Jim Carola, the longtime news director and anchor for 610 and 100.3 KILT Houston, has passed away.
"Jim Carola is not only a Houston icon, but will always be remembered as a class act," Texas Radio Hall of Famer and former KILT colleague T.J. Callahan told mikemcguff.com. "Jim was loved by all who crossed his path, and I was blessed to have learned the radio news business firsthand from him and Robert B. McEntire."
"How I loved my time on KILT with Jim Carola," Texas Radio Hall of Fame director emeritus Josh Holstead, who went by 'Rowdy Yates' on KILT-FM, told mikemcguff.com. "It was not only a blessing every day to work with such an iconic and legendary broadcaster, but a man who became such an integral part of my success on Houston radio and eventually the national stage. Not only was he the ultimate pro, but a super nice guy who had a very gentle approach to his management style that not only fostered loyalty among his employees, but set a great example that many others would apply in their own careers. He was a fantastic husband, brother, uncle, and neighbor-and an equestrian’s equestrian. He never met a horse he did not love, or a cowboy/cowgirl he did not like. I will miss my friend so much, and I shall treasure our time together on and off the air and never forget the memorable moments I had working across the microphone from one of my radio heroes and (literal) lifelong friend, Jim Carola."
His career in broadcasting began unexpectedly as a young dancer on Channel 13 KTRK's "The Larry Kane Show."
Carola joined KILT in 1964 while still a junior at the University of Houston and became news director in 1970, dedicating 40 years to the station delivering the 20/20 newscasts.
"I listened to Jim Carola on the Big 610 growing up in the Westbury neighborhood of Houston, all of us teens did," Texas Radio Hall of Famer and Houston TV's Don Armstrong told mikemcguff.com. "It was his style and delivery that helped set my sights on a broadcasting career. When I finally met him at the Houston rodeo, he shook my hand like we had been friends all our lives. He was what everyone in our business strives to be, loved."
Upon his exit from KILT in 2004, Carola immediately joined the new FM News Channel 97.5 KFNC. Founding KFNC general manager Pat Fant was shocked Carola, who he had been listening to since college, was willing to work for the upstart Houston news station.
"He was the nicest and genuinely most talented news guy anyone could ever have on their radio station," Fant told mikemcguff.com. "He was the best."
Fant, a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, provided us with this irreverent Carola promo clip from FM News Channel 97.5 to reminisce with:
Beyond radio, Carola was a familiar voice in Houston sports. He served as the public-address announcer for Super Bowl VIII at Rice Stadium and was the voice of the Houston Oilers for 28 years at the Astrodome.
In 1979, after the Oilers' heartbreaking AFC Championship loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carola introduced the team to a full Astrodome crowd during the unforgettable Luv Ya Blue era homecoming.
When the Houston Texans launched in 2002, Carola was selected as the PA announcer for the franchise’s first four seasons, continuing his legacy as the voice of Houston football.
He was inducted into the 2003 Texas Radio Hall of Fame class.
After retiring from the radio and sports world, Carola retired to the Texas Hill Country.
Services are pending.
