Stephania Jimenez is joining KPRC 2 Houston as the station’s weekday 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. evening co-anchor with Keith Garvin, effective January 19, 2026.
“Houston is a city with energy, heart, and incredible stories,” Jimenez said. “I’m honored to join the KPRC 2 team and continue doing the kind of journalism that serves people, asks the questions they’re asking at home, and reflects the communities we live in.”
Jimenez replaces Daniella Guzman, who recently moved into a morning co-anchor role with Sofia Ojeda following Owen Conflenti’s departure in October.
She comes to KPRC 2 from KSAT 12 San Antonio, a fellow Graham Media Group station, where she anchored the station’s flagship Nightbeat newscast and became one of South Texas’ most trusted and recognizable news voices. Known for her calm authority, clarity in breaking news, and strong connection to the community, Jimenez has built a reputation for focusing on issues most important to viewers while holding leaders accountable and centering the people most affected.
“Stephania is the kind of journalist viewers immediately trust,” said Ana Lastra, News Director at KPRC 2. “She brings credibility, warmth, and a deep respect for the audience, and she isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions on their behalf. Her experience leading major newscasts, combined with her connection to diverse communities, makes her a perfect fit for Houston and for the future of KPRC 2 News.”
Jimenez joined the KSAT Nightbeat anchor team in September 2021 from NBC10 Philadelphia (WCAU). She was hired at WCAU in July 2018, working as a weekend morning anchor and reporter.
Her previous experience also includes serving as an evening news anchor at KRIS 6 News in Corpus Christi and as an investigative and consumer reporter and anchor at NBC Connecticut (WVIT). Jimenez began her on-air broadcast career in Texas at KTSM/KDBC in El Paso.
A Syracuse University graduate, Jimenez started her journalism career behind the scenes as a producer and writer at Fox News Radio in New York City before transitioning into on-air roles.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jimenez is bilingual in English and Spanish, allowing her to connect authentically with a wide range of audiences.
Stephen Goin is joining Gray Media as a Washington correspondent in December 2025, following two years as a reporter at KHOU 11 in Houston.
"When I started my reporting career, I always hoped I’d have the opportunity to return to my hometown market," Goin told mikemcguff.com. "So I’m grateful I was able to do that at KHOU 11, where I learned from some of the best journalists and had the privilege of serving my community every day. Now, I’m excited to take on a new challenge in Washington, D.C., covering national issues and helping people understand how it all impacts them."
In his new role, Goin will cover Congress, the White House, and the U.S. Supreme Court, delivering national political and legal reporting to Gray’s 113 local television markets nationwide.
Goin joined KHOU in 2023, marking a return to Texas. He grew up in Kingwood and later lived in Livingston. During his time at Channel 11, he covered city government, criminal justice, and community issues, and earned an Emmy nomination for his reporting on extreme weather in Texas.
Prior to KHOU, Goin worked as a multimedia journalist for FOX News, traveling across the country to cover breaking news for FOX affiliate stations, FOX Weather, and Fox News Channel. His earlier career stops include WAVE 3 News in Louisville, Kentucky, and MSNBC, where he served as a communications coordinator, managing the network’s PR Twitter account and acting as the primary media monitor for the cable news division.
Goin is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Government. He also holds a master’s degree in Strategic Communication from Columbia University in New York.
DALLAS – Dec. 17, 2025 – CBS Stations has named Tim Hinson as the new president and general manager of CBS Texas, overseeing CBS News Texas and all local news operations in Dallas-Fort Worth. He will report to Jennifer Mitchell, president of CBS Stations and CBS News and Stations Digital.
Hinson, a Texas native, brings more than two decades of leadership experience in broadcast technology, news operations, strategic innovation and content development. Most recently, he served as vice president of technology for KTRK in Houston, and led streaming operations for ABC Owned Television Stations, including transformative initiatives in AI, FAST channel development and cloud-based production systems. In addition to his technical leadership, Hinson chaired KTRK’s news operations committee, served on the news strategy team and assisted with synergy initiatives between local stations and the ABC network to foster collaborative storytelling and improved operational alignment.
