KPRC ND Deborah Collura leaves for WCNC Charlotte

Deborah Collura leaves KPRC and Post-Newsweek news gigs for general manager role at WCNC Charlotte

Deborah Collura

From the old PRNewswire...KPRC news director Deborah Collura is heading east to become the GM at Gannett's WCNC Charlotte, NC (a former Belo station).

 Former KHOU general manager Peter Diaz, even gave a quote for the release in his post-Belo role as executive vice president of Gannett Broadcasting.

What's interesting about this is that Collura is more than just the KPRC news director. She also is the head of news for all of the Post-Newsweek Stations.

 With someone of that leadership capacity heading out, it probably doesn't squelch the Post-Newsweek for sale rumors going around after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought PN station WPLG in Miami.

Collura came to KPRC to boost its sagging ratings. I would say she did a pretty good job. Under Collura, the NBC affiliate took first in morning news for the first time with a bunch of other gains.

Here is the full Gannett release:

Gannett's (NYSE: GCI) Broadcasting Division has named Deborah Collura president and general manager at WCNC in Charlotte, NC.

Collura has held many leadership roles at a number of broadcast stations. Most recently she served as vice president of news for KPRC in Houston, TX. In addition to her role at KPRC, she served as vice president of news for Post-Newsweek Stations where she oversaw news operations for its six properties. Prior to her role in Houston, Collura was vice president of news for WDIV in Detroit, MI, and WTVJ in Miami, FL. She has also held positions at KTSP in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, KCRA in Sacramento, CA, WTEN in Albany, NY, and at Gannett's KSDK in St. Louis, MO.

"Deborah's passion for journalism, multi-media background and more than 30 years of experience make her an excellent selection to help WCNC continue its quest to provide award-winning news and community service to the greater Charlotte community," said Peter Diaz, executive vice president of Gannett Broadcasting. "There is no doubt Deborah will be an outstanding leader for WCNC and a great addition to the Gannett Broadcasting team."

Collura received a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northern Illinois University. She will be relocating to the Charlotte area and will begin her new position on June 2.

Ned Hibberd joins WCNC NBC Charlotte

Former FOX 26 KRIV reporter/anchor Ned Hibberd joins WCNC NBC Charlotte


Former longtime FOX 26 KRIV reporter and weekend anchor, Ned Hibberd, is leaving his post-Houston gig as assistant news director at Fox Charlotte WJZY-WMYT after two years and some change.

His next move is across the street as they say.

That's because Hibberd is heading to WCNC as the new executive producer of investigations and special projects.

As I wrote before, Hibberd was at KRIV for nearly 25 years where he started as an intern.

The Rice grad worked as a production crew member, assignments editor, associate producer, investigative reporter, fill-in anchor and general assignments reporter.

His first day at WCNC will be June 23rd.




RELATED
VIEW: Fox 26's Ned Hibberd's goodbye party: The photos!
WATCH: Ned Hibberd says goodbye to Fox 26 KRIV & Houston (VIDEO)

Xavier Walton joins KHOU as morning anchor; Lisa Hernandez moves

Xavier Walton joins KHOU as morning anchor from WCNC Charlotte, North Carolina; Lisa Hernandez moves to weekend evenings

KHOU 11 has hired WCNC (TEGNA) Charlotte, North Carolina, weekend anchor Xavier Walton as its new #HTownRush morning anchor.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2022
Xavier Walton joins NewsNation

UPDATE AUGUST 31, 2022
Xavier Walton leaves KHOU 11

"We are excited to have him on board," KHOU president and general manager, Robert Springer, told mikemcguff.com.

Springer adds that Walton wants to move to Houston, to not only report the news, but also to make it a better place to live through his community involvement.

Here is Walton's TV news career highlight reel:

WCNC Charlotte, North Carolina Area
Anchor/ Multimedia Journalist
June 2015 – 2019

KTWO Casper, Wyoming Area
Evening Anchor/Reporter
June 2012 – June 2015

KUSA Denver
News Intern
June 2011 – August 2011

WSYX-ABC6 Columbus, Ohio
Intern
June 2010 – August 2010

According to his bio, Walton graduated from California Lutheran University and even played on the basketball team. He was the starting point-guard three out of the four years he played.

Walton will join the Houston CBS affiliate in mid-September.


