Dave Ward traveled with the Houston Oilers for $15

Dave Ward's relationship with Ron Stone and Steve Smith, plus how Dave was all about Luv Ya Blue and the Oilers

Today is Dave Ward's big anniversary. He has now officially been the anchor of KTRK abc13 for 50 years. See the Guinness World Record photo below.

I've heard some argue, if you were going to have a Mount Rushmore of Houston TV anchors Dave Ward would be a face, and so would Ron Stone and Steve Smith. Ward talks about those fellow anchors and his time travelling with the Houston Oilers, a job he says he would have gladly paid to do (and based on the salary, that was almost true).

Mike McGuff: All right, obviously, Dave Ward, still on the air, but I think people will associate, two competitors with you, Ron Stone and Steve Smith, from Channel 2 [KPRC] and Channel 11 [KHOU], respectively. What was your relationship with, like with them?

Dave Ward: Very good. Both of them left. Ron Stone was on Channel 11 when I was at KNUZ. And Steve Smith was on Channel 2. They both left. Ron Stone went to New York and Steve went to Pittsburgh.

They were both gone about a year, and then they both came back. Only Ron Stone came back to Channel 2. Steve Smith came back to Channel 11, and I think I remember making some, some wisecrack on the air about, "Well, welcome back guys. It's just hard to tell where you are now," or something like, you now.

And Stone told me he went to work for NBC Radio News in New York. And he said, "David, I got there. I went down to Rockefeller Center, my first day I did my first radio newscast on the air, and signed off, 'Ron Stone, NBC Radio News,'" and he said, "I was ready to come home then." But it took him about a year to get back.

Ron and I worked together on the Houston Oiler radio crew for about eight years, from about '72 to about '80. Ron Stone and Ron Franklin were with us and we had some great times. We went to home and away [games], we flew with the team on the Oiler charter. And I got to know all of those guys real well.

I'll remember one game in Cleveland, Ohio, late in the season. It had to be in December, freezing cold. The visiting radio booth was on the roof of the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, right out on the edge of that roof. So we had to sit on bar stools and look almost straight down at these guys running around, you know, 200, 300 feet below us there.

Well, that wind coming off of Lake Erie, it was brutally cold up there. Ron Stone had to read a disclaimer before every game, "The announcers for today's game are hired by and paid by the Houston Oilers." And that day he said, "The announcers for today's game are hire by and paid by the Houston Oilers, but not nearly enough to be up here in this freezer."

I mean, you set your coffee down, and if you didn't move it for five minutes or so, it's frozen.

Mike: [laughs]

Dave: It was about zero degrees that day.

Uh, we had all kinds of experiences and going to, on those Oiler trips. I remember defensive tackle Elvin Bethea, Hall-of-Famer. He always sat on the very back row of the plane. He did not like flying, and he had heard, someone had told him, "Well, the very back of the plane, that's the safest place," so he always sat at the very back.

They put us, the radio crew and sports writers and stuff, on the back left side of the plane. The players were on the right side of the plane. And Elvin, he'd come walking down that aisle carrying his stuff, and he'd look and he'd see us back, and he'd say, "Well, I see the riff-raff are with us again." We were the riff-raff to Elvin. I got to know Elvin Bethea real well. He's a real friend.

I started doing the statistics. I didn't say anything on the radio. I just kept a full set of statistics for the play-by-play, Ron Franklin, and the color, Ron Stone. And I started doing that, I was in Denver at a game. Ron Franklin did the play-by-play, and Dan Lovett did the color back then, when Dan was still with us there at Channel 13.

And I just kept a rudimentary. I sat up in the broadcast booth with 'em and kept some basic statistics for 'em. Well, [the Houston Oilers general manager] was sitting in the booth for the last quarter of the game. And when we signed off, both Franklin and Lovett turned to him and said, "You oughta put Dave on the crew to keep stats for us. That really helped. He kept a pretty good set of stats, and it added to the broadcast."

And, [the GM replied], "Yeah, OK. Dave, would you like to do that?" And I said, "Sure." They paid me 15 bucks a game, $15 a game, but I went to every Oiler game that they played, home and away. I would have paid Bud Adams 15 bucks to get to do that.

Mike: So you were just a big fan of the, of the NFL and, and the Oilers?

Dave: Sure, oh, yeah. That was back in the "Luv Ya Blue" era. I saw every game, uh, Bum Phillips coached, every game Earl Campbell played, every game Dan Pastorini played.

Mike: So here you were, Dave Ward, Eyewitness News, but you weren't even on the radio with 'em at this point, you were just there behind the scenes...

Dave: No, I was just keeping stats. But, they made a, a little bit out of it. You know, you've got Dave Ward, the anchorman from Channel 13, Ron Stone, the anchorman from Channel 2, and Ron Franklin, the sports anchor from Channel 11. We had all three channels in the same broadcast booth, and they, they didn't make a big deal out of it, but it was unique.

Mike: I guess Bob Allen was on those flights with you, covering for the...

Dave: A few of 'em. Sometimes, yeah. After Lovett left and went to New York, then Ron Stone became the color guy, and that's when we had all three, stations represented. But, yeah. Bob or a reporter, sports guy, would make a lot of those away trips, yeah.

Mike: How have you taken Bob Allen's passing away?

Dave: He was with me on the air for 38 and a half years there at Channel 13. And, he had that horrible cancer. Battled that cancer for about two years before it finally killed him, bless his heart. He was a good guy. He was good on the air.

Mike: Were you friends off, off the air?

Dave: Oh, yeah. Yeah, very much so. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Dave Ward will leave abc13 KTRK December 9th, 2016.

To follow Dave Ward after he leaves KTRK abc13, like Dave Ward's Houston.

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- Dave Ward's website
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FULL COVERAGE: Dave Ward 50 Years KTRK abc13

VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone

In 1989, Ron Stone produced a documentary that explored Houston's and KPRC 2's vast history


Ron Stone is back again, as all this week, mikemcguff.com celebrates recently uncovered videos from this iconic TV Houston newsman. Today, Stone brings us this classic documentary by KPRC 2 called 40 Years: A Houston Essay which covers the years 1949-1989.

The show proves Stone was more than just an anchor who read a teleprompter from behind a news desk, because he actually wrote and produced the whole thing with his son, Ron Stone Jr.

The documentary deftly intertwines KPRC's and Houston's history together, and as a native Houstonian, I even learned things from watching it!

Early on, the show addresses Houston haters and the Bayou City's early battles for respect that still linger today.

One of Stone's funniest lines is when talking about the construction of the Houston Ship Channel in the early 20th century. Some jealous Dallas folks were quoted as saying, "If those Houston people could suck as hard as they could blow, they wouldn't need a ditch, they could just pull the ocean in."

Stone also reminded us that an unnamed East Coast newspaper reminded its readers that, "Hell and Houston both start with an H." Even Pastor Billy Graham apparently said most Houstonians would spend eternity in Hell.

