KTRK abc13's Tom Koch in the ultimate morning show April Fools' Day prank (a day ahead)
Thanks to a bunch of Post-it notes, KTRK abc13 anchor Tom Koch will never forget where his car is after the morning crew pranked him a day before April Fools' Day. Watch his reaction below.
A few questions come to mind. How long did this take? What about his paint job?
FOX 26 “What’s Your Point?” host Greg Groogan and station VP/General Manager, D’Artagnan Bebel talk new Houston political show
Greg Groogan
FOX 26 KRIV is pushing the Houston TV boundaries with a new show that takes over the second half hour of its 5pm news every Thursday.
“What’s Your Point?” is an informative and lively look at politics with a rotating panel, but don't just expect to only find the usual political talking heads.
So far, guests have included diverse viewpoints from Wayne Dolcefino to Breakfast Klub owner Marcus Davis
Host Greg Groogan and station VP/General Manager D’Artagnan Bebel answered my questions about the show which debuted a few months ago.
Mike McGuff: I've seen the show branded as, "not your grandfather's Sunday morning talk show!" What makes your show different than a "Meet the Press?"
D’Artagnan Bebel: Attitude
Greg Groogan: Frankly, our panelists are actually enjoying themselves. We offer them the freedom to leave diplomacy at the door. The result is an informed, often passionate, exchange of opinion from folks who care about this community and this country. So far they have disagreed without being disagreeable and that’s a rare and important quality.
Mike McGuff: Why is a local show like this needed in Houston?
D’Artagnan Bebel: I’ve always believed that if we are going to be in the business of local broadcasting, we should be in the business of more locally originated programming. “What’s Your Point?”, fits the bill of locally originated, with a group diverse locally-known personalities that serve up commentary from OUR communities perspective on national, regional and local politics as a foundation, and so much more.
Greg Groogan: Because action, whether at the ballot box or within the community, starts with knowledge and knowledge begins with honest discussion. The goal here is engagement and triggering a thousand or more conversations with the issues addressed by our cast. If “What’s Your Point?” gets people talking to one another at water coolers or over breakfast tables than we have succeeded and Houston has a chance to be better for it.….and we stay employed.
Mike McGuff: How did you come up with the idea for the show?
D’Artagnan Bebel: We wanted to capitalize on the unprecedented and history-making levels of interest and national discourse surrounding the “circus” of the presidential primary race.
Mike McGuff: What have been some of your favorite topics/moments so far?
Greg Groogan: The extraordinary and, often bizarre, quality of the Republican Presidential nomination process has been a virtual feast. When the size of male sexual anatomy is involved in the process picking the next leader of the free world, life is good at “What’s Your Point?” Our “Bones of Contention” segment has been a blast, discussing the poisoning of Flint, Michigan, Beyoncé’s racial commentary, Iranian Nukes, Planned Parenthood indictments, the list goes on. An unexpected success has been the segment we call “Tell Us What We Missed?” It gives our viewers the sense of snagging inside intel and I’ve yet to walk away from a show without learning something new.
Some of the guests that have appeared on the show:
Legendary Investigative Reporter turned Media consultant, Wayne Dolcefino
Houston Attorney and feisty progressive commentator, Nyanza Moore
Well known writer, educator and Latino activist, Tony Diaz
Republican strategist and national campaign veteran, Jessica Colon
Conservative Bob Price, Associate Editor at Breitbart-Texas
Radio Host and owner of the Breakfast Klub Restaurant, Marcus Davis
State Senator, Paul Bettencourt
Conservative Houston Chronicle blogger, Kathleen McKinley
State Representative, Armando Walle
Conservative activist and attorney, Jared Woodfill
Conservative commentator and political consultant, Angela Box
Catch “What’s Your Point?” Thursdays at 5:30pm on FOX 26.
ESCAPE’s 35th Annual Celebrity Serve Gala Don Your Hard Hats and Heels to Prevent Child Abuse
KHOU's Chita Johnson and Courtney Zubowski Haas at a previous ESCAPE event
“Hard Hats and Heels” is the theme for ESCAPE Family Resource Center’s 35th Annual Celebrity Serve Benefit dinner and auction, which will take place at the award-winning Tony's Restaurant on Sunday, April 10, 2016.
