Dick John hired the likes of Jessica Savitch, Linda Ellerbee, Ron Franklin at KHOU
Dick John
Dick John, one of the people responsible for building the KHOU news department, has died at age 84. Former KHOU 11 reporter Fred Rhodes (1977 to 1979) tells me John died yesterday.
"He was known for his gentlemanly demeanor and for encouraging young reporters," Rhodes told me. "He was a kind soul and consummate pro."
John was KHOU's news director from 1968 to 75. He hired big names like Jessica Savitch, Linda Ellerbee, Ron Franklin and Dennis Murphy before their network days.
He also brought KPRC 2 anchor Bill Balleza to Houston.
"Dick hired me in June of 1973 to work at KHOU," Balleza told mikemcguff.com. "I had been reporting for KRON-TV in San Francisco and wanted to get back to Texas. He took me to lunch at the old Warwick Hotel where we sealed the deal. I recalled telling him that I planned to be in Houston no longer than two years. He reminded me a few months ago that two years can stretch into forty in the blink of an eye."
Before KHOU, John worked for ABC News from 1958 to 1959.
Recently from his North Richland Hills, Texas home, John was active on the KHOU-TV Alumni Facebook group where he shared old stories about television news.
John's son posted to the group that his dad died peacefully in his sleep yesterday afternoon.
If I hear about funeral arrangements, I will post them here.
If you were a friend of John's, you might want to check out his latest updates on his website.
Chron.com: A journalist is dead; Here, click away on our photo gallery of other journalists!
Chron.com, the Houston Chronicle’s free news/listicle/photo gallery site, ran a story a few days ago about the death of former KHOU news director and anchor Dick John. The post did not actually report his age, but it DID include a photo gallery of Houston-area TV journalists to click through.
KBRZ, 1460, Freeport - Part 1
On April 4, 1952, the Freeport Daily Facts and Review reported that the Federal Communications Commission had approved the call letters for KBRZ, a new AM radio station for the Brazosport area, the first radio station licensed in Brazoria Co.
Former Fox 7 anchor Loriana Hernandez battling leukemia
Former KTBC anchor Loriana Hernandez had plenty of things on her to-do list as she geared up for a cross-country move. Undergoing aggressive chemotherapy treatments to combat newly diagnosed leukemia wasn’t one of them.
KXAN lifestyle show debuts this summer
First KEYE. Now KXAN. Austin’s NBC affiliate will launch a new lifestyle show this summer, according to station president and general manager Eric Lassberg.
After Hours host Jimmy Carper
Jimmy Carper, host and producer of the long-running After Hours program on KPFT (90.1 FM), died just after midnight Monday.
I keep getting asked when I'm writing the Balleza retirement post and here it goes. It's a post I've been procrastinating on because it's not one I want to write. And besides, channel 2 has done some great pieces this week as tributes.
Balleza is an icon who has been on Houston TV since I was born. It's unthinkable that he won't be behind the Big 2 news desk any longer.
A steadfast and calming voice that has reported the news since May of 1971 starting at KRON San Francisco (he got back to Texas as soon as he could), Balleza would no doubt be one of the faces carved into the mythical Houston TV anchor Mount Rushmore.
From San Antonio to Vietnam and back again
The legendary channel 2 anchor always was gracious with his time when it came to my blog. In 2016, Balleza told me how he started his broadcasting journey.
Before television even came into his mind, Balleza served in Vietnam as a Marine Scout Sniper during the 1968 Tet Offensive. In a recent TV interview, Balleza said he thought after the war he would return to be a San Antonio police officer.
When Balleza's San Antonio College guidance counselor advised him not to enter broadcasting, since at the time, few Hispanics worked in the industry, Balleza pursued it anyway.
"I chose broadcasting anyway because there was no math requirement, and I had flunked algebra twice in high school," Balleza joked with mikemcguff.com.
After graduation, Balleza landed a job as a member of the KSAT San Antonio production floor crew. Then his first break came.