But, don't worry, along with the darker side of Houston's past, good things are spotlighted too. But these days, the good things about Houston are more prevalent in the news and that's one reason we might surpass Chicago in population eventually I guess. Although based on the reporting of that story, we have a ways to go with our image.

By the way, how Houston is this? I'm listening to ZZ Top's Tres Hombres as I write this post! Enjoy!

RELATED
- WATCH: Ron Stone covers the 80s in 'So Long Urban Cowboy'
- What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?
- VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone
- WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast
- VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry
- VIDEO: Classic Houston TV hosts talk about golden age

WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast

In September 1992, Ron Stone anchored his last KPRC 2 newscast


In September of 1992, one of Houston's greatest television news anchors retired and all this week we'll take a look at classic Ron Stone and KPRC 2, no make that Big 2, videos.

This all thanks to Houstonian Josh Burdick who must have quite the VHS collection because he's been unloading clips to YouTube in a mass frenzy.

In fact, Burdick just recently posted Stone's last newscast which was way more tribute than news. The clip features co-anchor Linda Lorelle, weatherman and co-hort Doug Johnson, Craig Roberts and more.

You know who went on to replace Stone the next day? That's right, current channel 2 anchorman Bill Balleza.

But wait there's more, even Stone's competitors like KHOU 11's Steve Smith and KTRK abc13's Dave Ward make appearances on Stone's last newscast. And oh yeah, in the other clip, Tom Brokaw says goodbye to Stone.

Come back tomorrow for more!

RELATED
- WATCH: Ron Stone covers the 80s in 'So Long Urban Cowboy'
- What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?
- VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone
- WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast
- VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry
- VIDEO: Classic Houston TV hosts talk about golden age

KPRC anchor Ron Stone passes away

Longtime KPRC Channel 2 Houston anchor Ron Stone has passed away KPRC reports:

Ron Stone, who anchored the news on KPRC TV for 20 years and was a Houston broadcasting legend, passed away from cancer on Tuesday, KPRC Local 2 reported.Stone, who turned 72 on April 6, spent more than 30 years on the air in Houston.He was a daily fixture for KPRC viewers from 1972 until he retired in 1992 and formed a production company. Prior to that, Stone worked at KHOU TV for 10 years. READ THE REST

I have known about his condition for about a week or so, but did not post it. I am sure the Stone family needed privacy during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

RELATED
- WATCH: Ron Stone covers the 80s in 'So Long Urban Cowboy'
- What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?
- VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone
- WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast
- VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry
- VIDEO: Classic Houston TV hosts talk about golden age

WATCH: Ron Stone covers the 80s in 'So Long Urban Cowboy'

In So Long Urban Cowboy, Stone covers the 80s and notes, "Our redneck gets whiter, and our blue collar gives way to an image of suit and tie."


Well, I've certainly enjoyed looking back at legendary KPRC 2 anchor Ron Stone, and based on the reaction, I know you have too. Sites get criticized for throwing around words like "legendary," but in the case of Stone, I think the use is totally appropriate.

Today, we view Stone's 1989 documentary looking back at the so-called decade of excess. But for Houston, the decade should probably be called one of transformation.

In So Long Urban Cowboy, Stone look at the 1980s includes a great line, "Our redneck gets whiter, and our blue collar gives way to an image of suit and tie."

The biggest little Texas city was becoming international.

Stone opens with the rise and fall of Gilley's (Did you see the CMT documentary by the way? Good.) to a real cowboy, Bum Phillips, scoring with the Houston Oilers.

That gives way to young Houston singles living it up in the Colonial House apartments and the opening of the Wortham Center and The Menil Collection. Stone says the most famous convention center that resembles a ship at sea, the George R. Brown, was constantly being redesigned to save time and money.

And of course there are mentions of the Shamrock Hotel closing and Mayor Kathy Whitmire.

In "the more things change, the more they stay the same" category, Houston had big traffic problems with constant freeway construction back then and downtown would empty out after the business day ended (although the latter is changing now). There were also controversies with a rail system.

Enjoy! They don't make 'em like this anymore. Make sure to check out the 950 AM KPRC commercial at the beginning! And thanks to Josh Burdick who recorded this treasure, saved it all these years and posted it, along with the others, on YouTube.

RELATED
- What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?
- VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone
- WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast
- VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry
- VIDEO: Classic Houston TV hosts talk about golden age

VIDEO: KPRC's Doug Johnson recalls Houston's worst hurricanes

What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?


We continue our look at classic KPRC 2 and Ron Stone videos this week that have recently surfaced on YouTube thanks to Houstonian Josh Burdick.

But how can you cover Stone without mentioning his partner in TV gold, weatherman Doug Johnson? In 1991, KPRC produced a still current staple in the Houston TV market, the hurricane special. The The Greatest Storm on Earth takes a look back on the big storms to hit our area like the Galveston storm of 1900, Hurricanes Carla and Alicia plus more.

I have to take a moment to mention, this show was totally sponsored by the Bob Lanier for Mayor campaign. And check out the hilarious Houston Post commercial before the show starts!

Channel 2 pulled out some great historical photos from the past, along with its vast video archive. In fact, check out how Alicia turned Johnson literally blue during the station's non-stop coverage.

Also featured our members of the KPRC weather team including Ted Shaw, Roland Galvan and Dave Dickson. Reporters and anchors who get some face time are Ken Fairchild, George Nelson, chief photographer Fred Edison, Dan O'Rourke and Bill Balleza.

RELATED
- WATCH: Ron Stone covers the 80s in 'So Long Urban Cowboy'
- What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?
- VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone
- WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast
- VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry
- VIDEO: Classic Houston TV hosts talk about golden age

WATCH: Ron Stone and KPRC 2 look back at JFK Assassination

KPRC 2 "The Scene At Five" 25th Anniversary of JFK Assassination


In 1988, KPRC 2's Ron Stone, Doug Johnson with reporters Ron Regan (now chief investigative reporter at WEWS in Cleveland) and Catherine Smith remembered the 25th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

This look back was done on channel 2's "The Scene at Five" and aired live from the Sam Houston Coliseum - the last place JFK made a major speech before his death.

RELATED
- WATCH: Ron Stone covers the 80s in 'So Long Urban Cowboy'
- What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?
- VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone
- WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast
- VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry
- VIDEO: Classic Houston TV hosts talk about golden age

Ron Stone reporting in 1962 for KHOU

Here is recently uploaded video to YouTube of legendary Houston news anchor Ron Stone reporting in 1962 from High Island on how Hurricane Carla (1961) was still hurting Texas ranchers.

The YouTube uploader titled this as airing on KPRC, but Stone did not work for channel 2 until the early 70s.  

So this must be Stone's time at channel 11. 

