Yes, that is the same Yanez, who is the KPRC 2 chief meteorologist, and no, I didn't see him as he must have been forecasting the weather that night.
In 2024, he went down in history as the first member of the Houston media to appear on the magical stage. And in 2025, he returned to the Houston production and even filed two reports about his experience.
Yanez's story above describes how the Alley creates the realistic-looking snow that falls at the end, when Scrooge is redeemed.
Dr. Neil Frank, 94, KHOU 11 Houston's former chief meteorologist and, before that, the director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC), passed away, the station reported early Christmas Eve morning.
Last night, Channel 11 posted that Dr. Frank entered hospice care.
Dr. Frank, or "Doc" as his colleagues called him on-air, widely regarded as the nation’s foremost authority on hurricanes and tropical storms, served as chief meteorologist at KHOU, anchoring weathercasts weekdays at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. from June 1987 to June 2008.
"When I became chief meteorologist, he continued to return and share his deep well of expertise with me," wrote KHOU 11 chief meteorologist David Paul. "Let me tell you, I was so very grateful to have that pillar of knowledge to lean on when a big storm was coming. I learned something new from him every time. His expertise, concern and care for Houston, and that smile -- that's what we'll miss the most about Dr. Neil Frank."
Known for his signature flat top haircut look, Houston radio listeners of a particular vintage will remember the tribute song "I wish I had a Neil Frank haircut" by John Lander and the Q Morning Zoo on the former 93Q KKBQ.
Television weather was Dr. Frank's second career. He led the National Hurricane Center for 13 years before that.
A central figure in communicating life-saving tropical weather information to meteorologists, government officials, and media outlets nationwide, Dr. Frank began his professional journey in the United States Air Force, where he trained as a weather officer. After leaving the Air Force in 1957, he pursued advanced studies in tropical meteorology at Florida State University, earning both a master’s degree and a Ph.D.
Dr. Frank joined the National Weather Service in 1961 and became a hurricane forecaster at the newly formed National Hurricane Center in 1968. He was appointed director of the NHC in 1974, a role that brought him international recognition. During his tenure, he held several global meteorological assignments, including serving as chairman of the International Hurricane Committee, which coordinated hurricane warning procedures for Central and North American countries. He also participated in an international tropical meteorology experiment off the coast of Africa.
A respected leader in his field, Dr. Frank served on the boards of numerous professional organizations and was elected to a three-year term on the council of the American Meteorological Society in 1989. His expertise was sought by the U.S. Senate, which invited him to testify before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in 1987. He authored numerous professional papers on tropical meteorology and was featured in national publications, including Time, Newsweek, and National Geographic. In 1989, he received first place in the Texas Press Awards for Best Weathercast.
Born in Kansas, Dr. Frank earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Southwestern College. Although he initially planned a career in sports—enrolling in college to play basketball and become a coach—his path shifted toward science after encouragement from faculty, ultimately leading him into meteorology through the Air Force weather program.
He is survived by his childhood sweetheart, Velma, whom he married in 1952. Together, they had three children, ten grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren. Among them is singer-songwriter Forrest Frank, his grandson.
* This post has been updated. It initially reported that Dr. Neil Frank had entered hospice care and has been changed to notify readers about his death.
Scott's work as a photographer at KPRC 2 Houston earned him a distinguished place in Houston’s history as the city’s first Black professional news photographer. His lens captured countless moments of significant local, national, and worldwide events, and his dedication to his craft was honored with numerous awards. One of his proudest achievements came in 2011, when he was recognized as a trailblazer by the Houston Association of Black Journalists.
After more than 40 years of steadfast dedication to KPRC, Scott retired in 2013.
His love for adventure took him across the globe, and he found peace in the tranquility of fishing and the love of a good book. While his family remained his greatest joy, photography was a passion that profoundly shaped Scott’s life.
Born on July 23, 1949, in Houston, Scott was the son of Marie and Garrett Scott, who were originally from Minden, Louisiana.
He was a proud Cougar at the University of Houston, where he studied political science. During his college years, Scott met the love of his life, Consulla Gipson. The two were married on September 19, 1972, beginning a partnership that spanned more than five decades.
Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Marie and Garrett Scott; his brother, Jonas Deverson; and his brother-in-law, Ray Williams. He is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, Consulla; his children: Tracy Denise Mason (Christopher John), Tamara Kishaa Banks (Wilbert Lee), and Christopher Eugene Scott; his beloved grandchildren: Elijah Banks, Hogarth Mason, Isaiah Banks, and McCartney Mason; his sister, Laverne Williams (Ray); and a host of cherished family and friends who will forever carry his memory in their hearts.
David Finfrock, who has been with NBC 5 DFW KXAS since 1975, is celebrating 50 years at the station in December 2025.
Finfrock was hired by the iconic meteorologist Harold Taft at age 22, making NBC 5 his first job out of college. In 2022, he announced he would scale back his on-air schedule after decades as one of the market’s most trusted weather voices.
He began transitioning from the role of chief meteorologist in 2012. He was only the second person in station history to hold that title. That same year, Rick Mitchell joined KXAS from KOCO in Oklahoma City and became chief meteorologist, while Finfrock moved into the role of senior meteorologist. KXAS has had only three chief meteorologists in its history.
Before joining NBC 5, Finfrock spent time as a field researcher with the Juneau Icefield Research Program in Alaska. He graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology and also completed graduate coursework at the university.
Which class did he most dread in college? Speech. Well, talking for a living has worked out for Finfrock.