This popular fundraiser has been chaired by Joan Schnitzer Levy and Gerald Franklin for more than 30 years. It features local and national celebrities, who entertain, dine and mingle with guests to raise funds needed to help prevent child abuse and neglect in the Greater Houston community. Guests will be dazzled with an amazing live auction, limited edition raffles, fun games and more.
There is so much to celebrate at ESCAPE. Leadership, staff, volunteers and supporters of the agency are donning their “HARD HATS” and kicking up their “HEELS” with excitement over a new building ESCAPE has purchased and is renovating in Midtown. The facility will become a central hub for education and support for parents and professionals in the Greater Houston area and beyond, allowing ESCAPE to dramatically expand much needed programs and access to them.
Building a healthy and confident family starts with creating a strong foundation, and having the right tools to achieve this is an essential part of the blueprint for success. ESCAPE Family Resource Center’s child abuse prevention and parenting programs provide services in at-risk communities – to the families that need them the most – and involve the entire family in the learning process. ESCAPE is the only organization of its kind in Houston, educating parents and children in the prevention of child abuse. Classes are taught in English and Spanish, in more than 80 locations in the Greater Houston area.
You can help ESCAPE construct happy homes in Houston and break the cycle of abuse by making plans to sponsor a table at this memorable event. For more information about becoming a sponsor or donating an item for our auction, please contact Sandi Mercado, Director of Development and Communications, smercado@learntoparent.org or by calling (713) 942-9500, ext.
This year's special guest is Lee Majors! Actor Lee Majors a Television and Film Icon with a career spanning 54 years starring in TV roles such as The Big Valley, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy. Lee is still busy working in film and television.
In 2015 he appeared and starred in two feature films Do You Believe and Almosting It. Lee recently wrapped up filming Season 2 of Ash Vs Evil Dead for the Starz Channel which will premier October 2016.
KPRC 2 has hired Lainie Fritz as its new sports reporter and multi-media journalist (MMJ) according to an internal station memo obtained by mikemcguff.com.
Fritz most recently worked as the main sports anchor/reporter at WCBD Charleston, South Carolina.
Channel 2 is quite the homecoming for Fritz who interned there in 2012.
Beyond that she attended Sam Houston State University.
I'm quite sure Fritz has grown up loving sports, especially football.
If the last name sounds familiar, it's because Lainie's father is Willie Fritz, the Tulane University head coach.
According to Wikipedia, Fritz was the head football coach at Sam Houston State University from 2010 to 2013. He also coached at Blinn College in the 90s.
Reporter Gianna Caserta leaves KPRC 2 for WLKY Louisville, KY as an anchor
Gianna Caserta
After three years, KPRC 2 reporter Gianna Caserta is outta here. She tells me she's going to work in at WLKY as an anchor.
"Anchoring has always been the next goal in my career and I am excited to be moving to Louisville to make that dream a reality," Caserta told mikemcguff.com.
Caserta came from WALB, the NBC and ABC affiliate for Southwestern Georgia. The Florida native graduated from the University of Florida with a Telecommunication News degree and a minor in business. She interned at WTVJ in Miami and WCJB in Gainesville, Florida.
Not only did Caserta gain a lot of good experience at channel 2, but she also met her husband, KPRC photographer Carter Schumacher. He's landed a job in Louisville too, but across the street at WHAS.
"This is such a bittersweet move for me. I have really enjoyed the last three years at KPRC and had a blast telling some great stories that only Houston could produce," Caserta told me. "I have made some amazing friends and even met my husband here!"
Now that March is here, Spera has returned to work and is creating some nice videos about her post birth thoughts and dealing with baby weight gain.
Hi Friends! Today was my first day back at work. Here's what I learned. #mondaymotivation
Posted by Rebecca Spera on Monday, March 21, 2016
Hey Everyone! Today was my first day back on the air, and while I've made a lot of progress getting back in shape, I only fit in 1/3 of my work dresses. So to make me feel more confident, I have eight tricks to look thinner. Which will you try?!
Posted by Rebecca Spera on Tuesday, March 22, 2016
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2016
abc13 KTRK reporter Lauren Lea has left the station. Lea changed her LinkedIn profile to reflect she has ended her time with the station, working there from March 2016 – October 2016 (8 months). A rep from KTRK did not respond to my question about Lea's departure.