Here is the transcript of the report:

"This is Texas cattle country. Ranchers in this area have made thousands of dollars in the past, and they'll make it again. 

They traditionally have their problems with the weather. It's either too hot like it is today or sometimes too cold. And they're having problems now with the effects of a weather phenomenon of last year.

 Hurricane Carla deposited large pools and some small pools of salt water all over the area. And in them gigantic mosquitoes have bred. And it's the mosquitoes that are giving cattle like these fits this summer. 

So far, the loss has been estimated at somewhere around a half million to two million dollars in deaths of cattle. 

These cattle traditionally are lean and mean, but they're leaner now than they have been. They very rarely stand still. They're always swishing their tail and flicking their ears or stomping their feet to keep dreaded mosquitoes away. 

The mosquitoes have pounced on them in such numbers that in some places the cattle move around all the time and don't have time to eat. And as a result, they die from simply starving to death. 

Farmers have told me that young calves being born are abandoned by the mother because she just can't stand to stay with them. The mosquitoes have driven her away. 

A waterhole where these cattle take refuge from the midday's heat, could be the same waterhole that is spawning the thousands of mosquitoes that are driving them crazy during the day. 

This branch is dry now, but mosquitoes have come from it with a little bit of rain, a little standing water. More can come. 

Farmers and ranchers say the problem is a serious one. The federal government, they say, should help. Some help they say is needed. Something has to be done about the mosquitoes. It's a job they can't take care of themselves. 

This is Ron Stone reporting from High Island on the Texas Gulf Coast."

Larry Weidman: From KPRC 2 to NBC News

Larry Weidman spent a huge chunk of his television news career at KPRC 2 starting in the 1960s working his way up from Reporter, Photographer, Radio News Anchor, Producer, Associate News Director to News Director.  

He recalls his time working for channel 2, the legendary Ray Miller and the Hobby Family. 

Plus, you will read how Weidman moved from KPRC to the network level working around the world!

Mike McGuff: You worked in Wichita Falls in the 1960s and then moved to Houston in the latter part of the decade, what was it like moving to a big market station like KPRC 2 at that time?

Larry Weidman: It took me a year to move to Houston for good. In the summer of ’65, I came to Houston on vacation from KAUZ-TV in Wichita Falls (where I grew up), to look up Jon Burkhart, who left Wichita Falls a year earlier to direct at KPRC. It happened that was the week of Gemini 4—the first spaceflight controlled by the new Manned Spacecraft Center. KPRC was handling the remote for NBC News, at Building 6 and the Crest Hotel across NASA Road 1 from the entrance to the MSC. One of their crew got sick, and Jon hired me to be the night floor manager in the “Bubble Studio” NBC had built on the roof of the Crest. It had floor-to-ceiling clear glass windows overlooking the MSC, with no curtains or filters. Launch day was to be in color for the first time, so NBC brought in a one-camera truck with an RCA TK-41 color camera, and it needed a lot of light.

David Brinkley walked into the studio, sat down at the anchor desk, and said (in Brinkley voice), “Who did the lighting? (Brinkley pause) Roto-broil?” He was right, the lighting was brutal to overcome the daylight streaming through the glass. That week was a great experience for me, I got to work with a lot of NBC folks, “Rocket” Roy Neal, Aline Saarinen, Ray Scherer, and got my first look at Ray Miller, who did some reporting for NBC. I even sat in the back of the room when Ron Stone interviewed Mike Wallace for KHOU. Ron had come to Houston from KSWO-TV, in the Wichita Falls/Lawton market a couple of years earlier, and we had friends in common.

I also talked to two other ex-KAUZ friends who worked across the street in Public Affairs at NASA. That led to my leaving KAUZ a month later and starting a job as a media producer in the Public Affairs Office at NASA. But a couple of weeks after I started, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara came back from Vietnam and announced the first of the big troop buildups for the war, and a consequent jump in the draft. So I wound up staying just two months at NASA and going back to Wichita Falls for classes at Midwestern University, and my student deferment. But I did get to work in the MOCR for Gemini 5, as the producer for the overnight voice of Mission Control, Terry White. That’s the same Mission Control used for the remainder of the Gemini program, and then Apollo, and which was recently restored.

Back in Wichita Falls, I worked weekends that school year at KWFT, an old-time, locally owned AM radio station doing some sports, some news and some board shifts as a DJ. In the summer of ’66, I went back to Houston for summer classes in Radio-TV at UH. By then, my friend Ted Shaw (another ex-KAUZ’er) was also working at KPRC, and he and Jon Burkhart convinced me to apply to Ray Miller for a job. The chief cameraman, Bob Harper, looked at a reel of film stories I’d shot at KAUZ, and then Ray offered me the best job I ever had in TV working ten hours a day Saturday and Sunday as a photog and reporter, for fifty bucks a week. I had a paid-off VW bug, shared a “Sin Alley” apartment with Ted on Mid Lane and went to summer school at UH during the week.

Unfortunately, that weekend gig only lasted a month before Ray offered me a fulltime job as the night police reporter/photographer/editor. My first day at work was August 1, 1966: the Charles Whitman-in-the-Texas-Tower day. Ray called me in early and sent me down to Needville where the family of Whitman’s wife lived. He had killed her, and his mother, the night before. I did some interviews with neighbors, and that night we did a half-hour special on the shooting, with me live in the studio. Welcome to Houston.

MM:  Talk about working at KPRC under the Hobby family, Ray Miller and other amazing talents such as Ron Stone?

LW: KPRC was a big-time operation, even then. They had color news film with their own processor the year before, and about the time I started, the switch to color studio broadcasts. Larry Rasco was the prime anchor then, but Steve Smith came to work about the same time and began doing the 10:00. The reporter and photographer ranks were just as impressive. But it all revolved around one man, Ray Miller. It seemed as if he did everything. He was the news director, assignments editor, the executive producer; he did editorials, and a weekly interview program called “The Last Word.” He also co-anchored big events, like election night. There was a picture frame hanging on the wall in the newsroom at this point we were still in the 1952-era building on South Post Oak near where the Lakes of Post Oak are now and in this frame was a big paper mache needle, with the legend: “The Needler.” That was something I think the city council had given him when he became news director and quit covering City Hall. I expect there was relief down there when that happened.

But the point is, Ray was a newsman from the soles of his feet. He had been a submariner in the Navy in World War II and was recalled for the Korean War. He had nerves of steel, and absolutely did not suffer fools gladly or any other way. If he gave you an assignment, you would do just about anything other than fail to return with the goods. The people who survived working for him revered him, people like Frank Dobbs, Steve Smith, Cal Thomas, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ron Stone, Sara Lowrey Mackie, Bob Brandon...the list goes on and on.

