Marcus Moore named ABC News London based correspondent

ABC News president Kim Godwin sent the following note to the news division announcing that Dallas-based correspondent Marcus Moore is beginning a new role as a foreign correspondent based in London.

Before ABC News, Moore worked in Texas TV news for WFAA 8 DFW and KBTX News 3 Bryan-College Station (and stations outside of TX). 

Here is Godwin's internal memo to the ABC News staff:

"I am excited to share that Marcus Moore will begin a new role next week as a foreign correspondent based in London.  

For his new position, Marcus will move across the pond from Texas, where he’s been a vital part of our news division since 2017, serving as a Dallas-based correspondent.  

Marcus is a talented reporter who brings sharp coverage to all of our programs and platforms, and he is no stranger to traveling the globe. He recently reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and the Poland border on the ongoing war; from Guatemala and Mexico on families migrating and risking their lives in the process; and from the eye of Hurricane Dorian, as the category 5 storm devastated Marsh Harbour, Bahamas. He’s also reported on the assassination of former President of Haiti Jovenel Moïse and kidnapped missionaries from Haiti, on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and on the deadly White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand.  

Marcus is an Emmy Award winner who has also been on top of defining moments here at home, including the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the deadly mass shootings in Uvalde, El Paso, Santa Fe and Sutherland Springs, Texas. Marcus is fluent in Spanish and Russian and before ABC, he was an anchor and reporter at WFAA, our Dallas affiliate. At WFAA, he reported on impactful stories including the November 2015 Paris attacks and filed reports on the Syrian refugee crisis from Istanbul, Turkey. While working as a reporter for ABC affiliate KMBC in Kansas City, he covered the 2010 rescue of 33 trapped miners in Chile and as a reporter for WAPT in Jackson, he broadcasted live as Hurricane Katrina battered the gulf coast. Marcus landed his first TV gig at just 16 years old at KBTX in Bryan, Texas, as a studio camera operator, working his way up to weekend reporter by age 18.

We are so lucky that Marcus is part of our ABC News family. Please join me in congratulating him on his new, well-deserved position!"

Telemundo Poll: State of the Latino Vote in Texas, 2022

DALLAS-FORT WORTH – (September 27, 2022) – The Telemundo stations in Texas (KXTX, KTMD, KVDA, KTLM, KTDO) today announced results from their exclusive new survey that polled likely Latino voters in Texas. 

The Telemundo poll shows that Democratic gubernatorial candidate O’Rourke leads Governor Abbott 54% to 31% in the Texas governor's race.

Key Poll findings: 

    Identifying as “Democrats”: The number of Latino voters identifying themselves as Democrats has dropped from 63% to 54% (compared to the previous Telemundo poll from November 2019). Individuals identifying as Independents has increased from 17% to 25%.  The number of individuals identifying as Republican is mostly unchanged.  

    Democrats’ Support for O’Rourke: While O’Rourke leads Abbott among Latino voters, the September 2022 survey revealed that O’Rourke’s support is now in the lower 50% range as opposed to 2018 when it ran in the 60-65% range among Latinos in his U.S. Senate race against Ted Cruz. The drop off is most noticeable among younger Latino voters. 

    Gun Control: Individuals surveyed thought that gun control should be stricter in Texas (63% to 32% and 5% not sure), indicating that recent gun shooting incidents are fresh in people’s minds. 

Poll results: Click here to access the 2022 poll results.

(This post was taken from a Telemundo press release)

FOX 26 debuts "The Nightcap" with Carolina Sanchez

"The Nightcap," hosted by Carolina Sanchez, is debuting on FOX 26 Houston KRIV on October 10, 2022 and airing weeknights at 11:30pm following “The Isiah Factor: Uncensored.”

"We hope to add ‘The Nightcap’ to our successful list of non-news local programming initiatives which already include ‘What’s Your Point’ and ‘The Isiah Factor: Uncensored,’" announced FOX 26 KRIV Senior Vice President and General Manager, D’Artagnan Bebel.  "We have taken non-traditional routes of identifying passions and potential within our station’s talent to create successful brands and shows that showcase them and resonate with viewers. Producer Raabe Pegado and Host Carolina Sanchez are the next winning combination."