When I keep writing about the name "Walton" in connection with the KHOU morning show, it takes me back to the days when Johnathan Walton worked those hours!

With the new Walton's arrival, comes the move of current #HTownRush anchor Lisa Hernandez.

Hernandez will be moving to weekend evenings alongside Ron Trevino who currently anchors alone in that time slot. Trevino will continue to solo anchor the Saturday morning news.

Springer tells me the station is working to expand its weekend coverage with Hernandez's addition.

In 2011, Hernandez arrived to channel 11 and Houston from abc7 KABC Los Angeles to replace Lucy Noland on the evening shift.

She might be in TV now, but Hernandez started freelancing for the LA Times while earning a political science degree at UCLA. Upon graduation in 2001, she refocused her career on TV news starting at KESQ Palm Springs. From there she went across the country to Charlotte, North Carolina's News 14 as a reporter and then returning to California joining KABC in 2004.

In 2016, Hernandez swapped the PM shift for the AM hours and became the station's morning anchor, replacing Lily Jang, with newly hired Russ Lewis who came from KGW Portland.

A few months ago in early June, Lewis left mornings for KHOU's revamped 4pm newscast.

Austin Walker joins WCNC Charlotte

Austin Walker is joining WCNC Charlotte, North Carolina from KXXV 25 Waco/Temple/Killeen where he was a multi-media journalist (MMJ).

"I’m so excited to work with such talented journalists & can’t wait for what’s in store in the Queen City," Walker tweeted.

Walker came to KXXV in June 2021 from KVOA News 4 Tucson, Arizona where he was a reporter. 

The North Texas raised Walker tweeted, that as someone who battles depression and anxiety, he was at the lowest point of his life while in Arizona. 

"Thank you to everyone who helped me learn to love this part of myself, again," Walker tweeted.  "I’m so grateful."

As a student, the University of Missouri School of Journalism grad worked at the university-owned KOMU 8 News as an anchor and reporter.

Life update!☀️🚨
I feel so incredibly blessed to announce I’ll be joining the team at @wcnc in Charlotte, NC!

I’m so excited to work with such talented journalists & can’t wait for what’s in store in the Queen City!

Today is my last day at @25NewsKXXV. Waco, I am so grateful! pic.twitter.com/gGUfAXPgiu

— Austin Walker TV (@AustinCWalker) April 1, 2022

KTRK 13 scores Greg Bailey from WCNC

KTRK 13 has named a successor for sports director Bob Allen. The station announced it has hired Greg Bailey from WCNC 36 in Charlotte.

The station says Allen will remain on staff as Sports Director Emeritus until his retirement at the end of the year. Allen has been with the station since 1974.

"I’m thrilled to come home to Texas and join the team at KTRK," Bailey told mikemcguff.com. "I look forward to working alongside Bob Allen and the great group he’s assembled in the sports office."

Bailey has been with WCNC since 2007.

Before that he was:
- Weekend sports anchor/reporter for KING-TV in Seattle from 2000 to 2007
- Sports director/anchor at KAKE in Wichita, KS
- Weekend sports anchor/reporter at KLBK-TV in Lubbock, TX
- Sports anchor/reporter at KBTX in Bryan, TX

"Houston’s such a great city and I really look forward to getting started and catching up with so many friends back home," Bailey added.

Bailey is a 2011 Emmy winner. He has also won an Edward R. Murrow and honors from the Texas Associated Press.

According to his bio, Greg likes to say he grew up "skinny and ugly" in Texas.

He is a graduate of Texas A&M. No word on what he thought of the Welcome to the SEC video the Aggies produced.

KHOU 11 news director Keith Connors leaving in November

I heard the news early Wednesday afternoon and started my digging. Multiple sources told me the rumors were true that KHOU 11 news director Keith Connors is leaving the Houston station at the end of November.

Now Mega-agent and friend to Connors, Rick Gevers, is talking about Connors departure in his popular TV news director newsletter.

That's about all anyone apparently knows at this point. We don't know why he is leaving KHOU 11 or where he is going next. Naturally people in the Houston television news world are wondering if KHOU 11 assistant news director Andrea Parquet-Taylor is taking over. They are asking because Parquet-Taylor was previously the news director of the legendary WXYZ in Detroit. We don't know if this is true either.

KHOU sends me good news like this (and I thank the station for that), but I have not heard back from Channel 11 on the Keith Connors news after my inquiry Wednesday afternoon.

