Janel Forte joins NewsNation

Janel Forte left KHOU 11 to join Nexstar's NewsNation as an Atlanta-based correspondent in spring of 2021.  UPDATE:  In April 2022, Forte announced she has left the news channel. 

UPDATE AUGUST 2023
Janel Forte joins WFAA 8

“The opening of our Atlanta bureau is a strategic step in supporting our mission of bringing Americans fact-based news that represents a full range of perspectives across the nation,” said Susan Tully, Senior Vice President, Local Content Development for Nexstar Media Inc in a release. “Janel is a talented reporter with experience keeping viewers informed about major events happening across the South, and we’re looking forward to putting her on-the-ground reporting skills to work in our new bureau.”

Forte came to Houston's channel 11 as a reporter in 2018 from WLOX Biloxi, MS where she was the weekend morning anchor and and Jackson County bureau chief.

Prior to WLOX, the Cornell University grad and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism master's degree recipient also worked as:

- Medill News Service, Reporter, Washington DC

- Medill Reports, Reporter, Chicago, IL

- Social Justice News Nexus, Graduate Fellow, Chicago, IL

- Newswatch 16 ICTV, Anchor/Reporter, Ithaca, NY

- Fox News KDFW, Intern, Dallas Fort Worth, TX

- The Virginian-Pilot, Intern, Norfolk, VA

Forte is not the only Texan journalist to move up to the NewsNation national news world. Former KVUE 24 Austin met Albert Ramon is the NewsNation chief meteorologist. 

RELATED
Janel Forte loses someone very close to her from COVID-19
Houston TV reporters wearing braids on air
Allison Harris joins NewsNation

(Thanks Ignacio!)

*updated on April 22, 2021 with Susan Tully's quote after Nexstar issued a release on Janel Forte's hiring at the NewsNation Atlanta Bureau

Janel Forte requests prayers for her grandmother

UPDATE AUGUST 24, 2020

KHOU 11 reporter Janel Forte tweets that her grandmother has sadly passed away at age 96.

Grandma update: she made her transition this morning. My heart is broken - but I find solace knowing I definitely gave her flowers while she could still smell them. 96 wonderful years of life. RIP Grandmother, thank you for everything💜👵🏽🤞🏾😇 pic.twitter.com/DSqTKzLdK7

— Janel Forte (@JanelKHOU) August 24, 2020

--- ORIGINAL POST

KHOU 11 reporter Janel Forte has a twitter request concerning her beloved grandmother:

Alright prayer warriors, I need y’all bad. Today my grandma was one of a handful of patients at her nursing home who tested positive for COVID-19. If you know me, you know how much she means to me. They’re moving her to a new facility and say right now her symptoms are mild.

As Forte mentioned, if you follow her Twitter feed, you know how much her grandmother means to her.

RELATED
Houston media members affected by novel coronavirus
Janel Forte joins NewsNation

Alright prayer warriors, I need y’all bad. Today my grandma was one of a handful of patients at her nursing home who tested positive for COVID19. If you know me, you know how much she means to me. They’re moving her to a new facility and say right now her symptoms are mild. pic.twitter.com/oN3fhnZsRs

— Janel Forte (@JanelKHOU) August 19, 2020

Janel Forte joins WFAA 8

Janel Forte joins WFAA 8 Dallas - Fort Worth as a reporter.

Here is Forte's announcement on Instagram.

"It’s a full circle moment - I went to high school in the DFW area and during that time, WFAA was always my family’s go-to for local news. My mom still lives in the metroplex and I’m so excited that she’ll be able to watch me every night. 

Full transparency -

I stepped away from news over a year ago - I was burnt out, struggling to support my sick mom, and overall just unhappy. I had checked off all my career goals in record time - anchor, work in a top 10 market, become a national correspondent. But what was next? I had no idea.

So I left my job. Split my time between helping my mom bounce back from the chemo she’d had to fight stage 2 lymphoma and Chicago where the majority of my family and friends live. By November of 2022, I started seriously looking for my next role both in and out of news. I was getting offers, but nothing felt like the right fit. Fast forward lots of interviews later - and God had exactly what was meant for me waiting.

At WFAA I’ll be a GA reporter, but my specialty (beat, if you will) will be transportation and business reporting (truly right up my alley). With two major airlines headquartered here, 24 Fortune 500 companies HQs calling DFW home, and wild growth and development in the metroplex - there’s going to be plenty of stories to tell. So if you’ve got a tip for me - please reach out! Let’s get to work."

