Steve Simon returns to CW39 KIAH as news director

After leaving Houston for Dallas, Steve Simon has returned to CW39 KIAH as news director for the new local version of Morning Dose with Sharron Melton (formerly of abc13 KTRK).

"Yes , I’m back," Simon told mikemcguff.com. "News Director at the place I first walked in many years ago. Glad to be back in Houston."

No doubt, Simon has a history with the currently-owned Tribune owned station (soon to be a Nexstar Media Group after being sold).

Back in 2013, you might have read on my blog, that Simon was leaving KIAH where he was at the time serving as NewsFix executive producer, to expand the anchor-less newscast as news director for sister-station KDAF Dallas.

Now Simon has returned to where he started in Houston as an anchor/reporter back in the KHWB 39 days when the station re-booted its newscast in 2000.

Before H-Town, Simon worked at WSVN Miami, WHNT Huntsville, Alabama, WCMH Columbus, Ohio and WFXL Albany, Georgia. He is a graduate of the University of Texas and earned a masters in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

I was curious if Simon would bring back his award-winning commentary segment, Simon Says. He tells me at this point that is not in the plans as his focus is making the station's new local morning show the best that it can be.

By the way, TV newsers and KPRC 2 viewers will definitely recognize Simon's wife, former channel 2 anchor/reporter Lisa Baldwin.

Steve Simon expands NewsFix to KDAF from KIAH

Steve Simon leaves Houston's KIAH to expand NewsFix format to KDAF Dallas

Steve Simon

People who were waiting to see if/when CW 39 KIAH's anchor-less show NewsFix would start showing up in other cities now have an answer.

 KIAH executive director Steve Simon is leaving the Tribune station in Houston and moving to sister station KDAF in Dallas as news director to start NewsFix in the DFW Metroplex.

"It's a great opportunity," Simon told mikemcguff.com. "Look forward to it."

Simon has been at KIAH for the last 13 years. When the then KHWB rebooted its news in 2000, Simon was the station's weekend anchor for the launch. He moved to main anchor and then as a commentator. He became the station's executive producer in 2010 prior to NewsFix's launch.

Before Houston, Simon worked at WSVN-TV Miami, WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Alabama, WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio and WFXL-TV in Albany, Georgia. He graduated from the University of Texas and earned a masters in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

You might remember Simon's wife, Lisa Baldwin, from her years on KPRC 2.

I asked Simon if his award winning Simon Says commentary would air on KIAH or KDAF once he gets settled in DFW.

"Once the show starts in Dallas, maybe I'll think about doing it again," he told me.

Simon's promotion follows the one by his boss a few months ago. KIAH general manager Roger Bare took over GM duties at KDAF (while retaining his Houston duties too) in September.

No word on when NewsFix debuts on KDAF, but I would imagine it will take some time. For example, NewsFix's KIAH debut was announced in July 2010, but formally came on the air March 2011. I would imagine it will not take KDAF that long to get it on the air since there is a blueprint in place, but I'm sure there will have to be new hires and equipment upgrades.

I know that people across the country in the TV biz want to know how NewsFix does in the Houston TV news ratings race. At the one year anniversary, the then Tribune CEO said the following:

“We are pleased with what “NewsFix” has accomplished in its first year,” said Nils Larsen, CEO of Tribune Broadcasting. “It has proven to be a viable news format, one of many recent innovations in newsrooms across Tribune Broadcasting.”

Click here to see the company's ratings claims in 2012.

In the May 2013 ratings, the Houston Chronicle reported it had a 0.5 in households and a 0.3 in adults 25-54. Someone commented in that post that NewsFix had a 0.5 P25-54 at 5pm which they claimed was competitive with KRIV and KHOU in that time slot.

While the ratings might not be burning up the Nielsen TV charts, I repeatedly hear NewsFix is profitable. I think most TV viewers know the cliche that TV stations will "do anything for high ratings," but that might not be the case as much anymore.

In the last few years I have observed most corporate TV companies are just fine with profitability over high ratings. Clearly high ratings means more money through advertising, but these days, the retransmission fees are becoming just as important.

Dallas media blogger icon Uncle Barky has more on this from the KDAF Dallas perspective.

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Steve Simon exits CW39 KIAH

CW39 KIAH news director Steve Simon's job position eliminated as Nexstar Media Group makes changes to newly acquired Tribune stations


Steve Simon has been a fixture on the Houston TV scene off and on since 2000, but his news director position he returned to KIAH CW39 for in 2018, has been eliminated as the Nexstar Media Group begins making changes across the country after its recent purchase of the Tribune Stations.

"From 39News to Newsfix (Houston and DFW) and Morning Dose ( Houston) - it’s been a great experience with many people who will always be lifelong friends," Simon posted on social media. "Nearly 20 years with one company is almost unheard of anymore. Tribune Media evolved and I rode along with it. It’s now time for a new ride."

The newly created position to lead the channel 39 newsroom is now posted as Manager, News Operations.

In May, we also saw longtime Station Manager and Director of Sales, Harvey Saxer, leave KIAH as Nexstar brought in the new Vice President and General Manager, Chris Pruitt, from sister-station FOX 44 KWKT-KYLE in Waco, Temple, Killeen and Bryan-College Station.

Simon started with KIAH back in 2000 as an anchor/reporter when the station still had the call letters KHWB.

He eventually provided commentary with the award-winning segment "Simon Says."

Around the time the station was premiering NewsFix, the anchor-less news format, Simon became executive producer.

In 2013, Simon moved to Dallas to launch NewsFix on sister-station CW33 KDAF.

As I mentioned, he moved back to Houston in 2018 to become KIAH's news director to oversee Morning Dose.

Before his 2000 arrival in Houston, Simon worked at WSVN Miami, WHNT Huntsville, Alabama, WCMH Columbus, Ohio and WFXL Albany, Georgia.

He is a University of Texas grad and earned a masters in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

"Don’t feel sorry for me," Simon said in his post. "This means I am doing something I haven’t done since I got my first job as a bag boy at Publix when I was 14—-breathe! I’ll take a minute to figure out what’s next, hug my kids and support my wife at a time when she could really use it."