“Tim is a visionary leader with a rare blend of technical expertise and strategic insight,” said Mitchell. “At CBS Stations, we are committed to integrating emerging technologies to better serve our viewers and deliver critical stories across our markets. Tim’s technical background, coupled with his experience leading high-performing teams, makes him the ideal leader to guide CBS Texas into its next chapter.”
Hinson’s track record includes launching 19 FAST channels, leading a master control transition and implementing AI captioning across multiple stations – efforts that have enhanced the viewer experience while prioritizing operational efficiency.
“Local journalism is more important than ever, and I’m honored to join CBS Texas to help deliver the stories that matter most to the Dallas-Fort Worth community,” said Hinson. “I look forward to using my experience in technical operations and news leadership to innovate how we deliver the news, while honoring the station’s tradition of impactful storytelling.”
Hinson’s career also includes leadership roles at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he managed live television operations for the International Space Station. Hinson holds an MBA from LeTourneau University and dual bachelor’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He recently completed the Strategic AI Certification Program at Houston Christian University and serves on its advisory council.
Sarah Spivey announced Tuesday that she has been named KSAT 12 San Antonio’s official weekday noon meteorologist as of December 2025.
Here is what Spivey said on social:
"8 1/2 years ago I started at KSAT by working weekend mornings, and I have been waking up at 2 AM on Saturdays and Sundays ever since. I’ve loved the shift for many reasons, mainly because of the people I’ve been able to work with! Started with Bill Barajas and Stephanie Serna. Loved my time with Max Massey and Sarah Acosta.
With a baby at home, it’s best for me now to make the switch to weekdays. I’ll miss waking up with you all on the weekends, but I’m looking forward to being on the noon show regularly with Stephanie and Courtney Friedman!"
Friedman moved from the weekend newscast to the noon in April 2025.
Spivey, who for years has worked the weekend morning weather shift, has already become a familiar face on the KSAT noon newscast. On days when she is off during the week, viewers may see meteorologist Shelby Ebertowski or morning meteorologist Justin Horne filling the noon slot.
KSAT has not yet announced who will take over Spivey’s weekend morning duties, though it’s worth noting that meteorologist Elliot Wilson recently joined the KSAT Weather Authority team.
Spivey, who has been a member of the KSAT 12 Weather Authority Team since 2017, previously sat down with anchor Ernie Zuniga for a May 2025 episode of his Pickup Lines podcast. During the conversation, she shared her deeply personal journey with hearing loss and how KSAT ultimately supported her along the way.
A San Antonio native, Spivey is a graduate of Clark High School and earned her degree from Texas A&M University. She began her broadcasting career at KTEN News in Sherman.
Spivey and her husband, Michael, were married in January 2020 and welcomed their first child in December 2024.
Former ABC13 KTRK Houston and 740 KTRH news anchor Shara Fryer appeared on Houston Public Media's "Hello Houston," hosted by Frank Billingsley, Ernie Manouse, and Celeste Schurman, to talk about the legacy of her colleague and co-anchor, Dave Ward.
Additionally, after more than four decades at ABC13, longtime anchor Melanie Lawson discusses her upcoming retirement, marking the end of an extraordinary career in local journalism.
Lawson, who I heard was already scheduled for this day, also shared her thoughts on working with Ward.
A future programming note, Wednesday night from 6 to 7pm, ABC13 will air a special in honor of Ward.
Wednesday, December 17 (Lying in Repose) Time: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Location: Dave Ward building at the Crime Stoppers Houston building Address: 3001 Main Street
Thursday, December 18 (Public Visitation) Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors Address: 1010 Bering Drive
Friday, December 19 (Funeral Service) Event: Funeral service, open to the public Time: 12pm Location: St. Martin's Episcopal Church Address: 717 Sage Road
I hear there could be a segment for Ward on the Tuesday edition of "Good Morning America."
Wednesday night from 6 to 7pm, ABC13 will air a special devoted to Ward.
Channel 13 will also carry Ward's Friday afternoon funeral on television and streaming.
Wednesday, December 17 (Lying in Repose) Time: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Location: Dave Ward building at the Crime Stoppers Houston building Address: 3001 Main Street
Thursday, December 18 (Public Visitation) Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location: George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors Address: 1010 Bering Drive
Friday, December 19 (Funeral Service) Event: Funeral service, open to the public Time: 12pm Location: St. Martin's Episcopal Church Address: 717 Sage Road
Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2, a new Dallas–Fort Worth station dedicated to all-hit country from the 1970s and 1980s, launched today.
