Jeff Ehling to retire from ABC13 KTRK Houston after 26 years

After 26 years at ABC13 KTRK Houston and four decades in television news, Jeff Ehling is announcing on mikemcguff.com that he will retire on September 18, 2026.

"My wife and I have been planning for this a long time," Ehling told mikemcguff.com.   "We set a goal that would allow me to retire after 20 years, but 2020 was at the beginning of the pandemic, and it did not seem like a good idea to leave a job during all that uncertainty.  I signed a three-year contract that year, and not long after, I was given the chance to become a streaming news anchor, and I really enjoyed it. So when that contract ended three years later, I felt like staying for another contract.  Now we are six years past our goal, and it just feels like the right time to begin a new phase of our lives.  I’m glad I stayed on for these last six years because I thoroughly enjoyed streaming news and being the anchor for the 11 AM."  

So what will Ehling do with his upcoming "normal person" schedule?

"I love watching football, but unfortunately I have to miss all of the Sunday Night, Monday Night and Thursday Night games due to working the early morning schedule," Ehling said.  "I typically go to bed around 7 p.m.  Now I can take in all the NFL and College football action without worrying about getting up early.  So the thing I am looking forward to the most is getting to set my own schedule, and that includes plenty of football."

Ehling has been a familiar face to Houston viewers since joining KTRK in January 2000 as the station’s morning reporter. Over the years, in addition to reporting, he also became well known for anchoring, consumer coverage, and, later, digital streaming.

When his wife accepted a job in Houston in late 1999, he relocated to Texas, and shortly afterward, Ehling landed his role at KTRK.

"When I moved here, my wife and I were engaged but not married yet.  She is from New York, and we always entertained the idea of moving to New York City, but after we bought our house we realized we likely would never be able to afford a similar home in Manhattan," Ehling told me.   "Once we had kids, we realized Houston offered the best cost of living for a major U.S. city, and the longer we stayed, the more we realized how much Houston has to offer and what makes it a great place to raise a family.  We love it.  

"On a personal level, Houston’s Med Center, specifically Women’s Hospital of Texas, played a major role in the lives of our kids.  Both my boys were born prematurely, and the doctors and nurses at Women’s are the reason why those boys survived and are now thriving adults.  You can’t overstate the importance of having world-class health care professionals in your backyard.  I will always be in their debt.   Professionally, the city and the station have been fantastic.  I started here as a reporter and knew I would eventually want to move to the anchor desk.  ABC 13 made that happen, and the reception from the viewers here allowed me to keep working for 26 years."

During his tenure at ABC13, Ehling covered some of the biggest stories of his career, including hurricanes, reporting from Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and covering Texas troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Over the years, ABC NewsOne, the network affiliate news service, recognized Ehling's live-shot skills and used him for nationwide reports.

"Of all the international stories I have covered, the second Gulf War left a lasting impact on me personally," Ehling admitted.  "The station set up a rotation for reporters and photographers that would have us leaving Kuwait after two weeks, but the airspace was closed after we arrived, so we were stuck at the center of the attack from Scud missiles for an entire month.  Almost every Scud fired from Iraq at Kuwait was aimed at Kuwait City.  The Patriot Missile defenses shot down most of those Scuds, but some made it through.   One landed in the middle of the night less than a mile from our hotel. 

"While we were the only crew in Kuwait City, we had to report on TV here in Houston at 5 am, 6 am, 11 am, 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm, and 10 pm.  We then had to reset and do it all over again each day.  We got about four hours of sleep a day, but not all at once.  Air raid sirens warning of missile attacks sounded throughout the day and night.   The sirens and not sleeping or eating properly made things extremely difficult, both mentally and physically, as the days went on.  One time we were at a military checkpoint when US forces started putting on their chemical warfare gear.  They weren’t messing around, and it was clear something either hit nearby or was in the air.  We carried similar gear and also rushed to get the protective masks on.  Then we interviewed soldiers about what was happening.  Other reporters from around the world were nearby, but they did not have any protective gear.  One of the reporters from Japan took our picture while we were interviewing military members.  That picture made it into newspapers around the world.  I’ve got so many stories from that time, but to this day loud sirens kind of make me nervous."

In 2004, Ehling took over the consumer reporting role after Nydia Han left for 6abc Action News WPVI Philadelphia. 

His consumer reporting helped ABC13 viewers save money through his financial tips, scam warnings, and holding businesses accountable.

In 2005, Ehling broke the news of truck fires happening while the vehicle was turned off, leading to a nationwide recall.

"When KTRK asked me to become a Consumer Reporter, I did not hesitate because it is the kind of reporting that impacts people’s lives," Ehling said.  "We heard about the truck fires from a viewer, and at first I was kind of skeptical, but after digging into it we found so many people in our area who had the same issue.  We went to a wrecker yard during our investigation to see if they had trucks that had caught fire, and the manager told me, 'If you want to take a picture of every truck on the lot that caught fire, you are going to be here all day.'   That’s when I knew we had a very big story on our hands, and eventually it got national attention and led to a massive recall."

During this time, he also hosted the Emmy-nominated "Jeff on the Job" half-hour specials that continued his consumer investigations after the Eyewitness Newscasts signed off for the night.

Known for his fantastic live reporting and off-the-cuff style, Ehling later found his way to the weekend morning anchor desk.

In 2017, his live reports covering rescue operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey were seen across the nation. Ehling later won the President's Volunteer Service Award for his work in response to Hurricane Harvey.

Ehling stepped away from the weekend morning anchor desk alongside Charly Edsitty in January 2024 and transitioned to weekday mornings and streaming coverage on the ABC13 24/7 stream, where he anchors expanded morning programming and returned to consumer-focused reporting. He was then assigned duties as an 11am newscast anchor on television as well.

"Streaming is great!  I love it," he said.   "My approach is to try to have a little fun where appropriate.  For instance, we hit traffic at the top of every break, and let’s face it, showing drive times from Katy isn’t really super exciting as an anchor or for most viewers.  So I really lean into the pronunciation, it’s more like DRIIIIIIVE TIIIMES!!!!  I know it’s at least a little funny as my colleagues in the newsroom usually get a laugh out of it.   Also, being able to stay on a breaking news story is great.  One time there was a foam release at the airport, it’s the kind of foam used to suppress fires.  This stuff was everywhere.  We got Skyeye over it and then Miya Shay on the ground, and while they were talking, I called up a friend who works in disaster preparedness to have him go over the air via Zoom.  It was great TV.  Streaming really lets us stretch out our abilities, and that’s why I love the format.  I would not have had an opportunity to do this had the station not had the foresight to add additional newscasts that do not appear on regular TV.  KTRK was among the first stations in the country to add streaming news and one of the first to offer so many hours of streaming news."

When he started his career, TV stations would have thought "streaming" was something happening down by the river.

Ehling's broadcasting career began in 1986 near his hometown of Statenville, Georgia. The Valdosta State University graduate started at ABC affiliate WVGA in Valdosta before moving to NBC affiliate WMGT in Macon. In 1990, he joined CBS affiliate WCTV in Tallahassee, Florida, where he served as bureau chief in Valdosta and was promoted to weekend anchor.

He continued his career in 1996 at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida, working as a general assignment reporter. South Florida also became personally significant; it was there he met his wife.

"When I started back in 1986, my first station was using ¾ inch tapes to record interviews, and now it’s all on video cards," Ehling remembered.  "We had no computers, no internet, no live trucks, no news apps.  I have seen incredible change in the industry, but one thing has stayed the same.  The people who are responsible for bringing the news to your TV are still dedicated, talented, and willing to go to places where residents are being told to evacuate.   This business has given me a lifetime of incredible experiences.  I got to cover multiple World Series games, Little League World Series games, NFL and NBA playoffs, hurricanes that dumped 56 inches of rain on our community, and so much more.  The people I’ve met along the way, both in the business and in the community, have been wonderful.  I am so thankful I got to spend the last 26 years of my career here in Houston and at KTRK. 

"I will be forever grateful to the station, my coworkers, and the viewers who welcomed me into their homes each day."

Scott Braddock on the new Quorum Report Radio

 

Scott Braddock, the editor of the go-to source for Texas political insiders, Harvey Kronberg's The Quorum Report, has launched a new podcast called “Quorum Report Radio” (now available on all platforms).

