Ken Hoffman replaced by former Jim Rome producer on 1560 The Game

David Barron is reporting that the Houston Chronicle's Ken Hoffman is being replaced on 1560 The Game. The replacement has a good resume in radio. Travis Rodgers was the former, longtime producer of The Jim Rome Show.

And in classic Hoffman form, his quote in the newspaper is as follows:

I joined (KGOW) with the intention of staying one year — just to sock away some money in my kid's college fund. I wound up staying three years," he said. "I resisted my urges to buy ice cream and salted peanuts, and now my kid will have enough money to mess up in a really good college. ... So now I leave 1560 with, and I'm serious, love for those people. I can return to my true passion in life - scrapbooking."

When I interviewed Hoffman in July 2007 for this blog about his new radio gig at KGOW, he told me this about how he used the extra radio money:

"So I've always had a little bit of a part-time job on the radio just so I could get money for soda and candy. You know, wax lips and candy cigarettes, stuff like that."

I am now going to solicit advertisers and try to get a show somewhere else on the dial with Hoffman. Our show's main topic - attractive female TV news anchors. If you would like to sponsor this, give me a ring.

Rodgers is moving to Houston and will start his new show from 1 to 3pm on Tuesday.

http://travisrodgersnow.com/

RELATED
Ken Hoffman of the Houston Chronicle talks to Mike McGuff

KIAH 39 9pm producer Adam Silverstein on to KSTU Fox 13

KIAH 39 9pm producer Adam Silverstein is headed off west for a new TV job. He will now be an executive producer at KSTU Fox 13 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Silverstein says he will miss all the talented folks he's worked with at Channel 39 in Houston.

The Univeristy of Texas graduate previously worked as a producer at Fox 7 KTBC in Austin. Before that he interned with The Daily Show.

RELATED
- Gary Jaffe is new KIAH 39 Imaginator for NewsFix
- KIAH 39 dumps traditional newscasts
- 39 KIAH Ghost Hunters facing death

The Retro Television Network (RTV) on air in Houston

If you don't have cable or satellite and like old TV, you now have another channel in Houston to watch the classics (or at least old shows.)

The Retro Television Network (RTV) is now on 34.2 in Houston.

RTV airs old TV shows like Adam 12, The Adventures of Black Beauty, Airwolf, Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The A-Team, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Dragnet, Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Harry and the Hendersons, The Incredible Hulk, I Spy, The Jack Benny Show, Kate and Allie, Knight Rider, Kojak, Leave it to Beaver, Magnum P.I., Marcus Welby M.D., McHale's Navy, The Rockford Files, Simon and Simon and the Voyagers. SEE FULL SHOW LISTING

Sounds like many shows I used to watch on 39 KHTV (now KIAH) or 20 KTXH as a kid.

Channel 34.2 in Houston is not even listed as an affiliate on the The Retro Television Network website but I went to my over the air antenna TV and sure enough it was there. The funny thing is there is nothing on the main channel 34 signal except for a screen that says KUVM (at least when I checked it which was prime time). There is also a 34.3 and 34.5 with the same KUVM screen.

The station that is now KUVM Channel 34 in Houston has been on the air in one form or another since 1981 according to Wikipedia. It is a low power station so it might not reach your area of the Houston metro.

RELATED
This TV plays old movies on KPRC 2.2

(Thanks to @gridlockjoe)

VIDEO: 11 News I-Team launches on KHOU

I already sort of covered this with a link in an earlier post, but here are promos for KHOU 11's new 11 News I-Team (video below). The station says it will be the largest investigative unit in Texas.

The new group will include senior investigative reporters Jeremy Rogalski and Mark Greenblatt from the former 11 Defenders unit. The other contributors will be Len Cannon, Dave Fehling, Shern-Min Chow, Rucks Russell, Leigh Frillici and Jeff McShan. Others the station says are included include producers and photographers - two of which I am guessing will be producer David Raziq and photojournalist Keith Tomsh.

As I've been blogging in the last year, KHOU 11 has won a ton of awards for investigative journalism.

Here are the promos, hot off the Final Cut Pro machines, for the new 11 News I-Team.

Historic NASA photos now on Flickr

If you want to look at NASA photos from more than half a century, then head over to Flickr. The space agency and picture site just teamed up.

"NASA's long-standing partnership with Internet Archive and this new one with Yahoo!'s Flickr provides an opportunity for the public to participate in the process of discovery," said Debbie Rivera, lead for the NASA Images project at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "In addition, the public can help the agency capture historical knowledge about missions and programs through this new resource and make it available for future generations."

That's right, the public can add tags or keywords to the images to identify objects and people. The hope is the public's assistance will make the images easier to find online and add insight about NASA's history.

The sets of photos are broken down into themes:
- The "Launch and Takeoff" set captures iconic spacecraft and aircraft taking flight.
- "Building NASA" spotlights ground-breaking events and the construction of some of NASA's one-of-a-kind facilities.
- The "Center Namesakes" set features photos of the founders and figureheads of NASA's 10 field centers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons

While the NASA and Flickr partnership is new, the space agency already has a site called NASAimages.org which provides hundreds of thousands of images and thousands of hours of video, HD video and audio content available free to the public for download.

http://www.nasaimages.org/

KHOU 11's Alex Sanz welcomes new duties

KHOU 11 reporter Alex Sanz and his wife have new job duties. No this has nothing to do with live shots or TV packages.

Both are now the proud parents of twin boys! The special delivery came Friday.

Congrats to both.

Sanz joined KHOU 11 in 2007.

(Thanks Chris)

Former KTRK anchor in Afghanistan, KHOU I-Team, classic WFAA video and more

Former KTRK 13 anchor Stephanie Guadian covering Afghanistan war
Former KTRK 13 anchor and current KFOX-TV Channel 14 morning anchor Stephanie Guadian is embedded with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
- Stephanie Guadian returns home to El Paso's KFOX

KHOU 11 News I-Team takes investigative journalism to a new level
The award-winning 11 News I-Team will include senior investigative reporters Jeremy Rogalski and Mark Greenblatt. They’ll be joined by a team of veteran reporters, producers and photographers. Together they form the largest investigative unit in Texas.

INSITE: Brother Larry Jones out
Isiah Carey AKA The Insite reports Larry Jones is out at the Yolanda Adams show

VIDEO: 1979 WFAA8 weekend weathercaster Steve Newman
The manually activated "5 Day Outlook" is the star player.
- WFAA 8 Promo "You Can Count on us" 1979
- VIDEO: KTRK 13 weather in 1979 with Ed Brandon

Library gets grant to save KUHT films
The UH library system holds more than 500 reels of film that were produced between the 1950’s and 1970’s by KUHT.