The station officially signed on at noon Central on Monday, opening its playlist with George Strait’s “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind.”
Designed for classic country fans, Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2 features iconic artists such as George Strait, Willie Nelson, Alabama, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and Reba McEntire.
"We are doubling down on our long-term commitment to Country music in Texas by launching Country Legends & Texas Classics 93.3 HD2," Dan Bennett, Regional Vice President, Cumulus Dallas, said. "This station will give a voice to great Country hits from the 70’s and 80’s. Paired with our fan favorite DFW Country stations, 99.5 The WOLF and New Country 96.3, this creates a wall of Country for our station group and for the passionate Country music lovers in the DFW area and strengthens our belief in this incredible format."
Cumulus also owns two other country stations in the North Texas market: 99.5 The WOLF KPLX and New Country 96.3 KSCS, creating a multi-generational country lineup across the cluster. The radio company owns 93.3 WBAP-FM, the primary channel for this new country subchannel.
On April 16, 2025, Cumulus flipped 104.1 KRBE Houston HD2 from the discontinued Westwood One Good Time Oldies format to “NASH Icon.”
NASH Icon is positioned as a mainstream country format blending current hits with superstar-driven favorites from the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Core artists include Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Keith Urban, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, and Kenny Chesney.
The former Good Time Oldies format featured pop, soul, and rock & roll spanning the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Sadly, my old posts about former KPRC 2 Houston reporter Jake Reiner started getting hits from around the country Sunday night as the news broke that his parents, Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer, 68, were found dead in their Brentwood home.
Their other son, Nick, was arrested in connection with their deaths.
He is survived by his wife, Laura, three children, and three stepchildren. His son David Jr. passed away in 2023.
Anchor Tom Abrahams broke into the ABC primetime college game broadcast to announce the sad news to the Houston audience.
"Words cannot express my sadness over this larger-than-life Houston icon," former KTRK anchor Art Rascon told mikemcguff.com. "I loved Dave Ward, and working beside him for more than two decades was an absolute blessing! Every day was an opportunity to learn and grow and truly understand what journalism was all about. He was the best and always will be!"
"He was not only a news legend, but a dear and close friend," former KTRK news director Dave Strickland told mikemcguff.com. "I learned so much from Dave, both in television and in life. I will miss him dearly."
"He was a warm, funny, lovely man---and one of Dad's best friends. Such a loss," former KPRC 2 reporter Ron Stone, Jr. told mikemcguff.com.
A generation of Houston television viewers grew up with Dave Ward.
For 50 years, the powerful yet reassuring voice behind the ABC13 KTRK anchor desk guided the city through breaking news, triumphs, and tragedies. Ward delivered the news with unwavering integrity and authenticity. Each newscast began with his signature greeting: “Good evening, friends.”
Earning that trust meant everything. Ward insisted on balanced coverage, reporting both sides and getting the facts right. That relentless commitment to accuracy—paired with his warm, steady presence—is why he became known as “The Dean of Houston News.”
Since stepping away from the Channel 13 anchor desk in May 2017, Dave has continued sharing stories. His 2019 memoir, Good Evening, Friends: A Broadcaster Shares His Life, offers a rich look at his extraordinary career. He later returned to KTRK for the feature series “Dave Ward’s Houston.”
In 2021, he launched the “Dave Ward & Friends” video podcast, inviting audiences into casual conversations with the many remarkable people he’s met over more than six decades in broadcasting.
"I can recall so many times returning from a reporting trip and talking with him one on one, as he gave me more tips on how to cover a story," Rascon added. "He was always a patient teacher, example, and the epitome of a journalist. I will miss him. I will miss our occasional conversations after he retired, meeting for breakfast, and enjoying his captivating smile. Love you Dave! Your legacy lives on…even from heaven."
Mike McGuff and Dave Ward in 2016
Early Life
David Henry Ward was born in Dallas on May 6, 1939, though he grew up in Huntsville, Texas, where his father, Henry, served as pastor of the First Baptist Church.
While attending Tyler Junior College, Dave discovered broadcasting almost by accident, watching a fraternity brother spin records at KGKB radio. Soon, he was behind the microphone himself—after the station manager suggested that “David” sounded “too biblical” and the young announcer adopted the name listeners would come to know: Dave Ward.
