Shannon LaNier, KIAH CW39 Houston "Morning Dose" anchor, is a ninth generation direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings
Shannon LaNier
CW39 Houston "Morning Dose" KIAH anchor Shannon LaNier is a ninth generation direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings.
Recently LaNier participated in a Smithsonian Magazine project where photographer Drew Gardner re-imagines historical figures through the eyes of their living descendants.
In the photo, LaNier chose not to wear a wig like Jefferson.
“I didn’t want to become Jefferson,” LaNier told Smithsonian Magazine. “My ancestor had his dreams—and now it’s up to all of us living in America today to make sure no one is excluded from the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The Kent State University graduate, has been co-anchoring "Morning Dose" with Sharron Melton since 2018. He previously worked as the weekend morning anchor at Fios1 News in New York.
"It is #BitterSweet that the LaNier family says goodbye to #Houston," LaNier posted on Instagram. "We #LOVED our time here & will never forget all the amazing #friends & #family members we have gained. This week's posts will be dedicated to #HTown as we make our way to... Florida! Watch out #MickeyMouse here we come. Bigger announcement will come next Monday;) #StayTuned... don't DM to ask;) haha."
Note to self...do not slide into his DMs.
Before Houston, LaNier was a weekend morning anchor at Fios1 News in New York.
Previously LaNier hosted daily culture and entertainment series “Arise Entertainment 360,” which aired aired on Centric, BET’s sister station.
He also worked on Black Enterprise Magazine’s “Black Enterprise Business Report” and “Our World With Black Enterprise” as a correspondent and senior producer.
LaNier also worked as a multi-media journalist (MMJ) for the News 12 Networks.
The Kent State University grad joined WCBS New York as a segment producer after college.
He starts today, June 21, 2021 in an anchor role. Here are platforms where you can watch BNC.
LaNier has always had high-profile jobs throughout his broadcasting career.
After graduating from Kent State University, LaNier entered the television news world at WCBS New York as a segment producer.
He then joined the News 12 Networks on the East Coast as a multi-media journalist (MMJ).
Later LaNier worked on Black Enterprise Magazine’s “Black Enterprise Business Report” and “Our World With Black Enterprise” as a correspondent and senior producer.
He also hosted daily culture and entertainment series “Arise Entertainment 360,” which aired aired on Centric, BET’s sister station.
In February 2020, I interviewed LaNier about his podcast, Daddy Duty 365.
As I wrote last summer, LaNier authored, "Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family." The book covers his story about being a ninth generation direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings.
CW39 Morning Dose's Shannon LaNier tackles celebrities and fatherhood with Daddy Duty 365 podcast
CW39 Morning Dose KIAH anchor Shannon LaNier has launched a new podcast and it's geared to fathers or anyone who likes celebrity dads.
His first season of the "Daddy Duty 365" podcast includes interviews with names like Chris Pratt, Master P, Sting and Trae Tha Truth just to name a few! LaNier's goal is to go beyond the celeb's latest movie, album or comedy show and expose the fun, crazy and unpredictable lives of real Dads on Duty 365 days of the year.
Mike McGuff: There are so many mother related blogs and podcasts out there, why does there need to be one for fathers?
Shannon LaNier: There is so much negative news surrounding deadbeat dads that we have to let the world know that there are also a lot of amazing and responsible dads that are taking care of and loving their kids. We rarely hear celebrity dads talk about that side of their lives, but the “Daddy Duty 365” podcast offers that opportunities for our favorite stars to reveal the good, the bad and the funny of fatherhood. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes it’s oh so wrong, but at least they are a positive present force in their kids’ lives. We not only want to highlight our star-studded dads, #DD365 wants to help and encourage other dads to be even better fathers. We offer tips, solutions and in some cases a blue print to daddy duty 365 situations.
MM: How did you come up with the idea to produce the Daddy Duty 365 podcast?
SL: I have 3 kids and am unapologetically a present and active dad...so much so that people kept saying you have to help my husband or encourage my baby’s father. So, the Daddy Duty 365 podcast was born to help. People love and look up to celebrities, so who better for dads to listen to than their favorite athlete, actor, singer, boxer, and entertainer b/c some dads surely aren’t listening to their wives… but don’t worry, we help with that too! LOL!