It is interesting to point out what Gevers wrote in his newsletter. Connors has been with Belo for awhile. Previously he worked at WCNC-TV in Charlotte and WVEC-TV in Norfolk. It was pointed out to me that while at WCNC, Connors was featured in a 2001 PBS documentary about local news called Local News.

KPRC 2 gets new news director Deborah Collura, plus her other duties

UPDATE MAY 05, 2014
KPRC ND Deborah Collura leaves for WCNC Charlotte

Many TV news directors feel they probably have enough responsibility with their respective newsroom. Not Deborah Collura.

She has just been named the KPRC 2 news director. This in addition to her duties as vice president of news for Post-Newsweek Stations (KPRC's owner).

Here is more about Collura's past from her bio:

She was the news director at WDIV-TV and solidified the NBC affiliate's reputation as an award-winning and top-rated Detroit news station.
Collura started at WDIV-TV in July 1997.
Prior to arriving at WDIV, she was vice president of news at the NBC affiliate, WTVJ-TV in Miami. At KTSP-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Collura served as news director from 1991 to 1993. In Sacramento at KCRA-TV from 1987 to 1991, she became assistant news director after serving as an executive producer.
At KSDK-TV in St. Louis, she was a news producer from 1984 to 1986 and at WREX-TV in Rockford, Ill., she was a news producer and later became executive producer.

As I have mentioned before, Collura was already working from KPRC in the past few months.

Congratulations to Collura.

UPDATE MAY 05, 2014
KPRC ND Deborah Collura leaves for WCNC Charlotte

RELATED
New KPRC 2 Houston GM is Jerry Martin

Robert Dwyer named KCEN Waco, KAGS BCS President - GM

Tysons, Va. – TEGNA Inc. announced today that Robert Dwyer has been named president and general manager at KCEN KAGS, the NBC affiliates serving Temple, Waco, Killeen and Bryan-College Station in Central Texas, effective March 20, 2023. 

Dwyer will be responsible for overseeing the stations’ operations across all platforms, as well as leading community service efforts and driving results for advertisers.

Most recently, Dwyer was marketing director at WCNC in Charlotte, a position he’s held since 2019. 

At WCNC, Dwyer oversaw the station’s branding in the market and was instrumental in growing all dayparts in news, increasing digital video consumption, and building trust with audiences. 

Previously, Dwyer was director of marketing at WHNS in Greenville, where he led a team of marketing producers, digital media specialists and graphic designers and collaborated with content leaders to launch newscasts and grow the station’s audience across platforms. 

Earlier in his career, Dwyer was senior director of creative services for The Golf Channel, overseeing campaigns for PGA and LPGA tours, original content and documentaries. Dwyer began his career at a production house in Detroit.

“Rob’s experience and track record of growing content brands and collaborating across disciplines make him an excellent choice for Central Texas,” said Kristie Gonzales, vice president, media operations, TEGNA. “As a graduate of our TEGNA Executive Leadership Program and proven leader, Rob will help build the stations’ news capabilities, brands and community engagement efforts while also serving our local advertising clients.”

Dwyer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Television Production from Ferris State University. He and his family will be relocating to Temple from Charlotte.

(Taken from a TEGNA release)

Brooke Katz leaves CBS News Texas

Brooke Katz has apparently left her morning anchor position for CBS News Texas 11 KTVT Dallas-Fort Worth as her bio is no longer on the station's website as of November 2023.

Katz moved to the CBS 11 morning anchor job in January 2022 with Keith Russell after Karen Borta moved to later newscasts.  When she joined KTVT in 2019, Katz was the weekend anchor/reporter.

Before DFW Metroplex TV, Katz worked as the 4pm anchor for WCNC Charlotte, North Carolina. She previously anchored the noon show and was a morning anchor/traffic reporter.

Prior to WCNC, Katz was an anchor/traffic anchor/reporter for WHAS11 Louisville, Kentucky.

Katz started her TV journalism career with WCBD News 2 Charleston, South Carolina as a reporter/producer.

She is a Rutgers University grad with honors.

(Thanks John)

KTRK 13's Greg Bailey signs off WCNC Charlotte

Future KTRK 13 sports director Greg Bailey signed off from Charlotte, North Carolina's WCNC 36 last Friday after five years there (VIDEO ABOVE).