For the past decade, Braddock hosted the state’s top-ranked politics podcast, the "Texas Take."  As an avid listener of that show, I feel Braddock really taught me about what is happening in Austin and how the Texas Capitol works. Information that I ended up using personally.

And I am happy to say that, with “Quorum Report Radio,” Braddock is back with the insider information that really gets behind the day's Texas political news.

A native of Wharton County, Braddock grew up on a farm before launching his radio career at age 16 in Brenham, where he spun records and read school lunch menus on the air. By 19, he was covering news in Bryan–College Station, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Braddock previously served as chief political reporter for 740 KTRH in Houston and NewsRadio 1080 KRLD in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Throughout his career, Braddock has earned prestigious honors, including Edward R. Murrow and Associated Press awards for investigative journalism. He has also been recognized by the Texas congressional delegation for excellence and fairness in political reporting and is a frequent guest on national and statewide media outlets, including Fox News Channel, CNN, CBS News, ABC News, and conservative talk radio programs across Texas.

Braddock was kind enough to answer my questions about the new “Quorum Report Radio” podcast and much more. 

Mike McGuff:  You’ve promised to give listeners the "inside scoop" on the halls of power. Will the Quorum Report Radio Podcast allow you to be more candid or opinionated than you were under the Houston Chronicle banner?

Scott Braddock: Yes, sir.

There's no question the new show gives listeners a more unvarnished version of Quorum Report’s storytelling, analysis, and news coverage. My Publisher and mentor, Harvey Kronberg, and I have been deliberate in pulling no punches in covering Texas politics because fairness is born of accuracy, not the “bothsidesism” false equivalence you get from most traditional media. 

The new show skips right past that and instead prioritizes what political professionals want to hear about. It’s really an audio version of the kind of reporting we’ve been doing in the pages of Quorum Report for decades.

One of our listeners said, “It just feels more authentic” than the old show. That probably speaks to how it’s more tailored to what the Texas Capitol crowd wants to hear, which just happens to be the stuff I really care about. For example, this past week’s show features an in-depth discussion with Harvey about how this year’s elections could complicate Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ chances for reelection as speaker. 

We’re already thinking about that because our audience demands that kind of info. Another recent episode starts with the story under the story of what’s happening in the GOP primary for Texas Comptroller in which one candidate purchased Jeffrey Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico. And I traveled across Deep East Texas to cover a state Senate race that may not be the sexiest thing going on – like the US Senate race – but it’s critical for players at the Capitol in Austin. Of course, we’re covering the US Senate race because of increased focus on the top of the ticket this year. But we’re also connecting the dots on how that race may impact the structure of Texas government come 2027.

On Quorum Report Radio, we can really spread out and talk at length about those topics thanks to how we source our information and the way we primarily serve an audience of political professionals. But one thing I’ve already noticed in just the first few months of doing this new program is that there’s also a broader audience interested in what the insiders are talking about. So, it’s pretty accessible to any political junkie.

All that said, the partnership with the Houston Chronicle over the last decade has been nothing but positive. I wouldn’t have gotten into podcasting without them, after all. Until they asked me to create a Texas politics podcast out of thin air, it had never even entered my mind to do something like that. In a lot of ways, I thought my days behind the microphone were behind me after I was fired from a radio station in spectacular fashion in Houston nearly 15 years ago. 

But what's the old line? "Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in." 

Podcasting is great because, in so many ways, it is just like radio was in its infancy: You can do anything you want with it. A comedy show? Cool. A show about your favorite music? Sure. A show about Texas politics? You bet. A Texas politics show that starts each episode with an original track from a rap artist in Houston? Yes, we do that now.

MM: Take us back to 2015: When the Houston Chronicle first approached you about launching a Texas politics podcast, did you have any sense it would become such a long-term, defining project?

SB: Absolutely not.

When the Chronicle’s then-Austin Bureau Chief Mike Ward first approached me about it, I thought I would just help them get it started, and after a few weeks, they’d figure out how to do it on their own, and I’d move on. But a few months into the project, it became clear they had no idea how to keep this thing going. Only then did I negotiate an agreement to be compensated by the Chronicle for it and made the commitment to do the show each week.

In the background, what had happened was the Chronicle's owners at Hearst Newspapers told them to do more with multimedia, including podcasts. So, the newspaper approached me because of my decades in broadcasting and asked me to collaborate on what I now just call the old show. My last co-host, Jeremy Wallace, is a great newspaper reporter. Over the years, I had several co-hosts, and they all did a solid job. But I had to teach them to do a version of a radio show. Through multiple co-hosts and producers, I was the only constant presence because of my dedication to the audience we were cultivating.

Last year, though, I made the decision to put a laser focus on the products we're creating at Quorum Report to always serve our audience first through our writing, podcasting, radio, and TV appearances as well as speeches around Texas. Some other changes are coming, too. I’ll unveil some of that later this year.

But there’s no animosity between Quorum Report and the Chronicle. I have many friends who work at Hearst newspapers across Texas. Just a couple weeks ago, in fact, the Chronicle’s Opinion Editor Evan Mintz was on the new show with me to talk about the paper’s endorsement of James Talarico in the Democratic primary for US Senate.

But you’re right: The old show became one of the primary things I’m known for in Texas generally and at the Texas Capitol specifically. I like the fact that political professionals would really listen to the show each week and not just say things like “hey, great show!” Instead, they’d sometimes want to argue about what had been said or – as is often the case with a sophisticated audience – they’d offer some perspective on an issue that I hadn’t yet known about or considered. The day I stop learning from my audience is the day I’ll stop doing all this for a living.

MM:  Texas Take became the number one politics podcast in Texas. What do you think listeners connected with most: tone, access, trust, or something else?

SB:  That’s a great question. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but it’s probably because people feel like they really know me. That’s based on listener feedback. When listeners approach me at various events around the state, they’ll very often say something like “hey, I feel like I just talked to you.” What they mean is they listened to the show.

And the thing is, they do know me because I’m a pretty open book.

Radio industry folks will readily tell you that radio – and now podcasting as well – is the most intimate medium. When I was a 16-year-old disc jockey, the owner of the station where I worked in Brenham, Texas, gave me some of the best advice any young broadcaster can get: When you talk into the microphone, imagine you’re talking to one person driving in their car, doing chores around the house, or whatever. Don’t treat your presentation like you’re talking to a big crowd. People don’t listen that way. They listen solo, generally. Although I know some people do listen with their kids in the car. So, I still give a warning if there’s going to be rough language or something difficult to listen to, like the audio of the screaming of the children at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde when their classmates were murdered.

The fact that people usually listen solo is even more pronounced now that most of them use earbuds. The experience is just them and who they’re listening to. One listener said something about how “It feels like a conversation where there’s no pressure on me to say anything.” I think that’s a cool way to think about it.

MM:  The phrase “the story under the story” comes up often in how you describe your work. How does audio allow you to tell that story differently from print?

SB: That phrase was really drilled into me by Mr. Kronberg, who’s been looking for that “story under the story” of Texas politics and government for about 40 years now. It’s always changing. 

There’s a lot we do at Quorum Report that’s unique in Texas. Chief among those things is that in our publication and now on the podcast, we don’t necessarily do a lot of on-the-record interviews because our audience is hoping to learn the things they can’t get from an on-the-record conversation. Candidates, officeholders, advocates, and others always have their focus-grouped talking points ready to go, and that’s fine. But when a source says, “Can I tell you something off the record?” that means we’re about to get to the heart of what’s really going on.

That’s the good stuff.

What’s the real motivation and the real end game? These things are always moving targets. So, covering those stories in real time across print, the podcast, and on social media is key to figuring out what’s happening in fluid situations. I’m always down to get dinner, have drinks, or smoke cigars with political combatants and have those off-the-record conversations because that’s when they really open up and give more of the full story. When their name doesn’t have to be attached to the information, you get a fuller understanding of the situation. What’s the standard for reporting information without attribution? Well, that’s more art than science. 