ORIGINAL POST WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
Lauren Lea joins KTRK abc13 after WOAI San Antonio
Lauren Lea
TV Spy is reporting that former WOAI San Antonio reporter, Lauren Lea, has joined KTRK abc13.
According to the site, Lea left San Antonio for Houston back in November to join her husband who had a job here. She had been with WOAI for five years.
Before SA, she worked at KARK Little Rock and KFDX-TV Wichita Falls.
The award winning reporter majored in broadcast journalism at the Schieffer School of Journalism at Texas Christian University and graduated from Boerne High School.
Looks like we were on to something...News 12 The Bronx/News 12 Brooklyn's Natasha Geigel joins FOX 26 KRIV
Natasha Geigel
News 12 The Bronx/News 12 Brooklyn's Natasha Geigel is joining FOX 26 KRIV a station rep confirmed to mikemcguff.com. She will be a morning nightside reporter.
Looks like some folks in my blog's comments section know what's up.
As I told you earlier this month, the New York anchor was moving to Houston and a commenter kept saying she would work at FOX 26.
Now I can tell you Geigel signed on the dotted line with the Houston FOX owned and operated station last week.
Congrats to anonymous...only you know who you are.
As I posted before, Geigel started at News 12 in June 2012 serving as the cable channel's traffic anchor, transportation reporter and anchor. She also hosted a show called Food for Thought.
Geigel attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting and holds a BS in Exercise Science from SUNY Cortland.
The post where I wrote about his departure has pretty much remained in my top 6 most read posts since I posted it in early January!
Just announced this weekend, PK has joined Power 96.1 WWPW in Atlanta. It's an IHeartMedia station so you can listen to him on the IHeartRadio app or online every weekday morning with new partner Riley.
PK will continue doing his PK and DK video podcast from Atlanta with DK, aka his wife, Denise Kalentzis. Click here to see more about that.
Those Dallas-Fort Worth meteorologists will do anything to get the weather on. As featured on Reddit, KTVT CBS 11 meteorologist Jeff Jamison won't let a weather computer issue stop his weathercast!
No, after power surges hit KTVT Sunday night, Jamison just pulled out the dry erase board, his markers and started drawing.
No word if the anchors on set felt "funny" after inhaling the marker fumes.
Viewer reactions seemed pretty positive about Jamison's sketching abilities. Even a meteorologist at competing station WFAA applauded Jamison's work.
Houston loses it's own "Gilmore Girl" (I can't resist CW show title tie-ins): KPRC 2 anchor Courtney Gilmore is moving up north to work as a reporter for KXAS NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Courtney Gilmore
After 9 years, KPRC 2 anchor/reporter Courtney Gilmore is headed to the DFW Metroplex to work as a reporter at KXAS NBC 5 I found out yesterday.
"She started as an intern, then traffic producer and eventually began her on air career," wrote KPRC 2 news director Rhonda LaVelle in a staff memo obtained by mikemcguff.com announcing Gilmore's job move. "She’s done just about everything and covered too many big stories to even try to list."
Houston is losing a great on air talent and one of its own!
Gilmore is a graduate of Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). That prestigious training led her to the University of Minnesota where she received her BFA degree in Classical Theatre in 2005. While at the university, Gilmore performed and trained around the world from Shanghai and Beijing, China to London, England.
"The world is a classroom, and I am forever learning," Gilmore once wrote.
That kind of thought led Gilmore to also earn a master's degree at Dallas Theological Seminary.
"I have come to realize that my platform is not to give voice to the voiceless," Gilmore added. "Those who are marginalized already have a voice. It is simply my job to hand them a microphone, and add their voice to the story."
In her spare time, Gilmore also mentors young women and girls.
Supporters help The Children’s Museum of Houston raise nearly $114,000
Gina Gaston and Michelle Lee
The Children’s Museum of Houston and chairs Divya Brown and Candace Thomas welcomed IDEO’s Digital Kids Team Lead, Michelle Lee, to the 2016 Friends and Families Luncheon on March 2, 2016 at the River Oaks Country Club. Lee delivered a dynamic message on fostering creativity and innovation through play by engaging attendees with role-playing and creative exercises during the luncheon. The event was a resounding success raising nearly $114,000 for the Museum’s early childhood and parenting programs.
Nearly 400 parents, educators, families and friends came together for awareness and philanthropy at this enlightening event with ABC 13 anchor Gina Gaston Elie serving as Mistress of Ceremonies. Lee’s presentation, which took a look into the creative process, had guests role-playing as reporters and inventing secret handshakes.