Here’s the other thing--the guy Ray worked for, Jack Harris, was just as tough. The Hobby family brought Harris to Houston from Nashville after the war just as they were buying Channel 2. And he ran it from 1949 until he retired in the mid-80’s. He had been General McArthur’s radio chief in the Pacific, and was there for the surrender of the Japanese, setting up the live radio coverage of the ceremony on the USS Missouri and the arrival of Americans to take over Radio Tokyo. He was a bird colonel when the war ended. Mrs. Hobby, Oveta Culp Hobby, was also a colonel, of course. She had been commander of the Women’s Army Corps during the war. In the Army, the date you get your promotion is a big thing, and her date-of-rank for colonel was earlier than Col. Harris’, so she outranked him, and never let him forget it.

By the way, here’s a book plug. Don Carleton is Executive Director of the Briscoe Center for American History at UT Austin, and he’s written a great book which covers a lot of the history of Houston Media: The Governor and the Colonel—A Dual Biography of William P. Hobby and Oveta Culp Hobby.

MM: So when you left KPRC for NBC News in 1980, did that mean moving desks to the NBC bureau in the same building? What was that experience like? 

LW: I started at the NBC News Bureau on March 31,1980. The bureau was actually located across the driveway from Channel 2’s “new (1972)” building on the Southwest Freeway. But I didn’t go to the office that day. My first assignment as a network field producer was a news conference at Texas Stadium in Irving, where Roger Staubach announced his retirement from the Dallas Cowboys. It was obviously a big deal in Texas, it even made NBC Nightly News.

As news director at KPRC, my time had been filled with management stuff and very little hands-on news work. That changed overnight, literally. At NBC, my days were all news: looking for stories, setting up logistics for travel, working with crews on shoots, helping correspondents with scripts and editors cutting the stories. The Houston Bureau’s principal area of responsibility, aside from Texas, included Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and some of New Mexico, but I traveled all over the country on stories, sometimes with correspondents from New York or Washington.

MM:  Many local TV journalists dream about moving to the networks like you did.  What was that move like?

LW: I was lucky because I had been able to watch an amazing team of network people up close for years, because as I said, the actual bureau was literally next door. The Bureau Chief for most of those years was Arthur Lord, a dynamic newsman. The correspondents were George Lewis and Sandy Gilmour; producers Don Critchfield and A’Lelia Bundles. And the true ringmaster was bureau coordinator Joyce Barnell, a legend in her own right. We saw them all the time and when I got the chance to move across the driveway to the Bureau, it seemed very comfortable.

MM:  What was the difference between working in a familiar place to you like Houston or Dallas and then moving off to the Tel Aviv and Rome bureaus? 

LW: When I got the call about Tel Aviv, the first thing I did was call Tom Cheatham in New York. He had been Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv, and his first piece of advice was to go over and meet the people in the Bureau. I did and loved it. My wife was born in Scotland and her family emigrated to Canada and then the US when she was a child. So, she kind of knew what to expect. Our daughter was eight and adapted quickly to the American International School. By the time we moved onto Rome three years and a half years later, we were all seasoned ex-pats:)

MM:  You recently donated some of your tape archives to the Texas Archive of the Moving Image.  Why do you think it is important for these stories to be archived? 

LW: In my years at KPRC, we were covering a city expanding and changing every day. It was explosive growth. But we were able to draw a direct line to the start of TV coverage and use our film and video files to give some perspective to our daily coverage. So, I’ve always had an appreciation of trying to preserve our visual history. Once electronic news gathering came along, it was much easier to hold on to personal videotapes, and so I did through the years. And then, amazingly, Caroline Frick and her team at TAMI came along so there was a place pass on what I had saved. Thankfully, KPRC and KHOU felt the same way, and that’s where their archives are now.

MM: Anything else you want to add?

LW: I just would say that the Texas Archive of the Moving Image is doing something now, that generations to come will appreciate. TAMI is also trying to upgrade its technical operation with a state-of-the-art scanner for faster and better film preservation, along with other improvements. Contributions are welcome: https://texasarchive.org/support-us

Larry Weidman's resume

1963-1965
 KAUZ-TV, Wichita Falls, Texas
Photographer, Reporter, Anchor

1965
NASA/MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER, Houston, Texas
Media Producer

1965-1966
KWFT-AM, Wichita Falls, Texas
News/Sports Anchor

1966-1980
KPRC-TV-AM, Houston, Texas
Reporter, Photographer, Radio News Anchor, Producer, Associate News Director, News Director

1968-1970
U.S. ARMY, Würzburg/Nürnberg, West Germany
Broadcast Specialist, Third Infantry Div.; Host, “Marne Monitor.”

1980-2004
NBC NEWS, New York, NY
Bureau Chief: Houston, Tel Aviv, Rome Correspondent/ Producer: Dallas
Retired September, 2004

2005-2010
AMERICAN RED CROSS, Washington, DC
Public Affairs Media Training

EMMY© NOMINATIONS

1992
Outstanding Instant Coverage of a Single News Story
NBC News Special: “City on Fire” (The Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles)
Producer

2001
Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast
NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw: “Attack on America” (September 11, 2001)
Producer

The Eyes of Texas December 14, 1985 VIDEO

Fans of "The Eyes of Texas" with KPRC 2 anchor Ron Stone will love this find by TAMI of the December 14, 1985 of the long-running show (syndicated from 1969 to 1993).

In this episode:

- Producer Gary James shops for antiques at Country Revivals in Brenham

- Dickens on the Strand festival in Galveston

- Producer Bill Springer profiles a Nederland teenager who makes and sells boudin in his spare time

- Ron Stone visits the Pan American University-Brownsville Marine Biology Laboratory on South Padre Island

- Stone also hikes through Comanche Creek near Lajitas, looking for Native American pictographs

Dave Ward and his emotional goodbye from KTRK abc13

This is the end of a Houston TV era...


It is only fitting that after receiving the key to the city from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett declaring May 3rd his day, that KTRK abc13 50 year anchor and Guinness World Records holder Dave Ward was apparently having enough of the adulation.

"I told Laura (Ward) I'm getting sick and tired of hearing crap about Dave Ward to tell you the truth," the legendary anchor told the throng of TV cameras and gathered crowd of loyal viewers in front of Houston City Hall (even competing TV stations showed up to cover Ward's honor).

Before his public words, Ward spent more than an hour signing autographs for a long line of fans. I'm sure it's not that the TV newsman wasn't thrilled after the last 48 hours of people celebrating his esteemed journalism career, but if you know Ward, it makes sense. While a larger than life presence in your television, in real life, he is a quiet and modest guy.

And the accolades were not over for Ward. After the public event was over, all of the KTRK staff and dignitaries, were ushered into the Houston City Hall Legacy room for a luncheon and video preview of a Dave Ward documentary to air on channel 13 this Sunday night (UPDATE: “Good Evening Friends, I’m Dave Ward” airs Sunday night at 10:35pm).