On the show, we can play the audio of what officeholders or others said on the record. But then I can get real with the audience and give some genuine context to what was said. For most of the other politics shows, it seems like the only way hosts know how to do it is to have guests on to fill time. I don’t do that. Could I have Beto O’Rourke or Ted Cruz on the show for an hour to say whatever they want? Sure. We have fun on the show but I’m always going to respect the listener’s time by avoiding even a minute of spin from a guest and instead get right to the heart of what’s going on. That doesn’t mean we’ll never have guests. But I maintain a high bar for what’s going to be interesting to hear from a guest.

A lot of listeners tell me their ritual has been to pour a drink or smoke “something” on Friday nights and turn on the podcast. That was true with the old show and now with the new one.

I’m often asked by journalism students and others, “What are you most proud of in your career?” I used to have a hard time answering that. Not anymore. It’s the audience. I’m most proud of the fact that I have a smart audience and sources who trust me on both ends of an information exchange that both find beneficial.

MM: You’ve covered generations of Texas political power players. How do today’s lawmakers and operatives differ in how they engage with media compared to earlier eras?

SB: Previous generations in Texas’ top leadership were much more open with the press. Mr. Kronberg often talks, though, about how Democratic Gov. Ann Richards and GOP Gov. Rick Perry were both hostile to Quorum Report at different times for different reasons. The late Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, a Democrat, used to say something like “in order to abuse power, you have to have it in the first place.” He was a prosecutor, of course, and prosecuted more Democrats than Republicans because Democrats were in charge longer.

As journalists, a key responsibility is to keep folks honest when they hold the keys of power. 

Does Quorum Report do it a little differently from the way newspapers or TV reporters do? Sure.

Top Republican leadership in Texas has become more hostile to the press than I’ve ever seen in covering politics for a quarter-century. And it’s not just that they’ll lie to you or not answer questions at all. That’s always been part of the mix.

But in previous generations, politicians would tell a lie and hope they didn’t get caught at it. Now they’ll know that you know that what they’re saying isn’t true, and they still do it anyway. It seems like in politics and across our culture, everyone feels less personal responsibility to each other. That’s unfortunate. But we’d be lazy in our jobs as journalists if we just accept that as being okay.

MM: No doubt you have a lot of interesting stories over your years of covering Texas politics. What is one of your favorites that you enjoy telling at the cigar bar?

SB:  You’ll hate this answer but I’m probably not going to be able to think of one. It might be a little like asking a Swiftie to pick a favorite song by Taylor. For one, there are too many hits and the ones I’d call my favorites are always changing. 

It might surprise you but when I’m at a cigar bar – or anywhere really – I’m mainly listening instead of talking because I’m constantly gathering information and taking the time to hear what everyone has to say. When I was in my 20s, I’d spend so much time trying to be right when making my arguments about all this. Now that I’ll be pushing 50 soon, I’ve figured out there’s a lot of delight in finding out I was completely wrong about something.

Brandi Smith joins Houston Moms, talks leaving TV

When Brandi Smith left KHOU 11 Houston at the end of 2023, she thought she had made a "terrible mistake."  It turns out she was just moving on to the next exciting chapter of her life.

After being hired at Channel 11 in 2017, Smith was immediately thrust into a viral storm after Hurricane Harvey's destruction of the KHOU studios, followed by a promotion to weekend morning anchor and then to the pioneering position of digital anchor.

Now working at Rice University for the last few years, Smith tells us about embarking on another career phase as she becomes co-owner of Houston Moms still putting those TV news skills to good use.

- Deborah Duncan talks TV and motherhood
- Danielle Grossman, from KPRC 2 to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
- Rashi Vats talks TV and parenting
- Lauren Freeman on raising 5 boys

Mike McGuff:  Have you missed local TV news since leaving KHOU?

Brandi Smith: The first three or so months after I left KHOU 11, I worried I had made a terrible mistake by leaving and joining Rice News, the news arm of Rice University. I missed the adrenaline that comes with breaking news and chasing down stories for a "win." But then it sort of hit me that every story I get to do at Rice is a win. I get to share stories about students and faculty who are making a huge impact in Houston and beyond. They're professors like Benjamin Kamins who worked on developing a more affordable bassoon so more kids can access classical music. And students like Maya Harpavat who blended her English and health sciences majors and created writing workshops to teach cancer patients and their caretakers how to journal as an outlet. I've also recently taken on responsibilities with Rice Global, which has meant more travel to Rice's campus in Paris (the Rice Global Paris Center), India (Rice has established an office in Bangalore) and Venice, where Rice has joined the esteemed consortium Venice International University. 

What I found I missed was the direct connection I had with viewers. That still exists on social media, but it just felt like I didn't have as much to share or discuss when I wasn't posting the news of the day. Last fall, my friend Meagan Clanahan approached me about producing some videos for Houston Moms and I was excited to tap into that side of things again. Those conversations just kind of evolved and we started talking about me joining HM as an owner, which was a really exciting prospect for me. 

How are you using your TV career skills with Houston Moms?

Brandi: I think the simplest answer here is my video production skills. Houston Moms already has a team of extremely talented writers and some of them are also strong on social media. But let's be real, with apps like TikTok, Instagram and even Facebook now pushing videos more than static posts, one of the things I've been tasked with is creating videos that get the word out about the incredible content our contributors are creating. 

As a mother yourself, what experiences do you hope to bring to your readers?

Brandi: I'm further along in my mom journey than a lot of our other contributors since my youngest is about to start her freshman year in college. I shared about that in one of my first articles for HM. But I still remember the challenges and celebrations, the tough talks, the ongoing battles. I can tap into all of that when the time is right. I mean, shoot, I just updated our list of family-friendly breweries, which anyone who follows me will know is right up my alley! 

What is your advice for those still in TV news who are looking to use their skills and transition out of the media biz?

Brandi: We need journalists. I want to be clear about that. I don't want to discourage anyone from staying in an industry they love and have a passion for. But that industry has flaws: journalists are undervalued, underpaid and overworked --- so burnout can come on fast. So my advice for someone who is considering transitioning out of a traditional newsroom would be to consider all the incredible skills they've developed that are valuable anywhere: clear, concise communication; research and fact-checking; time management; working under pressure; interviewing and listening; adaptability; critical thinking and analysis; video and audio production; digital and social media fluency; problem-solving --- and that's just off the top of my head! In the past few years, organizations of all sizes have really started to understand and appreciate what someone with a newsroom background can bring into almost any environment. 

- Yes, Justin Stapleton and Brandi are a couple

Is there anything else you'd like to mention?

Brandi: I truly never thought I would leave a traditional newsroom. I started in one at 19 as a multimedia journalist at my hometown TV station and I would have stayed in my role at KHOU 11 if management there had treated its people better. When Rice offered me the job, I was so conflicted because we're talking about Rice (!!), one of the best universities in the entire country! But I loved what I did at KHOU 11. I had so many discussions with my family about it and I was confused about why it was so clear to them that Rice was the right choice. But they'd watched me through 22 years of this journalism career --- moving every couple of years, scraping to get by, working long hours --- and, though they knew how passionate I was about it, they wanted me to have a position where I would be fulfilled but also appreciated. Almost two years later, I can say they were completely right.

Fmr. DFW TV reporter Bryan Glazer recalls 1985 Delta 191 crash

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the tragic crash of Delta Air Lines Flight 191 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport — one of the deadliest aviation disasters in U.S. history.

After 6 p.m. on Friday, August 2, 1985, the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was en route from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport with a scheduled stop at DFW.

It crashed during its final approach in stormy weather conditions. A total of 137 passengers and crew members died. Of those, many were residents of South Florida's tri-county area.

Remembering a Tragedy

Among the first journalists on the scene was Bryan Glazer, then a reporter for KDFW 4, the CBS affiliate in Dallas at the time. He had just been hired two weeks before the crash, previously reporting for WRAL Raleigh.

Glazer recalls being on a dinner break at a downtown Dallas restaurant when he first heard emergency chatter on his handheld police and fire scanner.

“Because KDFW had just ended a bitter labor unionization process, photographers were not permitted to take their news cars and equipment home,” Glazer told mikemcguff.com. “This crippled the station’s ability to respond and cover the unfolding events, effectively.”

Glazer says he grabbed his two-way radio and contacted the control room.

He says he told the executive producer, "There's a crash at DFW."

Glazer says the producer told him to "Stand by while I have someone check it out.”

Rather than follow the producer’s instructions, Glazer hopped in his car and drove to the airport. A live truck was then sent to him.