Guests noshed on a succulent three-course lunch which included chilled gazpacho soup, chicken and spinach roulade, and culminated with a mouthwatering apple blueberry crisp catered by the River Oaks Country Club. Flowers, which were donated by Trader Joe’s, were made into exquisite centerpieces by Lexis Florists and Philanthropic Fetes. Attendees were sent home with scrumptious Sprinkles Cupcakes
cookies.
The Marian and Speros Martel Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award’s three finalists: Maggie Abrego, Jonathan Doria and Evelyn Terry, were recognized at the event. The award is presented annually to an outstanding professional who possesses an exemplary commitment to young children’s education.
At the top of the list of attendees were: Lindsey Bainbridge, Mark Price, Kasteena Parikh, Dr. Kelly Coleman, Jennifer DeVries, Yvette Key, Matt Burrus, Natalie Wall, Michelle Pearce, Elva Akin, June Lovland, Krystal Thompson, Lacey Goossen, Winnie Simmons, Analisa Warren, Lindsey Arnoldy, Ting Bresnahan, Dena Winkler, Adrienne Sayward, Nicole Dallas, Phoebe Tudor, Anika Jackson, Lyndsey Zorich, Kristen Berger, Emily Dalicandro, Kathleen Jennings, Shanell Moody, Shahreen Rafique Hanna and more!
Proceeds from the luncheon will help support the museum's early childhood and parenting programs which focus on building parenting skills, providing information on child development and engaging families in the joy of learning together.
Chairs Candace Thomas and Divya Brown
(This post was taken from a release sent to me by the The Children’s Museum of Houston)
Attention all Texas journalists and PR professionals!
The Houston Press Club Lone Star Awards contest will accept entries from Leap Day to April Fools' Day! Every year the Houston Press Club honors the best in Texas media and 2016 could be your year.
We are looking for the best of the best, so here is your chance to show off. This is the most affordable statewide contest of its kind. Just $30 per entry for members and $50 for non-members. Student entries are just $15 each. You can become an annual member by going to our homepage, Houstonpressclubonline.org and clicking 'Membership.' Individual members also qualify for discounted tickets for the Lone Star Awards banquet and the Gridiron Show fundraiser in the fall. It is important to notify us by email if you become a member (mikeoneill2348@yahoo.com) so your entries will be discounted.
We are also offering an 'Outlet Membership' for organizations which allows for all their employees to be counted as temporary members (although they will not qualify for discounts to the awards banquet.)
We have teamed up with BetterBNC to handle the entries, and the process is simple. Just go to www.betternewspapercontest.com, and click 'OPEN CALL LOGIN.' If you have participated in previous years, just log in again, or click 'Create Your Open Call Account' to get started.
You have five weeks to enter … from Monday February 29 to Friday April 1, 2016.
Good luck to you all!
Mike O'Neill
President, Houston Press Club
P.S. Entry fees and memberships are tax deductible
501(c)3 Tax ID#76-0379553
HAPPY 10th: It's been a great decade for KHOU 11's 'Great Day Houston'
Get out the cake, KHOU 11's morning talk show "Great Day Houston" is ten years old. The show originally signed on the air with host Whitney Casey. Two years later, Houston talk show host veteran Deborah Duncan took over where she remains to this day.
And as you can see in the following video, Duncan is still on top and winning awards!
Fresco app sends users $50 for videos and $20 for photos chosen to be used on-air by FOX 26 KRIV and other FOX O&O stations
Fresco News and FOX Television Stations have announced today a partnership that will deploy Fresco’s Newsroom Tool Suite to FOX-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa, Charlotte and Orlando. This is the first partnership of its kind for Fresco and FOX Television Stations.
“We’ve been trying to do this the right way for years, but all that was missing were some ambitious 20-somethings and a simple app,” said FOX Television Stations SVP News Operations, Sharri Berg.
Fresco is an app that connects people on the street to TV newsrooms. Available for iOS, app users receive location-based assignments from local or national newsrooms. They can submit photos or videos, which are then immediately vetted and curated by Fresco’s 24/7 content team, and put directly into the hands of producers at local FOX Television stations. Users receive $50 for videos and $20 for photos chosen to be used on-air. In February, Fresco launched a test run with the FOX-owned station in Philadelphia, FOX 29.