As Forte mentioned, she was a national correspondent for NewsNation.  She joined the cable news network in 2021 and left in 2022.

Houston TV viewers will recognize Forte from her time at KHOU 11 Houston as a morning reporter where she worked from 2018 to 2021. 

Before that, Forte worked for:

- WLOX Biloxi, MS as anchor/reporter

- Medill News Service, Reporter, Washington DC

- Medill Reports, Reporter, Chicago, IL

- Social Justice News Nexus, Graduate Fellow, Chicago, IL

- Newswatch 16 ICTV, Anchor/Reporter, Ithaca, NY

The Cornell University grad with a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism interned for FOX 4 KDFW and the The Virginian-Pilot.

OTHER RECENT WFAA NEWS
- Erin Hunter joins WFAA's Good Morning Texas
- Demond Fernandez leaves WFAA 8 DFW
- Joe Trahan celebrates 20 years with WFAA DFW
- Jesse Hawila adds to the family
- Natalie Haddad joins WFAA DFW
- Ariel Plasencia leaves WFAA

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Janel Forte (@janelfortetv)

Janel Forte joins KHOU + new set

Janel Forte joined KHOU 11 last week from WLOX Biloxi, MS where she's been the weekend morning anchor the last two years.

UPDATE AUGUST 2023
Janel Forte joins WFAA 8

UPDATE 2021
Janel Forte joins NewsNation

Her KHOU bio page makes no mention of what position she has taken, but her Twitter bio does say KHOU reporter.

"It’s an adventure, you never know what to expect as you head into work," Forte said about her profession on her newly posted channel 11 bio. "Each day I get to meet new people, go to new places and tell a different story. Not to mention the responsibility of serving in that gatekeeper role to inform the public and hold officials accountable."

Her website has a great breakdown of her career which I will show you here:

Medill News Service, Reporter, Washington DC
March 2015 – June 2015

Medill Reports, Reporter, Chicago, IL
September 2014 – March 2015

Social Justice News Nexus, Graduate Fellow, Chicago, IL
October 2014 – March 2015

Newswatch 16 ICTV, Anchor/Reporter, Ithaca, NY
September 2013 – May 2014

Fox News KDFW, Intern, Dallas Fort Worth, TX
May 2013- August 2013

The Virginian-Pilot, Intern, Norfolk, VA
January 2013

Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, Evanston, IL
M.S. Journalism, Broadcast, Business

Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ithaca, NY
B.S. Communication, Media Communication Focus, Sociology Concentration, Law & Society Minor

So how did I find out about Forte?

I didn't get tipped off by anyone at the station or any Houston TV viewers, but an alert about a KHOU set change.

As I was looking around the KHOU website for any video of the new set, I happened to see her photo in the bios page. Luck was on my side.

Ron Trevino actually hinted about a new set over the weekend.

This is obviously a new temporary set since the station is still operating thanks to Houston Public Media's generosity and the PBS affiliates studio space after Hurricane Harvey heavily damaged its building.

Honestly, it's hard for me to tell the difference from the former temporary set, but glad to see the station is progressing in its flood recovery.

Last November, I blogged KHOU is looking for a new studio home. UPDATE: NewscastStudio has photos, not sure I see that much of a difference still.

RELATED
KHOU 11 opening downtown Houston studios

Houston TV reporters wearing braids on air

Houston TV reporters are wearing braids on air with one journalist explaining why she was at first worried about making the hair style change

View this post on Instagram

A lot of you have reached out with kind words about my decision to wear my braids to work and on air. Thank you❤️ What’s SAD, is that we are still living in a time where it’s “shocking” to see a black woman embrace her CULTURE in the workplace. Hair styles that we wore for so long growing up in order to protect our natural hair- Natural hair that May not be as FINE and PRISTINE as many in the professional world would prefer. I feared it for so long and really up until 2 weeks ago I questioned whether or not I should do this. What I found that’s AMAZING, is that we are progressing into a time where companies like mine, are accepting the fact that there is not only ONE standard of beauty. Our hair and our styles deeply rooted in our culture, are not DISTRACTING, they are not UNPROFESSIONAL, they are not TOO BLACK. It’s 2019. Let’s keep beating down the doors ladies. We are still fighting this battle and I know many are still stuck in the same place I was 2 weeks ago. Wondering if I would still be accepted with an “ethnic” hairstyle and if it was “professional looking enough”. OUR black hair is beautiful even if it’s not in line with a “narrow” application of grooming policies in some workplaces. EMBRACE YOU! Share your thoughts with me on this topic! • • • • #blackgirlmagic#boxbraids#newsgirl#culture#ethnic#testimony#blackgirl#blackhair#proudafrican#proudnigerian#naijaqueen#proudhaitian#haitianproud

