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Sunday, August 23, 2020

Deborah Wrigley to leave abc13 KTRK





Deborah Wrigley is leaving abc13 KTRK in September 2020 according to social media chatter.

UPDATE
Mayor Sylvester Turner declares 9-4-2020, "Deborah Wrigley Day" in honor of the longtime abc13 KTRK reporter's last day


"Deborah is an icon of broadcasting and a true journalist Houstonians will always remember," abc13 KTRK news director Rehan Aslam said in an internal memo obtained by mikemcguff.com. "We wanted to thank Deborah for her countless stories that made such an impact on thousands and thousands of people. She served our city and our communities with grace and professionalism."

The memo says Wrigley started with the station 42 years ago.


Now, you might say this type of post about Wrigley has been on my blog before. And you would be correct.

Wrigley left channel 13 in June of 2016, but she quickly returned to the Disney-ABC owned television station just months later in September of that year.

"She is one of the best news writers in the business," former KTRK assistant news director Don Kobos told mikemcguff.com for my 2016 post about Wrigley's departure. "There isn't a story in Houston that she hasn't covered and covered well. Deborah's departure negatively impacts KTRK."

No doubt Wrigley's reporting has had a profound impact in the Houston area and beyond.

The award winning television journalist has covered big stories such as the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, Hurricane Alicia, Texas politics to everything in between.

In my opinion, Wrigley truly shines when it came to historical and feature stories. Producers know they can assign Wrigley these topics and she will write a very thoughtful and informed piece.

Now here is why you read my blog for Houston media news.

Where did Wrigley work before channel 13?

That is tough information to locate, but the answer is KUHT 8 - the Houston PBS station.

Here is a 1977 Wrigley report from channel 8 covering Equal the Rights Amendment and the International Women's Year Conference.

The South Houston High School graduate earned an English degree from the University of Houston.

As I have mentioned in the past, Wrigley's dad, Dewey Wrigley, was in the movie business. Mr. Wrigley worked for legendary filmmakers like Cecil B. Demille as a cinematographer. Clearly fantastic storytelling ability runs in the family.

Now those who know Wrigley personally will tell you she is a big animal lover.

This weekend, Wrigley posted the sad news on her Facebook page that her beloved dog Bosco has died. Here is where you can leave your condolences.

According to Aslam's memo, Wrigley's last day will be September 4th.

"Deborah will always be a member of the KTRK family," Aslam added. "And we look forward to collaborating on big projects with Deborah in the future."

SAY GOODBYE: Share your Deborah Wrigley stories and memories