The day before had been an emotional whirlwind for Ward from what I am told. It all started with his big sendoff from KTRK. He addressed the newsroom staff in the afternoon for the last time in a very frank and honest way from what I hear. Then it was time to prepare for his official goodbye from the Disney ABC Television Group stations's 6pm newscast. The ratings were very good from what I'm told.

With the many of the staff in the studio, Ward said goodbye to his loyal newscast audience for the last time. Viewers like myself were not even alive when he started with the station in 1966. Ward has been like a member of the family telling us about the good, bad and the ugly. From the highs of Houston Rockets championships to the lows of wars and terrorist attacks, Houston tuned in to watch what Uncle Dave had to report. In the good times, we could celebrate with him, in the bad times, maybe in some way he could calm us down and reassure us things would get better.

And with Dave Ward, you know you were getting the story straight. In the era of fake news, we can appreciate a time when anchors like Ward just gave us the facts without the tabloid sensationalism other stations dabbled in.

I was recently talking with a professional media writer who said things won't be the same anymore without Ward in the anchor chair. The end of the era has come to a close.

It's often said in Houston media circles that if you had a Mount Rushmore for Houston TV news their would be three faces - Dave Ward, Steve Smith of KHOU 11 and Ron Stone of KPRC 2. Ward even brought up Stone in his television goodbye remarks saying he was one of the greatest in Houston TV history (READ MORE: Dave Ward's relationship with Ron Stone and Steve Smith, plus how Dave was all about Luv Ya Blue and the Oilers).

After the news, the big names of KTRK headed over to Willie G's on Post Oak Blvd in Uptown to a private party thrown by CNBC Billion Dollar Buyer star and CEO of Landry's Inc., Tilman Fertitta.

KTRK past greats like Shara Fryer, Jan Carson, Tim Melton were also in attendance. I also saw Houston sports legends like Astros Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell and Oilers Hall of Fame defensive end Elvin Bethea.

Now us Dave Ward fans will have to stay tuned to see what's next for the anchor. Since he has the Crime Stoppers of Houston headquarters named after him, I'm sure that organization will be in his future.

"I just can't tell you how much I appreciate your friendship, your loyalty over all these years," Ward told the crowd at city hall in his baritone voice. "This is the city I love and I love you all."

FULL COVERAGE: Hear Dave Ward's stories about his past

davewardshouston.com/

* added/corrected quotes and video after original publishing

Ron Stone's KHOU 11 report on people looking to be buried to break a record

KHOU 11's Ron Stone (yep, before KPRC 2) report on people looking to be buried to break a record. And check out those old Houston accents.

Doug Johnson of KPRC has died

Beloved former KPRC 2 weatherman Doug Johnson had passed away at the age of 79


It's with sad news I pass on the news that one of Houston's most popular weathermen, KPRC's Doug Johnson, 79, has died, his former station is reporting.

I can still remember sitting in my grandmother's living room watching her TV friends Ron Stone and Doug Johnson on the "Scene at 5" just having a friendly conversation on the channel 2 newscast. Years later, I watched a clip of those two again and it was amazing how effortless they made it look compared to today's more scripted fare.

RELATED
Video: KPRC 2 remembers Doug Johnson

I would guess that was the appeal of Johnson, he really was like someone you knew in real life. He also helped pioneer television news while covering some dangerous Houston weather.

Johnson was also a fixture on 950 KPRC AM when the Hobby family owned both the television and radio stations, probably only making him more popular with Houstonians.

According to the Liberty County Vindicator newspaper, Johnson was born in the Houston Heights and was a fifth generation Texan. He attended Reagan High School, TCU, Alaska Baptist University and Alaska University.

His first radio job was at KBYR Anchorage, Alaska. He joined KPRC in 1962 and remained on the NBC affiliate until 1994.

Johnson returned to Houston morning TV after KPRC on what was at the time KNWS 51.

In KPRC's excellent story on Johnson's life, the station featured the infamous clip of Wilma the Weather Chicken. Yes, there was a chicken before Radar the Weather Dog.

Johnson told Ernie Manouse on A Conversation on Houston Classic TV on Houston Public Media TV 8 KUHT in 2012 all about the clip which I have transcribed below.

"Ron Stone thought of millions of things over the years that would make my life miserable. And he always thought I needed help with the weather and Wilma the Weather Chicken was one of his inventions," "He presented it to me on the five o'clock show. And he told me to open up the lid, take the chicken out, and it would peck food from the bowl indicating the weather for the next day. We had a bowl called 'partly cloudy,' one called 'cloudy,' and one called 'clear.' So I reach in to grab the chicken, and I've seen chickens before, I had spent some time on the farm up in Franklin, TX, but I had never seen a chicken like this one before. It looked more like the cross between a buzzard and a dove. And it bit me as I was taking it out. And I enjoy sympathy so I wore a big bandage to work the next day. Anyway I set the chicken down and it took off. It didn't peck from any of the bowls, but flew up into the rafters after it landed on Bill Worrell's desk and defecated. But it stayed into the rafters for probably a week until they hired a wrangler to come out and get it."

Steve Smith, former KHOU 11 anchor, talks KPRC 2 newscast 'Scene at 5'

Former KHOU 11 anchor Steve Smith's guest mikemcguff.com post

1968 election night at KPRC with the late Ray Miller (News Director), the late Larry Rasco (Anchor), Steve Smith and Scene at 5 producer Bill Springer (courtesy Steve Smith).

Former KHOU 11 anchor Steve Smith wrote mikemcguff.com a guest post about the KPRC 2 newscast "The Scene at 5." This after I linked to a video clip of the show's re-birth on 4/4/1988 with Ron Stone and Doug Johnson. Hey look, that was 25 years ago today.

Steve Smith - 20 years ago

Smith is here to tell us about the original "Scene at 5" on channel 2 he created and anchored back in the late 1960s. I am honored to bring you Steve Smith to this blog:

"The Scene at 5 on Channel 2 started in either 1968 or 1969 (the memory goes first) when local TV talk personality Chris Chandler left KPRC to do other things.

Longtime Channel 2 News Director and Southwest TV News legend Ray Miller and Channel 2 GM Jack Harris gave that 5 PM half hour to yours truly, and told me to do something with it. I was already anchoring the 10 PM news at that point. The concept was ours...that is, mine, along with ace producers Bill Springer and Elsa Ransom, and later, director Bruce Bryant.

Steve Smith - current

We wanted to keep it light, with little hard news, and always wanted to include a little weather (and other business) chat with weatherman Doug Johnson at the end. I did the show for approximately five years before following the money and moving to an anchor job at KDKA TV in Pittsburgh in December, 1973."

Thanks Steve! Anchor Ron Stone took over the show at that point.

Houston TV news watchers will know Smith returned to Houston in 1976. He served as the main anchor of KHOU 11 for 23 years and retired 14 years ago this coming May. That's when current anchor, Greg Hurst, took over.