MM: You have interviewed a lot of big names, what was there reaction when you started asking about their daddy duties?
SL: When interviewing celebrity dads like Chris Pratt, Sting, & Omari Hardwick to name a few, they always love talking about their kids. Most interviews give them 3 minutes to talk about their latest project, but they rarely get to talk about their most important job and the one they love the most...fatherhood. So I provide them with the outlet and they take off. I’m also always surprised at how vulnerable a lot of the celebrity dads allow themselves to be. On the Daddy Duty 365 podcast, they aren’t just saying what their publicist wants them to say, we are having real, heartfelt and thoughtful conversations. That’s a breath of fresh air!
Although the podcast is called Daddy Duty 365 and it’s for dads by dads, moms are welcome to be a fly on the wall and listen in. Even if their child’s father isn’t the best communicator, we’ll be there to fill in the gaps and tell you what they’re likely thinking. We cover just about every topic and nothing is untouchable so we’ll help out the mom’s too.
LaNier knows the dad life well as he and wife, Chandra, have three children - Madison, McKenzie and Carter. Some of the topics he and the guests discuss include mom and dad dating with kids, breast feeding (from a dad’s perspective), raising kids with special needs, homework hell, daddy dinners made easy, finding laughter after loss, dads doing hair and more.
He is also an author. LaNier co-wrote wrote the book "Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family" about his journey to uncover the history behind his heritage as a ninth generation direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings.
EXCLUSIVE: The Houston on-air team of the new Houston only "Morning Dose" debuting Monday on CW39 KIAH
Sharron Melton
As I blogged this week, Tribune's syndicated morning show Morning Dose is becoming a Houston-only newscast this Monday (10/22/2018) exclusively on CW39 KIAH from 6 to 9am.
The newly relocated show will debut a new set of on-air anchors and reporters except for Maggie Flecknoe who continues with channel 39 where she has been providing local morning cut-ins for the station..
So who are the new faces of CW39's local version of Morning Dose? According to an internal email obtained by mikemcguff.com, we have the answers!
Sharron Melton – ANCHOR
The first personality needs no introduction as she is very familiar to Houston viewers from her tenure at mornings on abc13 KTRK which ended in 2015. In fact, anchor Sharron Melton has been the subject of my number two overall post of all time!
The San Antonio native came to Houston's channel 13 in 2007 from weekend anchor duties at WSVN Miami. Prior to that, she was an anchor at WPMI Mobile, Alabama and KOBR Roswell, New Mexico. The award winning journalist got her start as a radio reporter for the Agriculture Communications Network in Texas. The Texas A&M grad also has a Master's degree in television communication from Eastern New Mexico University.
Since her KTRK days, Melton has launched her podcast “Sharing the Sugar with Sharron” where she interviews some big names about the importance of giving back to their communities.
She knows something about that.
Melton is a proud member of the International Women’s Forum Houston Chapter, the National Association of Black Journalists and has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council in Houston and Steering Committee for Women of Wardrobe with Dress For Success Houston.
Houston Woman’s Magazine named her one of the 50 Most influential Women in the City of Houston.
Shannon LaNier – ANCHOR
Shannon LaNier has most recently worked as a weekend morning anchor at Fios1 News in New York. Before that he was a multi-media journalist (One-Man-Band) at News 12 Networks.
After graduating from Kent State University, he made his New York City debut as a segment producer for the WCBS CBS2 Morning Show.
As a teenager in Cincinnati, LaNier got his first television job on “Real Exchange,” an Emmy Award winning talk show focusing on issues important to young people.
LaNier co-authored the Random House Inc. book Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family along with photojournalist Jane Feldman. The book follows his journey to uncover the history behind his heritage as a 9th generation direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings.
LaNier remains an active member of his church, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and the National Association of Black Journalists.
He’s married to his college sweetheart, Chandra, and they have three children - Madison, McKenzie and Carter.
