KTRK knocks its policy, Rock 101 stars return to Houston radio, plus more

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Former KLOL jock plans return to radio from home in Cypress
Former Rock 101 KLOL radio jock and current gun store owner Jim Pruett announced on Facebook Sunday that he and Colonel St. James will be returning to the airwaves within the month on a small FM station based near Cypress.

No-knock policy bars TV station staff from rapping on crime suspects’ doors
KTRK abc13 is telling its staff not to knock on the doors of crime suspects.
- Houston News Director adopts “no knock” policy for reporters chasing criminal suspects

2013 Texas APME Awards List
The Texas Associated Press Managing Editors presented its 2013 journalism awards

WFAA documentary 'Rise Up, West' debuts almost a year after blast
Around 1,000 people attended the debut of the WFAA documentary "Rise Up, West" on Sunday afternoon.  The 66-minute story chronicles the journey of the West High School football team in the months after the April 17, 2013 fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people in the Central Texas town.

Radio's Donna McKenzie joins UH performance
Audiences are used to hearing Donna McKenzie's voice precede songs by rock n' roll legends. Soon, her silky vocals will narrate a special concert dedicated to the founders of American popular music. McKenzie is teaming up with the University of Houston's Moores Jazz Orchestra to present "The Great American Songbook" on April 16. The concert will celebrate the works of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen. McKenzie will deliver narration in between numbers to offer insight on each composer and his work while projected images will transport audiences back to the early 20th century for a glimpse at America's past.

Astros file another appeal in CSN Houston case
The Astros are appealing a second case to U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes, this time involving the civil lawsuit filed against Comcast and former Astros owner Drayton McLane.

Univision to host two new English channels this fall
Katz Broadcasting will be launching two new channels, female-skewed Escape and male-oriented Grit, this summer on Univision 45 KXLN.

Former Fox 7 anchor joins PR agency
Former Fox 7 anchor Keri Bellacosa has landed a new gig.

Zack & Jim extension
The popular Zack & Jim radio team on “Waco 100” will have another three years to keep morning motorists entertained.

Texas’ Waco Tribune-Herald names editor
Steve Boggs has been named editor of the Waco Tribune-Herald.

MOVING

Edd Hendee is leaving KSEV 700.

Kristen Guilfoos joins KBTX in Bryan, Texas, as morning anchor.

APPRECIATION Of BOOTED NEWS WOMEN BLOG
- Jennifer Reyna Gives Winter The Boot In Houston
- Katherine Whaley Springs In To Action
- Box Top Boots For Rita Garcia In Houston
- Amanda Guerra Wears Black Suede In Big D

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- Natasha Barrett joins KTRK abc13 from WJLA Washington DC
- Mary Benton returns to KPRC feeling 100%
- Simon Gutierrez exits KTRK abc13 for KPTV Portland
- Brian Collister exits KTRK abc13 for KXAN
- Where is Fox 26 KRIV's Andrea Watkins?
- Adela Uchida joins News 92 FM KROI
- KWTX and KBTX team up for Afghanistan war coverage
- Telemundo Houston signs with the undead

Telemundo Houston signs with the undead

Houston Zombie Walk teaming up with Telemundo Houston

The Houston Zombie Walk is thrilled to announce that it has signed an exclusivity contract with Telemundo Houston to boost its fundraising efforts for charities that assist abused and abandoned children and animals. The Zombie Walk and the Houston Halloween Festival is Houston's most unique charity organization, involved in dozens of events year round, and now Telemundo will help raise awareness, too. Telemundo is now the official Spanish network of the Houston Zombie Walk and the Houston Halloween Fest.

“Telemundo Houston is dedicated in supporting local events that enrich the lives of Houston families,” said JC Perez, Telemundo Houston's Marketing Director. “We are very excited to partner up with Houston Halloween Festival in October as the Hispanic media partner.”

HZW founder Darren Tompkins stated, “This type of mass media communication is something we’ve always been looking to score. We cannot wait until you see our commercials running on the network! Be on the lookout as Telemundo will be pushing us at every major festival and sporting event throughout the year!”

The next major event is the annual Halfway to Halloween Pub Crawl on May 3rd. More information on that fun-filled event will be coming in the near future!

(This post is from a press release sent to me by The Houston Zombie Walk)

KWTX and KBTX team up for Afghanistan war coverage

With Fort Hood in its coverage area, KWTX teamed up with sister station KBTX to cover soldiers in Afghanistan

During Wednesday's Fort Hood shooting, Waco's KWTX was a constant presence on television screens across the nation as its coverage was picked up by local stations and cable news channels.

With Killeen in its coverage area, the CBS affiliate is constantly covering the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Services.

This is why in a time when the War in Afghanistan doesn't get as much coverage as it used to, KWTX and Gray Television sister station KBTX in Bryan/College Station are still reporting from the Middle East.

