Houston Astros broadcaster Julia Morales talks with Houston Moms' Meagan Clanahan about her seasons covering MLB baseball, the history-making moment she shared with fellow broadcaster Jenny Cavnar, and what it means to be visible in spaces where women are still fighting for equal footing.
- Brandi Smith joins Houston Moms, talks leaving TV
Kristin Diaz will join WTOP New Washington, D.C., as its new morning drive anchor in April 2026 with co-anchor John Aaron from award-winning NewsRadio 1080 KRLD Dallas-Fort Worth.
Diaz has been a co-anchor of KRLD's afternoon drive show with David Rancken since 2020.
An award-winning journalist herself, Diaz was awarded the 2021 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast. She was a regional winner in 2023. She was also the recipient of the 2023 Texas Association of Broadcasters award for Best Newscast.
Prior to her work in DFW, Diaz worked in Corpus Christi for 8 years as a morning news anchor, multimedia reporter, and weather anchor at KIII 3 News.
“From the moment I met Kristin, I knew there was something special about her. Her commitment to telling stories that impact the diverse, local community she serves and doing so across platforms, aligns perfectly with WTOP’s mission,” said Julie Ziegler, WTOP’s Director of News and Programming. “I can’t wait for the WTOP audience to get to know her.”
Over the past two decades, Kristin has made service to her community a cornerstone of her career. She is an active public speaker, event emcee, mentor and member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the WTOP team and to begin this next chapter in Washington, D.C.,” said Diaz. “It’s an honor to step into a newsroom that is so deeply rooted in its community and committed to impactful storytelling. I look forward to bringing my experience, authenticity and passion for connecting with people to a city that represents such a powerful intersection of voices, cultures and perspectives.”
Diaz brings a robust and active social media presence and will translate her passion for storytelling across platforms. You can follow her on her own social media channels (Instagram, TikTok & YouTube) and see her on WTOP’s coming soon as well.
Two Texas broadcasters have set their sights on the growing, global audience of eSports enthusiasts with the launch of eSports Radio.
Bobby “Slam” Duncan’s Too Tall Media LLC and Doug Harris’ Creative Animal International have joined forces to create and market a 24/7, digitally delivered, music and spoken word presentation targeting the estimated nationwide audience of 200 million gamers.
Duncan, whose career includes successes at WXMX-FM (Memphis) and WGRD-FM (Grand Rapids), will manage programming, blending a targeted alternative playlist with commentary from a variety of high-profile gamers and YouTubers. Harris, a veteran of broadcast marketing battles worldwide, will oversee the marketing and sales effort.
“Research on this project began in 2024,” reports Duncan, “and with a potential cume of over 200 million, we feel the time is right to target and super serve this audience. And with the eSports World Cup returning to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this summer, with a prize purse of $75 million dollars, the world will be watching and listening.”
Harris shares his colleague’s enthusiasm for the project and says that opportunities for advertisers will be designed with the eSports audience in mind. “Gamers are a hungry lot, “says Harris, “and eSports Radio will appeal to their appetite for consumables as well as the latest tech. We’ll offer the marketing assets traditionally associated with radio, but our plan to connect ‘fans and brands’ will include embedded commercial messaging, co-branded content, ‘live’ sampling and demos, and personality endorsements from the rock stars of gaming.”
eSports Radio is now live HERE, which Duncan says takes proof of concept to the next level.
“We’re in the ‘crawl’ phase of this project’s development, but we’re picking up steam every day. We’ve already heard from several programmers with underutilized signals who consider eSports Radio a cost-effective, plug-and-play content option.”
The new era of Dia Wall and Matt Howerton on WFAA 8, Dallas-Fort Worth's Daybreak morning newscast, started Monday. YOUR THOUGHTS?
A duo with DFW roots, as the TEGNA marketing hub staffers for North Texas produced videos pointing out (SEE BELOW), join meteorologists Greg Fields, Mariel Ruiz, and new traffic anchor Erica Lopez, by way of the WFAA Denver sister station.
Wall joined WFAA 8 in February 2024. Howerton joined the station in 2017.
Meanwhile, the same day as Wall and Howerton debuted, former anchor Marc Istook told mikemcguff.com that he is relaunching his podcast and a new media company. Watch his on-air sign-off from last Friday.
- Kara Sewell announces WFAA Daybreak departure
Sam Nichols announced Monday that he will retire from his role as chief meteorologist at KTAB Abilene after 21 years, effective April 20, 2026.