Maria Sotolongo – METEOROLOGIST
My Dallas-Fort Worth readers will recognize Maria Sotolongo from her six years at FOX 4 KDFW's "Good Day," where she was not only a meteorologist, but also an entertainment reporter.
In 2007, Sotolongo stepped away from morning television to be a full-time mother - since moving to Houston.
During that time she also produced two documentaries. "Breathe,” about home births, earned her a Remi Award at Houston’s Worldfest.
Like many Houstonians, Sotolongo and her family were flooded by Hurricane Harvey's waters after the dam releases. Her desire is to share her journey and inspire changes so this doesn’t happen again. She most recently finished a documentary on Harvey called “Changed: When the Dams Opened”.
Before her time Dallas, Sotolongo did weather and entertainment for Telemundo’s “Primera Edicion.”
Her TV career started at just age 19 working for Telemundo’s nationally syndicated music video show, “Ritmo Latino” where she landed interviews with the likes of Julio Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez.
Sotolongo has two degrees, in Communications (University of Houston) and in Broadcast Meteorology (Mississippi State University).
Shane Allen – REPORTER
Another Dallas transplant, Shane Allen started his TV career in 2001 in Beaumont, then Austin and finally to the Metroplex. His bio says he has done everything from running newsrooms to anchoring newscasts. He comes to Houston from producing the syndicated version of Morning Dose at KDAF.
For his work, Shane has been awarded a National Edward R. Murrow Award, an EMMY Award, several regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, the national Society of Professional Journalists’ medal for excellence in reporting, as well as the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters / Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Award for outstanding work in issues related to public information.
Shane is also certified and has been trained by the Texas Office of Attorney General and the Texas Bar Association in the Texas Public Information Act.
Courtney Carpenter – REPORTER
In my Flecknoe profile, I revealed that KBTX Bryan - College Station reporter Courtney Carpenter was coming to KIAH.
She has been with KBTX since February of 2016.
Carpenter started in local TV at KRBC Abilene.
It was golf that got Carpenter's foot in the TV door.
She began playing golf competitively at a young age, eventually attending Dallas Baptist University on a scholarship.
After graduation, Carpenter got the opportunity to intern with CBS Sports and travel each week with the PGA Tour. She assisted in production of CBS golf coverage for several tournaments.
So that's what I know now. Stay tuned for the debut Monday morning running from 6 to 9am.
Former CW39 Houston KIAH 'Morning Dose' anchor Shannon LaNier is making a splash in Hollywood with a role in the upcoming film Duplicity, directed by Tyler Perry.
LaNier's former co-anchor, Sharron Melton, caught up with the new movie star to find out how he landed the role after receiving a call from Tyler Perry himself, details about Duplicity, and some of the other exciting projects he's working on.
Before coming to Houston, LaNier served as a weekend morning anchor at Fios1 News in New York.
Earlier in his career, he hosted the daily culture and entertainment series Arise Entertainment 360, which aired on Centric, BET’s sister station.
He also contributed to Black Enterprise Magazine’s Black Enterprise Business Report and Our World With Black Enterprise as both a correspondent and senior producer.
LaNier worked as a multi-media journalist (MMJ) for the News 12 Networks and began his career at WCBS New York as a segment producer shortly after graduating from Kent State University.
Longtime Texas Newsman Derik Lattig named Manager of Spectrum Cable News Office in Dallas Texas. Derik, whose official title is Planning Manager will be overseeing 10 MMJ's covering DFW for Spectrum's new venture which signs on in Dallas Sept 1st. Derik is a CBS Newspath Alum and has worked at stations in Dallas and Houston and across Texas during his 30-year career.
NBC 5 KXAS News Director John Stone adds KXTX Telemundo ND duties.
Cumulus Media hit with round of layoffs in Dallas.
It’s no ‘Last Dance,’ but documentary on SportsRadio 1310 The Ticket's Mike Rhyner will be riveting.
KCBI Dallas listeners respond to 'Feed Your Neighbor' outreach.
Congrats to Houston-based syndicated host Michael Berry (740 KTRH) who makes the 2020 Talkers Heavy Hundred list.