“We built Fresco to harness the real power of citizen journalism,” said Fresco CEO John Meyer. “As news consumers, we’re often only given one particular angle to a story because there’s usually only one camera or one reporter on the scene. But with Fresco, there can be multiple witnesses who are recording their own perspective, which adds a new dimension to how stories are presented.”
About Fresco News
By providing a citizen-driven platform for breaking news content, Fresco News aims to empower everyone to be their own reporter and increase the transparency of global events. The company was founded in 2014 by John H. Meyer, a 2015 Thiel Fellow. Web: www.fresconews.com | Twitter: @fresconews | Facebook: www.facebook.com/fresconews
About FOX Television Stations
FOX Television Stations is one of the nation's largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprising 28 stations in 17 markets and covering over 37% of U.S. television homes. This includes seven duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Charlotte.
To honor Caleb's courage, FOX 26 photographer Raymond Ramirez has taken the extraordinary step in raising money for children's cancer research for The St. Baldrick’s Foundation. According to its website, the group is a volunteer-powered charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives.
...so here's the deal... my pal and personal hero... Caleb Cook... is still going through treatment... this kid should be getting ready for baseball... football... or whatever other kids are doing today... Caleb and his family are strong... but they should be worrying about scraped knees and dirty uniforms... not cancer treatment... so... in my own small way... I will get my head shaved to help raise money for a cure... and here's where you come in... DONATE!!!... and... I promise to dye the stubs whatever color the highest donor picks... except pink... because I have nothing that matches with pink... so... no pink... but any other color... for the first month... go #TeamCaleb!!! #CalebsCourage!!!
I'm shaving my head to raise money for childhood cancer research! Did you know that kids' cancers are different from adult cancers? It's true. And childhood cancer research is extremely underfunded. So I decided to do something about it by raising money for cures.
Now I need your help! Will you make a donation? Every dollar makes a difference for the thousands of infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancers.
UPDATE
...BIG THANKS!!!! ...to everyone that donated to St. Baldrick's "Cutting My Hair Off To Fight Cancer" ...
New FOX 26 KRIV freelance meteorologist Lisa Vaughn is a real brainiac
Lisa Vaughn
Former WPTV West Palm Beach meteorologist and native Houstonian Lisa Vaughn made her FOX 26 KRIV debut Saturday night. I mentioned her original move to Houston back in December in my media job moves report.
And today was Lindsey Day's last day at FOX 26. I've been told she did not mention her departure on air.
Back to Vaughn, just looking at her resume makes me feel dumb:
Master's of Geosciences, Mississippi State University
Master's of Statistics, Rice University
BS Mathematics, University of Houston
Oh and get this...on top of those accomplishments, she also knows computer programming.
"I have written Excel VBA macros that automatically update weather variables (sunrise, sunset, lake levels etc)," Vaughn said. "I wrote a program in R, Excel, and Outlook (combined) to auto-update my twitter during severe weather. I also wrote a program that picks America’s “Most Humid Cities” every day. It ranks them and then tweets them out. While I sleep!"
According to her bio, in 1994, remnants of Hurricane Rosa caused devastating flood for Vaughn's family. Their home was flooded and they were forced to evacuate. This storm sparked her weather interest.
Vaughn spent the last year and a half in West Palm Beach. She got her TV start at WJTV in Jackson, MS.
UPDATE MARCH 7, 2016
A rep with FOX Television Stations tells me Vaughn is a freelancer for KRIV at this time.
If I win the Reliant Rodeo Roundup, KPRC 2's Dominique Sachse will shave my head; with a special number
Dominique Sachse
KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse has agreed to shave my head if I win the Reliant Rodeo Roundup. Now that is a reason to vote for me if I've ever heard of one!
She added, she might even try to etch a "2" in my hair!
UPDATE
No Sachse buzz cut for me in the near future. We lost by 10 votes in the last 10 minutes of the contest. Thanks to all of those who voted and for putting up with my vote plugs.
Help me win money for charity in the Reliant Rodeo Roundup
I need your vote! We are on the last day of the Reliant Rodeo Roundup challenge. My team, benefiting St. Thomas Episcopal School, has been in first place this whole week, but the other teams are quickly gaining ground!