Top 10 Web Revenue Mistakes of TV and Radio
From Director of Interactive/web manager types not qualified to implement a realistic revenue strategy to expensive research and consultants not bringing results.

Houston's Jim Parsons wins Emmy for Big Bang Theory
Houston's own Jim Parsons took home the prize for his portrayal of eccentric genius Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory at the 62nd Emmy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night.

TV station voice calls NBC anchor sad excuse for a journalist
As thousands of El Pasoans set their televisions to KTSM-TV Channel 9 to either watch the Miss Universe pageant or wait for the 10 p.m. newscast, they were treated to one of those live TV slip ups that come only once in a lifetime.

S.A. viewers fuming over Regis, Kelly loss
San Antonio viewers are incensed over losing "Live with Regis and Kelly" on WOAI in September.

TV Station News Salaries Up Slightly
Local TV news salaries showed modest gains in 2009.

Mobile ads in Dallas will generate $1.8B in revenue by 2015
By 2015, mobile devices will generate $1.8 billion in mobile ad revenue from local and national businesses in Dallas, according to Borrell Associates.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- KPRC 2 reporter Lisa Baldwin says goodbye
- Fox 26 KRIV's Sibila Vargas not talking about KCBS job rumor
- KRIV 26, KIAH 39 and KPRC 2 start sharing video
- 39 KIAH Ghost Hunters facing death

Texans vs. Cowboys TV coverage on KHOU 11

KHOU 11 is taking the Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys game seriously according to an email the station sent me:

One of the biggest rivalries in the great state of Texas will come to a head Saturday – Houston vs. Dallas – as the Texans take on the Cowboys in a highly anticipated preseason matchup. The action starts at 6 p.m. on KHOU-TV Channel 11, Houston’s CBS affiliate, with the “Lone Star Shootout” pregame special, followed by the game at 7 p.m. televised nationally on CBS stations.

Channel 11 will be LIVE from “Tailgate Central” at Reliant Stadium with anchors Greg Hurst, Lucy Noland and Butch Alsandor. Tune in for a taste of how Texan fans get their game face on with Len Cannon, Gene Norman, Deborah Duncan, Katherine Whaley and David Paul. Plus, Matt Musil will be on the sideline with the teams all the way through kickoff.

The one-hour special breaks down the key matchups of the rivalry. Hear from quarterbacks, receivers, coaches and owners. Even the mayors of the two cities weigh in on why their team will win the biggest game of the preseason. It all starts at 6 p.m. on Channel 11.

KPRC 2 reporter Lisa Baldwin says goodbye

The Insite reports that KPRC 2 reporter Lisa Baldwin put her resignation into the bosses at Channel 2 KPRC this week. I hear she wants to spend more time with her family.

Nothing wrong with that. I did the same thing.

Clearly family is important to Baldwin. She mentioned in her KPRC web bio:

Despite working hard to get where she is, Lisa has achieved her own personal feat by becoming a first-time mother. Her son was born five weeks after she arrived in Houston. A daughter arrived a few years later. She met her husband, who is a TV news reporter, in a newsroom and says that he is her best friend.

Baldwin's husband is KIAH 39 reporter Steve Simon.

Fox 26 KRIV's Sibila Vargas not talking about KCBS job rumor

Thanks for all the emails concerning the Sibila Vargas rumor featured on NewsBlues yesterday. In case you didn't see it, NewsBlues is reporting the current Fox 26 KRIV anchor is rumored to be heading to Los Angeles for a weekend anchoring gig at KCBS.

I reached out to Vargas about the KCBS LA rumor and she has no comment right now.

Out of all the rumors floating around the Houston media scene, I could buy into this one. After all, Vargas came to Houston TV from a high profile entertainment reporting job at CNN.

Stay tuned.

RELATED
- VIDEO: Fox 26 KRIV's Sibila Vargas opens "The Wendy Williams Show"
- Fox 26 KRIV anchors also in movies/TV shows
- Sibila Vargas lands at Fox 26 KRIV from CNN
- New Fox 26 KRIV anchor is a CNN entertainment reporter
- Fox 26 KRIV anchors playing a game of switch-a-roo on air

VIDEO: Cruiser cam catches 100 mph crash

Watch the video and then read how the driver actually survives the crash.

KRIV 26, KIAH 39 and KPRC 2 start sharing video

Today is day three of the new Houston TV station video sharing agreement according to sources. Three stations are involved - KPRC 2, KRIV 26 and KIAH 39.

This means that all the stations get together, figure out what needs to be covered that day and send one photographer to shoot video for all three stations. It is a way to cut down on costs. Instead of sending three staffers from each television station to shoot the same video, now you are sending one to shoot for all of them.

I've written about what's called a Local News Service or LNS before. There is an LNS agreement in the Dallas-Fort Worth market for example. When I worked at KTRK, there was a less formal sounding video sharing agreement between 13 and 39 a few years ago.

You might also remember that there is a sharing agreement between Houston stations when it comes to helicopters too. That led to this famous chopper promo from Fox 26.

No word on just what is going to be covered between the Houston stations. I would guess it would be the feature VOs/Sots and press conference stuff. Maybe car accident video too for all we know. The stations are probably still trying to work it out. All these folks are still competitors so don't expect them to get too friendly.

With all things there are two sides to this issue. From a station operations standpoint, it makes sense. It is cheaper and more efficient. From an employee standpoint it is probably scary. Does this mean stations need less employees? Time will only tell.

RELATED
- Dallas-Fort Worth TV news stations now sharing video
- TV stations are becoming buddies and sharing
- KDFW and KXAS team up for Dallas/Fort Worth news coverage

Former KPRC 2 reporter's new biz, H-town TV couple expecting and more

Former KPRC 2 reporter launches new business venture
Heartbroken former KPRC 2 reporter Elizabeth Scarborough launches Pink Kisses in Austin.
- KPRC Local 2 reporter Elizabeth Scarborough exits

The Inside Scoop on Jonathan Novack - The Weatherman
A friend of former KPRC 2 weatherman Jonathan Novack interviews him about his time on The Bachelorette" and "Bachelor Pad."

TV tunes in to Texas
CSI hasn't expanded its franchise to Amarillo, and don't look for Law and Order: Beaumont just yet, but there will be four new hours of Texas-flavored TV each week when the season starts in September.

Ex-television anchor to be sworn in as Von Ormy judge
Former KENS 5 news anchor Chris Marrou will be sworn in Wednesday as the associate municipal judge of the City of Von Ormy.