Smith still does voice work and writing through his company Anchor Communications, with some fishing and travelling mixed in. A Smith voice over that made news recently was his work in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom.

VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry

Before Tribune Company came up with the anchor-less NewsFix for KIAH 39, TV anchors mattered to television stations.

Look back at two Houston TV legends, Ron Stone and Doug Johnson, when they anchored the revived Scene at Five on KPRC 2 in the late 1980s. These two had a ton of on air charisma and chemistry. It is literally like watching two old friends. You don't get stuff like this outside of a morning show these days and even those newscasts are heavily formatted for the most part.

MORE VIDEO:
- KPRC The Scene at Five Premiere, 4/4/88
- KPRC Channel Two News at 10pm w/Sign Off

Behind the scenes of Big 2 News KPRC Houston - 1978

Let Ron Stone and Big 2 News take us back to 1978 when microwave signals and videotape were new to TV news, and the tape deck and camera were separate units.

Stone highlights the latest in electronic news gathering at the time and how Channel 2 got the news on air every evening.

The KPRC 2 Houston mini-doc from decades ago, just posted by the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI), features Cindy Martin, George Caldwell, Ray Miller, Larry Weidman, Doug Johnson, Phil Archer, Jack Cato, Jon Burkhart, and Steve Long. 

- The Eyes of Texas December 14, 1985 VIDEO
- KPRC Channel 2 documentary from 1965
- Mike Capps: From KPRC to WFAA, ABC and CNN

Texas TV news and radio job moves November 2023

Send tips for the monthly Texas media job list here.

- 2023 Lone Star EMMY winners

DALLAS - FORT WORTH

The Dallas Morning News correspondent Alfredo Corchado leaves the newspaper after more than 30 years. 

Brandon Todd celebrates 25 years at FOX 4 KDFW.

Derik Lattig joins the Producing staff at Merit Street Media, Dr. Phil's recently announced Network. Lattig started the Spectrum News 1 Texas' Dallas bureau three years ago and picked up an EMMY along the way. He has worked in the past for CBS Newspath and Stations in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.

Mitchell Parton leaves the Dallas Morning News to join the Dallas Business Journal as commercial real estate reporter.

Michael Autovino joins NY1 New York.

- Brooke Katz leaves CBS News Texas
- Pete Delkus of WFAA DFW honored as top meteorologist by B+C
- Keenan Willard joins NBC DFW
- The 60th Anniversary of the JFK Assassination
- DFW sports anchor "engages" with Aggie fanbase

HOUSTON

Houston Public Media afternoon anchor and transportation reporter Gail Delaughter celebrates 15 years with 88.7 KUHF.

The Houston Business Journal's new editor-in-chief, Sean McCrory, comes from the Orlando Business Journal.

10pm anchor Erica Simon celebrates 6 years with abc13 KTRK.

How Rockets, Astros are navigating new order of regional sports networks.

Bun B has a song request for CW39 Chief Meteorologist Adam Krueger.

Houston-based SuiteRadio announced its programs are being heard on 62 broadcast radio signals across 29 states in the USA. 

KPFT is broadcasting from Galveston on 89.5FM.

- Country Legends 97.1 Houston flips to K-LOVE
- Daji Aswad introduces herself to the KPRC 2 audience
- Kevin Ozebek gets GMA shout out
- Jonathan Bruce promoted to abc13 Houston evening anchor
- Dayna Steele interviews Mike McGuff about his mom's Alzheimer's battle
- KPRC's Moriah Ballard speaks after her experience during shooting at Prairie View A&M
- Terri Thomas exits Radio One Houston
- Abigail Dye takes over FOX 26 Crime Files
- 13 Alert Radar network launches on KTRK Houston
- CBS News anchor Michelle Miller talks to Len Cannon
- Houston TV reporter has an on-camera confrontation with mayor
- Mark Stevens of Stevens and Pruett's battle with Alzheimer's
- Khambrel Marshall announces KPRC 2 retirement
- Kim Castro moves to KHOU Houston weekdays
- Dan Rather remembers KHOU 11 Houston times
- Rashi Vats Day
- Erica Simon offers baby PSA message to viewers
- KPRC 2's 2023 "Holiday Lights Spectacular" full show video

SAN ANTONIO

KENS 5 anchor Sarah Forgany reflects on an unexpected year.

Meteorologist Justin Horne celebrates 13 years with KSAT 12.

KSAT Launches New Community-Oriented News Campaign, 'Know My Neighborhood.'

Fresh Listen: KONO San Antonio, Classic Hits’ Marconi Winner.

- Jonathan Cotto leaves KSAT 12 San Antonio
- Steven Cavazos to leave KSAT 12 San Antonio
- San Antonio TV reporter arrested on suspicion of DWI
- Alanna Sarabia leaves KENS 5 San Antonio
- Stephania Jimenez thanks viewers after her absence
- KENS 5 Sports Anchor Casey Viera and wife Selena welcome baby

AUSTIN

So Long, Longhorn Network.

Tony Plohetski named a finalist with KVUE and Austin American-Statesman for the 2024 duPont-Columbia award.

- Quita Culpepper celebrates 25 years at KVUE Austin
- Kelly Saberi joins FOX Business Network
- Dominique Newland leaves KVUE Austin
- KLOL doc featured on FOX 7 Austin 

AROUND TEXAS

News director Shauna Ziegler is celebrating 20 years with KFOX14/CBS4 El Paso.

KAUZ’s Jaden Knowles Fulfills Dream, Is First Black Meteorologist In Wichita Falls.

Heather Healy joins 25 News KXXV Waco-Temple-Killeen as a reporter/MMJ. Healy most recently worked as a Lifestyle Host/Sideline Reporter Local 15 WPMI Mobile, Alabama. She is a graduate of the University Of Oklahoma.

10pm producer AJ Lopez joins KENS 5 from 3 News KIII Corpus Christi.

- William Johnson joins CBS19 East Texas
- New KRIS 6 Corpus Christi studio 2023
- Trey Meynig of 25 News Victoria shares his struggle with Parkinson's Disease
- Natassia Paloma and Trevor Thompson leaving KTSM 9 News El Paso
- Texas TV anchors getting engaged
- Todd Unger leaves KXXV 25 Waco

REMEMBERING

Big 2 News mourns late anchor Eddie Flores.

William Stevenson Stone, formerly of KHOU 11 and son of KPRC 2 anchor Ron Stone, has died.

KPRC 2 10pm newscast May 10, 1985

What was happening in Houston TV news on 5/10/1985?
Thanks to the magic of YouTube uploaders who apparently pulled out the old VHS on that day, we can find out.
Houston TV History has uploaded this complete KPRC 2 10pm newscast from the mid 1980s.
The "2 News" anchors were Jan Carson, Bill Balleza in for Ron Stone, weather with  Doug Johnson and Sports Director Ron Franklin.
You'll see reports from Rick Nelson, Bob Nicholas and Ford Atkinson.
Oh, and the original commercials are still in!