A post shared by Stefania Okolie (@stefaniaonabc13) on Jul 4, 2019 at 5:46pm PDT

Earlier this month while I was on vacation, abc13 KTRK reporter Stefania Okolie posted on Instagram how she decided to wear her hair in braids on air, but initially was worried about the decision:

A lot of you have reached out with kind words about my decision to wear my braids to work and on air. Thank you❤️ What’s SAD, is that we are still living in a time where it’s “shocking” to see a black woman embrace her CULTURE in the workplace. Hair styles that we wore for so long growing up in order to protect our natural hair- Natural hair that May not be as FINE and PRISTINE as many in the professional world would prefer. I feared it for so long and really up until 2 weeks ago I questioned whether or not I should do this.
What I found that’s AMAZING, is that we are progressing into a time where companies like mine, are accepting the fact that there is not only ONE standard of beauty. Our hair and our styles deeply rooted in our culture, are not DISTRACTING, they are not UNPROFESSIONAL, they are not TOO BLACK. It’s 2019. Let’s keep beating down the doors ladies. We are still fighting this battle and I know many are still stuck in the same place I was 2 weeks ago. Wondering if I would still be accepted with an “ethnic” hairstyle and if it was “professional looking enough”. OUR black hair is beautiful even if it’s not in line with a “narrow” application of grooming policies in some workplaces. EMBRACE YOU!

This week, KHOU 11 reporter Janel Forte posted on Instagram how she was thinking about wearing braids, but checked with news director Sally Ramirez first:

me: calls boss - “hey Sally, can I get braids?”
boss lady: yea, sure.
me: I can send you a picture of what I want first if you like.
boss lady: I know what braids look like Janel, I’m sure they’ll look great.
shout out to great bosses. I feel like I look like a baby with braids - so they won’t be here for long. But I’m grateful for the support to at least try them out.

UPDATE 2021
Janel Forte joins NewsNation

View this post on Instagram

me: calls boss - “hey Sally, can I get braids?” boss lady: yea, sure. me: I can send you a picture of what I want first if you like. boss lady: I know what braids look like Janel, I’m sure they’ll look great. shout out to great bosses. I feel like I look like a baby with braids - so they won’t be here for long. But I’m grateful for the support to at least try them out ❤️ #braids #knotlessbraids #natural #reporter #womenontv #womenonnair #amnewser #khou11 #khou #houston #texas #tvnews

A post shared by Janel Forte (@jforteontv) on Jul 15, 2019 at 8:07am PDT

Also, after I posted this, KPRC 2 reporter Taisha Walker let me know she got braids this past weekend and was nice enough to share this photo:

View this post on Instagram

Same reporter. Different hairdo.

A post shared by KPRC2 Taisha Walker (@kprc2taishawalker) on Jul 16, 2019 at 2:35pm PDT

Houston media members affected by COVID-19

Rucks Russell has passed away 

May 12, 2021

John "Rucks" Russell, former KHOU 11 reporter, has died at the age of 55.

Courtney Fischer recovering from COVID-19
February 2021
Courtney Fischer announced right before our Texas arctic blast that she is battling COVID-19 but feeling better.

Keith Garvin and Christine Noël recover from COVID-19 

January 15, 2021

KPRC 2 anchors Keith Garvin and Christine Noël announced on social media  they have both recovered from COVID-19 in the last weeks.

Art Rascon, and son Jacob, battling COVID-19

January 15, 2021

Longtime abc13 KTRK anchor Art Rascon and his son, KPRC 2 anchor Jacob Rascon, took to Facebook to publicly talk about their family's battle with COVID-19.

Courtney Zavala and Darby Douglas dealing with COVID-19 

January 08, 2021

Courtney Zavala's husband, Orlando, is battling COVID, while former KHOU 11 morning traffic anchor Darby Douglas has tested positive.