Houston TV couple expecting special delivery
Fox 26 KRIV reporter Sally MacDonald and KPRC 2 photojournalist Brandon Martin are expecting.

Early Houston TV Programs and Personalities
A look back to the golden age of Houston television.

Texas broadcasters elect new officers, directors
Texas broadcasters this month elected a new slate of officers and filled several vacancies on the Texas Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors.

KRIV news director noticed for his ride and parenting skills
Fox 26 KRIV news director Tom Doerr gets ride and dad of the week from The Insite.

Veteran Houston journalist William Coulter dead at 71
Veteran Houston newsman William Kent Coulter, who reported on everything from local crime to NASA space missions, died Friday. He was 71.

Waco Tribune-Herald introduces OnlinePlus
After more than a year of research and planning — and a painstaking crawl through some complex technical issues — wacotrib.com will become a subscription website on Sept. 15.

(Image of Elizabeth Scarborough courtesy of Flickr user littlelostrobot)

VIDEO: Behind the scenes of Atom Smasher's 104.1 KRBE in 2003

Remember Atom Smasher at 104.1 KRBE? From night man to morning show host duties, Atom certainly made an impact on Houston.

In fact, when Sam Malone left and Smasher and Maria Todd became the morning show, I realized people were interested in Houston media stories on my blog. You can blame this event for the continuation of this blog.

Above is behind the scenes footage of Atom Smasher doing his show in the KRBE studios back in 2003. As a self confessed radio geek, I enjoy watching good DJs doing their show. It appears to take someone with great multi-tasking skills with slight ADHD. Atom is even entertaining with callers who probably never made air.

RELATED
- Atom Smasher: Where are they now?
- Atom Smasher leaves Dallas 106.1 KISS FM

KTVT 11 on air changes in DFW

The Napoli Management Group lets us know that there have been some on air promotions at KTVT CBS 11 in Dallas-Fort Worth.

First Garry Seith has been promoted to the station's morning meteorologist position. He moves from sister station KTXA 21 where he was the primary meteorologist. You might remember how I recently told you Seith had a motorcycle accident and was in a neck brace for three weeks.
- Garry Seith bio

But that is not the only thing happen at the station's Fort Worth based studios.

And Ginger Allen becomes the senior investigative reporter for KTVT. Ginger has been with CBS11 for 11 years and has held anchor/reporter duties for the station.
- Ginger Allen bio

Judge Alex vacates Fox 26 KRIV court

This is probably old news to some of you, but this posts answers a Mean Green reader's question:

Hi Mike,
Just heard that production of Judge Alex has moved to Los Angeles for the 6th season, do you know if this is true? If so do you know if any show will take its place at the KRIV studio? I'm an avid reader of your blog and I thought this would would be a great topic if you wanted to use, if not I understand and you could just answer me through email if you want. LOL! Also is this the only way to contact you for topics on the blog? Is there any way to submit questions directly from the blog?

Fox tells me that yes the show did indeed move to Los Angeles. I saw the big empty studio for myself back in March. No word on what KRIV plans to do with the space.

As for readers being able to send in anonymous tips from my blog, I've never thought of that. Maybe one day in the future.

Dallas weatherman quits, San Antonio anchor quits, KTBU 55 nixes HS football and more

CBS11/TXA21 meteorologist Mike Burger mapping out his retirement
CBS11/TXA21 meteorologist Mike Burger has announced his retirement from broadcasting just five months after marking his 40th year in the business.

WOAI dumps Regis, Kelly for Rachael Ray
"Live With Regis and Kelly" soon will be nowhere to be seen on San Antonio TV.

San Antonio news vet hangs up KSAT mike for USAA post
Rosenda Rios, who has done both anchoring and reporting for San Antonio's ABC affiliate is leaving the TV biz.

KTBU nixes high school show
After a decade as a reliable, consistent advocate for high school sports, Todd Freed received word Wednesday night that KTBU (Channel 55) had canceled High School Sports Live, effective immediately.

Austin 101X KROX DJ becomes famous on YouTube
101X KROX DJ CJ Morgan posted a video to YouTube showing him dancing in his office. He says a caffeine boost got him in the groove.

KMYS to nab youth market as new CW affiliate
Starting Aug. 30, KMYS will become San Antonio's new CW network affiliate.

KVUE 24 Austin to start morning news at 4:30am
Since I posted that KVUE 24 was starting its Austin morning news at 4:30am I've been told by people in the industry that KRGV, KSNB, KMBC and WFAA are all also starting at 4:30am soon too!
- Mike McGuff's 4am show pitch to Houston TV stations

You can win a chance to wake up NASA astronauts

You know how NASA wakes up the astronauts on shuttle missions with a special song? Now you get the chance to choose those songs for the last two scheduled space shuttle missions.

Normally those songs are selected by friends and family of the crews.

For the last two scheduled missions, NASA is inviting the public to visit the "Wakeup Song Contest" website to select songs from a list of the top 40 previous wakeup calls or to submit original tunes for consideration.

To vote or submit a song go to:
https://songcontest.nasa.gov/

The two songs that get the most votes will be jump start the crews on the final scheduled flight of space shuttle Discovery. Discovery's STS-133 mission is targeted to launch on Nov. 1.

KVUE 24 Austin to start morning news at 4:30am

We've seen the shift to 4:30am morning news start times in Houston and Dallas and now KVUE 24 is doing it in Austin. KVUE News Daybreak will extend its morning news by a half hour running from 4:30am to 7am.

“This underscores our continued commitment to serving the changing needs of our viewers,” says KVUE president and general manager Patti C Smith.

"KVUE sets the standard for news excellence in Austin. By adding a 4:30 am newscast, we will provide news, weather and information at a time when more and more people are depending on us," said KVUE news director Frank Volpicella. "Expanding our news is our commitment to our viewers, that KVUE is indeed Austin's news station."

The station says KVUE News Daybreak with Melissa Gale, Olga Campos and meteorologist Albert Ramon is currently the most watched morning news and information program in Austin.

Look for the time change this Fall.

Meyerland Plaza gets a Firehouse Subs

If you want to see more food places in Meyerland Plaza, you are getting your wish. The other day I spotted a Firehouse Subs shop opening near the Massage Envy.

When I say opening, that means in the future. The walls are stripped and nothing was inside but this banner hanging on the door.

The new address will be:

420 Meyerland Plaza Ste 170
Houston, TX 77096

It's on the same side as the new Meyerland Best Buy I told you about earlier this year.

The recent San Antonio TV anchor arrivals and departures

Ken Lindner is out there talking about its recent client moves. I'm spotlighting the Texas portion which is all centered in San Antonio.