“Knowing that the most-compelling interviews would be from people waiting for arriving passengers, I headed for the terminal,” says Glazer.

Glazer says Delta had sheltered most of the people waiting for the flight in a conference room. However, some people were sitting in public spaces, according to Glazer.

“One of them was Christine Greene, who told me she had recently moved to Dallas and bought her brother a plane ticket to come see, as she said, 'Texas for the first time. I hope he can still do that,'" Glazer recalled.

Moments after interviewing Greene, Greene was advised that her brother, Gil, was alive – being treated at Parkland Memorial Hospital, according to Glazer.

“I also interviewed Reverend Richard Brown of Holy Trinity Church of Irving,” recalls Glazer. “I spotted him walking in the terminal wearing clerical clothing. He said he had just left the crash site, where he discovered a live baby amongst the rubble - overlooked by rescue crews. 

"On camera, he said, 'As I was blessing the body of a family member, I guess, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he was still breathing, and so I watched real close and sure enough he was still breathing. You could see his stomach going up and down.'"

He continued, “So, me and a survivor, rushed him to an ambulance and I baptized him and they took him to Parkland (hospital).”

During the days following the crash, Glazer says he was assigned to the impact site, covering the NTSB investigation rather than following up on the victim-survivor elements.

“I wonder did the baby survive," Glazer asked. "He would be at least 40 years old today?"

The crash — ultimately blamed on windshear caused by a microburst — helped usher in the development and deployment of Doppler weather radar systems, now standard at airports nationwide.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation, the aircraft encountered severe wind shear just one mile from the runway as it passed through a fast-moving thunderstorm. The sudden downdraft caused the jetliner to lose altitude rapidly. The landing gear struck a car on the Grapevine Expressway, and the aircraft slammed into two large water tanks at the airport perimeter, erupting into flames.

Remarkably, all 27 survivors were seated in the plane’s rear section.

More tragedy to cover

Glazer left KDFW to report in New York City.  He eventually became a CNN correspondent in Los Angeles and New York.

Sadly, this would not be the only tragic crash Glazer would cover.

"I covered the crash of TWA flight #800 in 1991 and the crash of American Airlines flight 587 in November of 2021," he told me.  "I also reported live for CNN on the attacks of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001."

Today, Glazer is the President and Executive Producer of World Satellite Television News, a broadcast news boutique that provides reportage and production services to global news channels. The firm also creates broadcast news media relations campaigns for some of the world’s best-known brands, CEO, and celebrities.

From the Q Morning Zoo, Mix 96.5 and the Texans, Joe Pogge has been involved

Phil Collins with Ron Parker, John Lander, and Pogge during 93Q Q Morning Zoo days. (Courtesy Joe Pogge)

Joe Pogge has been behind the microphone of the "Smokin' Joe's Driving Range" radio show for over two decades, but his Houston radio and later PR career extends far beyond that.

Name some legendary Houston radio station or on-air talent. Chances Pogge was behind the scenes helping make the magic happen. That goes for Houston sports, too, as he helped launch the Houston Aeros and later the Texans.

In honor of Smokin' Joe’s Driving Range's milestone, which can be heard every Saturday morning at 8 am on HoustonRadioplatinum.com or on the app, I spoke with the 2022 Texas Radio Hall of Famer about his show and his impressive broadcasting and sports marketing career.  

Mike McGuff:  Tell me about the twenty-plus years of hosting Smokin Joe’s Driving Range?  How did the idea of the show come about?  

Joe Pogge:  Pat Fant launched FM News Channel 97.5 KFNC and called my ad agency to see about a furniture trade with our client for their green room. I asked what programming will be featured on Saturday mornings – he said they were open to ideas, and I sent him concept for golf show.  He liked it!  I started researching individuals to host the show and got two statements – how much money is there, and I think the show should go this direction.   Frustrated, my wife told me, "You did Smokin' Joe on 93Q. Why don’t you do it?"  I did and have tweaked and fine-tuned it over the years on ESPN, Sports Radio 610, Sports Radio 650, and now Houston Radio Platinum.  The show is basically the 19th hole of a golf course – where you sit around with music playing and talk about golf, sports, and what’s happening in the world.  

MM: Early in your radio career, you worked with Stevens and Pruett at 790 KULF.  What were they like in those years before they joined 101 KLOL? 

JP:  Stevens and Pruett were two of the most creative individuals I have had the opportunity to work with.  Every morning – no matter the weather, news, challenges – they made the day better with humor.  But one of the most amazing talents was their ability to turn on a dime and deliver a human touch that made a difference.  Outside the control room, they were two of the nicest individuals you could call friends.  I saw them leave the Houston market as leaders and have a run in Dallas.  When they returned, they turned up the talent even more and were a dominant force in morning radio in Houston. 

MM:  Many Houstonians will hold a special place for the Q-Morning Zoo on 93Q KKBQ with John Lander and the crew.  What was it like marketing a station that made an impact in the wild 1980s?  

JP:  Unbelievable!  I still cannot believe I called that a job.  It wasn’t just a job but launched my career.  I’ve been blessed in my life and had many unbelievable career moves but never have I had the opportunity to work with the genius of John Lander.  He made work fun.  Every day you wanted to get up and be in the office when he went on the air.  Working with John allowed us to let the creative juices just flow freely.  There is no way today’s radio could have been as spontaneous as we were.  I’ll never forget when we announced that we would give every fan at the Summit for the Lakers vs. Rockets game Jack Nicholson sunglasses, a motivation to beat the Lakers.  Turned the promotion in 3 days and in 1986 it went viral – front page both Chronicle and Post, ABC 13 did live from the Summit the day of the game from 5 till 7 pm wearing sunglasses, Southwest Airlines was giving out sunglasses to arriving passengers, a bank put up a billboard with a basketball wearing sunglasses!  It was huge – and we did it with no approval on a budget or concept.  

John once told me – In radio creativity is the key – if you tell the story correctly listeners will get up in July and look out the window to see if it was snowing because we reported it.  He is one of a kind and I’m truly lucky to have worked with him and call him a friend. 

MM:  Former Houston Post and Chronicle columnist Ken Hoffman, who recently passed away, was a feature on the 93Q KKBQ Q Morning Zoo show.  Do you have any memorable stories from working with him in those days? 

JP:  Ken was a major parrothead and we all knew it.  So, Jimmy Buffet was playing Southern Star Amphitheater in the mid-80s, and 93Q was the host radio station.  So, I pulled Ken aside and asked if he would like to emcee the concert and introduce Jimmy Buffet to the audience.  He was over the top excited.  Day of the show, we had a typical Houston monsoon, and everyone is soaked.  Ken goes out to deliver the opening and up comes Jimmy Buffet next to me.  I told him Ken was his biggest fan – have some fun and go out and ask him who the hell he was and why was he on your stage.  Jimmy did it and I thought Ken was going to die right there in front of 18,000 parrotheads.  

Earl Campbell and Joe Pogge during BBQ team partnership with Mix 96.5 to introduce Earl’s Sausage during Rodeo BBQ in 1991. (Courtesy Joe Pogge)

MM:  MIX 96.5 KHMX was a revolutionary station when it debuted in Houston at the beginning of the 1990s and went on to fuel a format now heard on stations across the US.  What was it like launching what, at the time, was surely seen as a far-out format? 

JP:  I remember sitting in a conference room with 8 or 9 individuals debating what the radio hole was in Houston.  Was it rock, alternative rock, hip hop, new country – what?  After going on and on for seems like days – Ellen Cavanaugh (station general sales manager) got up and said – I have enough of this.  I’m going to go and put together a sales team.  I don’t care what you play, but if you give me every female 24 to 44 years old in this market, we will print money.   Clancy Woods turned to Guy Zapolean and asked, "Can you research women in Houston, aged 24 to 44 years old, and find out what they want to hear?"  Guy said absolutely, and we found the right mix – they wanted more music, more variety, and a better mix.  Which became the Mix 96.5 tagline.  So, the music and secret was to find out the specific demo in the respective market and play their music.  Several stations tried to copy our playlist – but a Chicago female has different tastes than a Houston female.  You need to be market-specific.   We launched in July of 1990 and were in the top 3 stations by the end of the year.  Amazing launch.   

