Rita Garcia joining abc13 KTRK

 

Rita Garcia has signed off FOX 11 KTTV Los Angeles and said she's returning to Texas...so I will place my bet...maybe the former FOX 26 KRIV morning anchor is returning to Houston at abc13 KTRK?

UPDATE JULY 2021
Rita Garcia is joining abc13 KTRK Houston as morning anchor to replace Tom Koch. I was right!

"So many great stories, memories & lifelong friendships have been made here & I will forever treasure these," Garcia tweeted.  "Right now though, it’s important to be closer to family. Stay tuned for my next adventure... XO."

Watch Rita sign off FOX LA

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I have been thinking of what big job someone of Garcia's stature could return to and the one I think of is the anchor seat left vacant from Tom Koch's channel 13 retirement.

Houston viewers still love Rita Garcia

At first I thought Garcia would return to a Texas FOX owned television station like Fox 26 KRIV Houston, FOX 4 KDFW Dallas-Fort Worth or FOX 7 Austin KTBC.  However, if that were the case, wouldn't FOX LA just announce that since she would be joining a sister-station?

Plus, I can tell from my own blog stats that Garcia is still very popular from her channel 26 days, so Houston makes lots of sense and there are no other high-profile anchor jobs open at the moment in H-Town TV. 

Speaking of popularity, my recent post about Garcia's recent wedding had lots of Houston readers.

From Fox 26 to Fox 11 KTTV's Good Day LA

Garcia left FOX 26 in December of 2017 for FOX 11's "Good Day LA." 

She arrived at Houston's channel 26 in December 2011 as a weekend anchor from KCBS/KCAL Los Angeles where she worked as a freelance reporter. In 2013, Garcia was promoted to the Fox Television Station's morning show where she remained until her California promotion.

Prior to Houston, Garcia was the KRGV Rio Grande Valley Cameron County bureau reporter.

The Texas State University graduate interned at FOX 7 KTBC and KXAN - both in Austin.

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Rita Garcia is married

Rita Garcia, Good Day LA morning anchor on FOX 11, was married in March to her fiancé Sergio Selvera!

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2022
Rita Garcia is pregnant

UPDATE
Rita Garcia joining abc13 KTRK

And the Los Angeles TV journalist's former FOX 26 KRIV Houston viewers and colleagues are congratulating her on social media. Heck, Garcia left channel 26 for KTTV Los Angeles back in 2017, but clearly still has fans in the Bayou City.

Garcia's dress was from Panache Bridal Beverly Hills, but the wedding was all Texas.

That's because the couple returned from California to Garcia's birthplace of Austin, and appears to have held the ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown.

A special guest was Garcia's dog Rocky!

The couple was engaged in Paris, France back in the nice year of 2019.

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Rita Garcia appears on Los Angeles TV

Rita Garcia is away on maternity leave with Baby Jordan, but the abc13 KTRK Houston morning anchor did take the time out of her busy schedule to wish former FOX 11 Los Angeles KTTV "Good Day LA" co-anchor Tony McEwing a happy retirement. 

UPDATE APRIL 2023
Rita Garcia returns to abc13 Houston after maternity leave

RELATED
- The Houston TV world celebrates Rita Garcia's baby
- Rita Garcia is married

And for Garcia's LA and Houston fans, here is video of Baby Jordan (LA readers here is the SoCal news you  have been asking for!):

TEXAS-SIZED GOODBYE: @TheRitaGarcia shares a sweet farewell message to @Tonysuniverse with her new bundle of joy. https://t.co/nCx2riIqze pic.twitter.com/haUNogYbkm

— Good Day LA (@GDLA) February 3, 2023

"Tony, I am sending you double the love from Texas from me and my little Jordan here who just arrived. 

We just want to say congratulations on this next chapter on retirement. The LA market is not going to be the same without you. 

I had the privilege of sitting next to you at Good Day LA and what an honor. 

Always readily available to answer all of my questions, we had some great conversations. 

You have the biggest heart, Tony, and most importantly, you always shared your snacks with me, so thank you for that. I never went hungry. And all the candy that you gave me, too, so thank you for that as well. 

And I know you're going to be spending a lot of time in the desert and I'm telling you, we always joked we would put a camera there, so maybe we should do that. So you can retire, but you can't go far. Congratulations."

McEwing has become a legend in Los Angeles morning TV with more than 30 years of anchoring in Southern California. He had a total TV career of 43 years. 

Garcia just left the venerable "Good Day LA" back in 2021, returning to Houston at channel 13.

She had been with FOX 11 Los Angeles since 2017. 

Before LA, Garcia was a morning anchor with FOX 26 Houston KRIV joining the station in 2011.

RELATED
Rita Garcia in a FOX 26 throwback

Rita Garcia promoted to Fox 26 KRIV morning anchor

Fox 26 KRIV weekend anchor Rita Garcia moves up to mornings

Fox 26 KRIV needed to fill morning anchor Natalie Bomke's position and looked to the interim anchor, weekend anchor Rita Garcia, for the job. Here is more from Fox Television Stations:

Rita Garcia

Rita Garcia will co-anchor “FOX 26 Morning News” effective immediately, announced D’Artagnan Bebel, the station’s Vice President and General Manager. Garcia will co-anchor the weekday morning news program from 4-7 a.m. and will continue reporting weekdays.