 "I’m thrilled to come home to Texas and join the team at KTRK," Bailey told mikemcguff.com last month. "I look forward to working alongside Bob Allen and the great group he’s assembled in the sports office."

 As I wrote before, Bailey will replace Bob Allen. The station says Allen will remain on staff as Sports Director Emeritus until his retirement at the end of the year. Allen has been with the Houston owned ABC station since 1974.

KTRK 13's Adam Darsky heads to WCNC Charlotte as Executive Producer

Congratulations are in order for KTRK 13 10pm producer Adam Darsky as he departs Houston for Charlotte, North Carolina to become the new day side executive producer at WCNC NewsChannel 36.

Just a few months ago I posted about Darsky's recent Lone Star EMMY Award win.

"This is certainly bittersweet," Darsky told the mikemcguff.com blog. "Houston is my hometown and I've worked at KTRK for 9 years. I started on the weekends, moved to Live at Five, and then to the 10:00 newscast. I've had a chance to work with just about everyone in the building at one point or another. Everyone here is amazingly talented and it surely has been a privilege to work here and serve the community."

He starts the new gig March 15th.

As a reader here, you also might remember Darsky from my remembrance of the Meyer Park Chili's. We both had our first date there. Was it with each other? Read the old post to find out.

RELATED
- 7th Annual Lone Star EMMY Award winners
- Chili's closes at Meyer Park

Two Houston TV reporters sign off

KPRC 2's Mark Boyle and KTRK abc13's John Fenoglio say goodbye

UPDATE JANUARY 07, 2016
John Fenoglio joins KTLA Los Angeles

John Fenoglio

KTRK abc13 reporter John Fenoglio took to Facebook to announce his departure from his temporary gig with the station.

Originally from Houston, Fenoglio previously worked in California for KRON 4 San Francisco and CBS Newspath according to his LinkedIn page.

He started at KTRK in May of 2015.

Hey Friends,
Tomorrow is my last day at KTRK ABC 13 Houston
I depart this wonderful station with a wealth of gratitude to my managers and their total support moving forward; to my fellow reporters, producers, and photographers who are, truly, the best in the business; and to all of you for your support and encouragement.
My fellow journalists and I could not do this job without your loyalty and constructive feedback. YOU, the viewers, help us keep our elected officials and power brokers honest. In short, I (we) couldn't do it without you.
THANK YOU for watching. THANK YOU for weighing in. THANK YOU for allowing me to bring you the news.
As for what comes next, follow me on twitter @JOHNFENOGLIO . I'll be making an announcement in the new year.
Make no mistake about it, Houston is a world class city, and I am proud to call it my hometown.
-John

Hey Friends,Tomorrow is my last day at KTRK ABC 13 HoustonI depart this wonderful station with a wealth of gratitude...
Posted by John Fenoglio ABC13 on Thursday, December 3, 2015

Mark Boyle

And TVSpy reports KPRC 2 reporter Mark Boyle is heading to WCNC Charlotte as an investigative reporter. But he won't leave Houston until January.

Boyle came to the Bayou City from Orlando's WFTV 9 where he had worked since 2008.

Before that he was a reporter for WWSB in Sarasota.

UPDATE JANUARY 07, 2016
John Fenoglio joins KTLA Los Angeles

KHOU selling building, WFAA shows how it is helping Houston

Last night, KHOU 11 announced it was selling its studios on Allen Parkway.

This after the station was flooded thanks to Hurricane Harvey.

(- VIDEO: Summary of KHOU 11 studio flooding Harvey)

The station is not saying who is buying the building or how much it is selling for.

My guess is that a built up, tall building, could go there and survive a flooding event.

Last November, KHOU announced it was moving.

KHOU reports that the search for a new building could be ending soon.

In the meantime, the TEGNA owned station plans to stay at its temporary home at Houston Public Media on the University of Houston campus until the end of this year.

(- Brandi Smith and the viral storm)

Since we are talking KHOU's tragic flooding, let's focus on the inexorable quality the station has to stay on the air, an invasion of water or not.

Dallas TEGNA sister-station WFAA posted a video (embedded above) that shows how it helped KHOU keep informing Houston during the Hurricane.

The video also chronicles how the DFW station helped the Houston station get back on the air and continue broadcasting.

TEGNA opened up a KHOU control room at its Dallas station and brought in employees from across the nation to operate it.