Isis Romero joins KSAT as a weekend anchor/reporter from KSAZ-TV in Phoenix where she did the same jobs.
- 12 Questions for Isis Romero
- Isis Romero bio

Kellie Patterson leaves as the KENS 5 traffic reporter to join WCNC as a weekend anchor. Say hello to Adam Darsky for me.
- LIGHTS, CAMERA, KELLIE! blog

And as I already told you, Ted Garcia comes back to The Alamo City as the new KABB weekend anchor. He was being a big TV star in LA when not working for KTLA.

Leaving a job in TV news? Moving stations? Let me know what you are doing next [email]. For all positions

39 KIAH Ghost Hunters facing death

Just because KIAH 39's current news is going away to be replaced by NewsFix, doesn't mean the current crew isn't still coming up with new features. Recently launched is the 39 Ghost Hunters - a team that investigates Houston hauntings. This franchise has won an Emmy in the past according to the videos. We'll see if KIAH 39 Tribune Imaginator Gary Jaffe keeps the segment.

RELATED
- St. Arnold Brewing Company, Houston - 39 Ghost Hunters
- 39GhostHunters Twitter

KPFT steps up to help displaced 91.7 KTRU staff

90.1 KPFT Houston's Pacifica station has an open letter on its website to the staff at 91.7 KTRU. You might have heard the Rice University radio station is being sold to the University of Houston. UH plans to make it a classical station under the call letters KUHC.

The letter tells the KTRU staff that they can work on KPFT's soon to be relaunched HD2 channel.

Dear KTRU DJs and friends,

It is with great sadness that we observe the fate facing KTRU, a Houston cultural institution that blazed trails. It offered programming commercial radio would never touch or, in rare cases, would only make way for many years later.

We empathize with the financial troubles besetting Rice University. As a nonprofit, KPFT is constantly facing a challenging fiscal outlook and media landscape.

We share your concerns about media consolidation, and we hope this struggle reminds everyone about the need for true media diversity.

KPFT management thinks it would be a shame to lose so many incredible KTRU programs. We offer this letter openly to the station's DJs. READ THE REST

Meanwhile the Rice students are planning a protest Sunday at Willy's Statue in the Rice U quad.

RELATED
- KTRU Rice Radio to become 91.7 KUHC Classical
- Media Embargo: UH And Rice Get What They Want From The Chronicle

Marvin Zindler, WFAA 8 anchors, Bob Ford, 97.9, TV parody troubles and more

Marvin Zindler's The Roving Mike
Listen to classic Marvin Zindler radio reports way before his Slime in the Ice Machine days.
- Marvin Zindler's 1951 radio interview you couldn't do today

Houston's "Box" fills its midday and night slots
Radio One’s Urban KBXX “97.9 The Box,” Houston has hired a new night jock and midday personality.
- VIDEO: DJ Brandi Garcia discusses being fired from 97.9 The Box

Three staffers depart Tampa ABC affiliate amid investigation into Tiger Woods mistress spoof video
Three staffers have left Tampa ABC affiliate WFTS-Ch. 28 amid the station's investigation into how a spoof video landed on the Internet reporting that an employee was one of Tiger Woods' mistresses.
- TV anchors/reporter fired over parody video

Astros public address announcer Bob Ford has been keeping Houston fans informed for 17 years
Long before his voice was being heard by thousands of fans at Minute Maid Park, Astros public address announcer Bob Ford could be found at Galveston Pony-Colt Stadium announcing youth league games involving 7-year-olds.

The off-camera personal lives of WFAA8's anchor/reporters
Children and wedding proposals are hot news inside of WFAA 8.

“How to Shoot a News Story”
1980s news report making fun of the one man band idea.

KBMT Moves K-JAC 11:30 News To Noon
NBC affiliate K-JAC, carried on a subchannel of KBMT Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas (DMA 141), has moved its 12News HD at 11:30 am to weekdays at noon.

VIDEO: When TV anchors and weathermen give us the finger on air

Yes it is true. Even TV anchors and meteorologists are human. They too give the finger at colleagues, but albeit in a much more public manner.





BBC weatherman Tom Schafernaker recently gave the finger to news presenter Simon McCoy live on the air for a flippant remark. Now he is in trouble. It was a gormless act for sure. He's had other daft moments on air too.

We now move to Russia where a BECTN TV anchor does the finger thing again. That will teach the reporter to cut him off again.





(Thanks Will-E and EdB)

KTRU Rice Radio to become 91.7 KUHC Classical - this is a good thing

Well it looks like 91.7 KTRU Rice Radio is going away and 91.7 KUHC Classical is taking its place. I've actually been through this before. I was student program director of Baylor University's 107.1 KWBU Radio Free Waco. I graduated and a year later it became an NPR station. It angered me at the time.

That being said I can understand both Rice and the University of Houston's position on this. KTRU was an alternative voice in Houston. Ten years ago there would have been more outrage (as there was back then when they tried to get rid of it). UPDATE:  Readers are pointing to the outrage.  At the time of the original writing of the post, I did not know Rice was keeping this a secret.  I thought it had been an ongoing campus issue and just hit the rest of the city. The Internet lessens the need for this alternative now. In fact young people don't listen to the radio much anyway do they? We can thank the Internet and iPods for that too.

I'm not even sure that KTRU served the community that well anyway at times. A better alternative radio station for the community is 90.1 KPFT in my opinion. There probably would be more outrage to the KTRU sale if KPFT did not exist in Houston.

I am a fan of KUHF. A city the size of Houston deserves a 24 hour NPR station and a 24 hour classical station with a promised focus on the arts. This is a very good deal for us listeners. KUHF has done a good job with its HD2 NPR programming during classical music hours, but it would be nice to throw each format on its own real signal.

UPDATE:  Don't get me wrong. I grew up listening to KTRU.  It was my source for college rock music. Now I find new music online where I don't have to sit through wacky classical music or sitar playing mixed in. The Internet also lets me know what I am listening to so I can further explore it.

University of Houston System (UH) and Rice University officials today announced UH’s pending purchase of the broadcast tower, FM frequency and license used by Rice station KTRU for $9.5 million.

The UH System Board of Regents at its Aug. 17 meeting authorized Chancellor Renu Khator to negotiate and execute a purchase agreement and management agreement to acquire KTRU. The purchase will be financed 100 percent by enhanced underwriting and ongoing private gift fundraising by KUHF. The acquisition is subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission.

KUHF, the National Public Radio (NPR) station owned and operated by UH, plans to broadcast 24-hour classical music and fine arts programming on 91.7 FM (KUHC Classical) and to convert 88.7 FM to a 24-hour NPR news and information format (KUHF News). KTRU will continue to provide free radio programming online at www.ktru.org.