KHOU 11 anchor Ron Trevino celebrates his 38th year with the station.
abc13 KTRK chief meteorologist Travis Herzog celebrates 14 years of service with the station.
KHOU 11 morning meteorologist Chita Craft celebrates nine years with the station.
KPRC 2 assistant news director Aaron Fernandez-Wische celebrates eight years with the station.
Reporter Cathy Hernandez celebrates five years at KPRC 2.
Ken Hoffman pitches 10 hard-hitting questions to Astros reporter Julia Morales.
Houston Chronicle nabs third place in Society of Features Journalism Awards.
There was a FOX 26 KRIV Isiah Carey Day celebration in downtown Houston where participants helped feed the homeless and prepare them for the pandemic.
Washington’s NFL name change will save Houston Chronicle copy editors a headache.
KPRC 2 Director of Digital and Enterprise Content David Arkin leaves station.
FCC Fines Gow Media's KFNC/Houston $5200 over contest.
Houston Public Media Communications Manager Victoria Cordova has left broadcasting and joined the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) as a media specialist.
This radio station has served blind Texans for more than 50 years.
FOX 26 KRIV producer Ellie Holmes tweets she started three months ago with the station. The last time she was physically at the station was when she interviewed for the job back in March. She previously worked for KSAT and KENS, both in San Antonio.
David Flores, who wrote sports for KENS5 since April 2009, has retired. He worked for many years at the San Antonio Express-News and the Kingsville Record-News before that.
Congrats to KENS 5 producer Tara Moore who welcomed baby Trinity Grace into the world on July 29.
Share Rocket gives us data on how each Houston TV station and the corresponding air staff members performed on Facebook and Twitter.
Share Rocket is, "a social media ratings and audience solution providing media companies an easy way to quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn social market intelligence into insights that drive social success."
The numbers are pulled from station usage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using Share Rocket's "Share" measurement.
First we are looking at every Houston media company in the Share Rocket database and top personalities. Then I am looking at the top 5 on air staff members at each station in order of channel number.
Share Rocket gives us data on how each Houston TV station and the corresponding air staff members performed on Facebook and Twitter.
Share Rocket is, "a social media ratings and audience solution providing media companies an easy way to quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn social market intelligence into insights that drive social success."
The numbers are pulled from station usage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using Share Rocket's "Share" measurement.
First we are looking at every Houston media company in the Share Rocket database and top personalities. Then I am looking at the top 5 on air staff members at each station in order of channel number.
Houston Media
abc13 KTRK
KHOU 11
FOX 26 KRIV
KPRC 2
Univision 45
Houston Chronicle
Telemundo 47
Houston Press
Houston's 39
CultureMap Houston
Top 5 individuals
Steve Campion - abc13 KTRK
Isiah Carey - FOX 26 KRIV
Samica Knight - abc13 KTRK
Dominique Sachse - KPRC 2
Albert Martínez- Univision 45 KXLN
KPRC 2
Dominique Sachse
Amy Davis
Justin Stapleton
Britta Merwin
Frank Billingsley
KHOU 11
Brandi Smith
Chita Craft
Bill Bishop (Managing Editor)
Blake Mathews
Tiffany Craig
abc 13 KTRK
Steve Campion
Samica Knight
Erica Simon
Melanie Lawson
Mayra Moreno
FOX 26 KRIV
Isiah Carey
Mark Berman
Melissa Wilson
Ivory Hecker
Mike Iscovitz
CW39 KIAH
Shannon LaNier
Trey Serna
Sharron Melton
Maggie Flecknoe
Maria Sotolongo
Univision 45 KXLN
Albert Martínez
Suheily Lopez-Belen
Deysy Rios
Karina Yapor
Marlene Guzman
Telemundo 47 KTMD
Carlos A. Robles
Ubaldo Martínez
Antonio Hernández
Ruby Guzmán
Augusto Bernal
Houston Chronicle
Jonathan Feigen
Jose de Jesus Ortiz
Matt Dempsey
Charles Apple
John McClain
DISCLAIMER: No Houston radio stations are listed in the Share Rocket database.
