirement.
Before returning home to Texas, Alan spent two years at KTWO in Wyoming, where his work earned him recognition from the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters as one of the state’s top meteorologists.
A San Antonio native, Holt graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelor’s degree in Communication. He later earned a master’s degree in Geosciences with a concentration in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University. During his time at MSU, he was also a proud member of The Famous Maroon Band, where he played snare drum.
“Alan’s deep ties to the Coastal Bend and his dedication to serving this community have been extraordinary,” 3NEWS President and General Manager Rebecca Cantu added. “We understand the strong pull of family and the chance to be closer to loved ones in the Northeast. Though we’ll miss Alan’s leadership and presence in our newsroom, we’re proud to see him take this next step within the TEGNA family.”
“Alan and I started working at 3NEWS just weeks apart," said 3NEWS News Director Jonathan Munson. "He’s been part of the heart of this newsroom ever since and I’m so glad to say I got to grow alongside him for all these years. He’s been a trusted source of information, a mentor to so many, and a true friend. As a Corpus Christi native, I can say he’s left a mark on this community that will last well beyond his time on the air.”
KTSM 9 El Paso is making changes to its morning newscast on December 2, 2025, involving a former radio show.
Mike Martinez and Tricia Martinez, the non-related former morning radio duo of 93.1 KISS FM KSII El Paso, have joined KTSM on TV from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
"The traditional format isn’t enough anymore – having two, three, four, or even five anchors/reporters repeating the same handful of stories for two, three, or even four hours isn’t fair to the viewer," KTSM News Director Chris Babcock said in an online statement. "And if we’re being honest, we’ve done the same, so we decided it was time to change and make a difference for our viewers. They’ve already seen most of their news on their smart device – phone, tablet, or TV; how do we make it relevant?"
Anchor Ian Roth, who joined the AM newscast in 2023, will continue with the former radio hosts.
“Viewers don’t want to be hit over the head with flashing lights and incessant breaking news alerts right after waking up – or worse – the same news you saw when you went to bed…that’s not a good way to start any day,” Babcock adds. “That’s the mission for this new show and team members. Not just rapid-fire videos, stories, wrecks, and weather, but taking time and talking about what’s going on and really digging into the impact in our viewers’ daily lives.”
The new "KTSM 9 News Today with Ian, Mike, and Tricia" newscast will use the standard news desk and a new multi-use digital studio. Just like a traditional radio show, Viewers will be able to call in, message, or text their thoughts in real-time.
So, where is the other KTSM morning news anchor, Karla Draksler, going?
Draksler is shifting from the news side of the building to the sales side. She is stepping away from news reporting and anchoring to become a dedicated original content creator for the station’s streaming app, KTSM+.
For Draksler, this move is about finding a new outlet for her creativity. She realized that, while she valued her time in news, the traditional path of chasing bigger markets or a main anchor role no longer fueled her.
Her passion has shifted to shooting, editing, and creating stories that make people happy. Her new focus will be on bringing community stories and entertainment stories to life.
Even as she moves to a new department, Draksler’s commitment to quality local journalism remains strong.
"I very much so, love local news, support local news, and believe journalism, especially local journalism, is now more important than ever," she said in an Instagram video.
Draksler also acknowledged how much she will miss the daily routine with co-anchor Roth.
"Ian and I just had the best time ever," Draksler added. "Every morning, even though we had to wake up really early, we still loved doing it for our viewers and providing you something fun and informative at the same time, because we all know we need a little bit of joy in the morning, especially if you're waking up early. So I'm so glad that I got to be a part of that world. And I got to create a little bit of the morning show legacy in El Paso, especially here at KTSM."
Draksler started anchoring the KTSM morning newscast in 2023 after serving as a weekend anchor.
Shannon Ryan is joining the Spectrum News network as a Washington, D.C. reporter after leaving ABC13 Houston KTRK in November 2025.
Ryan, who will be based in D.C., will report on New York’s Congressional delegation and on issues of importance to New Yorkers for Spectrum News NY1 and Spectrum News 1 New York, serving New York City and Upstate New York, respectively.
"I was afforded tremendous opportunities for growth and made lifelong friends at ABC13," Ryan told mikemcguff.com. "The station is brimming with kind, tireless and talented journalists. While I am sad to leave Texas, I am elated to join Spectrum News as a Washington, D.C. reporter covering the New York delegation. It is an honor and a dream come true to cover politics impacting my home state."
She takes over for Kevin Frey, who left Spectrum to join MS Now as a Congressional reporter.
At ABC13, Ryan worked for the past 2.5 years as a City Hall reporter and fill-in anchor, and won an Emmy for her coverage of the dockworkers' strike.
The Spectrum News job will be a return for Ryan, who began her career in Washington, D.C., serving as an anchor, producer, and multimedia journalist for DC News Now (DCW50/WDVM).
A native of upstate New York, Ryan is a Penn State graduate with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. She interned at FOX 29 Philadelphia, ESPNU, and WNYT NewsChannel 13.
Hanna Battah is joining ABC News to co-anchor “World News Now” and “Good Morning America First Look” alongside ABC News’ Sophie Flay.
In her role at ABC News, Battah will bring viewers the latest headlines and breaking news in the overnight hours, leading directly into ABC Owned Television Stations’ and affiliates’ award-winning local morning programming.
Dallas-Fort Worth TV viewers have been wondering where Battah would end up after she signed off FOX 4 KDFW as 4pm news anchor and "The Ten" lifestyle show host in October 2025.
Before joining FOX 4 KDFW in 2018, Battah spent two years as an afternoon anchor and evening reporter for KBAK-TV/KBFX-TV in Bakersfield, California. Before that, she served as an anchor and multimedia journalist at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri.
A graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Battah began her career in radio at Missouri Digital News, covering the state legislature in Jefferson City. She interned at WCCO in Minneapolis.
Ken Kneeland serves as executive producer of “World News Now” and “Good Morning America First Look,” and Simone Swink serves as senior executive producer of both overnight programs, as well as the flagship “Good Morning America” and “GMA3.”