If everyone voted who comes to this blog, this contest would have been wrapped up a long time ago.
Your vote can make a big difference - like a $2,500 one for my charity.
TV reporters have to deal with a lot of crap everyday, and CW 39 Eye Opener anchor Maggie Flecknoe proved the HLSR is no exception
CW 39 Eye Opener anchor Maggie Flecknoe might not want pork for a while. At the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one little porker decided to go number two on a surprised Flecknoe and wouldn't you know it...it happened live on TV. Forget Murphy's Law this is Piggy's Law.
If this had been a goat, Flecknoe would have been good. As you might remember, she totally kills it at goat milking and has been crowned champion. Relive her first win below.
KPRC Channel 2 News is Houston’s ratings winner in key newscasts, including a commanding victory at 10pm for the Nielsen February measurement period.
At 10:00pm Monday-Friday, viewers made KPRC Channel 2 News with Dominique Sachse, Bill Balleza, Frank Billingsley and Randy McIlvoy #1 with nearly a 40% ratings advantage over the next closest competitor, KTRK Channel 13:
KPRC 2.5
KTRK 1.8
KHOU 1.5
At 6:00am, KPRC Channel 2 News Today with Owen Conflenti, Rachel McNeill, Jennifer Reyna and Britta Merwin, tied for 1st place Monday-Friday:
KPRC 1.5
KTRK 1.5
KHOU 1.2
KRIV 1.2
“We won 19 out of 20 weeknights at 10pm, which proves no matter what viewers are watching in primetime, they make a point to turn on Channel 2 News at 10,” said KPRC Channel 2 General Manager, Jerry Martin. “Coupled with a win in the morning, and strong performances in our evening newscasts, it’s a credit to the hard work of the entire news team.”
Other ratings highlights include:
Channel 2 News Today at 5:30am tied for #1
The Today Show is #1 among network morning news programs
Channel 2 News Midday (11:00am) is up 17% Year-to-Year
Channel 2 News at Noon is up 50% Year-to-Year
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt tied for #1
Channel 2 News at 6:00pm posted a strong 1.5 rating
Entertainment Tonight is up 14% from the November book, tying for #1 at 6:30pm
NBC’s 9pm Hour (Monday-Friday) is #1, up 24% Year-to-Year
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is #1, beating Kimmel and Colbert combined
Saturday Night Live is the #1 program following late news, Monday-Sunday
All ratings are Adults 25-54 based on Nielsen Live + SD English Only overnights for the measurement period of February 4th, 2016 through March 2nd, 2016, M-F 10-10:30pm and M-F 6-7am.
KPRC Channel 2 is the NBC affiliate for Houston, TX. The station is owned by The Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) and is one of five in the television division along with WDIV Detroit, WKMG Orlando, KSAT San Antonio and WJXT Jacksonville. KPRC has long been an innovator as the first television station in Houston and the 12th in the nation. KPRC was the first in Houston to broadcast in color and the station that beamed Neil Armstrong’s famous words “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” across the world. KPRC’s innovative spirit continues to this day through communications advances and community partnerships. Other KPRC properties
include Click2Houston.com and THIStv.
(This post is taken from a release sent to me by KPRC 2)
With the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo kicking off, let's look back to February 1970 when the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, played the big event in the Astrodome.
"It scares me...it's a big place," Elvis said of the Eighth Wonder of the World to a room full of Houston reporters. "It's been a long time since I've been on stage in front of anyone live."
The reporters asked him about his outfit which Elvis said was taken from a karate uniform. Elvis added he'd been involved in martial arts at the time.
Listen to Elvis Presley perform a few year later at the Houston Astrodome on March 3, 1974.
News 12 The Bronx/News 12 Brooklyn's Natasha Geigel is coming to Houston...but will she pop up on our TV screen?
Natasha Geigel
News 12 The Bronx/News 12 Brooklyn's Natasha Geigel says she is coming to Houston.
And for weeks, someone keeps commenting on my blog that she is coming to FOX 26 KRIV. But as what?
Neither a rep with FOX Television Stations nor Geigel have a comment about her alleged KRIV employment.
Stay tuned.
Geigel started at News 12 in June 2012.
She served as the station's traffic anchor, transportation reporter and anchor.
This will be quite a new chapter for Geigel who is originally from the Edenwald section of the Bronx and remained working in the area until now.