What we learned was females did not want all the BS.  They wanted their music, they wanted their radio station to do things in the community and they wanted to be entertained.  Our marketing plan was aligned with the music – less promotions, key charity events and concerts.  One of the best combination was April Fools Day 1991.  We had celebrity deejays from 7 am till 8 pm, and each one got to play the music of their choice, talk to the listeners, and received $1000 to the charity of their choice.  Our celebrities included Buddy Ryan, Dave Ward, Lyle Lovett (brought his guitar and played an hour acoustic, and so many others.  TV media ate it up and the listeners loved it.  Great radio magic. 

ABC 13 live broadcast before Houston Rockets vs Lakers game featuring the Jack Nicholson sunglasses promotion – right to left – Shara Fryer, Bob Bodreaux, Pogge, and Steve Patterson. (Courtesy Joe Pogge)

MM: One very famous name that launched her career at KHMX, is Dominique Sachse.  Back then, did you predict she would be a legendary name in Houston broadcasting and now YouTube? 

JP:   Dominique was and is a rock star!  She had a glow and a talent.  Started doing traffic and overnights on the Mix and earned her way into the lineup up then reached for the stars with KPRC Channel 2.  We could tell from her ambition, hunger, and people skills, and she was like a sponge – she soaked up everything she could.  In addition to all the talent, Dominique is one of the best friends in the world.  She could talk to anybody anytime, anywhere, and make them feel special.  What you saw on Channel 2 was Dominique and she loved Houston.  

MM: You went on to promote 94.5 The Buzz in its early years, too.  What was it like to help bring attention to the new Houston alternative format?  

JP:   I came late to the game and The Buzz foundation had been set.  My challenge was not to screw it up.  Once again, I found myself in the middle of a Super Bowl championship locker room with unbelievable talent.  Cruz and Steve Robinson had a sniper viewpoint of the target demo and the music they wanted.  My job was to provide additional insights and contacts and stay out of the way.  

MM: When you weren't involved with a radio station, you managed the marketing plan that launched the IHL Houston Aeros Hockey Club in 1994.  Was it challenging to reintroduce a sport like hockey to Houston?  Could it ever make a comeback as an NHL team? 

JP:  Another talented team of individuals led by Steve Patterson (former Houston Rockets GM that put together the championship team that summer).  The hole for hockey was indeed huge in 1994 as the Houston Oilers had announced they were leaving, and baseball went on strike in August.  So, our introduction played perfectly into the market.  The other advantages we had were the history of the Aeros with Gordie Howie and influx of residents that had moved from the east and north and the NHL Dallas Stars' success.   Once each of us had our introduction to the game, we knew if we got the fans to the Summit, the game would sell itself.  

Our inaugural year we pulled out all the stops and planned promotions for every Friday and Saturday night game with sell-out as our goal.  Disco night, Tuxes and Pucks with the Houston Symphony, Aerostock, Brady TV Show night, MASH night – you name it we threw everything out there to get fans to the games.  It worked –in our inaugural season, we averaged 15,000 per game.  

Houston is definitely ready for the NHL.  The fans are hungry for it.  The questions are several – is the NHL expanding? Is there an NHL team for sale that we could move? Can you get a fair arena deal because you have to capitalize on every revenue stream available? Do you have Houstonians who could afford it? Lots of questions to be answered but the bottom line the fans will come.

Pre-game of the Houston Texans' inaugural season with honorary uniform models Dusty Hill and Frank Beard of ZZ Top. (Courtesy Joe Pogge)

MM: You also helped launch the Houston Texans marketing plan as they brought the NFL back to H-Town. Was it hard to launch a new team in the shadow of what happened with the departure of the Oilers? 

JP:   I was very blessed.  Houston and Texas is football capital of the world.  The Oilers' departure only created a hunger in the fans we had never seen or experienced.  When we didn’t get the NHL, Steve Patterson, our hockey president, went to work for Bob McNair on the quest to secure an NFL team.  In July of 1999, I opened Pogge Marketing Group (later to become Strike Marketing), and Patterson was convinced they had done everything to secure the NFL team hired us Labor Day Weekend 1999.  On October 6, 1999, Bob McNair was named the 32nd NFL owner.  We immediately went to work on the marketing plan.  Phase one was selling team seat licenses and phase two was creating the brand.  Our vision was to use the NFL calendar and events to market the team. 

The timeline was the following:

- Name the team with a media-driven name for the team contest – millions of suggestions were narrowed down for possible consideration.

- Phase two was working with the NFL with 4 names to be considered – Apollos, Stallions, Texans, and Toros.  With 5 graphic design firms hired for a minimal fee and written contracts releasing all rights to the names, fonts, and logos, the teams were assigned to provide font and icons for each name – separate from each other.

- We combined one team font with another team icon for the final name – The Texans.

We used the kickoff for the 2000 season to produce a free event in downtown Houston in front of Bayou Place on Texas Avenue, to unveil the name and logo.  ESPN carried the event live at 6 pm, and over 25,000 fans showed up to cheer on the unveiling of the The Texans. 

- We used the 2001 draft to introduce Toro, the team mascot.

- We planned to introduce the cheerleaders and unveil the uniforms on September 13, 2001.  Never forget 9 – 11 – we had a planning meeting in Bob McNair’s office in the Pennzoil Building as tragedy struck and we postponed the unveiling for two weeks for normalcy to slowly return. 

- To unveil the uniforms, we had no players, so we used Houston celebrities – ZZ Top, Clay Walker, AJ Foyt, and many others to show the Liberty White, Battle Red, and Deep Steel Blue uniforms to a crowd of 20,000 in front of the Wortham.

- The Houston Texans kicked off to a sellout crowd in NRG Stadium on Sunday night football on ESPN on September 8, 2002. We beat the Dallas Cowboys in the inaugural game, and the rest is history.  

As mentioned, I was blessed and worked with a championship team of individuals branding the Houston Texans for 12 years.  A time in my life I cannot describe and cannot believe I was fortunate enough to be part of.  

MM: As an active alumnus of the University of Houston, why do you think it's important for graduates to give back to their school years after earning a diploma? 

JP: My career is based on the lessons, experiences, and road maps that some incredible individuals gave me.  Many of those individuals were the classmates and dormies I knew at the University of Houston Today having the opportunity to teach in the UH Bauer School of Business provides me the opportunity to share my career/lessons with my students and secure guest speakers that can provide insights to the real world and what key business tips helped them the most.  The key messages they have heard were network, relationships, and good work.  Today’s students are tomorrow's leaders.  If we can provide them with just a bit of experience on what did work and could work the world could be a better place for these young individuals.  

MM: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

JP: Life is short. Maximize every minute and find the adventure that gets you out of bed and ready to go.  Find a team of talented individuals and win the championship by working as a team.  Celebrate to the max, but remember, tomorrow is a new day.  It’s easy to get to number one but extremely difficult to stay there.  Your best friends are your best mentors.  Give back – the rewards are amazing. 

Lisa Foronda and Jerome Gray reunite in new TV commercial

Houston TV viewers are noticing a new commercial for the Harris County Toll Road Authority that reunites former KHOU 11 anchors Jerome Gray (also KPRC) and Lisa Foronda.

RELATED: Another Houston TV anchor makes an appearance 

Foronda left the TV business in 2006 and transitioned into the PR and marketing world. She is now the Senior Director of Investor Communications at Legacy Community Health.

Gray also left television news behind at KPRC 2 in 2010 and became the Vice President and Senior Press Officer for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO).  

In 2024, he left METRO to join the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) as Deputy Director of Communications.

Gray gives the mikemcguff.com readers the inside scoop on how the two former KHOU anchors reunited and what it was like being behind the anchor desk once again.

Mike McGuff:  So, how did this new HCTRA TV commercial come about? 

Jerome Gray: It’s not unusual for the Harris County Toll Road Authority to use TV commercials to share what we’re doing to improve mobility throughout the region. Ever since I joined HCTRA several months ago, I have been on a mission to amplify the HCTRA story. What better way to share the good news and inform the public than to enlist the aid of some familiar faces who once did that on a daily basis? And yes, I wrote the scripts. 

MM: What was it like having a KHOU reunion? 