KIAH CW39 Houston's Morning Dose adds extra hour to now air from 6am to 10am
Today, CW39 Houston KIAH announced on social media it's adding an extra hour to Morning Dose.
So instead of 6 to 9am, the show will now air from 6am to 10am.
That puts Morning Dose at more hours than most of the other station's AM newscast offerings, but it still has a couple of hours to match FOX 26 KRIV's 4am to 10am.
When Morning Dose re-launched as a Houston only newscast, the station chose to only go head to head with the other stations starting at 6am, and then only competing with FOX 26 after 7am as the other channels go to network programming.
Judge Jerry, which was airing at 9am, has moved to the noon slot. Now what was on at noon before, I have no idea. My skills only go so far. UPDATE: The noon slot was previously occupied by Couples Court.
Share Rocket gives us data on how each Houston TV station and the corresponding air staff members performed on Facebook and Twitter.
Share Rocket is, "a social media ratings and audience solution providing media companies an easy way to quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn social market intelligence into insights that drive social success."
The numbers are pulled from station usage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using Share Rocket's "Share" measurement.
First we are looking at every Houston media company in the Share Rocket database and top personalities. Then I am looking at the top 5 on air staff members at each station in order of channel number.
Share Rocket gives us data on how each Houston TV station and the corresponding air staff members performed on Facebook and Twitter.
Share Rocket is, "a social media ratings and audience solution providing media companies an easy way to quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn social market intelligence into insights that drive social success."
The numbers are pulled from station usage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using Share Rocket's "Share" measurement.
First we are looking at every Houston media company in the Share Rocket database and top personalities. Then I am looking at the top 5 on air staff members at each station in order of channel number.
Share Rocket gives us data on how each Houston TV station and the corresponding air staff members performed on Facebook and Twitter.
Share Rocket is, "a social media ratings and audience solution providing media companies an easy way to quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn social market intelligence into insights that drive social success."
The numbers are pulled from station usage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using Share Rocket's "Share" measurement.
First we are looking at every Houston media company in the Share Rocket database and top personalities. Then I am looking at the top 5 on air staff members at each station in order of channel number.
In February, we have enough data to start seeing the new team on CW39 KIAH's Morning Dose.
Share Rocket gives us data on how each Houston TV station and the corresponding air staff members performed on Facebook and Twitter.
Share Rocket is, "a social media ratings and audience solution providing media companies an easy way to quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn social market intelligence into insights that drive social success."
The numbers are pulled from station usage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using Share Rocket's "Share" measurement.
First we are looking at every Houston media company in the Share Rocket database and top personalities. Then I am looking at the top 5 on air staff members at each station in order of channel number.
Share Rocket gives us data on how each Houston TV station and the corresponding air staff members performed on Facebook and Twitter.
Share Rocket is, "a social media ratings and audience solution providing media companies an easy way to quantify their social media equity, benchmark against peers and turn social market intelligence into insights that drive social success."
The numbers are pulled from station usage on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using Share Rocket's "Share" measurement.
First we are looking at every Houston media company in the Share Rocket database and top personalities. Then I am looking at the top 5 on air staff members at each station in order of channel number.
Nestor Flecha enters into a new agreement as Chief Meteorologist at KXTX Telemundo, -NWT
Yona Gavino is a freelance Reporter at NBC O&O KXAS. - NWT
CBK Media Management client Erin Moran named Weekend Evening Meteorologist at CBS 11 in Dallas, TX (Market #5). This is a promotion for Erin who first started working at KTVT in December 2019 as a freelance meteorologist. Before making the jump to top-five market Dallas, Erin spent the previous three years working at KXXV (ABC) in Waco, TX (Market #89) as the weekday morning meteorologist.
Kristin Diaz joins NewsRadio 1080 KRLD as afternoon/evening anchor from KIII Corpus Christi.
Kellie Rasberry Launches Another Podcast with “Love Letters to Kellie.”
12News KJAC anchor and investigative reporter DeJonique Garrison and 12News assistant news director Jordan Williams have been named the new evening co-anchor team for 12News.
