KPRC 2 replaces 10am news with Drew Barrymore

KPRC 2 Houston will replace its new 10 a.m. newscast with "The Drew Barrymore Show" starting August 12, 2024, when the Olympics coverage ends.

"We are thrilled to bring The Drew Barrymore Show to our audience," said KPRC 2 VP/General Manager Phil Lane. "Drew's unique blend of optimism, humor, and heartfelt conversations aligns perfectly with our mission to provide uplifting and engaging content."

"KPRC 2 News Today at 10am" was launched in September 2023 along with a new 3pm newscast.

The 10am news crew of  Owen Conflenti, Sofia Ojeda, Justin Stapleton, and Justina Latimer will remain on the KPRC 2 morning news from 5am to 7am and offer reports throughout the day. 

"The 10am will not be all news," Ojeda posted at the time of the 10am newscast launch.  "There will be lighthearted stories and lots of moments KPRC2 Owen Conflenti and I will share with y’all on daily topics and what everyone is talking about." 

According to the show's website, "The Drew Barrymore Show" airs weekdays at 3 a.m. on CW39 Houston KIAH.

Fans of Barrymore might want to watch her play the Texas city name game and do the local DFW weather segment which I've featured before on this blog.

FOX 4 KDFW adds newscasts July 29, 2024

FOX 4 News KDFW Dallas-Fort Worth, which already has many newscasts, will add even more starting July 29, 2024.

The new newscasts launch from 4 to 5 p.m. with anchors Heather Hays and Hanna Battah plus meteorologist Ali Turiano and then at 6:30 p.m. with anchors Steve Eagar and Heather Hays. I'm told FOX 4 will have the only 6:30 p.m. newscast on Metroplex TV.

KDFW viewers will notice Battah is now on afternoons, so what does that mean for the morning news?

Now, Shannon Murray and morning reporter Paige Ellenberger will anchor Good Day from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.

"Judge Judy" moves to 3pm in the "TMZ Live" slot to make room for the new 4pm newscast.

NEW FOX 4 DALLAS LINEUP STARTING MONDAY, JULY 29

  *   4-6am - Shannon Murray/Paige Ellenberger (new anchor team)

  *   6am-10am - Lauren Przybyl / Brandon Todd

  *   3pm - JUDGE JUDY

  *   4-5pm NEW PROGRAM - Heather Hays / Hanna Battah

  *   5pm Steve Eagar

  *   5:30pm - Clarice Tinsley

  *   6pm - Steve Eagar/Heather Hays

  *   6:30pm NEW PROGRAM   Steve Eagar / Heather Hays

  *   9pm Steve Eagar/Heather Hays

  *   10pm - Clarice Tinsley

  *   10:30pm - FREE 4 ALL (Sports show hosted by Sam Gannon/Mike Doocy)

Jennifer Sanders promoted to KXAN evening anchor

Jennifer Sanders was promoted to KXAN Austin evening anchor after Britt Moreno's departure in early July 2024.

The recent 4 p.m. anchor debuted that new newscast in July 2022. The Lone Star EMMY and Edward R. Murrow Award winner also anchored KXAN News at Noon, which recently expanded from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sanders joined KXAN in June 2020 as a weekend anchor from NewsChannel 9 WSYR Syracuse, New York.   

Before that, Sanders was a multi-media journalist (MMJ) for KXII 12 Sherman. 

The Texas Lutheran University graduate, with a University of North Texas master’s degree in journalism, started her television news career as a CW33 KDAF Dallas writer/web producer. 

Sanders will reunite with former weekend meteorologist Nick Bannin, who was recently promoted to chief meteorologist after David Yeomans's departure.

Alyssa Riggs joins KWTX Waco

Alyssa Riggs joined KWTX 10 Waco-Temple-Killeen as a First Alert Anchor in May 2024 from NewsChannel 10 KFDA Amarillo.

Here is a portion of what fifth-generation Wacoan posted on social media:

"I am transferring to KFDA’s sister station, KWTX, which is the station I watched growing up in Waco. 

Next year, I will also get to marry the man of my dreams- a man I wouldn’t have met if I didn’t mosey on up to the panhandle of Texas! 