Phil Archer to retire from KPRC 2

Phil Archer announced his retirement from KPRC 2 will take place March 4, 2021 after 44 years with the Houston NBC affiliate.

RELATED
Phil Archer retirement videos

The legendary Houston reporter has covered it all, including being stabbed and knocked unconscious during the Moody Park Riots coverage (which is now the subject of a Vox Media podcast called the Chicano Squad.) More on this in a minute.

"Phil’s the guy you send when your own reputation is on the line," former NBC News Bureau Chief and KPRC reporter Larry Weidman told mikemcguff.com. "He always delivers and he has for nearly half a century.  Plus, he’s also from Wichita Falls."

Phil Archer's early life

The Wichita Falls, TX native graduated from S.H. Rider High School in 1969 and headed to Houston to attend the University of Houston. 

"I’ve been fortunate enough to make my career in Houston, which is one of the best news towns in the country," Archer said in his bio.  "I’ve worked with some of the most talented journalists in the business; folks who pursued the craft with honesty, accuracy, and passion. It is more than a job – it’s a calling."

Archer got started in the Houston news business with the Houston News Service which was owned by Jack Cato and George Nelson.

That led to a job at Big 2 KPRC in 1976. Archer replaced Mike Capps on the Channel 2 night police beat.

"From the time he walked in, he became a sponge, using his biting wit, his raucous sense of humor, and good ole boy Wichita Falls, Texas charm, learning the rudiments of our craft as quickly as he could and as a result won over all of us in the newsroom," Capps, who later worked for WFAA, ABC and CNN, told mikemcguff.com.

Moody Park Riots and Phil Archer

In 1978, Archer and Cato, who was also working for KPRC, were covering the Moody Park Riots, sparked by the death of Joe Campos Torres by the actions of Houston police officers. 

"There was a car on fire and ambulance supervisor's car on fire," Archer told KPRC in 2019. "And so we went past the police line to get video of that. When we we're doing that, we got jumped. And so that's that's how it ended for me. We were...Jack was stabbed. I was knocked unconscious and stabbed. We watched the rest of the rioting lasted another two days, three days from our hospital rooms."

"Their camera gear was cut up and news car destroyed along with several police and fire vehicles," retired KPRC 2 photographer John Treadgold told mikemcguff.com.  "Both Phil and Jack went right back to covering the same stories afterwards, sometimes going in before police or firefighters. They were the best in the city in this regard."

In the KPRC history book, "The Fault Does Not Lie With Your Set - The First Forty Years of Houston Television," Archer described his face looking "like hamburger" with cuts, bruises and a particularly nasty gash on the top of his head. He recalled police officers believing he had been stabbed in the crotch.  So they laid him on the hood of a patrol car. An officer, who has previously been a nurse, ripped open his pants to examine if he had been castrated. 

KTRK photographer Dave Davis, who later became WABC New York's General Manager, caught the moment on camera. 

Archer was stabbed in his rear end and bleeding profusely - turning his blue pants red. 

Fortunately, some kids nearby dragged Archer out of harm's way.

"And and if those kids had not gotten me out when they did, I might very well bled to death because I lost...I was close at the time...I lost a lot of blood," Archer recalled in his 2019 interview with the station.  "So a lot of things luckily happened in the right order for it...to prevent it...from being a really bad day for my mom."

"He obviously laid it on the line in Moody Park, and I think that reportage from Phil and Jack Cato that night pretty much summarizes who Phil Archer is as a news reporter," Capps added.  "He offered an intrepid attitude, a no nonsense demeanor and thoroughness beyond reproach as his reportorial tools. Professionalism personified, an unbridled passion for his craft and the stories he reported, and a respect for those who watched his work, simply sets him apart from most and he did it for more than 40 years."

 When Archer woke up in the hospital, he was concerned about the whereabouts of his expensive TV news camera, especially when his news director Ray Miller came to visit. He was also concerned about not wearing a tie while covering the riot, a must for Miller who had a rule all news photographers had to look professional.

For his coverage of the riot, Archer received the Perringer Award from the Texas Association of Broadcasters.

That would not be his only award on the shelf.  According to his bio, Archer has received more than 50 awards from the likes of the Associated Press, Texas Association of Broadcasters, Houston Press Club and other organizations.

In 1983, Archer was selected as a William Benton Fellow at the University of Chicago which was a program designed to "advance the work of midcareer radio and television professionals, enabling them to bring greater depth and understanding to their work."

The Moody Park Riot story will always come up in Phil Archer retirement goodbye pieces.  But Archer's journalistic career is so much more than that one moment.  

What fellow journalists say about Archer

He has been that steady voice on KPRC for four decades, who can cover any story with grace and ease, no matter the difficult subject matter.  Sources trust him, the Houston television news community respects him and as you will read below, his co-workers liked and looked up to him.

"The only thing I could add is that Phil was one of my ethical policemen in the newsroom," former KPRC news manager Rich McFarland told mikemcguff.com.  "You always need watchdogs asking journalists in the room, 'Why are we doing this story?'  As a manager it can be a pain in the ass but you appreciate the question.  He was also a great coworker, mentor, and friend."

"Phil Archer was a veteran reporter when I was born, so this news is depressing," former abc13 KTRK investigative reporter Wayne Dolcefino told mikemcguff.com. " His knowledge of Houston is irreplaceable. The consummate tv reporter.  He has done this town proud." 

For this blog post, I reached out to those reporters and anchors who worked with Archer throughout his career.  They enthusiastically shared their respect and stories from their time with him.

“You could do an entire blog on 'Phil moments' at KPRC, but among my favorites are Phil riding the trail to Houston with the Rodeo cowboys," former KPRC anchor Linda Lorelle told mikemcguff.com.  "On horseback. Every year and loving every moment.  Whether covering the Rodeo or Hurricane Katrina, Phil is a consummate storyteller whose passion and perspective give Houston viewers a bird’s eye view unlike any other.  It’s a privilege to have worked with him during my years on the anchor desk at KPRC.  Happy Trails, my friend, as you enjoy your well deserved retirement!"

"Always loved talking about Texas history and folklore with Phil," former KPRC reporter Ron Stone, Jr. told me.  "We’d talk about our love for J. Frank Dobie’s books or he would quote an obscure Western Swing song lyric and it was just a great way to stay sane in the midst of the chaos of a TV newsroom."

“It’s the end of an era," former KPRC reporter Mary Benton told mikemcguff.com.  "Phil Archer is a consummate professional and a wonderful person. Full disclosure - it took time for me to warm up to him when we first met, because I assumed we would not have anything in common. Over my 20 year tenure at KPRC, we sat near each other in the newsroom, and I got to see Phil for who he is - decent, sensitive, hilarious and a great storyteller. He has earned his retirement and I wish him all the best!” 