JG: As you know, everyone who works in media in the Houston region is part of a small, tight-knit family.  Many of us stay in touch long after we’ve left “the business.”   Lisa and I are not only former colleagues we’re friends. So, we had fun working together again. You will be seeing more commercials from us on the anchor desk. 

MM: What was it like being behind the anchor desk again? 

JG: It was just like riding a bike, and I didn’t even need training wheels. I will forever be grateful for my time behind the anchor desk. It afforded me the opportunity to do what I love most, tell great stories and meet some incredible people. I also learned a lot.  

All those fond memories came rushing back and while my anchor days are behind me, it was fun to play an anchor on TV one more time.

MM: Where did you shoot the commercial with the fancy "HCTRA News" set?  

JG: We shot the commercials at Captiv Studios on a basic desk that was dressed up to look fancy with a HCTRA branded piece of wood placed on the front of the desk to help with the look and feel of a news set. 

MM: Is there anything else you'd like to add?  

JG:  While we recognize these spots will probably bring a bit of nostalgia to viewers and radio listeners who’ve been around for a while, we really hope people hear the message and have a better understanding of how vital the toll road system is to our region. Toll fees are being used to not only operate and maintain the lanes but also fund future mobility improvements. 

 

(Thanks Doug!)

Layoff leads to TV news gift line

 Photo courtesy: Drew Fowler 

Over the last eight years, when I needed to know something about KENS 5 San Antonio, I contacted its Director of Marketing, Don Smith. 

Unfortunately, Smith was caught up in the recent TEGNA layoffs. Now, he's using his marketing magic and his love of television to create humorous and industry-specific gifts for TV news professionals.

SMTWF.etsy.com

"I wanted to design fun, tongue-in-cheek gift items that speak directly to the local TV news community," said Smith. "With so many people leaving the industry these days, I also created some lighthearted farewell gifts for journalists moving on to new adventures."

In his new online shop, "Spending More Time with Family," you know the line many TV pros use when they unexpectedly exit the industry, television newsers can buy a range of T-shirts, mugs, and candles with witty messages that resonate with those in the industry. 

Popular designs include:

• "I’m Not Bossy. I’m a Producer."

• "Former Reporter... Storyteller Forever."

• "I’ll Eat Anything Sent to the Newsroom."

• "Super Producer."

• "Ratings Don’t Rule Me Anymore!"

Smith brings decades of experience to this creative endeavor, having done marketing for stations across the country, including KHOU in Houston, WESH in Orlando, KOVR/KMAX in Sacramento, and KENS in San Antonio. 

His work has earned three Emmy Awards, multiple Promax Awards, Addy Awards, and other industry honors.

As a TV news geek myself, I wanted to glean insights from Smith's 34 years in the TV biz.

Don Smith

Mike McGuff: So, where did you get the idea for your new venture, "Spending More Time with Family?"

Don Smith: With time on my hands, I decided to start learning Canva and eventually, Printify and Etsy.  This gave me the opportunity to use my creative side while learning new skills and starting a business.

MM: Tell us about some of the designs geared to TV newsers...

DS: In my career, I've worked alongside so many great journalists, editors, directors, marketing teams and more.  I decided to make them my target audience.  I'm designing products for this large yet niche market. I didn't see many products out there that felt like they were made for me, so I just started designing! I also recognize many people are leaving the business and wanted to have great going away gifts for them as well.

So far, my top sellers have been a tongue-in-cheek shirt that says "I worked in local TV (before it started to suck)" and my personal favorite, a t-shirt featuring every news promo cliche imaginable in one, long run-on sentence topical promo script.  I have t-shirts, mugs, candles and a TV color bar blanket - hopefully something for everyone.

MM: Talk about some of the work you are most proud of from your time at KENS 5 San Antonio?

DS: At KENS, I was proud of the brand we created for the station in 2023, "San Antonio's Own."  It resonated with the audience in ways I didn't expect, and our station saw tremendous growth over the last two years.  Our creative team was fantastic and worked hard to make the brand messaging as authentic as possible.  That was the real difference - it came from the heart and viewers could feel it.  In 2024, we were awarded a Lone Star Emmy Award for one of our campaigns.

MM: You worked at KHOU 11 Houston at a time in the early 2000s when the station was really challenging ABC13 KTRK in the ratings.  What was the mood inside the Channel 11 studios at that point and what were some of the things you and the station were doing at the time that drove these results?

DS: I was working at KHOU as a promotions producer when we went from third to first place in the early 2000s.  I remember the newspaper always wrote an article about how KTRK had won sweeps, again.  Once, they wrote "There are three things you can count on.  Death, taxes and that KTRK will be number one."  I hung the articles up in my cubicle with the mission to make them change that article.  They eventually did.  The headline was "There's a New News Leader in Town."  I played a small role, but it was exciting to be part of something once thought impossible.  Our investigative team was fantastic, our morning show was anchored by Deborah [Duncan] and Ron [Treviño] and we had Greg [Hurst] and Lisa [Foronda] at night. A great setup for success.

MM: What is something you worked on that you are the most proud of during your TV career? 

DS: One of my favorite memories was promoting the Super Bowl in Houston, which was being aired on KHOU.  We did high-end image spots with a fun jingle and a countdown campaign featuring celebrities from all across Houston.  My favorite was former President HW Bush, who was kind enough to take part.  He and Barbara were both very friendly and it was a great honor having an ex-President read my words!

MM: Anything else you want to add?

DS: I've been lucky enough to have worked with some of the best creatives in the country.  Together, we won awards, drove ratings and had a ton of fun doing it.  That's the part of the job I miss most - the people.  

KTRK Anchor Emeritus Dave Ward Plaque unveiling and dedication ceremony

I was honored to be invited to cover a plaque unveiling and dedication ceremony celebrating ABC13 KTRK Houston Anchor Emeritus Dave Ward’s outstanding service and dedication to the greater Houston area during his legendary 50-year career with the Disney Entertainment Television station.

Ward did not know this honor was coming his way.  His wife, Laura, who planned the event, told him they were going to the Channel 13 studios to see some updates to the building!

As you can tell in the video, he was very surprised!

Remarks were made by former co-anchor Gina Gaston, KTRK-TV president and general manager Michael Carr, Tanya Menton of The Walt Disney Company, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, and Ward himself.

In attendance were current and former members of the KTRK staff (with former co-anchors Jan Carson and Shara Fryer), plus Tilman Fertitta, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, Rania Mankarious - CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston, members of Houston-area law enforcement, Mary Benton - Chief of Communications/Senior Advisor to the Mayor and many other Dave Ward supporters!

FOX 26's 'Breaking Bond' segment has roots back to 1991

FOX 26 Houston KRIV's Randy Wallace and Crime Stoppers of Houston's Director of Victim Services and Advocacy, Andy Kahan, first met for an interview in the former Luther's Bar-B-Q at 59 and Little York parking lot to do an interview back in 1991.  

Kahan was wearing a David Letterman T-shirt and, as a result, was only shown in the story from the neck up. The best advice Wallace ever gave Kahan was not to wear a competing network shirt to an interview.

That interview 34 years ago led to a weekly Channel 26 segment called "Breaking Bond," which has been going on for years.

Crime Stoppers of Houston, which has a building named after legendary Houston television anchor Dave Ward, was formerly primarily associated with segments on his station ABC13 KTRK.  Now, FOX 26 might be more closely associated with the organization thanks to this segment.

In this mikemcguff.com exclusive interview, Wallace and Kahan recap the segment's history with me.

Mike McGuff: How did the idea for Breaking Bond come about, and when did it debut?

Randy Wallace: In late 2018, Andy Kahan alerted me to something we had never seen before: defendants free from jail on multiple bonds. Everyone granted a bond is told one of their bond conditions is no new criminal charges. We started doing a series of reports, including cases involving defendants who committed murder while out on bond. We also found murder defendants free on multiple felony bonds.  In 2020, the decision was made to do it as a weekly series called Breaking Bond. 

Andy Kahan: Randy and I had been doing stories on the issue of defendants on multiple felony bonds and or a Personal Recognizance, better known as a PR (Get out of Jail Free Card), getting charged with Murder since the summer of 2020. In November of 2020, Randy called me and said the station wanted to do a weekly segment, and former anchor Kaitlin Monte came up with a name calling it Breaking Bond. My response was, “That’s gold let’s do it."

