John Labus has been a big presence on 740 KTRH for 15 years, but he's getting out of radio, and joining the communications department at the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) starting Monday, June 1.
Over the years, Labus has covered the President of the United States (twice), nine hurricanes (counting direct hits and near-misses), the 9/11 terrorist attacks, multiple elections, and finally the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his career, Labus won multiple Associated Press awards including Best Newscast, Breaking/Spot News, and News/Sports Enterprise.
The KTRH morning news editor earned an accounting degree from Georgia State University, but numbers would not consumer the rest of his career.
In 1996, just a few years out of college, Labus was managing a bar in Myrtle Beach, SC. He was told the locally-owned rock station, 101.7 WKZQ, needed a news director.
"With no experience, I walked in the door and was immediately hired," Labus told mikemcguff.com. "I remained there until 1999, when I relocated back to Atlanta."
That led him to Salem Broadcasting's startup Contemporary Christian music station 104.7 WFSH in Atlanta from 2000 to 2001 where he worked as a board op and weekend disc jockey from 2000 to 2001.
It was at this time, he officially gave up accounting and went into radio full time.
"I landed at WHP-580 (Clear Channel), a news talk station in Harrisburg, PA in 2001, where I worked as a general assignment reporter and morning anchor," he told me. "I was also a stringer for Penn State football for five seasons."
Then it was time for Houston when legendary 740 KTRH came calling. Labus has anchored/reported on every shift on the clock, eventually moving to morning editor in 2011.
Now Labus will be on the other side of the microphone as the Houston journalists ask him the questions! Good luck John!
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