Geigel attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting and holds a BS in Exercise Science from SUNY Cortland. That last degree was put to good use for a show she hosted called Food for Thought.
WE tv TO PREMIERE GROUNDBREAKING UNSCRIPTED LEGAL DOCU-SERIES “SISTERS IN LAW” THURSDAY, MARCH 24 at 9:00 P.M.
WE tv is set to premiere the, unprecedented, unscripted docu-series, “Sisters in Law,” on Thursday, March 24 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Set in Houston, the 8-episode one-hour series follows a group of elite black female attorneys as they tackle some of the toughest cases in Texas and leave no stone unturned in order to seek justice for their clients. In Texas, being a female attorney in a field dominated by men is hard enough but being a black female attorney is even harder. However, these strong-willed and strong-minded women, many of whom have been in each other’s lives for decades, are united by a professional and social group they have christened the “sisters in law.” Although close-knit they often find themselves allies one moment and rivals the next. Ultimately, what keeps these women bonded is the common ground that they share - their race, their gender, the ability to win cases and an intense passion for the law - in a predominately white, male-dominated profession.
This season, viewers will get an inside look at how this group of dedicated lawyers juggle demanding careers, their families, political aspirations and busy social calendars while trying to maintain their friendships.
With egos as big as Texas, the “sisters in law” are often at odds with each other as they struggle to remain united under fierce competition and the intense pressure to succeed.
MEET THE CAST:
Jolanda Jones -
Rising from a childhood of poverty and a life filled with tragedy, Jolanda was driven to practice law in order to provide warrior justice for poor defendants. With a reputation for saying exactly what’s on her mind, Jolanda has won cases people thought were unwinnable and prides herself on client empathy, super preparation, on point research and cross-examining witnesses relentlessly so that the truth is revealed. Jolanda will legally attack people who attack her clients and will always strive to protect their civil rights. With all of her career accomplishments aside the one thing Jolanda is most proud of is her son, Jiovanni, who like his mother is a social activist. Jio was recently arrested and is facing charges, but Jolanda believes he is a victim of racial profiling and is doing everything she can to clear his name.
Vivian King -
Vivian retired from her banking career after nine years and decided to become a lawyer. At 30, she went to law school and three years later graduated cum laude from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She is the second black female to become board certified in criminal law in Texas. As a criminal lawyer who is the only one of the group to defend capital murder death penalty cases, Vivian considers herself the matriarch of the sisters and over the years has taken many of the ladies under her wing and mentored them – something she is passionate about since she never had a mentor herself. With her outspoken personality, Vivian demands unconditional loyalty from the women she feels she has taught, something that doesn’t go over very well.
Rhonda Wills -
Rhonda is a civil attorney who specializes in class action lawsuits. While working at a previous law firm, she sued for sexual harassment and won a large settlement, which she used to open up her own successful civil litigation practice. A true dragon slayer, Rhonda has recovered more than $75 million fighting for the rights of everyday Americans against corporate giants and insurance companies and has even fought for her clients in cases that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court and won. She has very strong opinions on civil law versus criminal law, which causes a lot of friction amongst the women - many of whom are criminal attorneys. Rhonda is proud of the fact that she is self-made and sees nothing wrong with flaunting her wealth.
Juanita Jackson -
Juanita is a mixture of southern black culture - her mother was a wealthy debutante and her father was militant Black Panther from the other side of the tracks. As a public defender, who has handled over 2500 cases, she enjoys standing up for those who aren’t able to stand up for themselves. Juanita and Rhonda were partners in a firm for 7 years until they realized that business and friendship didn’t mix and dissolved their partnership.
Monique Sparks -
Monique, a criminal attorney, was originally interested in becoming a lawyer for the money but grew to enjoy the profession and the way she was able to help people get out of tough situations. Like the other women in the group, she is passionate about her work and gives clients her undivided attention. Deeply rooted in her faith, she will often pray with clients regardless of their spirituality and considers them family, often welcoming them into her home for dinner and bible study. She is passionate about helping people get their lives back together, and when she doesn’t win a case, she is devastated.
Tiye Foley -
Tiye is a civil attorney, specializing in intellectual property, who works for a huge law firm in Texas. After graduating from the University Of Texas School Of Law she was offered a position as an Associate in a southern law firm. Tiye, who is new to the group, is married to a well-known attorney. In addition to practicing law, she is a fashion blogger for her blog, Fashion de Jure and participates in women's empowerment organizations that provide inner-city girls with the tools to understand their brand of beauty and independence.