"Over these past twenty-one years I have had the pleasure and honor of serving the people of the Big Country," Nichols posted on social. "In addition to the wonderful viewers, I have had the distinct privilege of working with colleagues that are not only true professionals, but dear friends as well. From tornadoes to floods, to droughts, it’s been a great ride but it’s time to hand the weather clicker over to someone else and have some free time for a change. I wonder what that will feel like! I cant wait to find out!!"
After retiring from a 33-year coaching career, Nichols returned to KTAB, where he previously spent 13 years as a weekend weather anchor and made his first television appearance delivering weekend weather forecasts in 1990.
He has been voted “Favorite TV Weather Person” multiple times in the Abilene Reporter-News Readers’ Choice Awards and received the prestigious Bell Award from the Texas Retired Teachers Association for outstanding media coverage of education issues.
Before entering television, Nichols spent 33 years coaching women’s basketball, including 12 seasons as head coach at McMurry University. He retired from coaching in 2007, having been the winningest women’s basketball coach in McMurry history. In 2017, he was inducted into the McMurry University Athletic Hall of Honor and later named the women’s basketball coach of the All-Century Team. In 2026, the university further recognized his legacy by naming the “Sam Nichols Court” and inducting him into McMurry’s Legends Corner on February 1, 2026.
During his tenure, Nichols coached four All-Americans, led multiple ASC West Division championship teams, and oversaw a program in which every student-athlete graduated within four years. He was named ASC West Coach of the Year in 2006, and three of his teams from the 1999–2000, 2005–2006, and 2006–2007 seasons were also inducted into the McMurry Athletic Hall of Honor.
Across his coaching career, Nichols’ teams won more than 70 percent of their games, earning him induction into the Women’s Basketball Coaches of America 600 Victory Club in 2005. A lifelong Abilene resident, Nichols attended McMurry University and earned his master’s degree in education from Abilene Christian University.
Nichols is the founder and president of Basketball Smiles, a nonprofit organization that provides free basketball camps in inner-city neighborhoods throughout the Bahamas. Founded in 1999, the organization celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024 and has served more than 12,000 children, becoming one of the largest free basketball camp programs in the Caribbean.
Nichols and his wife, Sandy, are active in numerous local charitable efforts and serve on the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. Most recently, Nichols was selected by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command to represent Abilene and the Big Country as one of 30 civic leaders nationwide participating in the Air Mobility Command Civic Leaders Program.
"A big THANKS to all of you who have trusted me for your weather information for these past twenty-one years, I appreciate you all, so much - Especially the over 20,000 followers on my Facebook page – I will certainly miss my 'Facebook Live Severe Weather Updates,'" Nichols added. "I am in great health and looking forward to spending more time with Sandy, kids, and grandkids, along with more time at the golf course. On to my next adventure!"
Marc Istook officially signed off from WFAA 8 Dallas-Fort Worth's Daybreak last Friday, but his voice isn't going anywhere.
"I’m launching Marc Istook Media, a home for online content, digital journalism, podcasts, social media, etc," Istook exclusively first told mikemcguff.com. "A place for me to expand storytelling on topics I’m passionate about. And with it, I’m relaunching 'Dream Job,' a podcast I hosted before WFAA, focused on how interesting people built their careers — but expanded to include newsmakers and voices with unique insight into current events."
In a heartfelt video announcement on social media, Istook revealed how this independent storytelling venture aims to break free from the constraints of the traditional two-minute TV segment to provide the deep-dive journalism his audience has been craving.
Istook noted that his transition was sparked by the overwhelming response to his digital content over the past year, specifically his fact-checking of politicians, calling out racist dog whistles, and providing context for complex social issues.
- Kara Sewell announces WFAA Daybreak departure
- Dia Wall and Matt Howerton join WFAA 8 mornings
- Erica Lopez joins WFAA 8 DFW
I’ve been asked what’s next after leaving the anchor desk. I’ll be… right here, with Marc Istook Media, a home for online content, social media, digital journalism, podcasts and more. News, fact-checking, perspectives, insight. I’m excited to get started and hope you’ll join me! pic.twitter.com/FNHYzuFWNQ
— Marc Istook (@MarcIstook) February 23, 2026
ABC13 KTRK reporter Miya Shay and State Rep. Gene Wu recently held a party celebrating the Lunar New Year at Horizon on Sunset, complete with a lion dance from Soaring Phoenix and Houston media guests!