"In those days a studio announcer sat in a small booth and tagged out commercials and read public service announcements," Balleza told Ken Hoffman last October. "One night the studio announcer got sick at dinner and the program director pressed me into service. It was my first time ever on the air. All my family in San Antonio was listening as I said, ‘Sale good through Thursday at your neighborhood H-E-B.’ I also did ‘Joske’s of Texas, by the Alamo. Open tonight ‘til 9.’ That was my favorite day."
Go West, young man - but hurry back to Texas
His next break came thanks to a change in society and the TV business.
"Stations around the country were looking for minority candidates because activist groups began challenging their licenses based on employment practices," Balleza told me. "My first reporter job was at KRON in San Francisco in May of 1971."
The native San Antonian made his way back to Texas at Houston's KHOU 11. Famed channel 11 news director Dick John recognized the talent in Balleza's journalistic work and hired him from San Francisco TV.
"Dick hired me in June of 1973 to work at KHOU," Balleza told mikemcguff.com in 2014 upon John's death. "I had been reporting for KRON-TV in San Francisco and wanted to get back to Texas. He took me to lunch at the old Warwick Hotel where we sealed the deal. I recalled telling him that I planned to be in Houston no longer than two years. He reminded me a few months ago that two years can stretch into forty in the blink of an eye."
There the young reporter began anchoring along side the likes of Steve Smith.
Kotton Port Rail Center - "You know what I mean, Vern?"
After seven years, Balleza headed down the Southwest Freeway to KPRC in 1980 where he has been an anchor/reporter ever since. In 1990, when Ron Stone retired, Balleza became the main anchor of channel 2.
"Bill, Frank [Billingsley] and I have been family since April 2001," Sachse said in a statement last year announcing Balleza's retirement. "Our friendship runs deep, palpable by our viewers and colleagues alike. What an incredible ride as a team, based on love, comradery, humor and respect. We’ve always attributed any success not to the efforts of one, but to the contribution of all. It’s that mindset that made us work and will continue to do so. I’m elated for my co-anchor who is writing his own script but sad that this era is coming to an end. What a legacy you leave, Bill, and a high bar you’ve set."
So did Balleza ever think about leaving channel 2?
"I actually did have a few offers to leave," he told Ken Hoffman in 2017. "Paula Zahn tried to get me to join her in Los Angeles, but when I went to interview for the job, the news director told me he drank four Wink sodas in less than an hour. When I told him I decided to stay in Houston, he said, 'OK, see you on another planet someday.'I also had a job offer from CNN in 1981, but I was actually making more money at Channel 2 than they were willing to pay."
“It’s never easy saying goodbye to a family member, and even more difficult losing an icon,” said KPRC 2 Vice President/General Manager Jerry Martin said in a 2019 statement. “For over 35 years on the anchor desk Bill capitalized the “J” in journalism for our newsroom. It is only fitting that he is retiring at the top of his game with both our 6pm and 10 pm newscasts leading the market since 2017.”
Never to be totally confined to the anchor desk, Balleza anchored the news from around the world. His world-wide reporting work took him aboard the aircraft carrier USS Truman during Operation Iraqi Freedom, to the Vatican while covering the death of Pope John Paul II and then the later election of Pope Francis. State side, Balleza also covered the shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, the Murrah Federal Building explosion in Oklahoma City, and the crash of American Flight 587 in New York, one month after the 9-11 attacks. He won a Lone Star Emmy Award for his reporting of deadly West, Texas fertilizer explosion.
“Bill is an incredible journalist and anchor,” said KPRC 2 News Director David Stricklandsaid in a 2019 statement. “His ability to communicate with the viewer and earn their trust is what makes him unique and special. He is also a wonderful co-worker, whose leadership inside this newsroom will be greatly missed.”
As he signs off, Balleza says the TV industry has come full circle from when he first started.
"When I started, a reporter shot film, wrote the script, and edited the pictures," Balleza told CultureMap in 2019. "They called us, ‘a one man band.’ We’re back to that again 50 years later only now they call us, ‘a multi-media journalist.’ The reason is that TV news revenues have been siphoned off by cable, the Internet, Spanish language television, and a rapidly declining TV news audience. We used to win the 10 pm news with a 17 rating. Now we win with a 1.9 rating. The television news platform is slowly dying."
