Steve Simon has been a fixture on the Houston TV scene off and on since 2000, but his news director position he returned to KIAH CW39 for in 2018, has been eliminated as the Nexstar Media Group begins making changes across the country after its recent purchase of the Tribune Stations.
"From 39News to Newsfix (Houston and DFW) and Morning Dose ( Houston) - it’s been a great experience with many people who will always be lifelong friends," Simon posted on social media. "Nearly 20 years with one company is almost unheard of anymore. Tribune Media evolved and I rode along with it. It’s now time for a new ride."
The newly created position to lead the channel 39 newsroom is now posted as Manager, News Operations.
In May, we also saw longtime Station Manager and Director of Sales, Harvey Saxer, leave KIAH as Nexstar brought in the new Vice President and General Manager, Chris Pruitt, from sister-station FOX 44 KWKT-KYLE in Waco, Temple, Killeen and Bryan-College Station.
Simon started with KIAH back in 2000 as an anchor/reporter when the station still had the call letters KHWB.
He eventually provided commentary with the award-winning segment "Simon Says."
Around the time the station was premiering NewsFix, the anchor-less news format, Simon became executive producer.
In 2013, Simon moved to Dallas to launch NewsFix on sister-station CW33 KDAF.
As I mentioned, he moved back to Houston in 2018 to become KIAH's news director to oversee Morning Dose.
Before his 2000 arrival in Houston, Simon worked at WSVN Miami, WHNT Huntsville, Alabama, WCMH Columbus, Ohio and WFXL Albany, Georgia.
He is a University of Texas grad and earned a masters in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
"Don’t feel sorry for me," Simon said in his post. "This means I am doing something I haven’t done since I got my first job as a bag boy at Publix when I was 14—-breathe! I’ll take a minute to figure out what’s next, hug my kids and support my wife at a time when she could really use it."