Dominique Sachse tests positive for COVID-19

January 07, 2021

Dominique Sachse posted to YouTube about her battle with COVID-19.

David Nuño returns after COVID-19
DECEMBER 25, 2020
David Nuño, the abc13 KTRK weekend sports anchor, took to Twitter to say his COVID-19 battle made him feel like Baby Yoda.

Melanie Lawson returns to work after COVID-19
DECEMBER 11, 2020
abc13 KTRK anchor Melanie Lawson and others report on their COVID-19 quarantine or positive test.

Britta Merwin returns after COVID
DECEMBER 7, 2020
KPRC 2 morning meteorologist Britta Merwin announced her return after a COVID quarantine.

Bob Slovak leaves abc13 KTRK
SEPTEMBER 09, 2020
abc13 KTRK weekend sports anchor Bob Slovak says his job is like so many others - a misfortune of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Janel Forte requests prayers for her grandmother
AUGUST 19, 2020
KHOU 11 reporter Janel Forte tweets that her grandmother has sadly passed away at age 96.

abc13 KTRK hosts 'COVID-19 and Our Schools' town hall
JULY 28, 2020
ABC13, Houston’s news leader, presents, “COVID-19 and Our Schools” a two-night town hall.

Astros TV's Todd Kalas to miss beginning of season after positive COVID-19 test
JULY 24, 2020
Todd Kalas, Houston Astros TV play-by-play broadcaster, posted on Twitter he will be missing the start of the 2020 season due to a positive COVID-19 test result.

Lily Jang's father dies of COVID-19
July 9, 2020
Former KHOU 11 morning anchor Lily Jang posts that after a hard fought battle that began with COVID-19 nearly five weeks ago, her beloved father has passed away.

Taniya Wright reveals why she had to put her health first
JULY 08, 2020
Former KPRC 2 morning anchor Taniya Wright reveals what it was like to have a hospital procedure during COVID-19.

Ryan Chase tests positive for COVID-19
June 29, 2020
104.1 KRBE "Roula and Ryan Show's" Ryan Chase tested positive for COVID-19 he revealed on Twitter.

Bill Barajas tested positive for COVID-19
June 28, 2020
KPRC 2 reporter Bill Barajas announced Sunday night on Facebook that he has returned to work after testing positive for COVID-19.

Houston Public Media experiences staff cuts due to COVID-19 budget shortfalls
June 23, 2020
Current reports that Houston Public Media (News 88.7 KUHF/Houston PBS 8 KUHT) is among the latest public broadcaster cutting staff due to budgetary shortfalls stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.


ABC13 President and GM shares warning after contracting COVID-19 from young daughter
June 22, 2020
KTRK abc13 is reporting that its own President and General Manager, Wendy Granato, has tested positive for COVID-19.

abc13 KTRK Virtual Town Hall discusses COVID-19 impact in Houston Asian American Community
May 24, 2020
Hosted by ABC13’s Eyewitness News reporter Miya Shay, the town hall coincides with the observation of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and will discuss the disparate challenges of COVID-19.

KUBE 57 High School Sports Zone cancelled
May 20, 2020
Todd Freed's High School Sports Zone show on KUBE 57 has been cancelled due to economic factors stemming from the Coronavirus.

"Producer Hoss" in hospital with COVID-19
May 17, 2020
Radio producer/on-air talent Adrian ‘Producer Hoss’ Perez for Cox Media Group Houston is battling COVID-19.

KLOL's Dayna Steele starts podcast
May 14, 2020
While quarantining from home, the Texas Radio Hall of Famer and former Rock 101 KLOL DJ has been reaching out to her vast network and landing some great interviews.

The future of TV news work after COVID-19
May 12, 2020
TV stations have been forced to jump technologically thanks to the coronavirus, so when this is over, do we fully return to normal operations?

97.5 FM KFNC hosts Raheel Ramzanali and Barry Laminack out
May 6, 2020
The duo reportedly lost their jobs because of the economic downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic the station said.


abc13 KTRK holds virtual town hall to address COVID-19 & communities of color
May 06, 2020
ABC13 anchor Chauncy Glover, who battled COVID-19 and has since recovered, will moderate the discussion, featuring U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, entrepreneur and community activist Tina Knowles-Lawson and other community and medical leaders.