The army invited KWTX to report out of Afghanistan, and news director Virgil Teter opted to bring in support from KBTX, since Texas A&M has a high presence in Fort Hood's Afghanistan deployment.

Steve Fullhart

KBTX anchor/executive producer Steve Fullhart and KWTX Bell County Bureau Chief Rachel Cox embedded themselves with the army and shot their own footage without the help of a photographer.

"Steve is a tremendous story teller and photographer," KWTX and KBTX general manager Mike Wright told mikemcguff.com. "The combination greatly improve achieving our goals for being there."

Wright says this was the perfect opportunity to bring local stories back home to Texas.

Rachel Cox

"The intent was to not be a media entity that simply goes to post pictures from there 'just because they are there,' or to use technology to say 'hey - here we are live in Afghanistan,'" Wright told me. "The goal was to find stories that as closely as possible accurately reflect what is happening there as the US prepares for a draw down in that region."

The duo shot for their respective newscasts and then produced a half-hour special called Assignment Afghanistan. You can watch it here plus see their other daily stories from the trip.

"We are proud of the joint effort between KWTX and KBTX and seek to do more of these types of things in the future," Wright added.

Adela Uchida joins News 92 FM KROI

Former KTRK abc13 weekend anchor Adela Uchida dumps TV for radio at News 92 FM KROI

Adela Uchida

Adela Uchida is joining News 92 FM KROI as a reporter the station confirms to me.

This morning Uchida tweeted "It's official..." which I guess references the new gig. Her Twitter followers seemed to be confused by this.

As you probably know, Uchida was the weekend anchor at KTRK abc13 for nearly six years until early January.

She came to Houston from WILX (Channel 10) in Lansing, Michigan where she was the 6 and 11pm anchor. She also worked in Colorado and Arizona.

She starts for the all news Radio One station today.

UPDATE

From news92fm.com:

“We are thrilled to have Adela on our team, and believe she will add to our bench strength and social media presence,” News 92 FM Program Director Alan Furst said.

“I’m really excited to join a fast-growing news organization,” Adela said. “And I’m super excited to stay in Houston.”

“Adela’s hiring adds to our unwavering commitment to delivering Houstonians in-depth coverage,” Radio One Regional Vice President Doug Abernethy said.

Where is Fox 26 KRIV's Andrea Watkins?

Andrea Watkins to return to Fox 26 KRIV after long absence

Andrea Watkins 

Fox 26 KRIV fans have been emailing me two big reporter related questions: Where is Ford Atkinson? And where is Andrea Watkins?

Last month, the Fox owned and operated station said Atkinson retired after being off the air since December.

Watkins also pulled a disappearing act from the station's airwaves and social media around early January. However, as of late, she is tweeting again and says she is returning to duty.

@Carmcarm84 thank you so much. Coming back next week but on the 5pm and 9pm news. Hope u tune in then!
— Andrea Watkins (@watkinsfox26) April 3, 2014

Watkins tweets she is coming back next week, but not on her regular morning shift. Her new shift will be on the 5pm and 9pm newscasts.

Watkins joined the Fox-26 reporting team in 1990, starting as a producer and weekend anchor. She had a public battle with breast cancer in 2011.

Brian Collister exits KTRK abc13 for KXAN

Brian Collister exits KTRK abc13 for investigative gig at KXAN Austin

Brian Collister

I told you how KTRK 13 Undercover investigative reporter Brian Collister was leaving the Houston ABC owned and operated station after a year, and now we learn where he is ending up in Texas.

Austin's KXAN just issued a news release on its website saying Collister is heading to the state capital to use his investigative skills:

KXAN News Director Chad Cross announced the addition of longtime investigative reporter Brian Collister to the KXAN Investigates team.

Collister specializes in uncovering stories of fraud, corruption and government waste. He is a licensed private investigator and board member of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Collister is also a widely-recognized member of the national organization, Investigative Reporters and Editors.

“Brian has earned a reputation throughout Texas and across the country as a powerful investigative reporter who gets results and holds powerful people accountable,” said Cross. “His hire speaks volumes about our station and company; investigative journalism is a top priority.”

Joining KXAN is a return to Austin for Collister. He started building his career as an investigative reporter in Central Texas, then continued his work in Phoenix, San Antonio and Houston. His awards include seven regional Emmys.

“He has more than two decades’ experience digging into stories all around Texas. Because KXAN News focuses on in-depth, investigative journalism, it’s crucial to have reporters like Brian on our team,” said Cross. “He’s an expert at using our lawful right to access public information. He knows who to talk to, where to get the answers viewers want.”

Collister is a native Texan and graduate of Sam Houston State University.

This will be a Central Texas return for Collister who previously worked at Fox 7 KTBC as an investigative journalist.