In making the announcement, Bebel stated “Rita joined us two years ago from Los Angeles and made an immediate impact with her style, news instinct and engaging personality. We are happy to make this well-deserved opportunity available to her.”

Most recently, Garcia served as weekend anchor/reporter for KRIV FOX 26. Previously, Garcia served as a freelance reporter KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles. Prior to that, she served as Cameron County bureau reporter at KRGV-TV in the Rio Grande Valley. Garcia holds a Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communications and a Bachelors of Arts in Spanish from Texas State University-San Marcos. She began her career as a news intern for KXAN News and KTBC FOX 7 in Austin.

Added Garcia, "I'm thrilled to continue my career with the FOX family. Over the past 2 years, Houstonians have welcomed me into their homes and I owe this great opportunity to ALL the viewers. It will be quite the switch setting my alarm at 2 a.m., but I know it will be worth it.”

UPDATE
The Houston Chronicle reports Kristine Galvan will hold down the weekend anchor desk until a replacment is named. Also Chris Stipes is due back December 9th.

Rita Garcia is pregnant

Rita Garcia and her husband, attorney Sergio Selvera, are expecting their first child. 

UPDATE
- Rita Garcia's baby is here
- Rita Garcia's star-studded baby shower

The abc13 KTRK morning anchor announced her pregnancy on Instagram. 

"My husband & I are so excited for this next chapter," she posted.

Garcia and Selvera were married in Austin in 2021.

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Rita Garcia returns to abc13 Houston after maternity leave

Rita Garcia returned to co-anchor the abc13 KTRK Houston morning newscast on April 5, 2023 after her maternity leave with baby Jordan. 

 

"Hey #Houston - I’m back.  What’d I miss?"

Garcia's return to TV announcement even featured Eminem.  The rapper's music just appeared in another Houston TV return video!  

Although for Garcia, I'm changing the 8 Mile to the 13 Mile!  Get it, Eminem's movie and channel 13...oh never mind...I'll stop writing now.

RELATED
- Rita Garcia appears on Los Angeles TV
- Rita Garcia's baby shower was full of Houston TV stars
- See who left Houston TV the same day

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Rita Garcia gives birth to baby #2

Rita Garcia and her husband, Sergio Selvera, welcomed their second child, Austin Jose, this morning:

"Officially a party of 4! Meet Austin Jose fam! 

He is happy, healthy & an early bird (just like his mama.) 

 He arrived just after 7AM this morning (7/3) so earlier than we expected but we will take it! Jordy has been referring to herself as 'big sister' & loving all the lollipops her little brother brought her."

Garcia announced the new baby news in October and the gender reveal in January.

The couple welcomed their daughter, Jordan, on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Check out the baby shower photos.

While on maternity leave with Baby Jordan, Garcia made a special appearance on her former station, FOX 11 Los Angeles KTTV’s Good Day LA, to congratulate her co-anchor, Tony McEwing, on his retirement.

In 2021, Garcia departed Good Day LA and returned to Houston to join ABC13 Houston KTRK.

She had been with FOX 11 Los Angeles since 2017.

Before heading to Southern California, Garcia served as a morning anchor at FOX 26 KRIV, where she started in 2011.

Garcia and Selvera tied the knot in 2021.

Recently KPRC 2's Caroline Brown gave birth with FOX 26's Allison Gargaro announcing her pregnancy.

RELATED
TV anchor and weather baby news early 2025

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Fox 26's new weekend sportscaster...Rita Garcia?

Keith Calkins

Rita Garcia is filling in on sports for Fox 26 KRIV

With Fox 26 KRIV's 20+ year weekend sportscaster Keith Calkins not on the station anymore, I wondered who would be doing sports this weekend.

I watched Fox 26 KRIV's 5pm weekend show tonight and anchor Rita Garcia was filling in on sports in a segment called "Sports in 2."

In a two minute package format, complete with a countdown clock, Garcia voiced the day's sports news. Garcia's performance was a home run by the way.

Rita Garcia

We'll see if "Sports in 2" continues until someone is hired or not.

It's not a good time to be a sports anchor/reporter in local TV news. While NBC, CBS and Fox are all building cable sports networks to rival dominant player ESPN, there have been some local TV stations across the country cutting sports departments in recent years.

Speaking of sportscasters, in addition to Calkins, we've seen Houston's own  Bob Allen of KTRK abc13 and KHOU 11's Butch Alsandor leave their TV stations in 2013.

Rita Garcia is engaged

Former FOX 26 KRIV and current FOX 11 KTTV Los Angeles morning anchor Rita Garcia is engaged

UPDATE 2021

Rita Garcia is married

Remember former FOX 26 KRIV anchor Rita Garcia? Well she just got engaged in Paris.

"Vacations are full of surprises...This one was especially sparkly," Garcia posted on Instagram.

So not only did her boyfriend drop on one knee in Paris, but he did it at the Eiffel Tower no less. Bon travail.

Garcia left channel 26 and Houston behind after six years in 2017 to move to sister station FOX 11 KTTV Los Angeles as a morning anchor.

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Vacations are full of surprises...This one was especially sparkly.✨❤️💍🇫🇷 ✈️ . . #Engaged #EiffelTower #Paris #Bonjour💋 #YearOfTravel #NewChapter #LOVE #newbeginnings

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