Univision cancels some weekend newscasts, announces job cuts
April 28, 2020
Univision layoffs and furloughs announced, cancellation of Saturday newscasts


Houston film critics review "Movies on Lockdown" free for broadcast
APRIL 24, 2020
With movie theatres shuttered, the Houston Film Critics Society is now posting at home viewing suggestions on its website to help movie fans endure lockdown, while offering free access to movie reviews from select Society members to broadcast stations across the US and Canada (the critics will also appear live).

KPRC 2 went bananas and then this happened
APRIL 23, 2020
On a story about Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s mandatory mask order and $1000 potential fine, the NBC affiliate accidentally wrote you can wear "homemade masks, scarfs, bananas."

VIDEO: Randy McIlvoy talks sports broadcasting during COVID-19
APRIL 23, 2020
KPRC 2 sports director Randy McIlvoy talks to the High Tech Texan Michael Garfield for "The Quarantine Chronicles."

Familiar Houston radio voice battled COVID-19; family still in quarantine
Apr 17, 2020
Marc Sherman's voice is familiar to many Houston radio listeners. He spent years on sister station Sunny 99.1 with Dana Tyson. And like thousands of people in the Greater Houston area, Sherman fought a battle he never expected to; one with COVID-19.


EXPLAINED: How KPRC 2 decides how long to keep a press conference running on live television
April 17, 2020
Why do you always cut off the President of the United States in the middle of his televised speech and why don’t you cut off President Donald Trump when he is giving an obvious campaign stump speech?

New York Times Best-Selling Author Shea Serrano Raises $31,000 for the Houston Press
April 13, 2020
Last week, we ran an appeal to readers as part of our recent campaign to attract donor/members to help support the continuing work of the Houston Press.

KTRK GM Granato: "TV is seeing a huge resurgence"
April 13, 2020
abc13 KTRK president and general manager Wendy Granato: "We thought we'd lost the 20-something year olds, we thought we lost them to social media, we haven't."


Mia Gradney to anchor CBS Weekend News Easter weekend
April 11, 2020
KHOU 11 5, 6 and 10pm anchor Mia Gradney anchoring for CBS News' weekend newscasts

Carlos Robles using augmented reality weather graphics from home
April 10, 2020
Telemundo Houston KTMD chief meteorologist Carlos Robles is using augmented reality weathercasting in his living room.

KPRC 2, KHOU 11, FOX26, CW39 join forces for COVID-19 PSA
April 9, 2020
Channels 2, 11, 26 and 39 come together to show Houston TV solidarity during coronavirus pandemic.

Houston churches to air on local TV Easter Sunday
April 8, 2020
While you can't physically attend Easter Service, Houston churches and television stations are joining forces to help you celebrate without leaving your house.

TEGNA, owner of KHOU and many Texas stations, announces furloughs
April 6, 2020
TEGNA, owner of Texas stations like KHOU Houston, WFAA Dallas, KENS San Antonio, KVUE Austin, KCEN Waco, KAGS College Station, KYTX Tyler, KIII Corpus Christi, KBMT-KJAC Beaumont, KXVA Abilene and KIDY San Angelo has announced week long furloughs to come this month.

Nick Natario takes stay at home studio to next level
April 5, 2020
abc13 KTRK multi-media journalist (MMJ) Nick Natario builds awesome home studio, while channel 13 tests emergency broadcast location

Former KHOU photographer John Shaw loses wife to COVID-19
April 1, 2020
Shaw tells his former station that he recently lost his wife to COVID-19 after being with her for more than 50 years.


Chauncy Glover discusses experiencing COVID-19
March 31, 2020
Chauncy Glover goes live with his 3pm co-anchor, Mayra Moreno, about his condition.

Morning Dose returns to CW39 Monday away from studio
March 29, 2020
After being off the air Friday, CW39 KIAH's Morning Dose returns Monday.

FOX 26 KRIV tests remote broadcasts
March 29, 2020
Weekend anchor Tom Zizka posted photos on Facebook of FOX 26 KRIV conducting broadcasting tests from its transmitter location.

COVID-19 pandemic forces sports media to adapt
March 27, 2020
With a lack of sporting events for the foreseeable future, media outlets have pivoted in attempts to fill a content void for their audience.

Chauncy Glover tests positive for COVID-19
March 26, 2020
Chauncy Glover, 3pm and 6:30pm anchor for abc13 KTRK, announced today he has tested positive for coronaviurs and is self-quarantining.