Instead of the craft of journalism, Balleza says in retirement he will pursue his other passion - woodworking. He's made furniture, keepsake boxes and even Radar the Weather Dog's first dog house.
He'll also be spending time with family - his wife of 27 years, Melissa, three children (Heidi, Kate and Travis) and two grandchildren. And let's not forget his dog of 12 years, Brinkley.
And if you think you see a guy that looks like Balleza at Whataburger ordering a number 4, it might be him.
There Was a Dick Pic on WFAA's Homepage This Morning (NSFW)
WFAA "share" is a community engagement tool that allows users of the ABC affiliate's website to upload their photos and videos to potentially be featured on an image carousel on the station's homepage. Tuesday morning, right there on WFAA's front page, just above Dale Hansen's frowning mug, it featured a big, hairy dick.
Behind A.H. Belo's Buying Spree
Having purchased three marketing companies in January, A.H. Belo, owner of The Dallas Morning News, is making further steps to reduce its reliance on print advertising.
Radar the weather dog gets ready for surgery
Radar the weather dog is a Houston favorite and part of our Local 2 family. And you may remember back in December, we shared Radar's health scare with viewers after his groomer found a growth on his toe. The growth is cancerous and now Radar is set for surgery to have it removed.
Manor of Speaking
Houston Public Media's Manor of Speaking will be airing across the country starting this weekend - the following is just a partial list... (If your city is not listed, contact your local PBS station - and you can find them at PBS.org). [Thanks Thanks to PR Fairy @farbulous]
Houston bloggers go undercover as secret diners for Best New Restaurant reality TV show
Two popular Houston bloggers will be making a star turn into the upcoming reality show Best New Restaurant. When the show debuts on Bravo Jan. 21 at 9 p.m., look for, the dynamic duo behind Urban Swank, in their role as "Undercover Diners" at four Austin restaurants. [Thanks Thanks to PR Fairy @farbulous]
Bill Schoening named Texas Sportscaster of the Year
The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association has announced WOAI's Spurs play-by-play announcer Bill Schoening has been named Texas Sportscaster of the Year.
In key demo, KXAN’s evening newscasts rank No. 1
New demographic data shows Austin NBC affiliate KXAN is the station of choice among evening news viewers in the age bracket advertisers covet most.
Recovering KCEN met starts doing weather online
KCEN Weather Anchor Patrick Crawford has been off the air since getting gunned down in the station's parking lot. But, now that Crawford is home from the hospital and recovering, he is slowly getting back into is weatherman role.
Star Tribune Business Editor Todd Stone announced he will be joining the Houston Chronicle as Deputy Managing Editor for business and sports in early March.
Longtime KFDM news director to leave
DAVID LOWELL is leaving KFDM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Beaumont, TX, at the end of the week. He’s been the news director here for 28 years, and at the station (in his second stint there) for 34 years.
KENS 5 San Antonio news director leaves
TRISTON SANDERS is departing Gannett owned KENS 5 after two years as ND. She’s moving to New York, where she will work as a consultant for Frank N. Magid Associates.
Johnnie Chuoke, San Antonio's 'Happy Handyman' Dies at 84
Johnnie Chuoke, whose hearty laugh and catch phrase 'its a great day to paint' helped San Antonians fix their decks and caulk their bath tubs for twenty years as WOAI's Happy Handyman' has died at the age of 84.
It's a homecoming for Maida, who is from Houston, and started her radio career at KKBQ as a social media producer.
“I am beyond excited to come back home to the city where I grew up and join Tim and Erica in waking up Houston,” states Maida. “I’m not just coming back to a previous employer, I’m coming back to my radio family and the family-like atmosphere at CMG (Cox Media Group) Houston is part of what makes this team so successful.”
Maida started interning with KKBQ in 2012 as a University of Houston broadcasting program student. According to her website, Maida helped develop Cox Media Group Houston's social media presence creating her role as "Connected K."