"The acquisition of a second public radio station delivers on our promise to keep the University of Houston at the forefront of creating strong cultural, educational and artistic opportunities that benefit students and the city of Houston,” said Renu Khator, chancellor of the UH System and president of the University of Houston.

We now have the cultural assets to deliver NPR news, public affairs and classical programming to Houston 24 hours a day, placing the University of Houston in the company of an elite group of Tier One universities,” Khator said.

The select group of universities that offer two public radio stations includes Purdue University, Florida State University at Tallahassee, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Ohio State University at Columbus, Arizona State University at Tempe, University of South Florida, University of Wisconsin at Madison and the University of Iowa.

The University of Houston is the first Texas university to propose this configuration, said KUHF General Manager John Proffitt.

“This added capability will benefit the entire Houston community,” Proffitt said. “Houstonians can now enjoy 24-hour classical music and NPR news on the two public radio stations.”

VIDEO: KTRK 13's 'Houston's Coming Back'

Now that America is in a recession and seemingly more divided than ever...let's get a pick me up. Here is KTRK 13's 1988 Houston's Coming Back promo via Houstontvnews.

Here's a promo from the summer of 1988 featuring the station's involvement in boosting the region's spirits in the wake of the economic downturn over the course of the decade. Similar to KPRC's partnership with the longer-lived "Houston Proud", KTRK partnered with a company called "Houston's Coming Back" which aimed to promote the community.

MORE
- KTRK The Late Report (1982)
- KTRK 13 Eyewitness News at 6:00 Long Close, 6/3/1988

KIAH 39 NewsFix update, KENS 4pm show, KTRU sold? and more

Gary Jaffe is new KIAH 39 Imaginator for NewsFix
- Tribune Co. Tries to Create Web-Like Experience with Anchorless Newscast
- Proposed Texas newscast worth monitoring locally
- Tribune to shake up TV news with anchor-free format

KENS' 4 p.m. news lively with Knapp, Taylor
The live half-hour on KENS 5 San Antonio is anchored by Deborah Knapp.

UH board considers plan to buy Rice radio station
The University of Houston is planning to buy the radio station operated by students at Rice University for almost 40 years in a $9.5 million deal that would give UH the broadcast tower, FM frequency and license used by Rice's KTRU.
KTRU: Is U Of H About To Buy Rice Student Station?
Could the end of 91.7 KTRU Rice Radio as Houston knows it be upon us?
- KTRU: Is UH About To Buy Rice's Station And Transform It From Unique To Bland?

S.A. radio personalities remember 'Rick the Stick' with love, humor
San Antonio mourns passing of "Rick the Stick" Mireles.

‘Austin City Limits’ announces Season 36 broadcast schedule
‘Austin City Limits’, KLRU’s venerable music-on-TV program, has announced the first eight episodes of Season 36, the last to be filmed in the historic Studio 6A.

Houston City Controller Ronald Green gets 'The Green Report' TV show
Houston City Controller Ronald Green can't be confined to an office on the 8th floor at City Hall.

Subsidiary of Tribune Company opens Texas office
Tribune Company says its new subsidiary, Blue Lynx Media LLC, has opened space in Lewisville, TX, where it is expected to provide jobs for as many as 200 new employees.

Study shows high interest among consumers for digital magazines and newspapers
New study on consumer demand for interactive periodicals projects the potential for $3 billion in revenue for the US magazine and newspaper industry by 2014.

Gary Jaffe is new KIAH 39 Imaginator for NewsFix

Gary Jaffe has been announced as the new KIAH 39 Tribune Company NewsFix Imaginator multiple station sources tell me.

This guy has one hell of a resume.

He has produced films and was part of the launch team for The Tube Music Network (which aired on 39.2). Jaffe also worked in TV stations (CBS4 WFOR/UPN33) and has run his own production company called Concept Vision Media, Inc.

Jaffe starts the KIAH 39 NewsFix revolution August 23rd. I mean by that he starts at the station. NewsFix won't reportedly debut until October.

Maybe next time I apply for a job, I won't spend so much time blogging about the process. I never actually got around to applying since I was still getting suggestions as of today (was planning on the doing the deed tomorrow).

Oh well, this guy sounds like he has good experience for this gig. I also imagine Tribune Company had its eye on Jaffe for a while already considering how fast he was hired.

RELATED
KIAH 39 dumps traditional newscasts

KIAH 39 Imaginator named?

I just got a comment that I may be too late to apply for the KIAH 39 Imaginator position! Job application crowdsourcing ain't all it's cracked up to be I guess.

I checked and the job posting is gone from the KIAH 39 website.

Anyone have any info on this?

UPDATE
Gary Jaffe is new KIAH 39 Imaginator for NewsFix

Free food coming from Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Some Texas locations of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen are handing out free food. That's right I said free.

The free handout is for the Simple Chicken Sandwich. It's a lightly breaded chicken breast marinated in Popeyes' blend of seasonings served on a toasted and buttered bun with crispy pickles and mayo on the side.

More than 200 restaurants throughout Texas will participate in this one-hour free giveaway, including locations in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Lufkin, Midland, Nacogdoches and San Antonio.

WHEN: Thursday, August 19, 2010
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

TV news blooper: Reporter drops ice sculpture on live TV

Imagine a fair, a TV reporter doing a live report and the ice sculptor who has been working hard all day. Oops. The reporter, trying to be 'interactive,' touches the sculpture. It falls down, goes boom. Actually more than boom it disintegrates. The rest of the ice melts from the heat coming from the ice sculptors rage.

It's been debated if this is real or a hoax. Notice the cut from a closeup to wide. That's not going to happen on most TV live shots unless there are two cameras and in this economy...that is doubtful. Although the YouTube poster could have just edited some crap out to cut the length down. Notice the time in the corner does change abruptly at the cut.

Then again, there is no station logos on this screen. Although the station might have bumped out station branding in favor of the OC fair graphics coverage. Strange there is no station branding though. Being that it is the OC fair, I imagine that is Orange County, California, meaning it would be an LA station doing this. Which station is this? I looked at all the Los Angles TV station websites I could think of to ID the talent. No luck.

My KIAH 39 NewsFix Imaginator resume cover letter

OK here it is. I told you I was going to use your suggestions to apply for the KIAH 39 NewsFix Imaginator position. This is the job Tribune Company says will revolutionize news.

Thanks to everyone who has shown support for my application process - from those in the Houston media to bloggers.