Cleverley Stone puts show on hold
March 21, 2020
CBS SportsRadio 650 KIKK "Cleverley Food Talk" radio host Cleverley Stone posted the following: "Due to the Coronavirus issue and my illness (I’m fighting stage 4 uterine cancer with chemotherapy treatments), we are putting The Cleverley Show on hiatus for now."

From the Houston Chronicle editor: During coronavirus crisis, we’re working for you
March 20, 2020
A word about newspaper delivery during these troubled times: We have no indication from health authorities that the coronavirus can be spread on newsprint. But in an abundance of caution, we have provided gloves to all our press workers and delivery agents. And we are aggressively sanitizing our facilities daily.

TV anchors broadcast from home
March 20, 2020
Houston news anchors are staying home, but still delivering the news on TV.
- Houston TV helps the kids online

VIDEO: New ways TV news crews are working during COVID-19
March 19, 2020
Many Houston TV news stations are not letting their field crews (reporters/photographers) come into the station unless absolutely needed. Many are now staging from home and going to the story in their own vehicles. Some stations pair teams together to work strictly away from the station.

The Houston Press Not Immune to These Hard Times, Needs Help
March 19, 2020
As the Houston Press has documented for you over the last several days, these are hard times for our city. We’ve gone out of our way to detail the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, especially for those in the arts, music and restaurant/bar communities, as well as relaying important public-health news and updates.

abc13 KTRK reporter Miya Shay and photographer Mario Segura confronted during live shot
March 13, 2020

I’m just going to assume this guy dropped a bunch of F bombs on me this morning because his wife sent him for toilet paper too early. #jobhazard#Coronavirus #COVID19 is serious. We are not hyping it. #abc13 https://t.co/fWUjPZUbWc pic.twitter.com/9zMhcP46xp

— Miya Shay (@ABC13Miya) March 13, 2020

Houston Chronicle news staffers could have been exposed to coronavirus
March 10, 2020
Four Houston Chronicle journalists attended a conference last week where a participant has had a presumptive positive test for novel coronavirus.

Former abc13 KTRK photographer Jaime Zamora's daughter is blogging for KPRC 2 on what it is like on lock down in Spain
March 9, 2020 and ongoing
Isabella Zamora, a Houston native and Maddie Wharton, of Portland, Oregon, were teaching in Spain together when Madrid went on lockdown over the coronoavirus. They will share their experiences on click2houston.com to provide a real-life view of what life is like right now in Spain.

KPRC 2′s Eric Braate under self-quarantine after returning from trip to Asia
March 9, 2020
KPRC 2 meteorologist Eric Braate just returned from a two week trip to Asia and has been asked to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure. Braate says he was not anticipating having to self-quarantine because when he left for the trip, the situation had not grown to what it is now. He feels fine and is healthy and said had he known how the coronavirus crisis would play out, he would have reconsidered his two-week trip.
- UPDATE 3-17-2020: ‘I’m on a 14 day quarantine. This is what it’s like.’

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.

Texas TV news and radio job moves August 2020

Send tips for the monthly Texas media job list here.

BLOOPERS
- Funniest Animals and Work From Home News Bloopers
- Best Work From Home TV News Bloopers
- Funniest TV News Animals Bloopers
- TV news reporter explains on-air bloopers


DALLAS - FORT WORTH

Former WFAA 8 reporter and congressional candidate Brett Shipp changes his Twitter bio to "Spectrum News Texas." (UPDATE: He removed his bio)

What began 17 years ago in the DFW market with ESPN Dallas radio and ESPNDallas.com is dead.

1310 The Ticket’s Norm Hitzges announces he’s undergoing treatment for bladder cancer

Entercom Regional President and Dallas Market Manager Brian Purdy takes on Austin, Chattanooga, Houston, and New Orleans in addition to Dallas.

WFAA's Rebecca Lopez on being an empty nester as son prepares to start college.

Veda Loca returns to radio for “Veda Loca’s House Party” on Adult R&B “Majic 94.5” KZMJ.

Jordana Klein joins Hot 93.3 KLIF for voice imaging.

Dallas Morning News Senior Visual Journalist Tommy Noel joins Heritage Auctions.