"Phil is a reporter's reporter. An absolute legend in Houston news," former KPRC morning anchor/reporter Rachel McNeill told mikemcguff.com.  "I learned so much from watching him work. His tenacity, his dedication and his wicked sense of humor are unmatched. You could always count on his support from your very first day in the newsroom and he always kept us laughing with his classic Texas quips!"

Former KPRC reporter Suzanne Boase Honeycutt shared these great moments which I am including in full:

"Phil will hate me for saying this, but I watched him on TV as a kid when my family moved to Houston from Australia.  He looked like a cowboy, seemed larger than life, and told amazing stories.  He was just so good at what he did - a great writer and reporter.  I desperately wanted to make it to the Houston market someday like Phil.

When I first started working at KPRC in the mid 90’s, I was excited and a little intimidated to get to work alongside him.   Phil was the senior reporter – he’s always been the senior reporter! - and has a wicked wit. I quickly learned though that under the zingers is a very sweet man.

I shared a desk with him.  I’ll never forget his kindness to me, offering suggestions and sharing potential sources for stories.  His knowledge of Houston and its history is second to none.  But he zinged me, too:  I remember Phil noticing a zit on my face one day - that was carefully concealed, so I thought - and asking me about my third eye!  Whenever I wanted to get him back, I reminded him that I was watching him on TV when I was in elementary school.

Phil is simply the best at what he does. He has covered every important story in SE Texas for the past 40 years.  What strikes me is he has never lost his zeal to chase a story and tell it better than anyone else. Phil makes complex stories – like the collapse of Enron and the Arthur Andersen trial – understandable.  But what I remember most is how Phil lights up every year at rodeo time.  He is a real cowboy and loves every minute covering the rodeo and enjoying the festivities after.

Phil is the consummate journalist. I cannot even begin to imagine how many stories he has told!  His very well-deserved retirement is a true loss for KPRC and for Houston."

Former KPRC 2 reporter Brendan Keefe shares his thoughts with me concerning Archer:

"Phil Archer is the dean of Houston TV news. Phil IS Texas. You know those people you see at rodeo who clearly just bought a brand new Stetson, as if it's about dress up? They're the opposite of Phil Archer. When we say Phil is hanging up his spurs, it's not a figurative description of his retirement. Phil literally hangs up his spurs because he has one of the best antique spur collections in all of Texas. 

When I was a cub reporter at KPRC, I absolutely relied on Phil for both pronunciations of Houston streets and Texas towns, but also for his encyclopedic knowledge of history. Phil's institutional knowledge was absolutely indispensable. 

Some reporters and anchors would get on a horse for a brief on-camera appearance during a trail ride -- Phil actually quietly and humbly participated in the trail ride every year. Real cowboys don't have to show off or brag. Phil is a real cowboy, though I can't believe he gave in and shaved the mustache. 

Phil Archer is the real deal. He is also kind and generous. No one since the great Ron Stone, Sr. is worthy of the title The Eyes of Texas. Phil has earned that moniker one story at a time over decades."

Now Archer will spend more time with his wife Joy and look back at a fantastic career.

"I never wanted to do anything else," Archer wrote in his bio.  "Working as a journeyman reporter has given me a front row seat to the major events and personalities of our time, and the chance to provide a vital public service."

Bill Balleza to hit 50 years on TV with KPRC 2 contract extension

KPRC 2's Bill Balleza to stay in anchor chair through 2021

Bill Balleza

After deciding to continue in his anchor role at KPRC 2, Bill Balleza will hit 50 years on the air in a few years, although not with the same station the entire time. With his latest contract extension, he will keep anchoring at channel 2 through 2021.

Balleza's illustrious TV career started as a gamble.

After serving three years in the Marine Corps (including 13 months in Vietnam where he was positioned as a scout/sniper), broadcasting was a degree Balleza's guidance counselor at San Antonio College advised him not to pursue. The reason, at the time in the late 1960s, Balleza says few Hispanics were working in the industry.

"I chose broadcasting anyway because there was no math requirement, and I had flunked algebra twice in high school," Balleza told mikemcguff.com.

Graduating with a degree he never expected to use, Balleza did manage to land a job on the floor crew at his hometown station KSAT San Antonio. And then Balleza says his big break came.

"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."

Houston's own KHOU 11 hired the young Balleza as a reporter in 1973.

Balleza moved to KPRC in 1980, following the legendary Ron Stone as main anchor in 1990.

"Looking back, algebra might be the main reason my career will span 50 years when I retire in June of 2021," Balleza joked.

And on that summer five years from now, Houston viewers will say goodbye to another television legend. But hey, maybe we can twist his arm to sign another five year extension!

RELATED
- KPRC 2 claims top spot in November 2016 sweeps
- KPRC 2 launches new graphics package 2016

KPRC's official release:

KPRC 2 EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH VETERAN EVENING NEWS ANCHOR BILL BALLEZA

Emmy-Winning Journalist’s Career Spans More Than Four Decades

Houston, TX: KPRC 2 is proud to announce longtime news anchor Bill Balleza has renewed his commitment to Houston news viewers with a contract extension into 2021.

Balleza, who joined KPRC 2 in August of 1980, began his career as a reporter at San Francisco’s KRON-TV in July of 1971. With his contract extension, Balleza is set to reach a milestone of 50 years in television broadcasting.

“We are delighted that our viewers can continue to count on Bill, who they’ve known and trusted as a leader in the Houston community for more than 35 years,” said KPRC 2 VP/General Manager, Jerry Martin. “His energy and presence at the anchor desk represents the gold standard in the broadcast industry. I know our viewers join me in my enthusiasm as they welcome Bill into their homes on KPRC 2 News well into the future.”

Balleza anchors KPRC 2 News at 5pm, 6pm and 10pm, Monday through Friday.

“I am so grateful to be part of such a great news organization with such dedicated and caring professionals,” said Balleza. “I am grateful, too, for the opportunity to report news in the most dynamic and diverse city in America. The Houston area is a great place to live, and I’m so proud to have called Houston home for most of my adult life.”

KPRC 2 News at 10 with Bill Balleza, Dominique Sachse, Frank Billingsley and Randy McIlvoy is a consistent ratings leader and scored a dominant victory during the November 2016 Nielsen measurement period with a 2.7 rating representing a full point advantage over the nearest competitor (Adults 25-54 based on Nielsen Live + SD overnights, Monday-Friday for the measurement period of October 27, 2016 through November 23, 2016).

A native Texan, Balleza graduated from San Antonio College. He is a Vietnam veteran who served as a Marine Scout Sniper during the Tet Offensive of 1968.

Balleza’s remarkable journalism career has found him covering historic events like the Murrah Federal Building explosion in Oklahoma City, the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the election of Pope Francis and much more. He won an Emmy for his reporting on the deadly fertilizer company explosion in West, TX.