Please comment your critiques on my cover letter for the Imaginator job. Think of it as your way to let KIAH and other TV news managers know what you are thinking. Considering what the job is calling for and the tone of the job description, should I cuss more? Be more rock and roll? Talk myself up more? Use proper spelling and grammar?

Here it is:

I saw a bumper sticker on Loop 610 last weekend that read "TV Sucks: Ride a bike." While I am not much of a bike rider anymore, I have to say much of TV does suck including local news. News viewers are not turning it on as much, not tuning in, only dropping out.

We can change that.

For NewsFix to work, you're going to have to hire someone like me who is tuned into the Houston community (even more rare, I am a native Houstonian). Things that work on TV/radio in Houston...only work here. Did you ever see a Marvin Zindler report?

My blog has more than 20,000 unique readers a month. I was voted top Twitterer in Houston by the Houston Press readers for 2009. Keep in mind that I am only some dude with a free blogger.com account...imagine what I could do with a damn TV transmitter!

My bosses at KTRK used to say Mike McGuff is the best at merging television and the web. That's why I'm the only person in Texas to have two Lone Star EMMY Advanced Media Awards to my name in two years. Not only that, but I also won First and Second place in Best Online/Special Content from the Texas AP in the same year!

But before you throw my resume out because "I have too much TV experience" keep reading. What I'm saying is you need a guy like me who knows what's really going on in Houston and is connected. There are people in this city who would love to contribute to the newscast. Want investigative reports? Groups like Texas Watchdog are doing the journalism, NewsFix could provide the time. Want to know what hot new restaurant is going into that old famous building in Montrose? Swamplot has your answer. Want the latest society scoop, Culturemap knows.

I'm the one to bring all these parties together and actually get it on TV so viewers aren't being subjected to some guy giving his opinion on high gas prices in the predictable "man on the street" interviews. Don't even get me started on live shots at night where it looks like the reporter is reporting from their closet.

Speaking of the online world, you could totally dominate with what I can do. Wanna experience how much I know about online? This cover letter was crowdsourced. Yeah, I took reader suggestions from my blog for ideas on this letter. You think Tribune is getting buzz off NewsFix? Well so am I! In fact, I want to bring in a camera to record my job interview with you! This is why the trades and news sites as far as Seattle pick up my coverage of the coming KIAH revolution.

Together we can stop the brain drain and BS in local news. Hurry up and call me, the viewers are dropping like flies out there from boredom. Don't let that be on your conscience.

As promised, if I get called in for an interview, I would like to bring in a video camera for at least part of it to be shown on this blog (it would be great to get a few minutes of the NewsFix pilot on mikemcguff.com too). I'm also considering the dress code. They want rock n' roll so I was thinking about slinging my electric guitar around my shoulder and heading into the job interview. I guess that is for another post though.

RELATED
- Mike McGuff resume
- KIAH 39 Imaginator job: Help me apply for it
- KIAH 39 dumps traditional newscasts
- NewsFix pilot debuts to KIAH 39 staff - terrorists referred to as 'bozos' in story

VIDEO: Houston Newscasts Opens last PART 3

Houston newscasts opens in the 1980s. Great stuff.

RELATED
- VIDEO: Houston TV newscast opens 80s and 90s
- VIDEO: Houston TV newscast opens early 2000s and 80s PART 2

KDAF DFW departure, KABB San Antonio arrival, American Idol in Austin plus more

Ted Garcia leaves LA to return to San Antonio TV news
Ted Garcia who anchored at KSAT during the 1990s, has been hired by Fox affiliate KABB to co-anchor the weekend news with Mileka Lincoln.

KDAF 33 web reporter Pelpina Trip leaving to weave another web
Internet specialist Pelpina Trip, whose "Pelpina's Picks" have been a nightly feature on CW33's 9 p.m. newscasts, is leaving the Dallas-based station for another web venture.

Ryan Seacrest at Austin ‘Idol’ auditions (video)
Ryan Seacrest was the only “American Idol” talent to visit Austin for the initial round of Season 10 auditions. He and Randy Jackson are the only confirmed host for next season right?

Former Houston anchor recently arrested cites depression
Hobbs previously anchored at KTRK in Houston and WAGA Atlanta.
- Former Houston TV talent arrested for possession of crack cocaine and crack pipe

Johnny Carson, Now Quipping Online
More than 3,500 hours of Carson’s “Tonight Show” have been preserved digitally and will begin making their way onto the Web.
- VIDEO: 1970s Johnny Carson profile on 60 Minutes

ABC owned and operated stations going gangbusters for Disney
Growth for the OandOs was dramatic. Ad revenues rose 32% for the quarter, led by increases in the automotive, political and electronics categories.

Funeral arrangements for KIAH 39's Anesha Evans

The funeral arrangements have been made for KIAH 39 assignments editor Anesha Evans who recently lost her battle with cancer:

Here are the funeral arrangements:

Saturday, August 14th
Viewing: 9am - 10:50am
Funeral Service: 11am

Fountain of Praise Church, Hillcroft Campus
13950 Hillcroft Avenue
Houston, Texas 77085

Garf is a hunk

I always knew that Michael Garfield The High Tech Texan was good looking, but I never realized he was a 'hunk.'  The things you learn from Ken Hoffman's column in the Houston Chronicle:

Thanks for your update on the Fox 26 traffic person, Michele Merhar, formerly of KTRH Radio. She is a cute young girl. But that got me thinking.
Is it rare for someone here in radio to make a leap to TV? Usually those radio people have a "face for radio." I checked out radio station websites to see what the disc jockeys look like, and most all of them should stay in that industry. Who do you think could translate easily to TV, at least based on their looks? Only people I can think of are Dana Tyson of Sunny 99 and Michael Garfield of 950 KPRC.
- Amy Block, Pearland

[Hoffman's answer] Dominique Sachse, head chanteuse at Channel 2, and Dave Ward and Bob Allen, the warlords of Channel 13, all started in radio. There are plenty more. You're right about Michael Garfield being a total hunk. I know this because he once told me, "I'm a total hunk." Garfield has starred in a bunch of TV commercials, so he's already crossed the border. READ THE REST

Garf says on Twitter he never uttered those words. He doesn't have to. I think Hoffy and others have been thinking it for years.

VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry

Before Tribune Company came up with the anchor-less NewsFix for KIAH 39, TV anchors mattered to television stations.

Look back at two Houston TV legends, Ron Stone and Doug Johnson, when they anchored the revived Scene at Five on KPRC 2 in the late 1980s. These two had a ton of on air charisma and chemistry. It is literally like watching two old friends. You don't get stuff like this outside of a morning show these days and even those newscasts are heavily formatted for the most part.