For sneak peeks, deleted scenes, photo galleries, and blogs from the “Sisters in Law” cast, visit www.wetv.com. Additionally, for insider details, photos and videos, “Like” WE tv on Facebook and follow @WEtv on Twitter and Instagram.
“Sisters in Law” is produced by Collins Avenue Entertainment and executive produced by Jeff Collins, Michael Hammond, Sandi Johnson, Bryan Stinson and Laura Halperin, with producing partner Kim Coles. We tv’s Lauren Gellert, EVP, Development and Original programming, David Stefanou, VP of Development and Kate Farrell, VP of Original Programming serve as executive producers.
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Thank YOU Houston!
To all of my friends, family, colleagues, and VIEWERS... I have decided to move back to California after an amazing ride here at KPRC2.
It has been a JOY being an Entertainment Reporter in my hometown for the past 2 1/2 years and I couldn't Thank You enough.
I will dearly miss my FAVORITE morning team and the best photographer in the world, Cesar Martinez.
This dream would have never come true without my faith in God and support from a very special group of folks from the very beginning like Jerry Martin (GM), Bill Balleza, and Deborah Collura (Former ND).
Also, thank you Rhonda LaVelle (ND) for embracing my creativity and humor.
I have chosen to pursue the next chapter of my life and take a short break.
My last day at work is March 4th. Until then... COME on BACK!
Love Ruben
Galvan made his mark on the KPRC 2 morning show. After he and anchor Rachel McNeill were added to the show in 2013, the newscast went to number one for a few years. In fact, after Ruben's arrival, other Houston TV stations added more feature oriented reporters to their morning shows.
Before that, Galvan spent 10 years at XETV San Diego 6 News (CW affiliate) as the morning entertainment/feature reporter. He also worked at KXXV Waco and KTVB-Ch.7 in Boise, Idaho.
He is a a graduate of Spring Branch's Northbrook High School and the University of Houston.
Hopefully he will let us know what he's doing next soon.
UPDATE JULY 2016
Ruben Galvan returns to XETV San Diego 6 News (CW affiliate) where he worked prior to KPRC 2.
Thank YOU Houston! To all of my friends, family, colleagues, and VIEWERS... I have decided to move back to California...
Posted by KPRC2 Ruben Galvan on Thursday, February 25, 2016
I had the day off from work today, so missed the going-away shindig. Wanted to wish @kprcrubentv #RubenGalvan the very...
Posted by KPRC2 Jennifer Reyna on Friday, March 4, 2016
Mac Daniels has been promoted as Program Director for KPLX 99.5 FM The Wolf and New Country KSCS 96.3 FM in Dallas.
HOUSTON
Josh Hubbard started as the KHOU 11 assistant news director last September. He's worked at KUSA, KCRA, WPTZ and WSTM in the past. He fills the void left by Jack Acosta who was upped to KENS SA news director last April.
Byron Nichols has been named KPRC 2's chief photographer.
Former KTRK abc13 morning executive producer Rhonda Lamon has joined KPRC 2 in the same role.
FOX 26 KRIV Morning Executive Producer Andrew Gillfillan leaves for KNTV San Jose.
Brandice Bailey joins San Francisco CBS-owned station KPIX as morning executive producer from FOX 26 KRIV.
Fox 26 KRIV assignments editor Christi Rodriguez is leaving for a job with the American Heart Association.
Former KPRC 2 reporter Mary Benton is now Director and Advisor to Commissioner Gene L. Locke at Harris County Precinct One. She previously worked as the Manager, Media Relations and Public Affairs for the Harris County Toll Road Authority.
Ex-ESPN & CSN-Houston anchor Steve Bunin is now a host on Yahoo Sports Radio.
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News Channel 25 KXXV Waco anchor, Bruce Gietzen, will be leaving after 12 years to become the Director of Communications for the Waco Independent School District effective May 31st. Gietzen used to work at KTRK as a sports reporter and as a member of the Houston Rockets radio team.
As good as people think I am at tracking Texas media job moves, my image is better than reality. Don't expect that I see every Twitter or Facebook post about your new job. Don't get mad at me, contact me below to make sure I don't miss your big career move!
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