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think four plus years later, we’d still be doing weekly segments on the same issue. In TV news, this is unheard of.

What would you consider some of the series' highlights over the years?

AK: We have done some amazing stories, and there’s a few that stick out to me. One offender was on bond for murder and pled guilty. He was allowed to remain on bond until his sentencing hearing. One of his bond conditions was he was allowed to get a haircut at Floyd’s Barber Shop on Post Oak. Randy and his photographer decided to go there and talk to the barber. Needless to say, you can only imagine their reaction when the crew walked in to ask for an interview. The barber agreed and remembered giving him a haircut because he told him he’s going away for along time to prison. In my warped mind, I thought this would have made a great ad like if you are going to the joint for a long time and you want to look good for your new roommates Floyd’s Barbershop is the place to go

Another funny segment involved an offender out on bond after finally being declared competent to stand trial. While he was in custody for 3 years, he wrote the Judge nonstop with lengthy letters that usually made no sense. When they gave him a PR Bond he was put into a boarding house. Randy went to the house and talked briefly with him and made the mistake of giving him his cell phone number. Right after he left and was interviewing neighbors, he must have received at least a dozen calls within a half hour. He called non-stop for hours, It was so insane, Randy had to finally block his number

Some of our ‘Guest Stars’ are repeat customers and appear on multiple segments. Nothing will ever top The Bail Bond Queen. We did 3 segments on her. I stated she must be in the Guinness Book of World Records for racking up 16 Bonds in a 16-month period mostly for Felony Theft. She racked up charges in Harris, Ft Bend, Brazoria, Galveston, and Brazos County and kept getting bond after bond after bond. She gets locked up after our segment but is once again released on Bond. One of her Bond conditions was she was not allowed to go to Target in the State of Texas. My response on the show was basically how in the hell are you going to enforce it---does each Target have a blowup picture of her at the entrance. She liked to steal baby food and sell it on eBay. She goes back to jail on new charges and gets probation from a visiting judge despite having felony charges waiting for disposition in 4 other counties. A month later she’s back in custody in Colorado County on 5 more Felony charges. Now, our Bail Bond Queen has 23 charges in less than 2 years. The visiting Judge who was none to pleased about our segment even though we never mentioned her name. When the Bail Bond Queen was brought back to Harris County to have her probation revoked, we were in the courtroom. The Visiting Judge insisted to be the one to sentence her and read her the riot act which we have on the show. Finally, the Bail Bond Queen was sent to prison for at least 6 years. I even produced a parody song ala Weird Al Yankovic to the tune of ABBA’s The Dancing Queen, calling it "The Bail Bond Queen." I will release the song complete with my backup dancers when I am dead!

Besides some of the zaniness, our reports have led to the arrests of offenders who violated their conditions of bonds, and I strongly believe the courthouse is well aware of the show and has made strident efforts NOT TO APPEAR ON BREAKING BOND.

RW: Documenting some 200 violent deaths in Harris County at the hands of defendants free from jail on multiple felony bonds. These people should be alive today.

Talk about the digital component "Behind Breaking Bond." How does that complement the on-air segment?

RW: We are able to take a deeper dive into the issue with guests. We also provided a platform for judicial candidates.

AK: We started doing a Livestream titled Behind Breaking Bond, filming first at Crime Stoppers and now because we are ‘Big Time’ at Fox News on Tuesday afternoon, usually with a guest. We generally talk about certain cases, issues, and, of course, a tease on what the Breaking Bond segment will be about. Our guests ranged from Law Enforcement, Surviving Members of Homicide, elected officials, including Mayor John Whitmire, Judicial Candidates, Criminal Justice Reformers, and many more. One of our semi-regulars was defense attorney Emily DeToto, who is now a District Judge. I liked the idea of having Judicial Candidates come on and talk about their perspective about the judicial system. Very rarely do Judicial candidates have a platform to let the public get to see and know them and we gave everyone an opportunity to appear. I am hoping to expand our content to include all components of our criminal justice system in 2025

What do you say to critics of the work CrimeStoppers is doing on this topic?

AK: My take on criticism we received is simply we must be doing a good job for certain entities to want to take potshots at us. I adhere to a quote by Winston Churchill who stated, "You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something." It comes with the territory. As a Victim Advocate, I am well aware when you advocate on behalf of one faction, you generally infuriate the other faction. I refereed high school basketball for 28 years and have always adhered to when you blow the whistle to make a call, half the crowd agrees with you, while the other half vigorously disagrees with you. You make the call you think is right, you sell it and move on. Mayor Bob Lanier was once asked at a press conference about something I might have done to offend somebody or an organization. Mayor Lanier, at the podium, turned to the reporter, who I will not name but will in my book, and responded by saying, “Look, I don’t expect Mr. Kahan to please the criminal element.” Thirty-plus years later. I still use that adage as it applies even more in this day and age

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

RW: I've been on the air for 35 years, and Breaking Bond is one of the highlights of my career.

AK: I was the first Victim Advocate in the country to be staffed out of the Mayor’s Office in 1992. The late great Mayor Bob Lanier brought me into his administration and gave me an incredibly long leash to tackle a myriad of issues revolving around victims’ rights. I learned very quickly the media would be my most powerful weapon and, if properly used, can be an agent of change. I developed relationships with local and national media to make sure victim's voices were always heard and there was a semblance of fairness and balance. The only time I got a bit nervous was when I appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The producers did not tell me I was going to be one-on-one with her onstage. I figured I would be in the audience when they go to an expert and talk from there. You can visibly see me getting a frog in my throat when Oprah asked me a question, almost like a gulp. When I wrapped up our interview, she stood up and gave me a high five!

I speak every semester at the School of Journalism at Texas A&M University about my 30-plus years of being in the media spotlight. I bring in media articles of all the different job titles bestowed upon me by the media, including Deputy Mayor of Houston and Houston Crime Group, and, of course, all the unique spellings of my last name.

Frito and Katy grew up on Houston radio and are ready to ride The Bull

With the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo ramping up for the 2025 season, I thought it was time to check in on Houston's newest country morning radio program, the "Frito & Katy Show" which debuted on 100.3 The Bull KILT in early January, taking over for "The Morning Bullpen with George Mo and Erik" which signed off in December.

Tucker "Frito" Young and Katy Dempsey are both from around the area and grew up listening to Houston radio.

Now, they return to their roots and are out to prove to Houston radio listeners they are ready for the H-Town radio dial. 

In this mikemcguff.com exclusive interview, I ask them everything from their early Bryan-College Station radio days to their extensive radio industry award wins to how they plan to win over Houston country radio listeners.

MIKE MCGUFF: What is it like growing up in Spring and now being on the air in your hometown?

KATY: The crazier thing is working with and for the people I grew up listening to. I actually worked in Houston briefly in 2011. I got hired by COX Radio after interning with the Q Morning Zoo. I saw Tim Tuttle & Kevin Kline every morning and ran into Scott Sparks in the hallways. In San Antonio, Christi Brooks was our boss. Erin Austin once applied to work for us at Bryan Broadcasting way back when, and I actually hired Atom Smasher to come co-host with me at Candy 95 when Frito fancied himself a real estate mogul for all of two months… truly, it’s a small world and an even smaller business. 

Growing up in Bryan, I assume you also grew up on Houston radio. What were some Houston stations that inspired you in your radio career?  

FRITO: So many. KRBE in the Sam Malone era. The Box was so so so good in the late 90's. It was crazy. Moving into the 2000s, I listened to a ton of The Buzz and absolutely adored Buzzfest. On the country side, having both KILT and 93Q right down the road was amazing. Just seeing how the stations presented themselves and how they could create these larger-than-life brands was incredibly inspiring. Doing mornings across from Rod Ryan, Roula and Ryan, and being in the same market as Michael Berry is just... it's weird. In no universe will they care, but they continue to be an incredible influence on me and how I do radio.

When you first teamed up at Candy 95 KNDE College Station nearly 15 years ago, did you ever think you'd be a morning show in Houston one day?

FRITO: Honestly, no. It just wasn't something I thought would be in the cards. We never focused on getting to any one market. We just wanted to do great radio and build great radio stations. If that had only ever happened in College Station, I would have been more than fine with that. If we had stayed in San Antonio for 20 years, that would have been great, too. We've just been extremely lucky to be presented with some amazing opportunities that were almost impossible to say no to.