MORE VIDEO:
- KPRC The Scene at Five Premiere, 4/4/88
- KPRC Channel Two News at 10pm w/Sign Off

Bob Allen lives a double life in Lone Star

A friend of mine, who grew up in Texas, couldn't believe her eyes when she read the article about the upcoming TV series called Lone Star. Not because it sounds like a modern day Dallas, but because of the lead character named Bob Allen from Houston:

The series, which is set in Texas and is sometimes compared to “Dallas,” is about a man who is secretly leading two lives. In Houston, Bob Allen is ingratiating himself with his wife’s oil-rich family. In Midland, where Bob goes by the name Robert Allen, he is bilking local investors and deceiving his girlfriend. And yet, he can seem sympathetic to the viewers. READ THE REST

WTF? You might recognize the name 'Bob Allen' since Bob Allen has been anchoring KTRK 13's sports since the 1970s. What a strange coincidence or is it?

The real Bob Allen has talked about his Hollywood connection on this very blog. Maybe his movie acting rubbed off on the Lone Star creator or writers!

RELATED
KTRK 13 sports director Bob Allen's Hollywood fame

(Image courtesy oakridgeclassmates.com) 

Top 10 stolen vehicles in Houston for July 2010

The following is a rundown of the “Top 10” makes of vehicles reported stolen to the Houston Police Department during the month of July 2010.

1. Ford Trucks 153
2. Chevrolet Trucks 129
3. Honda Cars 105
4. Dodge Trucks 97
5. Chevrolet Cars 39
6. Ford Cars 38
7. Dodge Cars 36
8. GMC Trucks 26
Toyota Cars 26
9. Pontiac Cars 22
10. Jeep Trucks 20
Toyota Trucks 20

VIDEO: K12 Radio Houston from HISD streaming on KHOU.com 11

I told you how K12 Radio Houston from HISD launched. Now the Internet only radio station is streaming on KHOU.com channel 11.

RELATED
- HISD's and RFC Media's K12 Radio launches
- Houston rock radio pioneer dumps FM for Web broadcasting - mikemcguff.com exclusive

KIAH 39's NewsFix worries TV anchors, Jonathan Novack talks and more

KIAH-TV's plan to air anchorless news has NYC anchors wondering where bond with viewers has gone
Word that KIAH 39 Houston is considering anchorless news called NewsFix has TV anchors wondering whether this is the next wave of TV news or just a stunt to draw attention by a station with low ratings.

The Bachelor Pad Weatherman reveals all: Jonathan Novack spills on his tell-all, his comedy career and Ali
Jimmy Kimmel and everyone else may refer to him as "The Weatherman" but we still think of Jonathan Novack as our hometown heartthrob.

Call former KENS 5 anchor 'Judge Marrou'
Maybe KENS-TV should launch a new afternoon show called "Judge Chris," considering the station's most popular anchorman in San Antonio history just added that title to his resume.

Russ Martin Scores Early
Russ Martin returned to the North Texas airwaves on July 12, and in the first three days, he brought in some big numbers for KEGL 97.1. In the 18-to-34 demo, during the 6 to 10 a.m. slot, he took the station from No. 15 to No. 3.

Fox News' Digital Divide
Dominant cable news net’s site lags rival CNN.com. Why?

Who is spending money on Houston radio
The #1 radio advertiser in Houston last week was Gallery Furniture with 855 spots. Coming in #2, was Verizon with 801 ads, while Chase was #3, up from #67, with 635 commercials.

Six reasons to watch local news project TBD’s launch
Washington DC television station WJLA and parent company launch new kind of news website.

Fox bets on BlogHer
Twentieth Century Fox is betting that BlogHer -- the world's largest conference for social networking women -- is on its way to becoming the new Comic-Con.

Future of Houston Chronicle and chron.com

The panel discussion I was on with Dean Betz of chron.com this past Saturday at the Wordcamp Houston conference held in the Houston Museum of Natural Science went quite well.

It was lead by Monica Danna aka Cosmopolitician and we discussed the line between online journalists and bloggers. Plus how the 2009 FTC Online Disclosure Law has affected the way bloggers do their thing.

Thanks for all of the great feedback in the event and afterwards on Twitter. It's even still coming days afterwards and I appreciate that.

What I am writing about here is what happened towards the end of the event. Having one of the top people at chron.com gave the audience (and me) great insight to chron.com's future.

Here are the things Dean answered from audience questions that I am now posting from memory:

- The Houston Chronicle has no plans to cut home paper delivery service. What you will probably see however is the paper's size and dimensions physically shrink.

- The paper side of the operation is continuing to publish new niche products.

- The idea of a pay wall is over. Newspapers were thinking about it, but realized like the rest of us, they just aren't going to work.

- However there will be a premium area on chron.com with special content.

- Chron.com is developing an iPad app. There will also be apps for other tablet types other than Apple.

- One of most important things in 2010 that chron.com has done is to put reader tweets on the front page of the site.

I am excited to see what comes next for the Houston newspaper and its website.

RELATED
- Houston Chronicle editor Jeff Cohen talks future of paper
- Houston Chronicle takes over Texas...sort of
- Chronicle lets the 'citizens' do the sports writing

KIAH 39 assignments editor Anesha Evans loses cancer battle

Sad news from KIAH 39. Beloved assignments desk editor Anesha Evans passed away yesterday. She had been battling cancer for a while now.

Channel 39 staffers tell me Evans was a hard worker and very dedicated to the station. Plus she was just a great person to be around.

UPDATE
Click here for the funeral arrangements.

VIDEO: Mary Hart in her local TV anchoring days without showing leg

Entertainment Tonight darling Mary Hart is retiring from the show after 29 years. But lets go way back before that when she was a local TV anchor. Here she is anchoring at KMTV-TV channel 3 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Know her co-anchor? That's right! Former Headline News (now HLN) anchor Chuck Roberts who just retired from the cable network after 28 years at the desk.

Other notable anchors at KMTV are Tom Brokaw and Carlo Cecchetto.

So who is getting Hart's gig? The Wrap says it is Katy Griffin's decorator and Insider host, Lara Spencer.

Dr Pepper Icee location in Richmond, TX

Hot of my blog comments section, another great tip for a Dr Pepper Icee location:

Hi, Mike. Been reading your blog for awhile.

Another Dr Pepper ICEE location is the Buc-ee's on Crabb River road just south of Hwy 59 near Greatwood. They have had since they opened about year and a half ago.
-Randy

I looked it up, it's Buc-ee's store #31:
1243 Crabb River Road
(1/2 mile south of Hwy 59)
Richmond, TX 77469

RELATED
Icee full coverage

Houston TV photographer's rock photos become exhibit

I blogged about Houston television photographer Jaime Zamora's nearly 30 year old rock star photos from Corpus Christi, TX. Now those babies are being shown in an exhibit!