I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting me on this journey and waking up early to watch Ali, Shelden, Tanner and I do what we love. 

Thank you NewsChannel 10 for letting me be a part of the Most Watched and Most Trusted team in the Texas Panhandle!"

Let me insert some old-man knowledge here, but KFDA was KWTX competitor News 25 KXXV's sister station in the past during the Ann Harder and Ray Peters era. You can use that trivia at Scruffy Murphy's or Cricket's to impress fellow patrons.

At KFDA, Riggs was a morning/reporter. She started with the station in May 2022 as a video journalist.

The West Texas A&M University grad interned with KFDA and is a 2018 Waco High School graduate

KSAT anchors battle in Harry Potter trivia contest

KSAT 12 San Antonio anchors Courtney Friedman and Sarah Acosta face off to determine the best Harry Potter trivia knowledge.

Media moves all over Austin

 

There have been many media movements in Austin recently.  

Does this mean I should open a mikemcguff.com bureau in the state capital after this flood of media news? No, they don't want me...I would just make the city even weirder.

On a serious note, if you want to work in the ATX TV market, now might be the time to apply.

Jennifer Sanders promoted to KXAN evening anchor

Anne-Parker Coleman joins KVUE Austin

Jeff Barker leaves CBS Austin

Carissa Lehmkuhl leaves FOX 7 Austin

Tyler Feldman leaves KVUE Austin

Britt Moreno leaves KXAN Austin

Freddy Vela joins KXAN

Katie Orth joins FOX 7 Austin

Kirk Bohls leaves the Austin American-Statesman

Austin’s 95.9 Texas Country grabs Bob Cole and Eric Raines

Leslie Rangel leaves FOX 7 Austin

Isis Romero talks family, TV career and life after KSAT at KENS

Isis Romero is a guest on the San Antonio Express-News ¡Nosotros! podcast with Elaine Ayala. The evening news anchor discusses her family, TV career, and move from KSAT 12 to KENS 5.

 Ayala talks with Romero about her work with the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists and an audit she and Silvia Foster-Frau led that looked at diversity in San Antonio TV newsrooms. The audit found a need for more representation, especially among the Latino Community.

Romero discusses her various roles throughout her journalism career, including trying out for a weather job and working as a reporter/anchor. She talks about the challenges journalists face today, including the decline in pay and the increase in responsibilities. She also highlights the importance of journalism in today's world.

Born and raised in Robstown, Romero considers San Antonio her home. While still working for KSAT, Romero met her husband, Phil Anaya, a KENS 5 anchor, while covering a fire. They have been married for almost ten years and have three children.

Dominique Sachse secretly married

Dominique Sachse answered questions from viewers on her YouTube channel and revealed she had a secret wedding in June to an unnamed man.

"This very, very incredible, special, amazing person in my life. Um, is someone I've known since we're in our 20s, a long time friend, and somebody who actually lives in the Dallas Fort Worth area. 

So when I tell you when I got that call from Merit Street and this job opportunity, it really happened at a time when we were really ready to come together as a couple in that way, um, and not having to do long distance anymore. So it made my decision so much easier to come here and has just flourished ever since I've gotten here. 

So to answer your question, there have been a lot of changes significantly this very special person in my life. This change of my home and this change of my status.

 I am a married woman and we have this house together, and we wanted to honor God and honor our relationship by not moving in together until we were married. And so we did that privately and preciously. And now we have a new place to call home. 

And that's about all I want to say, which I think is plenty good and plenty sufficient, and still will give me the privacy that I've really, really enjoyed and wanted and desperately needed. And so I will. I know this probably is a big shock to many people, but it is. It's something that has been able to play out in my life in such a great way, and I would love, love nothing more than to be able to keep it that way."

Speaking of relationships and YouTube, years ago in January 2022, Sachse also discussed her divorce from husband Nick Florescu.  

(Thanks Shad and Cindy)

Voting begins for 2024 Texas Radio Hall of Fame inductees

(Houston, TX) July 22, 2024: The Texas Radio Hall of Fame (TRHOF) has released the names of the fifty (50) nominees for its 2024 Induction Class.