KATY: 15 years ago, I never would have believed I’d be working at Candy 95 for almost 1/3 of my life, that’s for sure. My plan was to do a few years of full-time radio to build my resume and hone my skills, and then start working my way back to bigger markets, but I’m glad it didn’t play out that way. Bryan Broadcasting is where I truly learned what radio had the capacity to be. It’s where I learned a lot about myself and my desire to serve my community, and like Frito said, if we’d ended our careers there, it would have been a very fulfilling one. When we started winning national awards, we did have people call from time to time to see if one of us might consider working elsewhere. We were always adamant that if we left Candy 95, not only would we leave together as a show, but the conditions of the new gig had to be damn near perfect. It just worked out that both San Antonio and now Houston essentially were. 

What was it like to transition from Top 40 (CHR) pop to country when you moved to Y100 KCYY San Antonio?

FRITO: I know this is going to fly in the face of what most people say about the country audience being "different" than pop, but we really didn't have that experience. I fully believe that 20 years ago, they were probably completely different universes, but today’s culture has become so much of a blend that generally if something is relevant to one, it's probably relevant to the other. We made some adjustments here and there, but the fact that we've done small market pop and large market country with essentially the same formula and had the same success shows there are more similarities than differences.

KATY: To me, good radio is good radio. If you do it right, it should transcend genres. Anything that is too tailored to one particular format can feel almost forced, and I think listeners are smarter than we give them credit for. It also helps that we’re doing radio in Texas. We didn’t have a lot of pop acts come through Bryan/College Station, but you can bet when Cody Johnson was doing his “Back to School Bash,” our listeners were beating down the door for those tickets. The Candy 95 listeners were just as excited for those as the fans from our country properties, and in some cases, even more so. 

You replaced longtime country morning shows in San Antonio and now in Houston. How do you win over the listeners in these situations?

KATY: …Bribery? That and some combination of self-deprecation and desperation, probably. No, I think it’s mostly the show itself. I think beyond the content and design, it helps that we’re actually friends, and we’ve been doing this show for years. You can hear that natural chemistry, and it’s not something all shows have. We’re also both really hard workers, and we’re gonna put in the hours to prove to Houston – just like we did in San Antonio – that we’re invested in this city. 

FRITO: Yeah, I don't think there's a secret strategy. We try to just be ourselves and hope for the best. The truth is, it's largely out of your hands. I think it's an incredible thing that people are so passionate about radio that when you change it up, you get such a pronounced reaction. Honestly, I'd prefer never to go through this again. Filtering through a thousand "you suck" comments is something I'm ready to be done with. That said, I wouldn't want to do this if the audience wasn't that passionate.

KATY: And people are already starting to come around. It helps when they can meet us in person and see we aren’t “characters” or anything like that. We know that change is really hard, but we also know we grow on people over time… especially if we are out getting in front of them as a team.  

How would you describe your show to new listeners? What kind of segments do you have, and what topics do you cover?

FRITO: I've been trying to describe the show since we started, and I've never come up with one I like. The best summary I've ever heard was from someone who said what they loved about the show was that it wasn't "our show." “Our show” is a show about them. It's a show about our listeners. It’s their feedback, their stories, and their shared experiences. We're just the people in the room putting it all together. We've also become known as the show that has a thousand weird games. Minus the fact that Katy and I just love games, I’m not sure how that happened. Luckily for us, our listeners seem to be into that kind of thing, too. Maybe that’s a new summary for the show – weird stuff that we like that come to find out, other people like also. 

KATY: Frito is talking about my mom. My mom said that bit about our show not being expressly “ours,” and I think that’s a great description. We don’t just talk to hear ourselves talk. We’re actually not all that funny or even very interesting, but we are pretty good at facilitating conversations with people from all walks of life. By inviting the audience in, we a) don’t have to work as hard and b) get some investment from the listeners by focusing on their stories as much (or more) as ours. 

And like Frito said, the rest of our show is a mix of things we think are really funny or noteworthy mixed with a bunch of dumb games. We’re very good at coming up with games so bad they’re amazing. And it’s all evolving in real-time, right? That’s something no other medium can really say. At the end of the day, radio is supposed to be fun and dynamic, and I like to think that we do a good job of remembering that... most days.

Do you find Houston and San Antonio to be different radio audiences?

KATY: In San Antonio, the death threats were a bit scarier... I know that.

FRITO: I'll probably be able to answer this better in a few months, but both cities are very special. Each city has one of the most defined cultures you can find. Each city has an amazing level of diversity, and in every aspect you can think of. San Antonio has better sunsets, and Houston has better food (although San Antonio would probably fight me over that). I can't say enough good things about the listeners in San Antonio. It was a privilege to get to know them and be a part of their lives. As far as Houston goes, one of the benefits of starting right at the beginning of rodeo season is we're getting to meet so many listeners so quickly. I already feel exactly the same about them as I do about everyone back in SA. It is incredible how on fire for radio both cities are.

Is there a favorite moment (or moments) from your career together?

FRITO: The time we won 3 Marconi's for the stations we were programming in College Station in one day. We got a Personality of the Year for the show, a CHR of the Year for Candy 95, and a Small Market Station of the Year for WTAW. Technically, we won four, but taking credit for Ben Downs’ Legendary Manager award feels wrong (although we were the ones who convinced him to let us enter him). Minus that, in no timeline did I ever think we would be the CMA Major Market Personalities of the Year in our third year of doing country radio. I still don't think that's sunk in yet.

KATY: When it was announced we’d be moving to country, people were saying we weren’t country enough, and we’d never make it for one made-up reason or another. It made winning the CMA Award for Major Market Personalities of the Year this past year even better. That’ll be one of the most exciting experiences of my life, probably ever. 

I also love that we were able to create a successful literacy program we could run in conjunction with a summer meals program to combat two massive issues affecting children in San Antonio. As these are also issues that our youth in Houston face, we’re hoping to be able to launch a version of this here. 

The best moments are the ones we’ve created for others like when we  gave over 200 local non-profits air time in one day of giving that raised millions of dollars. We also once sold pottery made by local kids to help stock entire school food pantries. We even helped raise awareness and funds for a rare form of pediatric brain cancer that successfully resulted in a clinical trial. And when COVID shutdowns threatened another holiday, we helped create a free Halloween event for an entire city. These are the things I’ll never forget.

Over the years, you have won many awards from the industry. What do you attribute to your success?

FRITO: I honestly have no idea. I'm just very grateful that whatever it is seems to be working, and I hope it continues because we both really love awards. Both of us are absurdly passionate about radio as a medium and about using it to give back. The result of this is that we overthink everything on the show and probably work a little too hard when it comes to finding meaningful ways to make life better for the people where we live. I hope that passion cuts through.

KATY: At the end of the day, radio is a public service. We can’t lose sight of that. It’s a way to directly connect a community with opportunities to serve it. That’s such a large part of how we program and create content. 

Given the nature of our business and the flexibility of this medium, I believe we have a duty to go beyond merely entertaining audiences on their commutes. To be effective, we need to help where we can. 

What other business allows you to see a problem and move an entire community to solve it? 

I’m also a big believer in the idea that if something is worth investing time on-air to, it’s probably worth investing your time, too. Our jobs shouldn’t end with a donation link or a drop-off site – we should be hosting, helping, and volunteering at these events and for these causes. If we don’t care, why should our listeners? 

I think it’s this mentality that cuts through to people in the industry, especially if they feel the same way.  

You are very involved in your broadcast cities. Why is community service important to you? 

FRITO: Radio is unmatched at storytelling. When you combine that with its reach, you get this incredible method of connecting people to needs in their community and ways to help. Legitimately, I don't know of any other medium that is as effective at this as radio is. Because of that, I think if you have access to a platform like that, you have an obligation to use it to help. Aside from the public mandate for broadcasters, it's just part of what you owe as a human being to try to use everything in your power to leave things better than how you found them. We are so blessed to have access to this gigantic megaphone, and if we weren't using it to make life better in the place we call home, then I don't really see the point. It would just feel like a massively missed opportunity. Entertaining people is a great thing, but there's nothing that compares to helping make a genuine impact when possible.

LEARN MORE AT: fritoandkaty.com