First ever show in the nation to solely focus on weather and traffic coverage debuts on CW39 Houston KIAH
Since arriving in late June, newly hired CW39 Houston KIAH News Operations Manager Scott Fitzgerald (formerly the KJRH Tulsa, Oklahoma news director) has already helped oversee lots of changes at one of Nexstar Media Group's newest stations.
"It feels a lot longer than six weeks, it's been a busy six weeks," Fitzgerald laughed when he told mikemcguff.com recounting his busy first summer in Houston. "But I'm very proud of what [the staff has] done. We were sitting here thinking if we were ready to launch the new show and we launched it, and literally an hour later, we went, 'we need a hurricane plan because there's a hurricane in four days.'"
That hurricane was Laura, which had the Gulf Coast states in a quandary for around a week in late August as the storm ultimately chose its path of unfortunate destruction near Cameron, Louisiana.
The other winds of media change transformed the nearly two-year-old channel 39 AM news show "Morning Dose" (and only newscast KIAH currently produces, the nightly newscast is produced by abc13 KTRK) and transformed it into "CW39 Houston NO WAIT WEATHER + TRAFFIC."
A few days before the storm hit, the staff debuted the new newscast. The weeks leading to that, they produced "Morning Dose" like usual on a temporary set, took a quick break at 10am and then started rehearsing for the new show.
While the anchor team remains the same (such as anchor Sharron Melton and traffic anchor Hannah Trippett) the focus of the show will be as the title implies, a nearly total focus on Houston weather and traffic coverage.
Citing a desire to create a unique newscast in Nielsen's Designated Market Area (DMA) TV market #8, Fitzgerald and crew determined that Houston's legendary traffic and weather woes affects every local TV news viewer.
And from 6 to 10am, the "NO WAIT WEATHER + TRAFFIC" newscast has plenty of time to devote to the topics since that's the entire format of the show.
"The stories we do are related to people's commute," Fitzgerald added. "If you really think about it, getting to work is is a lot of people's lives."
The change in news format, also led to changes in the newscast studio. That includes a substantial investment in a larger set makeover, graphics package and upgraded weather system with new storm/lightning tracking software.
"A lot of folks around the country right now are talking about cutting and saving money," Fitzgerald told me. "And [the news set upgrade is] definitely an investment, not just visually, but the ability to tell stories. You know, we have a touch screen in play. We've got five or six different positions on the set now where we could tell a different story. The set also provides a way if we wanted to go in other avenues, we could pull parts of the set out and create a new place to, you know, to tell a story and do something with that."
Fitzgerald says you can't cover traffic from behind a desk, so the station also sends anchor Shannon LaNier to broadcast live from Houston freeways. At this point, two other live vehicles can be put into the mix if necessary.
And even though weather and traffic are actually in the name of the newscast, there are a few news items still in the mix here and there.
For example, Tuesday morning on the first day of school for many area districts, reporter Courtney Carpenter interviewed a principal in our pandemic world. Feature Maggie Flecknoe will continue reporting live and from inside the studio.
The KIAH management team thinks the revamped newscast is the first of its kind in the nation. That follows the history of the Houston CW affiliate. From producing a younger demo focused newscast under the 39News brand more than a decade ago, to totally dumping tradition for the anchor-less NewsFix format, the former Tribune owned station has always experimented to compete with the bigger television companies that run Houston stations.
Now that Nexstar has taken over, suddenly more resources are available as we saw during the before mentioned Hurricane Laura. If you were reading this blog before the storm made landfall, then you saw how "the largest local television broadcast and digital media company in the nation" sent in help from stations across Texas to allow channel 39, for the first time, to offer wall to wall expanded on-air coverage. By the way, in Texas alone, Nexstar owns stations in 13 markets.
That sudden boost from KIAH's new parent company, also gives the station more options to compete in the Houston market for the foreseeable future. Now it's just about time to implement those resources.
"I've got a list," Fitzgerald told me with a laugh. "Whenever I get that list, you know, shortened up. Yeah. We've got a long list."