Why in the video do I spy Ned Hibberd (former FOX 26 anchor) now of TEGNA's WCNC NBC Charlotte?

So KHOU is sending its temporary studio signal and all of its live shots to the Metroplex where WFAA puts it together and sends the broadcast back to KHOU's Houston transmitter.

Now that is some corporate teamwork.

RELATED
- KHOU 11 opening downtown Houston studios
- Dan Rather's words of encouragement for KHOU

Former Houston journalists return to TV for Harvey coverage

Mike McGuff talking to presenters Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh.

It was all hands on deck for the international, national and other local news media to find Houston journalists to help cover Hurricane Harvey. There were also the sister-station relief crews needed to fill-in on our Houston TV stations.

Here is a list of the former Houston journalists who were called back from the reserves to help out. If you know of others, please email me.

I was hired by UK Network ITV to report live for its Good Morning Britain program through out last week. One of the show's presenters (a term for anchor in the England) Americans will recognize is former CNN host Piers Morgan.

Former KHOU 11 anchor Lily Jang reported for KXAS NBC 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Former KTRK abc13 and ESPN reporter Darren Lyn was tapped to report for TRT World.

Michelle Merhar returned to FOX 26 KRIV to help out on traffic anchor duty.

Doug Miller returned to KHOU 11 and made an appearance to talk hurricanes.

Former KPRC 2 reporter Brendan Keefe, now WXIA Atlanta Chief Investigative Reporter, returned to Houston to help out TEGNA sister station KHOU as a reporter. "Houston gets in your heart and doesn't want to leave," Keefe told me. "I volunteered when I saw my friends at KHOU working so hard without a TV station."

Former KHOU 11 reporter Courtney Zubowski worked for CBS News as a field producer.

Former FOX 26 KRIV reporter Todd Duplantis, now the Director of HCC TV Communications, did live reporting for WFTS Tampa Bay, Florida's ABC Action News.

KFSN Fresno reporter Corin Hoggard, returns to his old station of KTRK abc13 where he was a producer, to help with Harvey coverage.

Dr. Neil Frank made his usual return to KHOU 11 when there is trouble in the tropics.

KXAS NBC5's Courtney Gilmore returned from DFW to KPRC to help cover the storm.

Former KIKK and CBS Radio news reporter Derrill Edward Holly did an interview with the Associated Press broadcast and energy news podcast.

Former FOX 26 KRIV contributor Bob Martin has returned to make appearances on channel 26 and KTRK abc13.

Former FOX 26 KRIV reporter Ned Hibberd, now WCNC Charlotte executive producer of investigations and special projects, has been working for KHOU remotely via WFAA in Dallas.

Fmr. Houston TV producer talks hyperlocal news

Adam Darsky has risen from NBC 5 KXAS to abc13 KTRK, to WCNC Charlotte to WABC New York and beyond.  

Darsky has jumped from broadcasting to hyperlocal news websites with a company called TapInto where he is Director of Content.

A great conversation about the state of TV and newspaper news, and what could be the future.

RELATED
Former KPRC reporter talks "Disrupting The News"

Ariel Plasencia joins FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Ariel Plasencia is leaving her multi-skilled journalist gig with WFAA 8 Dallas - Fort Worth for a reporter role with sunny FOX 13 Tampa Bay WTVT.

Here is a portion of what Plasencia posted on social about her WFAA departure:

"It's nearly impossible to sum up what four years at WFAA have meant to me so I'll just focus on my colleagues: Wow. What an AMAZING group of talented people. Thanks for welcoming this Chicagoan with open arms...for teaching me so many new skills...and for giving me the scoop on all the best taco spots." 

Plasencia joined WFAA in March 2019 from WCNC Charlotte.

She previously worked as a noon anchor/multimedia journalist with WITN 7 Eastern North Carolina.  Before that she was a sports MMJ with WUSA9  Washington, DC.

The Northwestern University grad has a bachelor’s degree in math and earned master’s degree in journalism at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She interned with WUSA and Telemundo. 

Xavier Walton joins NewsNation

Xavier Walton left KHOU 11 Houston's weekend anchor position a few weeks ago and has already moved to Florida to join cable newser NewsNation as a Miami-based correspondent.