After almost three years working for The New 93Q, Maida moved to Dallas in 2015 to work with Mark “Hawkeye” Louis on The ‘Hawkeye in the Morning’ on the New Country 96.3 KSCS after longtime host Terry Dorsey retired.
While in DFW, Maida also worked for KTVT's CBS 11 News This Morning as an entertainment reporter.
Maida left Dallas - Fort Worth radio and television in early November. She was replaced byMichelle Rodriguez on New Country 96.3 KSCS's “Hawkeye in the Morning.”
“Katelyn Maida was hands down the most talented person we auditioned," Tuttle said in a press release. "It was an obvious choice and we are so excited for the future of The Q Morning Zoo.”
“We are all really looking forward to having another strong female on the team," Rico added. "Katelyn was a perfect fit as she was already a part of our CMG family.”
Kline announced his retirement back in early December 2020 while I was on a blogging break. His last show was Friday, February 5, 2021.
Here is the video and transcript of his retirement announcement.
“After 30 years in the radio industry, over half of them spent in Houston on the legendary 93Q, I have decided to retire and start a new, as of now, untitled chapter in life with Trish, Beans and The Mayor of Sconeyville. From my first on air shift in 1990, I set goals for myself, the pinnacle of which was to have a morning show in a top 10 market by age 40. When I signed my contract on April 1, 2005, I not only met, but exceeded my goal, reaching a TOP 5 market at age 35.
Through 93Q, Trish and I were able to find a calling that we never knew we even had, helping children with cancer. Because of that passion, I adopted endurance running as a hobby and fundraising platform, traveling across the country and around the globe for races, we’ve seen much more of the world than we ever dreamed we’d see.
Trish and I plan to live abroad, country to be determined, and that decision doesn’t happen without 93Q putting us in a position where we could afford to travel and experience different cultures.
My mom asked me the other day, “What are you running away from?”. I simply told her, “the alarm clock”. And while that is certainly at the forefront of the decision, Covid also allowed me to quietly reflect and that reflection led to important lessons about myself... I found out that the amount of pressure I put on myself to succeed in everything I ever try prevents me from enjoying the endeavor and prohibits me from celebrating the outcome, I realized that the exhaustion I always feel after 5 hours on the radio isn’t because of the job, it’s because my depression and mental health issues force me to overuse my energy to be “up and happy”, I learned that my need to always please everyone and be liked by everyone is an impossible ideal to live up to, And Covid, quarantine and lockdown, confirmed what I’d suspected all along…my happiness and my calm is Trish and my dogs.
Life became easier when I detached from social media. Life became relaxing with a smaller circle and with fewer people to possibly disappoint. I’ll start my Howard Hughes life now, except I’ll still shower and trim my nails, and I’ll be grateful for all that I’ve experienced in yours and the public eye.
This 30-year ride has been a blast. It has been personally meaningful and gratifying. And the ride has changed our lives in ways we never imagined it would. Trish and I know how lucky and blessed we are to have had this long, incredible career. Many, who are lucky enough to even get into this highly competitive radio industry don’t last 30 months, so to have had an audience to entertain for 30 YEARS, that is something I have never taken for granted.
Normally I don’t make lists of people to recognize because inevitably someone gets left off the list. I’m going to attempt this here though because, while there are many involved in my career, these are the people who got me where I am today…
Long-time St. Louis radio legend, my broadcasting idol and my friend, JC Corcoran. Thank you for being on KSHE my 1st day of freshman year of high school. You and your show ignited my love of radio. JC and the KSHE Morning Zoo introduced me to the career I wanted to pursue.
My dad and the late news director at KMOX, John Angelides. My dad met John at a baseball game and after a short conversation, that led to an invitation for me to intern at The Mighty KMOX. I spent 11 months there working for free but getting rich with experience learning from iconic St. Louis broadcasters, Bob Hamilton and Mike O’ Connor.