Simon Gutierrez exits KTRK abc13 for KPTV Portland

Simon Gutierrez exits KTRK abc13 for FOX-12 Portland KPTV

Simon Gutierrez

Yesterday we learned Natasha Barrett was in the process of arriving at KTRK abc13, but today it's that reporter Simon Gutierrez is already long gone.

Even though Gutierrez still appeared on KTRK's website this week, on Twitter he's excited about starting his new gig at FOX-12 Portland KPTV.

First day at #FOX12Portland. Loving the new newsroom!
— Simon Gutierrez (@sggutierrez) April 1, 2014

Gutierrez arrived at KTRK last January. Before that he worked for five years at KSAT 12 News San Antonio. Previously he worked three years in Hartford, Connecticut, and for two at ESPN.

He is from Elmira, Oregon and graduated from the University of Oregon in Eugene so Portland might be called a homecoming of sorts. Enter Portlandia joke here.

Actually, Gutierrez can always think of Houston when he flips the radio dial and listens to Michael Berry on 1190 KEX. Yep, Berry is on the air in Portland.

RELATED
- Brian Collister to leave KTRK abc13
- Christi Myers to retire from KTRK abc13
- Adela Uchida gone from abc13 KTRK with expanded weekend news on the way
- Katie McCall exits KTRK abc13

Mary Benton returns to KPRC feeling 100%

KPRC 2 reporter Mary Benton is back on the job after surgery

Mary Benton

It was last January that KPRC 2's Mary Benton revealed to me about her health conditions and the planned surgery that would take her off channel 2's airwaves for awhile.

At that point, due to complications that caused anemia, Benton had been dealing with blood transfusions, infusions, medications and countless doctors appointments.

The good news is that Benton is healthy and back reporting for KPRC 2.

"I was out longer than planned because I had a second unexpected procedure," Benton told mikemcguff.com. "I'm now feeling 100%. Houston is so blessed to have the Texas Medical Center and experienced doctors. I'm grateful to mine at Baylor, Texas Children's Hospital Pavilion for Women. I even had a procedure at St. Luke's Hospital and my doctor was the very talented and respected Dr. Wayne Franklin, My colleague Rachel McNeil's husband."

Benton returned to duty right in time for the Texas City oil spill and then the big Montrose apartment fire.

"A crazy, busy week and I'm thrilled to be back reporting," Benton told me.

VIDEO: Wyman Meinzer talks photography tips with mikemcguff.com

Texas State Photographer Wyman Meinzer talks photography with mikemcguff.com


Wyman Meinzer was declared state photographer of Texas in 1997 by then Governor George W. Bush. According to his bio, Meinzer has photographed/written 24 large format books and his images have appeared on more than 250 magazine covers throughout America. I just so happened to have given my father-in-law one of those books for Christmas years ago.

Ford gave myself and other Houston/Dallas-Fort Worth social media types a chance to have a private photography lesson with Meinzer at Rodeo Houston. It was a great experience (He even held my camera!).

Afterwards, I talked to Meinzer about his photography tips, how he got started taking photos and about his shoot at the King Ranch for Ford's F-150, F-Series Super Duty and Expedition King Ranch models.

Natasha Barrett joins KTRK abc13 from WJLA Washington DC

Natasha Barrett leaves talk show gig/consumer reporting position at WJLA Washington DC to return home at KTRK abc13 as weekend anchor/consumer reporter

Natasha Barrett

WJLA Washington DC’s Natasha Barrett is moving back home to Houston to work for KTRK abc13 she confirms on Twitter. UPDATE: FishbowlDC reports Barrett will become the weekend anchor and consumer reporter at the ABC owned television station.

Barrett, who joined the Washington DC station in 2006, pulled double duty by contributing live reports to ABC 7 News at 5 and 6pm, plus hosting the daily talk show, Let's Talk Live.

Before WJAL, Barrett worked at WVEC Norfolk, Virginia, KCEN Waco and a station in Corpus Christi.

She started off in the TV biz working for CNBC Europe and CBS News Washington in a behind the scenes capacity. The award winning journalist is a graduate of American University in Washington, where she double-majored, earning a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Computer Information Systems.

UPDATE
Clearly I was half asleep when I orginally wrote this because FishbowlDC reports Barrett will become the weekend anchor and consumer reporter for KTRK.

So what will she do at KTRK? We know that Brian Collister's job is open, but he hasn't officially left yet, so I don't think Barrett is replacing him, although she does have investigative experience. Other than that, it could be positions left open by Christi Myers, Adela Uchida or Katie McCall.

My guess is that Barrett will replace Uchida as weekend anchor.

Post by Natasha Barrett.

RELATED
- Brian Collister to leave KTRK abc13
- Christi Myers to retire from KTRK abc13
- Adela Uchida gone from abc13 KTRK with expanded weekend news on the way
- Katie McCall exits KTRK abc13
- Simon Gutierrez exits KTRK abc13 for KPTV Portland