Brandi Smith, the KHOU 11 Houston digital anchor, announced she is leaving the station in November 2023 and from what it looks like the television news business.
UPDATE: Following my Friday post about her KHOU 11 exit, Smith revealed she has joined Rice University as a multimedia journalist (MMJ).
Here is a portion of what Smith wrote on Facebook after I posted the news here about her channel 11 departure:
"Houston, thank you for trusting me with your stories and allowing me to share them with our community. This 22-year whirlwind of a career has been a blessing beyond blessings — and it’s not over yet, though my chapter at KHOU 11 is.
When I started this career in 2001, I had no idea what was to come – the experiences, the heartbreak, the moves and the growth – but I’m so glad it brought me to Houston. This is an incredible city, filled with some of the most compassionate people I’ve met in my career. I’ve been lucky enough to document how you all stepped up for each other in the worst of times and celebrated each other in the best of times. Y’all lift each other up every opportunity you get and are truly an inspiration to see in action. As long as you keep doing amazing things, I hope you’ll keep letting me share those stories, even if it’s just here on social media.
We have seen each other through so much these past (almost) seven years and I am so grateful to all of you and my supportive coworkers for helping me to truly grow as a journalist, neighbor and human."
Smith has been with KHOU 11 since February 2017.
Over the years, Smith has been channel 11's morning newscast's social media anchor, Saturday morning anchor and reporter.
In fact, Smith made a viral splash early on during Hurricane Harvey when she was the only person on the air from her live shot location while the KHOU studio was flooding. She even managed to help save a man's life.
Smith is in a relationship with KPRC 2 meteorologist Justin Stapleton, so you will often see them together on social media.
- KBMT 12 Beaumont weekday anchor/investigative MMJ
- CW39 KIAH's NewsFix and EyeOpener fill-in anchor/producer
- KEZI 9 News Eugene, Oregon evening anchor/MMJ/producer
- KOIN 6 Portland, Oregon producer
- Idaho News 6 KIVI Boise, Idaho reporter/weekend weather anchor/producer
- KPIC 4 Roseburg, Oregon MMJ/fill-in anchor/producer
(This post has been updated with Brandi Smith's message on leaving KHOU 11 Houston after I had posted Friday, December 1, 2023.)