UPDATE OCTOBER 2022
Xavier Walton and Eden Checkol are engaged

Here is what Walton posted on social media:

"These last few weeks I’ve actually missed telling stories & covering news. Way more than expected! 

With that said, I’m getting back to work. This time around I’ll be taking on a new challenge. I’ve joined the team at @newsnationnow as a Miami-based correspondent. 

I’ve been in Chicago the last few days doing onboarding and getting to know some of my new coworkers. 

Excited for this new chapter & bringing an attitude of gratitude. Sky’s the limit"

And he is not the only former KHOU talent who joined the Nexstar Media Group channel.  Reporter Janel Forte signed on as NewsNation's Atlanta-based correspondent in spring of 2021. She left the Chicago-based cable news network in April 2022. 

Walton is now in the same city as his girlfriend WPLG Local 10 anchor Eden Checkol.

Joining KHOU 11 in September 2019 as an #HTownRush morning anchor, Walton moved to the weekend evening anchor/10pm weekday reporter shift in June 2021 when Kimberly Davis was hired.

He came from the weekend anchor/MMJ role at TEGNA sister-station WCNC Charlotte, North Carolina.

The native Californian graduated from California Lutheran University and got his first TV gig with KTWO 2 Casper, Wyoming where he was an evening anchor/reporter.

Xavier Walton now KHOU 11 weekend anchor

When Kimberly Davis joined the KHOU 11 HTownRush morning crew as an anchor this summer from KYW Philadelphia, Xavier Walton seemed to just disappear from the AM show named after a hashtag.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2022
Xavier Walton joins NewsNation

UPDATE AUGUST 31, 2022
Xavier Walton leaves KHOU 11

At the time, he told viewers on social media that he was moving schedules.

Now, Walton's bio has been changed to note he is a weekend anchor for the TEGNA Houston station.

Walton joined the KHOU morning newscast back in 2019 from the weekend anchor chair at WCNC Charlotte, North Carolina. He took over AM duties from Lisa Hernandez (now at KPRC 2) and Russ Lewis (now retired).

So does that mean anchor Ron Treviño is off weekends and officially the 4pm news anchor? 

While Treviño's bio has not been changed from saying weekend anchor, and none of his social bios say anything about the 4pm news, it seems that weekday newscast with Rekha Muddaraj seems like a comfortable spot for the longtime channel 11 anchor at the moment!

There are KHOU viewers who still come on my social comments to complain about Treviño and Lily Jang leaving the morning newscast back in 2016. 

The recent San Antonio TV anchor arrivals and departures

Ken Lindner is out there talking about its recent client moves. I'm spotlighting the Texas portion which is all centered in San Antonio.

Isis Romero joins KSAT as a weekend anchor/reporter from KSAZ-TV in Phoenix where she did the same jobs.
- 12 Questions for Isis Romero
- Isis Romero bio

Kellie Patterson leaves as the KENS 5 traffic reporter to join WCNC as a weekend anchor. Say hello to Adam Darsky for me.
- LIGHTS, CAMERA, KELLIE! blog

And as I already told you, Ted Garcia comes back to The Alamo City as the new KABB weekend anchor. He was being a big TV star in LA when not working for KTLA.

Leaving a job in TV news? Moving stations? Let me know what you are doing next [email]. For all positions

Jake Reiner joins KPRC 2

Jake Reiner joins KPRC 2 as a reporter from KION Salinas, California

UPDATE
Jake Reiner is actor/director Rob Reiner's son

UPDATE DECEMBER 2025
Jake Reiner receives well-wishes from Houston

UPDATE JUNE 2018
Jake Reiner leaving KPRC 2

Jake Reiner

Jake Reiner is joining the KPRC 2 news team as a reporter, the Houston NBC affiliate tells mikemcguff.com.

Reiner currently reports for KION in Salinas, California.

The Los Angeles native (Hey, that's where I am right now. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for photos from La La Land.) spent four years studying broadcast journalism at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

But according to his bio, he couldn't wait to get back to California to start his TV journalism career.

KPRC tells me Reiner is in Houston right now looking for some new digs, and starts at the station January 4th.

I'm usually terrible at trying to figure out who is replacing who, but I bet it is a fair guess that Reiner is Mark Boyle's replacement since the latter leaves for WCNC in January (And Mark, I may use this photo of Reiner if/when he leaves KPRC).

UPDATE
Jake Reiner is actor/director Rob Reiner's son