Throughout his career, Finfrock has earned numerous honors, including a Katie Award from the Dallas Press Club for Best Weathercast in Texas and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Viewers’ Choice Award for Best Meteorologist. He was also a finalist for Emmy and Katie awards for his work as a documentary host in 2006 and 2007. Finfrock won an Emmy for the weather special Tracking Texas Weather and another for his work on NBC 5’s 65th Anniversary special, and received a Silver Circle Emmy Award recognizing career achievement for more than 40 years of on-air excellence.
New NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas just visited Houston, and newly minted CBS Evening News Anchor Tony Dokoupil is also going on a live broadcast tour, including a Texas stop.
For LIVE FROM AMERICA – 10 cities in 10 days, Dokoupil will be live from Dallas on January 7, 2026, his third day on air in his new network anchor gig!
“Growing up a bit ramshackle, moving between Florida, Maryland and West Virginia, traveling the country playing high school and college baseball, I learned to love talking to new people. As a journalist, I realized there are some things you’ll never understand until you’re standing there with the people in the middle of it,” Dokoupil said. “Being there, and bringing others there, is what I love most about this job, and what makes me so excited about this trip.”
“Tony’s superpower is listening to people. We want to serve Americans in the best way possible by meeting them where they are every night – and we’ll do that with this cross-country kick-off tour,” said Kim Harvey, executive producer of the CBS EVENING NEWS.
Dokoupil, who has co-anchored CBS Mornings, succeeds Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson. He starts on the evening newscast on January 5th and will be live from Miami.
Paramount, which owns CBS, also owns CBS News Texas, AKA CBS 11 KTVT in North Texas where Tim Hinson was recently named the new president and general manager.
FULL CBS EVENING NEWS WITH TONY DOKOUPIL LIVE SCHEDULE
Mega 101.1 KLOL, an Audacy station in Houston, raised $156,432 for Texas Children’s Hospital during its annual “Mega Radiothon.” All proceeds go toward providing services to the local community that would otherwise lack access to proper medical care. Since its inception, the station has raised over $2.5 million for the kids.
The radiothon took place on December 11-12, and throughout the two days, the station’s hosts featured stories from patients and their families who had received care from the hospitals. They expressed their gratitude for the resources the hospitals provided.
“This milestone belongs to our community. The money raised for Texas Children’s Hospital represents compassion in action, hope for families, strength for children, and proof that collective kindness can change lives,” said Cindy Burbano, Host, Mega 101.1. “We are honored to stand alongside an audience that believes in giving back and lifting others.”
Texas Children’s Hospital operates 80 locations across Texas and the greater Houston area, providing life-changing care.
Lisette Hernandez joins Alex Stockwell as "Your Mornings" co-anchor on Spectrum News 1 Texas.
Charles Divins moves to "Your Evenings."
Hernandez joined the Texas cable news network in early 2022 as a multimedia journalist (MMJ). She later worked as a morning traffic anchor for DFW viewers and as an "Your Afternoon" on Spectrum News 1 anchor across all Texas zones.
She previously worked for KLST/KSAN, the NBC/ABC affiliates in San Angelo as a weekday evening anchor from 2019 to 2021.
In between KLST and Spectrum, Hernandez took a break from the TV biz to work as an HCA Healthcare communications manager.
Raised in San Antonio, Hernandez graduated from Sam Houston State University and interned at FOX 29 KABB/News 4 San Antonio, WOAI, and KPRC 2 Houston.
100.3 The Bull (KILT-FM), an Audacy station in Houston, checked off Christmas lists for 102 kids during its inaugural “Frito & Katy’s Christmas Kids” presented by Mac Haik Chevy Cares. All proceeds go towards DePelchin Children’s Center, the oldest and largest adoption and foster care center in Texas.
The holiday campaign ran from November 10 to December 10. To kick off the campaign, Frito and Katy placed 50 Christmas lists on a Christmas tree at Mac Haik Chevy for listeners and community members to pick and grant wishes for. Listeners immediately picked up all 50 of those kids’ lists and additionally donated online.
The duo also hosted a radiothon on December 8, where they shared stories from children who have been helped by DePelchin. One was a story of a young foster child who wanted a Spider-Man suitcase so he wouldn’t have to carry his belongings in a trash bag. One listener called in crying and donated not just money, but also suitcases for other children. That story then inspired an anonymous donor to step in and sponsor 20 additional kids. The radiothon had only one DePelchin representative and five phone lines that never stopped ringing.
“In Houston, our mission is community connection. Frito and Katy bridged The Bull’s big-hearted listeners with DePelchin to ensure children who have faced immense challenges don’t go without a Christmas,” said Sarah Frazier, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Houston. “What made this holiday campaign different is that it went beyond gifts; it’s about meeting and addressing real needs. Most of these kids asked for essentials like jackets, shoes, socks, underwear, and even hygiene items.”
“DePelchin Children’s Center is deeply grateful for the incredible generosity of Frito and Katy’s Christmas Kids, and all the amazing listeners who are bringing the magic of the holiday season to life for more than 100 children in our community,” said Jenifer Jarriel, President and CEO, DePelchin Children’s Center. “Because of your kindness, our children and families will experience a truly special celebration filled with joy and hope. Thank you for making this season brighter for those who need it most!”
(This post was taken from a release sent to me by Audacy.)
The NBC 5 KXAS Dallas-Fort Worth 6pm news team of Brian Curtis, Meredith Land, Rick Mitchell, and Newy Scruggs took to Facebook to thank viewers for making them the number-one most-watched newscast in the November 2025 Nielsen Media Ratings sweeps period among adults ages 25 to 54.