 The voting portal will be open and accessible to voting members via www.TRHOF.net through midnight on Monday, August 5th. 

“We’ve been continually working to refine, streamline, and demystify the nomination and voting process” observes TRHOF Executive Director Doug Harris, “and each year we continue to make major steps forward. Once again, we have a group of outstanding broadcasters for our voting members to consider with a balloting platform that includes their photos and biographical information for review.” 

Over two hundred broadcast professionals with ties to Texas radio were nominated for consideration by the TRHOF Review Committee, which reached a consensus on the final fifty. Voting members of the TRHOF will now determine the twenty individuals who will be honored in the TRHOF’s Annual Induction Ceremony at the Texas Museum of Broadcasting and Communications in Kilgore, TX. 

“We are very pleased with this slate of nominees, which spotlights the depth and breadth of Texas radio talent,” says Harris. “From the tower to the boardroom to the conference room, this list of nominees touches the geographic boundaries of the state and connects to a variety of markets, formats and virtually every position of service in the broadcast world.”

Those selected for the 2024 Induction Class will be honored during the organization’s Annual Induction and Reunion Weekend, November 1-2, 2024, at the Texas Museum of Broadcasting and Communications in Kilgore, Texas. Information on becoming a TRHOF voting member is available on the organization’s website and interested parties may still join—and vote—in this year’s selection. 

TEXAS RADIO HALL OF FAME 2024 NOMINEES

DAN ACREE

DAVID ANDERSON 

JUD ASHMORE 

BOB BARRY 

JAY BRITT

MIKE CAPPS

STEVE COFFMAN 

RAOUL CORTEZ

FRANK “BIG FRANK” EDWARDS

STEVE EVERETT

JOHN FROST

PAUL GLEISER

JOHN GRANATO AND LANCE ZIERLEIN

HENRY GUERRA 

MAT “THE MIGHTY QUINN” GUINN

DENE HALLAM

JERRY AND WANDA HANSZEN

JAY HOWARD

JOJO AND PATCHES

JANE PRINCE JONES

JAY JONES

MARY LENOUE 

ANDY LOCKRIDGE

MICHAEL MAIN 

GARY MASON 

MELANIE MILLER

GEORGE HENRY NELSON

JOHN NELSON

JOHN “THE LAMA” OAKES

MICHAEL PACKER

CHARLIE PARKER 

PHIL PARR

DAN PENA

TOM PERRYMAN

PAULA PRINCE 

TOM RICHARDS

ROSINDA RIOS BURNS 

CHRISSIE ROBERTS

JOHN ROBERTS

J D ROSE

KEN RUSH

RAY SCHILENS

CLIFTON “KING BEE” SMITH

DR. J. THOMAS SMITH

GARY STONE

TERRI THOMAS

HARVEY “HARVEY T” THOMPSON

JERRY TRUPIANO

GARY “BLUE EYES” WALKER

VAL WILSON

Tiffany Huertas to leave KSAT San Antonio

Tiffany Huertas will leave KSAT 12 San Antonio on July 31, 2024.

Huertas' departure adds to the list of KSAT departing journalists. You can watch their goodbye videos here.

Here is what the Alamo City reporter/anchor posted to Facebook. 

"Gracias por su apoyo.  Your love, kindness, and support have meant the world to me.

 I have read every message and comment you have sent me throughout the years. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and trusting me to tell your stories. 

Working at KSAT 12 for more than seven years has been an honor. Putting together a newscast or story is a team effort, so thank you to the incredible photojournalists, producers, editors, directors, and everyone in the news department. 

I look forward to seeing you all in the community. Les mando un abrazo muy fuerte."

Huertas joined KSAT in May 2017 from CBS4 KGBT Rio Grande Valley where she was an anchor/reporter.

Before Texas, the award-winning journalist was an MMJ/Anchor/Producer for WJHG 7 Panama City, Florida. She also worked as a news writer for WSVN 7News Miami.

The Florida International University grad was part of the first class in Telemundo Network's Media Futures Program.