Jaime Zamora brings Corpus Christi’s Memorial Coliseum back to life with his photographs of rock-n-roll’s greatest musicians, showing at The Art Center of Corpus Christi this August. Zamora’s photographs capture live concerts of superstars such as Ozzy Osbourne with Randy Rhoads, Journey, Van Halen with David Lee Roth, Carlos Santana, Judas Priest, AC/DC with Bon Scott, RUSH, and more, before they became legends.

A Corpus Christi native, Zamora grew up on the city’s west side. His passion for photography and rock-n-roll started as a teenager, when he would frequent Corpus Christi’s Memorial Coliseum to capture iconic rock-n-roll performers of the ‘70s and ‘80s. At every concert he positioned himself directly in front of the stage, so his photographs could capture the high energy, heart pounding adrenaline he felt at every concert.

Don’t miss Zamora’s rare concert photos of rock-n-roll’s greatest stars, showing at The Art Center of Corpus Christi at 100 Shoreline Drive, just blocks from where the concerts rocked the Memorial Coliseum thirty years ago. The show will run through the end of August, with free admission to the public.

The opening date is August 12th. It runs all month and the best part it is free.

The Art Center of Corpus Christi
100 Shoreline Dr
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
(361)884-6406
http://www.artcentercc.org

See more at classicconcertphotos.com.

RELATED
Houston TV photographer unleashes killer classic rock photos

Will the FTC fine your blog or social media account?

Here are some helpful links I will be talking about during the Journalist vs. Blogger: Understanding the FTC Online Disclosure Law panel at WordCamp Houston.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Revised Endorsement Guides (for bloggers/social media)

FTC Seeks to Clarify -- and Justify -- Its Blogger Endorsement Guidelines

FTC Endorsement Rules Get Their First Workout

Is the FTC Really Going To Sue Bloggers?

FTC Endorsement Rules Get Their First Workout

RELATED
Bloggers get smacked down for free products

FTC Guidelines Include Affiliate Links

Mike McGuff serves on panel at WordCamp Houston Saturday

I'm pleased to announce I will be on a panel discussion concerning the media and blogs with Houston Chronicle notable Dean Betz Saturday. It will be moderated by Monica Danna aka Cosmopolitician.

It's all apart of the all day WordCamp Houston taking place at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

WordCamp Houston scored a great keynote speaker too - Matt Mullenweg, founder WordPress + Automattic. You can't get much better than the guy who created WordPress for a blogging conference!

http://www.wordcamphouston.com

RELATED
Why I write the mikemcguff.com blog and other dark secrets

KPRC 2's Jennifer Reyna to fill-in anchor Saturday morning

There is no doubt many of my readers love news on Jennifer Reyna. So you will love to read that she is doing a fill-in anchor gig Saturday morning on KPRC 2! Join Reyna and Mary Lee 6-8am.

While we're at it. Let's look at some of Jennifer Reyna's favorite things. CLICK HERE

RELATED
- KPRC 2 reporters Reyna and Jáquez caught in the act
- KPRC 2's Jennifer Reyna goes out for good cause
- KPRC 2's Jennifer Reyna behind the scenes glance

$4.99 a month alternative to cable/satellite, KXAS programming, Big Brother and more

Behind the programming department of KXAS 5
Television’s programming has become an intricate job.

Sezmi Offers Cable-Sat Alternative For $5
Sezmi, the personalized television service that combines live TV, on-demand movies, Internet video and DVR capabilities, today announced its Sezmi Select service package is immediately available in 36 markets across the United States for $4.99 per month (including Houston, Dallas and San Antonio).

Inside the Big Brother house
Watching the residents, who were unaware of our presence, felt a lot like staring at the animals at the San Antonio Zoo. (Only the animals are cuter!)

Waco market won't see 3-D TV anytime soon, say local broadcasters
This is probably a huge surprise for most.

London Broadcasting-Beaumont adds Azteca
London Broadcasting of Beaumont/Port Arthur is pleased to announce they are signing on a new Hispanic television station on August 3rd. This will be the only local Hispanic television station in Southeast Texas.

Crazy Like a Fox: When Diluting your TV Brand is the Best Strategy
For a generation the rules of TV branding have been clear and unequivocal–find a specific niche audience, then hyper-serve that niche with specialized programming. But lately, that rule has been turned on its head by some of the industries most powerful players.

Media giant Tribune scouts office space in Dallas area
Could KIAH 39's NewsFix be such a big idea that the corporate has to move to Texas?

News Corp. won't submit bid for Rangers
After reports surfaced last week that News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch may be interested in submitting a bid for ownership of the Texas Rangers, those rumblings were dispelled.

What Web Analytics Can - And Can't - Tell You about Your Site's Traffic and Audience
It's often said the Web is more measurable than any other medium. That's probably true. But trying to actually understand what's being measured and translate the different types of measurement into a coherent whole can make your head spin.

Tribune kills previous newscast revolution; KIAH 39's NewsFix still going strong

Now for the daily NewsFix related post about Tribune's KIAH 39. But first I want to thank everyone who has helped me figure out what to say in my cover letter to apply for the KIAH Imaginator job. Keep the comments coming!

Channel 39's NewsFix is not the first time Tribune has "revolutionized" the TV news industry. Now this is not to scare you about the upcoming Houston experiment, but the last Tribune implemented revolution is over. Bob Norman of The Daily Pulp fills us in on how the company just wrapped up its previous experiment by cancelling the game changing morning newscast of WSFL, the CW station in Miami:

When The Morning Show launched in April 2009, a top executive at the troubled Tribune Co. media empire thought it could "revolutionize TV" with its design and blow other "hilariously dated" newscasts off the air.

​Instead, the much-ballyhood show -- an experiment that combined the Tribune-owned Sun-Sentinel newsroom with its TV station, WSFL -- has been canceled after only 15 months on the air. READ THE REST

Norman goes on to say the show was just a traditional morning newscast with younger anchors and an emphasis on its website.

At least we can say what we've heard about the NewsFix pilot, it is far from normal. KIAH Insiders tell me they like what they saw. BTW, when I get enough comments, I will write my cover letter and post it here before actually applying for the Imaginator position.

RELATED
- KIAH 39 Imaginator job: Help me apply for it
- KIAH 39 getting a new morning show? It is getting a car show
- NewsFix pilot debuts to KIAH 39 staff - terrorists referred to as 'bozos' in story
- KIAH 39 dumps traditional newscasts