Mike Warren is retiring from FOX 7 Austin KTBC in September 2026 after 22 years at the station.
During his on-air KTBC sign-off, Warren reflected on the stories and people he encountered throughout his career.
"I've been in this business for 37 years. Twenty-two here at FOX 7," Warren said.
Rather than pointing to one particular story as his favorite, Warren said his goal was always to connect viewers with the people behind the headlines.
"Always trying to communicate the feelings and emotions of the people in this story to people who are watching the news. That was always the goal," he said.
His colleagues described Warren as a steady presence in the newsroom, as well as a mentor, friend and "straight shooter." They also praised him for raising the bar for the station's news team.
Warren said he is looking forward to retirement, although he isn't quite sure what comes next.
"I don't know yet," Warren said. "We're going traveling. Initially, my wife and I with one of our children. And then we're going to come back here and I'm going to take it as it comes. I can't wait."
Warren also thanked his colleagues and viewers for their support over the years.
"I thank you all for coming. And I thank all the viewers for trusting us, for watching me, watching FOX 7. It has been a great journey, so I appreciate it."
Warren joined FOX 7 in 2004, taking a seat at the evening anchor desk following longtime Austin news icon Dick Ellis. During his more than two decades at the station, Warren became a familiar and trusted face for Central Texas viewers, covering major news events and interviewing newsmakers from both sides of the political aisle.
His broadcasting career began in college radio at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature. After college, however, Warren took a detour from broadcasting, spending a year in Europe before working in financial sales in San Francisco.
He eventually returned to television news as a reporter at KRNV in Reno, Nevada, then moved to a reporting role at KMST in Monterey, California. His first anchor job came at KTUL in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he anchored mornings. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he reported and anchored at KTVK before moving to Austin.
When Warren arrived in Central Texas in 2004, Austin was a much smaller city than it is today. Over the next 22 years, he was there as the city and surrounding communities experienced tremendous growth.
Beyond the anchor desk, one of Warren's most significant contributions at FOX 7 was his commitment to the military and veteran communities.
Coming from a family with a long military tradition, Warren made supporting U.S. service members and veterans a major part of his work. He spearheaded the FOX 7 Care Force, a station initiative that highlighted local service members and helped veterans make the transition back to civilian life.
That dedication was recognized in 2013 when Warren received the Media Award from the Texas Veterans Commission for his ongoing efforts on behalf of Texas veterans.
"It's been a real pleasure, especially to do stories focused on veterans," Warren said. "We've always tried to give voice to that community, and I was glad to be a part of that."
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(Thanks, Joe!)