Thank you to then Morning Hosts at The Point, D-Day and Mary Ellen, afternoon host, Sarah Clark, PD Jim McGuinn and GM, Dick Stein who let me loiter long enough to parlay my radio passion into producing and on-air roles.
To Joe and John, The Nocturnal Emissions, for letting me jump in on Saturday nights and giving me an outlet for my creativity.
To John Lenac, my friend, mentor, 2x boss, and former agent. You not only brought me on after I tracked mud into your brand-new studio, you hired me AGAIN years later, and THEN, helped me land 2 OTHER gigs. You always saw something in me I didn’t even see in myself.
To SuperFrank who owned Channel Z in Springfield, MO. I learned the business, the game and what it means to be a professional during those days. There were 2 radio stations I dreamed of working at. KSHE in St. Louis. KNAC in Long Beach/Los Angeles was the other. When that station went Spanish in 1995, that dream ended. Or so I thought.
To Susan Greenwood of MCA Records for introducing me to the Program Director of KNAC who was starting up a new station in Denver, Bryan Schock who hired me for nights on 92X. I was the first and only night personality on 92X because after 11 months, we were sold to a Spanish radio company...To this day, I’m still friends with those teammates from 92X, the Sheesh Family…Brysheesh, Zachsheesh, Stumpsheesh, Hilsheesh, Malsheesh and Rockfish.
Amazingly creative and fascinating people. To Michelle Matthews, Paul Maloney, Robert Cox and Cameo Carlson at The Buzz in Columbia, MO. It was a hard lesson to learn but it was a lesson I needed to learn. I wasn’t strong enough to be the lead on a morning show.
To Donna and Mitch Baker in Springfield, MO. I remember when I sat down with Donna to interview for Program Director and afternoon personality at US97. She said to me, “I hear you have boundless energy.” I did, but that was all I brought to the table for that job. Had it not been for the late Mark McClain and Paul Horton, I wouldn’t have lasted a week there as “The Boss.”
To Scott Pettibone at X101.5. When a Program Director brings you and your morning show partner into his office after only 3 days on the air, that’s normally not a good sign. What Pettibone told Tim and me though had us questioning ourselves. “The music is in the way. Tomorrow, no music on your show. You guys are going all talk.” What a compliment.
To WRAX Birmingham, AL, Dave Rossi. Dave is infamous for breaking Hootie and the Blowfish. I remember him fondly, I truly do, for telling Tim and me, “You’re not funny.” And Susan Groves, who inherited us as her morning show when she took over the station and didn’t try to change us.
Without our producer, Doc Adams, it’s highly unlikely we ever get the call from 93Q. 93Q was looking to break the mold of country morning shows and when Doc Adams suggested us to Johnny Chiang, that started a whirlwind courtship and clandestine meetings in hotel lobbies. It was the foresight of Johnny Chiang, Gerry McCracken, the late Rusty Walker and then GM, Caroline Devine who stepped out of the country music comfort zone to put 2 brash rockers on a female friendly, family catering country music station. 16 years later, I’d say that experiment worked.
Each of those stations are ripe with outlandish stories, but to hear them, well, you’ll have to wait for the book, which I’ll now have plenty of time to write.
Finally, I know the past 25 years would not have been as eventful, successful, or as fun without my radio partner, Timmy T. From the day we met in Nashville, we clicked. You can’t manufacture the immediate chemistry we had and do still to this day. Early on, we both wanted to be the lead singer. I realized, after a short hiatus from each other, that I was better suited to bassist or at best, drums, and for our partnership to last, I couldn’t compete for that spotlight. It had to be Tim’s. And I’m glad it was. We started out as friends and we’ll end our run together as friends. And in between that first day we met and the last day together, we’ll have created some incredible shows. Daring shows that made me cringe at times. Powerful shows that made me appreciate our impact. And all the while, shows that made me pinch myself that we had done that on the radio. Whenever we’re asked to explain our method, we always say, we walk into the studio with a blank slate. We throw words at it like paint and when the show is over, we look at what we created. Sometimes we created Picasso’s. Sometimes we created Pollock’s. And, whether you liked us or hated us, we almost always provided A Scream. Thank you for being a part of my life for 30 years and for letting me be a part of yours. I’ll leave you with words I’ve learned from traveling the world with Trish… Adios. Adieu. Auf Weidersehen. Ciao. Dosvedanya. Sayonara. Goodbye."