KGKB’s easy-listening format flipped to rock ’n’ roll overnight with new ownership, and Dave adapted quickly. By the early 1960s, he had moved to WACO radio in Waco, shifting from music to news and eventually becoming program director.
Moving to Houston
In 1962, Dave moved his young family to Houston to join 1230 KNUZ-AM and KQUE, where he read news between Top 40 hits. He was later promoted to news director and ultimately inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, nominated by Houston radio legends Paul Berlin and Arch Yancy.
"Well, at KNUZ, we were very big on the space program, the man space program, because NASA was headquartered in Houston," Ward told mikemcguff in a 2016 interview. "They hadn't built the Space Center yet. They were in the process of building that, but they were in buildings all around the city."
Joining Channel 13
Dave made the leap to television in 1966, becoming KTRK’s sole street reporter and photographer—a true one-man news crew. He shot film on a hand-wound 16mm Bell & Howell camera, covered everything from fires to city hall, and even took his job interview in a Rice Village pool hall.
"The man who hired me. The news director, Ray Conaway," Ward told mikemcguff.com in 2016. "He was an old, B-24 bomber pilot in World War II. And he met Willard Walbridge who was the station manager somewhere in the military. He was the news director and the anchor. We only did 15 minutes at 6:00PM and 15 minutes at 10:00PM. That was it. And, Ray had a very grim, delivery. "Here's the news," you know. And, in '67 they put me on the 7:00AM news, which I didn't even know we had, [laughs] to tell you the truth."
Though Dave initially took a $50 pay cut to move from radio to TV, he was soon anchoring the 7 a.m. newscast and co-hosting the popular “Dialing for Dollars.”
"I went on the 7:00AM in January of '67 and that summer -- it seemed like it was April or May -- they decided they wanted to do this, like a game show in the morning from 9:00 to 10:00," Ward remembered in a 2016 mikemcguff.com interview. "It was an hour-long program. I made six phone calls during that hour, trying to give money away. It was a funny format."
In January 1968, he moved to the main anchor desk at 6 and 10 p.m. with Dan Ammerman. Off the air, he often continued working through the night, covering breaking news around the city.
In those early years, KTRK’s newscasts ranked third in a three-station market. Dave helped change that. Over time, Houstonians embraced Eyewitness News, and by the mid-1970s, channel 13 had climbed to number one—a position it held for decades.
Dave would go on to anchor alongside Jan Carson, Shara Fryer, and Gina Gaston, becoming one of the most recognized faces in Texas broadcasting.
Reporting Across the Globe
Ward’s reporting took him far beyond Houston. He covered national political conventions, the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs from Florida, and major disasters across Texas and the South. He reported from Mexico, Central America, and Colombia; traveled with a Houston delegation to the Paris Peace Talks; and studied mass transit in Germany.
His interviews spanned the spectrum—from U.S. Presidents to everyday Houstonians. Five presidents and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller sat down with him over the years.
Dave’s service to Houston extends far beyond the newsroom. He has emceed countless charitable events and served on numerous boards, including Easter Seals, the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia Society, the Press Club of Houston, the Houston Police Foundation, and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. He broadcast the Rodeo Parade for an astounding 49 years.
In 1973, he received the City of Houston Public Service Award for his coverage of the Managua earthquake.
Perhaps his most transformative contribution is his work with Crime Stoppers of Houston. Dave was instrumental in launching the program in 1981, pioneering crime reenactments and helping shape Crime Stoppers chapters worldwide. The first Crime Stoppers headquarters in the United States, which opened in 2016, was named The Dave Ward Building in his honor.
Honors and Legacy
Dave’s accolades are numerous:
Leon Goldstein Award for outstanding service in fighting crime
Regional Emmy for his interviews with Steve Tyrell
Induction into the Silver Circle of the Lone Star Emmy Chapter
**“The longest career as a television news broadcaster—49 years and 218 days”—**all at the same station, on the same newscast.
A remarkable achievement for a remarkable man.
Dave Ward's career is not simply a record of journalism. It is the story of a trusted voice, a steady presence, and a lifelong commitment to the city he loves...one “Good evening, friends” at a time.