- Alberto Romero returns to FOX 4 KDFW after bad accident
- Texas TV political spending important to station owners
- NBC 5 KXAS Lesson Plan: Learning at Home
- Julia Morales interviewed on 105.3 The Fan Dallas


HOUSTON

Anchor Art Rascon celebrates 27 Years with the ABC/DISNEY Company and 22 years with abc13 KTRK Houston.

Investigative photographer/editor John Barone retires from KPRC after 37 years.

KPRC 2 executive producer Rhonda Lamon leaves KPRC 2 for a new job in NYC.

Houston Chronicle Political editor/writer John Gravois joins the Dallas Morning News as assistant political editor.

Houston Chronicle Energy reporter Sergio Chapa joins Houston's Bloomberg bureau.

Reporter Natasha Geigel returns to mornings on FOX 26 KRIV.

Houston Forward Times celebrates 60 years in Third Ward.

abc13 KTRK reporter Jeff Ehling shares secrets to his nearly 40-pound weight loss journey.

The Houston Chronicle’s “Texas Sports Nation” television returns Sunday nights on KPRC 2.

Retired Associated Press reporter Michael Graczyk discusses covering more than 400 executions.

Jada Anissa Teague and Anthony Wood join Sports Illustrated/Maven as a Houston Texans Beat Reporters.

Claire Bermudez and Briahn Hawkins join the KHOU 11 Producer-in-Residence program.

- Deborah Wrigley to leave abc13 KTRK
- Where is Collin Myers?
- KHOU's Sally Ramirez to executive produce CNBC's “The News With Shepard Smith”
- Houston Life debuts at 3pm, Joe Sam joins
- Lainie Fritz leaves TV sports behind for now
- Chelsea Edwards is pregnant
- Taniya Wright shares what she wished she knew before surgery
- Madd Hatta to advise KTSU The Vibe
- Comedian Chinedu Ogu is now appearing on KHOU 11's Sports Extra, #HTownRush and Great Day Houston
- Kaitlin Monte is teasing us with "9.14.20"
- Madd Hatta purchases George Floyd portrait benefiting Project Row Houses
- Taniya Wright: Whataburger vs In-N-Out Burger
- David Nuño and Raheel Ramzanali interview Tom Abrahams and Chance McClain
- KPRC 950 AM to continue as Houston Cougars Football & Men's Basketball flagship station
- Janel Forte's grandmother passes away
- City of Houston new system for Texas Public Information Act Requests
- Dominique Sachse simplifies life by reducing excess, cost & lost time

Hurricane Laura Coverage
- Nexstar shows Houston how it competes during Hurricane Laura
- VIDEO: TV stations cover Hurricane Laura recap
- KPRC producer Erica Young talks working in TV when storm is hitting your home
- Telemundo Houston's Hurricane Laura coverage most watched


SAN ANTONIO

Monica Navarro beats odds, celebrates 37 years at Univision San Antonio.

iHeartRadio/San Antonio Launches Friday Night Virtual Dance Party.

- KSAT 12 San Antonio promotes Stephanie Serna to mornings and Sarah Acosta to weekend mornings
- KSAT 12 producer discusses COVID-19 experience and what she did next
- Get to know KSAT 12’s new GMSA anchor Stephanie Serna


AUSTIN

Is there still good news out there? KVUE colleagues share positive stories.

- Robert Hadlock celebrates 30 years at KXAN Austin
- KVUE reporter Kalyn Norwood to join KOAT 7 News Albuquerque as weekend evening anchor/reporter
- Elise Hu: From KVUE to VICE News


AROUND TEXAS

Don Brubaker celebrates 36 years at KAVU.

Victor Venegas leaves KTSM El Paso.

CBK Media Management client Elizabeth Pace joins WAVE Louisville, Kentucky as a News Reporter/Anchor. She has previously worked as a Weekend Evening News Anchor/Reporter at KLBK (CBS) in Lubbock.

Former KWTX Waco-Temple-Killeen anchor Tara Mergener joins the OTA Talent Agency as agent.

One of the three other finalists for awards in the Medium Market Television category in NAB’s Leadership Foundation Honors is KWTX-TV in Waco, Texas, for its annual Food for Families campaign, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this November.

Two young women from Texas, Nicole Auringer and Mariam Qureshi, have been selected for the prestigious Television Academy Foundation’s Summer Fellowship Program.

