FOX 26 Houston KRIV sports director Will Kunkel announced that he was let go from the station, but went on to say that the entire sports department has been cut.
The last part is not true, according to FOX 26 Houston.
A KRIV spokesperson told mikemcguff.com minutes ago on the phone that while Kunkel's position is gone, FOX 26 still is covering sports in all day parts. For example, morning sports reporter Nate Griffin is still listed on the FOX 26 bios page. I'm told sports will still be covered at other times with the news reporting staff.
Kunkel served as the sports director at FOX 26 Houston (KRIV), beginning in September 2023, following the retirement of longtime sports director Mark Berman.
He also launched a station video podcast called Kickin' it with Kunkel, which you can see embedded above.
Kunkel led all of the station’s sports coverage and anchored the evening newscasts alongside Anthony Antoine, Caroline Collins, and Rashi Vats.
Before joining FOX 26, Kunkel served as sports director at FOX 46 Charlotte (WJZY) in North Carolina. His previous experience also included:
Lead Sports Anchor at KWCH 12 News in Wichita, Kansas
Sports Director at NBC 24 (WNWO) in Toledo, Ohio
Sports Anchor and Reporter at KVRR in Fargo, North Dakota
Production Assistant at ESPN
Outside of traditional broadcasting, Kunkel hosted the podcast A Relatable Journey, where he interviewed professional athletes about their life stories, personal struggles, and relationship with God.
Kunkel earned a Master of Science in Journalism and Broadcasting from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Lawrence University.
Here is what Kunkel posted:
TOUGH NEWS:
Wednesday was my last day at FOX 26 Houston.
The station made the decision to cut the sports department—something I never saw coming. It was a shock, to say the least.
Right now, I don't know exactly what's next. But I do know this: my faith in Christ hasn't wavered. He'll place me where I'm meant to be, when the time is right.
If you've got any ideas, connections, or just want to chat—DMs are open.