As I was scarfing down food from China Star Buffet, I saw current and former journalists in the crowd, including Mario Segura, Jaime Zamora, Scott Braddock, Pooja Lodhia, Lileana Pearson, Karen Hua, Rosie Nguyen, Jason Nguyen, and Nancy A. Vazquez.
HBO MAX original "House of Ho" cast member Aunttina Thienhuong Ho and former ABC "The Bachelor" contestant Erica Rose represented the Houston unscripted TV world.
Pagel, Davis, Hill, P.C., and QBS Consulting co-hosted the party.
The year of the Horse began on February 17, 2026, ending on February 5, 2027. It replaces the Year of the Snake, which ended February 16, 2026.
A horse sculpture in the courtyard, where the lion dance took place, was provided by Kirksey Gregg Productions.
Lindsay Liepman is moving from evenings to mornings at KCEN 6 in the Waco–Temple–Killeen market, with the transition set for February 2026.
"This is a great opportunity for my family," Liepman posted to social. "We’ll get to spend so much more time in the evenings together."
Liepman leaves the station’s 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts, where she co-anchors alongside Baylee Bates and Adrian Carbajal, to join the morning team, anchoring with Jasmin Caldwell.
Micah Wilson, who joined "Texas Today" as a co-anchor in 2023 and brands himself as #JustAKidFromTheCreek, appears to no longer be with KCEN, as his bio has been removed from the TEGNA station website.
She joined the KCEN 6 news team in November 2022, stepping into the role previously held by Leslie Draffin, who later exited the television news industry.
A native of Mexia, Liepman is well known to Central Texas viewers. Before KCEN, she anchored at cross-town rival 25 News KXXV, departing the station in 2021 after serving as both a morning and evening anchor. Earlier in her career, she worked as a breaking news anchor for CBS Austin KEYE.
Her career path also includes roles as:
- Weekend anchor at WMTW News 8 Portland, Maine
- Morning and noon anchor at WINK News Ft. Myers, Florida
- Main anchor at Western Mass News WSHM Western Mass News Springfield, Massachusetts
- Reporter at KBTX News 3 Bryan/College Station
A Texas A&M University graduate, Liepman has earned multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards and Emmys over the course of her career.
Pat Cavlin is leaving KHOU 11 in Houston.
"My last day on air will be this Friday, and then I'm off to NY next week," Cavlin exclusively told mikemcguff.com.
Here is what Cavlin posted on social media Sunday evening:
"After an incredible 4 years… this will be my last week with KHOU.
I cannot even fit into this caption how grateful I am to have been apart of this incredible station. This is by far the greatest place I have ever worked, with some of the most talented individuals I’ve ever met.
As for what’s next… just know it has to be something good to pull me away from this special place."
Cavlin joined KHOU 11 as the TEGNA station’s weekend evening meteorologist in March 2022.
Before arriving in Houston, Cavlin worked at NBC2 WBBH in Southwest Florida, where he had been a meteorologist since January 2020. Prior to his time in Florida, he forecast at News 12 Long Island and 13WMAZ. He began his television career with the News 12 Networks in New York City.
Originally from the New York City area, Cavlin earned a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from the State University of New York College at Oswego in 2013.
Outside the weather center, Cavlin previously volunteered as an EMT with the East Meadow Fire Department on Long Island and has held a pilot’s license since April 2015.
While Cavlin leaves, so did Shern-Min Chow recently, but here comes Megan Reyna.
Sarah Forgany recently traded the flat iron for her natural texture, and the internet had a lot to say about it.
In a candid video shared to her social media, the KENS 5 San Antonio anchor addressed a wave of viewer feedback.
My first thought, as someone who has known Forgany for a long time and has straight hair, is that I should get a fluffy "alpaca look" perm to show solidarity!
The response to Forgany's curls was so intense that some viewers refused to believe it was real.
"People think it's fake. They think it's a perm. They think it's AI," Forgany shared in her video. Her response? A firm reality check: "Nope. It’s genetics."
Forgany revealed that she comes from a "curly hair family," but like many women in the spotlight, she spent years conforming to a specific aesthetic. And admitted it took a "very long time" to reach an age where she felt comfortable embracing her natural texture.
Mentioning her four-year-old daughter, Forgany wants the next generation to see that they should be proud of whatever "God gave them."
"For those of you who don't like it, thank you for writing me anyway and letting me know," Forgany said. "I am not mad at you. You're entitled to your opinion.
"There are going to be times you're going to see me with curly hair. Other times you'll see me with straight because I can do both," she said. Her final advice to her followers was simple and powerful: "Do whatever makes you happy."