- Mark Silberstein joins KRIS Corpus Christi
- After KWTX 10 Waco, reporter Brandon Hamilton joins WBTV Charlotte, NC
- Joe Puma joins KVII Amarillo
- Isaac Williams joins NBC 23 KVEO Brownsville
- Andrew Tate joins KTEN Sherman
- Sydney Hernández joining Local 23 KVEO as evening anchor in Brownsville, Texas


REMEMBERING

Clint Bourland, 92, legendary Dallas news producer and television pioneer, passed Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, of natural causes with his wife Mary at his side. For more than two decades until his retirement in 1993, Clint produced news programs for KXAS-TV, Channel 5, working with such local luminaries as Harold Taft, Chip Moody, Jane McGarry, Mike Snyder, David Finfrock, Brad Wright, Bobbie Wygant and some who went on to the networks, such as Bob Schieffer and Charles Murphy.

Former KENS 5 general manager Robert McGann passes away.

Beloved, 'one-of-a-kind' Waco broadcaster Butch Henry dies at age 80.

- Kelly Plasker, KCBD Lubbock forecaster, dies

Allison Harris joins NewsNation

Allison Harris, a former reporter for FOX 4 KDFW in Dallas - Fort Worth, has joined the national cable news show NewsNation.  

The native Texan is now the NewsNation DC Correspondent reporting on the White House, Supreme Court and Capitol Hill.

“Allison is a fantastic reporter with great instincts, and I’m looking forward to having her join the team as we build a news bureau based on sound journalism and fearless reporting,” NewsNation Washington Bureau Chief Mike Viqueira said in a Nexstar Media Group press release. “She’ll help us ramp up our efforts to provide viewers with the fact-based information they need to understand what is going on in the U.S. capital during an especially important time in our nation’s history.”

Harris left the FOX owned Dallas station in November of 2020 for Washington DC.

So why did Harris leave Texas TV and move to our nation's capital? 

Well, part of the answer comes from an Instagram post by NBC and MSNBC reporter Garrett Haake who posted in November, "So glad [Allison]’s finally joining me in DC."

Turns out Haake and Harris are a couple. Haake is based out of Washington.

And Houstonians might be interested to know that Haake is a graduate of Klein High School in Houston and SMU.

Harris joined channel 4 Dallas in 2016. 

Prior to KDFW, Harris worked for KOTV 6 Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Her reporting there was honored with a a regional Edward R. Murrow award and an Emmy nomination. While at KOTV, she went live for CBS Evening News.

The McKinney, Texas native started her television news career at KXII Sherman.  

While earning her degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma, Harris was named the top collegiate news anchor in the country by the Broadcast Education Association.  She also studied journalism in London and Paris at CNN International, Sky News, BBC and The Guardian.

Loyal readers of my blog will know that KHOU 11 reporter Janel Forte joined NewsNation in the last month.

KVUE 24 Austin chief meteorologist Albert Ramon left Texas last summer to start NewsNation.

Alex Caprariello leaves KXAN for NewsNation

Alex Caprariello, KXAN Austin's lead education reporter, is heading to Los Angeles to work for Nexstar's (KXAN owner) NewsNation. 

Here is what he tweeted:

"The last few years at @KXAN_News have been so special to me. I got the chance to work with incredibly talented and respected journalists in what could be the best city in America. But the time has come for me to move on.

I feel like I’ve covered everything! From hurricanes, to police protests, to navigating school safely during a global pandemic. I know I’m moving forward in my career with real, gritty experience — exactly what I was looking for when I first joined this shop years ago.

It is that exact experience that gives me confidence to move forward to an even larger stage. In two weeks, I’ll be moving to Los Angeles to work for News Nation, a national cable network. I’ll be a West Coast correspondent, covering breaking news along the entire coast.

I owe thank yous to so many people. To my KXAN managers, colleagues & friends. To my supportive partner, Sarah, who will be joining me in LA. And to the amazing city of Austin: thank you for letting me share your stories. It’s been an honor to call this place home. I’ll be back!"

Caprariello, who joined KXAN in 2018, previously worked for KNWA/KFTA Fayetteville, Arkansas as a weekend anchor, senior reporter and producer.

The Arizona State University grad also earned a master’s degree in Journalism from the school's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Other Texas TV journalists who have left the Lone Star State for NewsNation include KVUE Austin's Albert Ramon, FOX 4 KDFW's Allison Harris and KHOU 11's Janel Forte.

TX TV love is in the air for Valentine's Day!

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Hannah Rucker is engaged