TV newsers might recognize her use of Tagboard, but what I didn't know is that channel 11 used PowerPoint to power their monitors behind the reporters!
Now, let's juxtapose Smith's look to news director Dick John's behind the scenes look from 1968!
Clearly lots has changed in 53 years including the fact that KHOU had to move from its 1945 Allen Parkway address to the post Hurricane Harvey 5718 Westheimer studio.
Classical 91.7 Mourns The Loss Of Announcer
The staff of Classical 91.7 and Houston Public Media have heavy hearts as they mourn the passing of their colleague, announcer John Stevens who died unexpectedly August 12.
KPRC's Frank Billingsley Keeps You Calm During the Storm
Frank says: "Here's the thing about hurricanes...they are their own hype and certainly don't need any from me! A Rita or Ike grabs the public's attention on its own. The challenge these days is when someone posts on Facebook a computer model forecasting a hurricane 16 days out with the comment "Watch Out Houston!!" That takes on a life of its own that we then have to address and try to make real sense out of."
MundoFox launches across the country
MundoFox, the new Spanish-language broadcast network from Fox International Channels and RCN Television Group of Colombia launched 8/13. Click link for Texas affiliates.
Exclusive July PPM Analysis: Houston, Dallas
ALL ACCESS presents JULY PPM market highlights, compiled by the Ratings Experts at RESEARCH DIRECTOR, INC. and powered by XTRENDS, radio's #1 PPM and diary analysis tool. All numbers reflect subscriber only data.
Smile Center must pay sanctions
State District Judge David A. Berchelmann ordered the Smile Center to pay $35,000 in sanctions and $35,000 in attorneys fees to WOAI-TV.
KVUE names new morning news anchor
Yvonne Nava is heading home. The University of Texas graduate has been hired to co-anchor KVUE’s morning and midday newscasts, executive news director Frank Volpicella announced.
New KEYE ND
KEYE named Greg Turchetta to replace the departed Suzanne Black as news director for KEYE TV/ Telemundo Austin.
New KXAN-TV News Director Aims For Strong Journalism, Culture Change
All you need to know about Chad Cross, KXAN’s new news director, is that his last day at KWCH-TV, Wichita, was last Wednesday and he begins work in Austin after just four days off for a quick visit with family. He’s rarin’ to go!
Comedy radio in Texas?
Are certain San Antonio and Beaumont radio stations about to flip to a comedy format?
Television Company Belo Corp. Offers Free Airtime To Candidates
Belo Corp., which in 1996 became the first commercial television station group to provide free airtime for congressional and gubernatorial candidates, announced that it will offer the "It's Your Time" program for the ninth consecutive election cycle this fall.
IN MEMORIAM
Josh Holstead of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame announced the passing of Larry Shannon, 63. He died Thursday afternoon. Shannon was the founder and long time Operations Manager of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. In broadcast, he worked at the likes of KFJZ and KXOL in Ft. Worth, and KVIL in Dallas. He was the voice of “Overdrive Trucking News” heard daily on Sirius/XM. Shannon also published RadioDailyNews.com. In addition to his radio work, Larry was a political commentator in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for KTVT-Ch.11.
MOVING
SportsRadio 610 KILT host Shaun Bijani stepped away from the radio world to pursue a coaching job at North Shore High School. He'll be coaching, football, basketball and track. He's hoping to add his first love of baseball to the mix soon. He may return to the sports desk on occasion filling in sporadically. Shaun started with the station in August of 2006 as an intern and sports reporter. He worked is way up to being an anchor.
Dominique Sachse's engagement portrait
KPRC 2's Dominique Sachse and Nick Florescu — headed to the wedding altar in just a few weeks, have released their official engagement portrait.