The local Houston half-hour late-night program will explore all of the taboo and provocative topics that television often avoids while featuring interviews with newsmakers and celebrities visiting its signature pink couch to share their opinions on controversial topics.

Besides the pink couch, the set also includes a full bar with a rotating cast of bartenders pouring up cocktails. 

"We’re using this unique opportunity to talk about all the stuff you’re not supposed to talk about – especially on TV," host Sanchez said.  "We’ll explore and question other lifestyles and cultures with an enthusiastic, open mind and hope to leave our viewers happily pondering new perspectives."

“The Nightcap” is produced by Raabe Pegado, with editing and photography by Jake Hooper.

Adrienne Vonn joins NBC 5 KXAS DFW

 

Adrienne Vonn started on-air NBC 5 KXAS Dallas - Fort Worth as a meteorologist on September 25, 2022 after leaving FOX 26 KRIV Houston.

Vonn is the new "NBC 5 Today" Saturday and Sunday morning meteorologist with weekend morning anchor Evan Anderson. I am guessing Vonn is the full-time replacement for Keisha Burns who left in January 2022. 

"Howdy North Texas! I made my debut on NBC DFW this morning," Vonn posted on Facebook.  "So excited to call the Dallas-Fort Worth area my new home."

Vonn worked as a FOX 26 Houston fill-in meteorologist from April to August 29, 2022 until new evening meteorologist Remeisha Shade arrived from News 5 WEWS Cleveland, Ohio.  Shade also previously worked for NBC DFW. 

In between the Bayou City and the Metroplex, Vonn visited Egypt! 

Before Houston, Vonn was the midday forecaster for Spectrum News Austin since March of 2019.

The Pennsylvania native, who earned her Bachelors of Science in Meteorology from Millersville University, previously worked for WMAR 2 Baltimore, MD and AccuWeather.

CBS Austin to get new set

CBS Austin KEYE anchor Walt Maciborski posts the Sinclair Broadcast Group station is getting a new set. 

KEYE is not the only television station in Central Texas doing some studio remodeling. KXAN started working on a new set back in June.

Telemundo Houston launches 10:30pm newscast

HOUSTON, TX – (September 26, 2022) – Telemundo Houston / KTMD-TV will debut a new half-hour weekday newscast, Noticiero Telemundo Houston a las 10:30PM, today, September 26. 

Crystal Ayala and Guillermo Ochoa will Co-Anchor the newscast alongside Meteorologist Pablo Sanchez and Lead Sports Anchor Ubaldo Martinez. Ayala, Ochoa, Sanchez and Martinez are adding on to their existing 5PM and 10PM anchor roles.

“As home to Houston’s only local weekday evening newscast from ten-thirty to eleven at night, we are doubling down on our commitment to inform our audiences with our best-in-class journalism and hyper local weather forecasts,” said Tony Canales, President and General Manager, Telemundo Houston. “As we near Election Day 2022, all of our newscasts will continue to serve as an important source of information for our audiences.”

Ayala joined KTMD in 2015 as Consumer Investigative Reporter before becoming Co-Anchor of Noticiero Telemundo Houston. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in Journalism with a focus on investigative journalism from Florida International University.

Ochoa joined KTMD in June 2022 from sister station, Telemundo 52 / KVEA-TV in Los Angeles. At KVEA, he anchored the station’s award-winning morning newscasts for four years. Ochoa earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City.

Sanchez joined KTMD as Chief Meteorologist in March of 2021 from sister station Telemundo 39 KXTX-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth where he served as Meteorologist since March 2018. Sanchez earned a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Land Planning from the University of Zaragoza in Spain. He received his master’s degree in Climatology and Media from the University of Barcelona.

Martinez joined KTMD in September 2013 from Telemundo Oklahoma KTUZ-TV in Oklahoma City where he served as sports and news anchor. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Oklahoma.

Earlier today, Noticias Telemundo Texas, a new, two-hour weekday regional newscast from 5am to 7am CT launched across five Telemundo Texas stations including KTMD.  

Through the early morning and late-night weekday newscast local news expansion, Telemundo Houston is delivering 30 hours of live news each week, more local news programming than any other Spanish-language station in the market. 

