Shern-Min Chow will leave her KHOU 11 Houston anchor position on February 9, 2026.
Chow is a veteran anchor and reporter at KHOU 11 Houston, anchoring the station’s midday and 4 p.m. newscasts has also worked for KPRC 2 and ABC13 Houston.
"Shern-Min, welcome to the other side of TV," former KHOU 11 anchor Jerome Gray (now of HCTRA) told mikemcguff.com. "You should be very proud of your work and longevity in the business. Congratulations."
“Every time I think of Shern-Min, I can’t help but smile. She made the KHOU newsroom better just by being there," former KHOU 11 news director Sally Ramirez (now senior vice president of news for NBCU Local Chicago) told mikemcguff.com. "She brought heart, curiosity, and quiet confidence to her work every day. I have nothing but admiration for Shern-Min, and I’ll never forget the kindness she showed me during my time in Houston. I wish her all the very best in a well-deserved retirement!”
“I had the pleasure of working with Shern-Min during my tenure at KHOU11 (2018-2024)," former KHOU 11 general manager Robert Springer (now president & GM of Colorado Public Television) told mikemcguff.com. "I have often described Shern-Min Chow as an icon. Someone who, through consistent hard work, commitment, and integrity, has earned a place of trust and authority in the hearts and minds of Houstonians. Her devotion to the Gulf Coast community is something of a rarity in this business; she was never a 'tourist' looking to grow her career in a large market and then move on, but rather a passionate and versatile professional with a deep sense of purpose to inform the community and ultimately to empower her fellow Houstonians. I kept a short list of colleagues who I knew could get anyone on the phone at any time, and Shern-Min shared space on that list with other icons: Len Cannon, Mia Gradney, Ron Treviño, and Deborah Duncan. It’s a notable distinction, and one that can only be earned by doing the work and doing it well. While her retirement is a loss for the journalism community, I hope the road ahead brings her much happiness and that her career can serve as an example for others in the industry.”
"Shern-Min Chow is a Houston TV legend. Period," former KHOU 11 anchor Brandi Smith (now Rice University and Houston Moms) told mikemcguff.com. "Working alongside her for seven of her many years at KHOU 11 offered me a front-row seat to something rare in local television: true adaptability. At a time when many veteran reporters struggled with the industry’s rapid shifts, Shern-Min leaned in. When the job demanded new skills, she learned them (from shooting video on an iPad to embracing the role of a multimedia journalist) with resolve. Watching her meet those challenges was quietly inspiring and a firm reminder that experience is not a finish line; it's a foundation. Her willingness to evolve underscored a career defined not just by longevity, but by relevance and it set an example that growth and excellence can continue at every stage."
Chow joined KHOU in July 1996 as a weekend anchor from KPRC.
The Yale University graduate also worked for KENS 5 in San Antonio and began as a stringer for Newsweek.
When she began her television news career, Chow was the only Asian American broadcaster in San Antonio and later in Houston. She says she is encouraged by how much the industry has evolved since then.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, she has reported from the center of some of the nation’s most significant events — standing in the eye of hurricanes Andrew, Harvey, and Katrina, covering the Loma Prieta and Northridge earthquakes, enduring Winter Storm Uri, and reporting on historic floods, fires, and wildfires. Her work has taken her inside Mexican prisons, into the O.J. Simpson media compound, and into neighborhoods impacted by violent crime — often arriving unannounced and leaving with compelling, impactful stories.
Her notable coverage includes the Robert Durst trial, the Andrea Yates murders, Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets in China, election-night victories for presidential and gubernatorial races, and the James Beard Chefs’ Roundtable series. Chow has interviewed presidents, cabinet secretaries, scientists, celebrities, criminals, and serial killers. Her energy and engagement are especially evident during major sports moments, including the Astros’ playoff runs, World Series championships, and victory parades from 2017 to 2023.
Chow’s work has been recognized with numerous honors, including a Houston Press Club Award for Best Series, a Texas Associated Press Award for Best Spot Newscast-Producer, and an Emmy Award for the documentary Hong Kong Under the Dragon. The project was a career highlight, in part because her father, Ken Chow, an engineer, joined the production as a field producer and translator.
Chow speaks conversational Mandarin and Shanghainese and has studied Spanish, French, and German. She routinely uses Spanish in the field.
Deeply committed to the Houston community, Chow has made hundreds of community appearances and currently serves on the advisory boards of the Asia Society and the Chinese Community Center. She has previously served on the boards of SpringSpirit Baseball, the Bo & Stacey Porter Self Foundation, the YWCA, Houston Ballet, and The Bayou City Medical Center.
Chow grew up in Northern California with her brother, the children of Chinese immigrants. Her mother, Helen Chow, went from stay-at-home parent to entrepreneur, founding her own real estate company and earning recognition as an “Influential Woman.”
Shern-Min Chow is married to her college sweetheart, and they are the proud parents of two sons, graduates of Rice University and MIT.