DA: Michael Berry won't be charged in hit-and-run crash
Harris County prosecutors have decided not to file charges against 740 KTRH conservative radio talk show host Michael Berry, who was accused of leaving the scene of an accident.
KSBJ Adds Bill Maier To Morning Show
KSBJ EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION Contemporary Christian KSBJ/HOUSTON announced the addition of BILL MAIER to its morning show as its new co-host.
Houston’s own American Bandstand: The Larry Kane Show
If you came of age here in the late 1950s and 1960s, then, as America reflected on the life of Dick Clark last week, you might have paused for a second or two and thought about “The Larry Kane Show,” which appeared on KTRK (Channel 13) Saturday afternoons.
WCAU Names Ben Oldham VP Of Sales
NBC-owned WCAU Philadelphia (DMA 4) named Ben Oldham vice president of sales. Oldham comes to his new role after serving as general sales manager at KPRC Houston.
Fox 4's Steve Noviello turns trash into treasure
Steve Noviello is a budget shopper extraordinaire. Anyone who has seen the Dallas consumer reporter’s segments on KDFW-TV (Channel 4) already knows his talent for finding great items on the cheap.
Ranking The Local Sports Radio Shows From Worst To First
With the impending sale of 97.5 FM, it made the most sense to stick with 790 KBME and 610 KILT, the two giants in the marketplace, both of which put most of their eggs in the local basket, something 1560 AM just doesn't.
Dan Rather honored for ground-breaking hurricane coverage
Dan Rather returned to the scene of one of his biggest stories. A half-century ago, his riveting reports from inside the Weather Bureau office in Galveston warned Texans about a monstrous storm called Hurricane Carla.
Colonel St. James survives stroke
A few weeks before Halloween 2011, Houston radio personality Colonel St. James got the scare of his life when he suffered a stroke, his second. Lucky for him, it wasn’t a severe episode and he sought care at an Advanced Primary Stroke Center — Ben Taub General Hospital.
One week later, the 40-year veteran of the airways was back on the job spinning classic rock hits on KKRW-FM (93.7 The Arrow).
Beamer, fellow media guys go ‘Mad Men’
Randy Beamer, Bill Taylor, Michael Valdes, Paul Mireles, Albert Flores, my fellow columnist Roy Bragg and – gulp! – WOAI’s resident clown, Cleto Rodriguez, going all “Mad Men” on us?
For Austin TV Political Reporters, It’s Showtime
For a weathercaster, it’s a tornado. For a sports reporter, it’s the Super Bowl. But for a political reporter, it’s a year like this one that gets the juices flowing.
MOVING
Fox 26 KRIV assignments editor Joe Segura has moved over to KPRC 2. Catch him on the news desk Monday through Friday working the 10pm show shift.
BRENT CARNEY to Weekend Sports Anchor and Reporter, KXAN, Austin (from WLEX, Lexington). Carney is represented by Steve Swienckowski at DCA (The David Crane Agency).
KHOU 11 Photojournalist Nathan Kvinge retires after 41 years with the station.
Anchor Keith Garvin celebrates 11 years with KPRC 2.
KHOU 11 reporter Maria E. Aguilera celebrates 6 years as a reporter and 5 years with TEGNA Inc.
Director of Business Development at iHeartMedia Houston, Robert Reese, celebrates 21 years.
Michael Hagerty celebrates 10 years with Houston Public Media's News 88.7 KUHF's "Houston Matters."
KBXX personalities J Mac and Young Jas, along with streetwear purveyor Michael Mills, interview influencers and artists from Mills' store on 'Clearly Cultured' podcast.
Mike McCall has been named Chief of Donor Engagement for Hope Media Group, bringing over three decades of experience in donor development, stewardship, and special initiatives fundraising.
Reporter Nick Natario celebrates six years with abc13 KTRK.
KPRC 2 nightside executive producer Steve Ljuljdjuraj leaves for CBS News Detroit.
Former FOX 26 KRIV anchor, Melinda Spaulding Chevalier, named VP for public affairs at Rice University.
'Amplifying The Culture' is the goal at AQH Gainer KBXX Houston.