With Telemundo being the Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, KTMD will serve as Houston’s destination for soccer’s biggest stage this November. For more information, click HERE. 

(This post was taken from a release sent to me by Telemundo Houston)

Alanna Sarabia gives birth

Alanna Sarabia has given birth to a baby daughter.

The baby girl's name is Dallas and she came in at 6 pounds and 11 ounces KENS 5 San Antonio reported.

Dallas, was a few days overdue according to Sarabia. 

This is the first child for Sarabia and husband Jonathan Reyes who were married in 2021. 

The afternoon traffic anchor returned to San Antonio TV in October 2021 to join KENS after leaving TEGNA sister-station WFAA 8 Dallas lifestyle show "Good Morning Texas."

KENS anchors Audrey Castoreno, Deborah Knapp and assistant news director Monica Nino hosted a baby shower for Sarabia before she left on maternity leave.

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A post shared by Alanna Sarabia-Reyes (@alanna_sarabia)

Vanessa Richardson joins Houston Rockets TV

Vanessa Richardson is joining the Houston Rockets as a sideline reporter on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

Here is what Richardson posted to Facebook:

"Elated to be the new Houston Rockets sideline reporter! 

I can’t wait to travel the country & share the stories of this dynamic team during 80+ games on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. 

I’ll continue to fill-in as a host/reporter for Astros broadcasts as well. 

Born & raised in Indiana, basketball is naturally my first love. And I LOVE Houston, my adopted home of three years. Let’s get to work."

Richardson takes over for Cayleigh Griffin who announced she was leaving.

No stranger to AT&T SportsNet work, Richardson joined the Houston Astros pre and postgame shows back in May 2022.

In February 2022, Richardson joined ESPN 97.5 Houston KFNC along with the returning to Houston Paul Paul Gallant for a 10am the noon slot sports talk show "Vanessa and Gallant."

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A post shared by Paul Gallant (@gallantsays)

Since Richardson is leaving for the Rockets, Gallant says the show is being renamed the "Paul Gallant Show" along with producer Sean Mapes.

The versatile sports journalist has TV and radio work on her resume.  Richardson left KPRC 2 as a sports anchor/reporter after two years in December 2021.  Before Houston, she worked for WLWT 5 Cincinnati, Ohio and the syndicated radio program "The Bob & Tom Show."

Why Local TV stations don't mention antenna tv

Frank Billingsley celebrates 40 years on air

 

Frank Billingsley celebrated 40 years on television September 22, 2022!

"First day of Frank, back on September 22, 1982," Billingsley posted.  "That's right, I have now been a TV Weatherman for 40 years! Congrats to me but more than that, THANKS to you! I appreciate your trust and viewership all these years!"

In my opinion, Billingsley is very good at taking a complicated subject and making it easy for us viewers to understand.  He has the ability to make weather segments so conversational that they literally fly by like he was just talking to us in our living rooms.  That is a gift. Young TV meteorologists would benefit from watching and trying to figure out how he does it!

Billingsley joined KPRC 2 in February 1995 as chief meteorologist, but Houston TV viewers already knew him from weekend weather on crosstown rival abc13 KTRK. He came to Houston to work at channel 13 on April 22, 1989.

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"A family in Channelview told me I saved their lives because of my tornado warnings," Billingsley once said in his bio concerning a 1992 weather event.  "Six tornadoes demolished their neighborhood in east Harris County, but they managed to take cover just in time."

Before arriving in Texas, Billingsley worked for WLOX 13 Biloxi, Mississippi starting in 1987.

The Washington and Lee University grad, with a Broadcast Meteorology Certification from Mississippi State University, got his start in television at WDBJ 7 Roanoke, Virginia in 1982.

In his outstanding career, Billingsley has been honored by Texas Associated Press Broadcasters seven times, The Houston Press Club and named the “Ultimate Weatherman” by the Houston Chronicle.

Outside of the KPRC 2 weather center, Billingsley wrote a book in 2017 called "Swabbed & Found" about his DNA journey to find his biological family.

In 2018, he beat prostate cancer after an eight month battle.  

Billingsley married his longtime partner, Kevin Gilliard, in 2012. They have a son named Morgan.

The channel 2 meteorologist was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and raised in Mountain Brook, Alabama.