Favorite On-Air Personalities in Houston News

UPDATED: January 24, 2012

There are on-air personalities in Houston news that I consider favorites for a number of reasons. This blog entry highlights on some of those personal favorite on-air news personalities of mine, both present and past. It's a chance for me to give a shout-out to those personalities. I only make mention to these based on news footage I've seen on Houston-area TV. The people I make mention to will go in ascending numerical order (in other words, Channel 2, Channel 11, Channel 13, and so on). Let's begin with a random picture of Houston, since this is a blog entry regarding the Houston area:

LATEST UPDATE TO THIS POST (OCT. 18, 2011):

edited look of post.



^ from: nationalrelocation.com - downtown Houston.

WARNING 1: This blog post features some YouTube videos. These may degrade your viewing performance, so be warned when clicking on any of the YouTube videos featured here.

WARNING 2: The videos are only provided for educational purposes.

NOTE: Click on any headings of the respective personalities to read their bios or visit any websites of theirs (including fan pages.)

--- Channel 2 (KPRC 2, Houston's NBC Affiliate) ---

I don't really watch NBC. I used to in seeing Jerry Springer back in the 1990s as well as to see Maury.

Frank Billingsley.

^ from: houstonpbs.org - Frank Billingsley.

Frank Billingsley is a great meteorologist for Channel 2. Again, I don't watch NBC much, but I greatly respect the work of one Mr. Frank Billingsley.

--- Channel 11 (KHOU Channel 11, Houston's CBS Affiliate) ---

I only watch CBS mostly for sports. Other than sports, usually awards shows aired on CBS. When I do get to see CBS News (for the rare times that I do, I have respect for a number of people, such as...

Gene Norman.

^ from: reggiegay.com - Gene Norman.

Gene Norman is very cool in covering the weather. I like watching him.

Dr. Neil Frank (former (?) personality).

^ from: chron.com - Dr. Neil Frank.

Dr. Neil Frank retired as Chief Meteorologist in 2008. He was the best covering weather on Channel 11.

Matt Lavine (former regular (on another network)).

^ from: playsinperpetuity.com - Meteorologist Matt Lavine.

His coverage of weather in the Houston area on FOX was great. Matt Lavine even had a little fun during morning newscasts by going out to certain locations to do fun little segments in addition to covering the weather. He moved on to Channel 39 at one point. According to YouTube, I read Matt Lavine is a fill-in meteorologist for Channel 11. That's why I moved this text to the Channel 11 section.

--- Channel 13 (KTRH ABC 13, Houston's ABC Affiliate) ---

I consider ABC as the best local news here in Houston. Since I've been seeing Channel 13 news more than any other station, there are so many names I can readily identify and note as favorites.

Erik Barajas.

^ from: austin360.com, by way of coxnewsweb - Erik Barajas, maybe the most handsome fellow covering Houston news.

To me, Erik Barajas is one of the best on TV. Some of my friends even think he's the most handsome fellow covering Houston news. He also has a great deal of lighthearted humor to make newscasts better. At times, Erik Barajas even does a few segments during evening newscasts.

Ilona Carson.

Equal to Erik Barajas in covering the news, Pennsylvanian Ilona Carson is equally wonderful in covering the news. Her insight is wonderful in complimenting the midday and 4:00 PM news. She is also a very well-dressed lady when covering news topics.

Dave Ward.

Dave Ward is always great to listen to and watch on Channel 13. He speaks very well and is very professional and profound in covering the news. The Dallas native covers news for ABC 13 and used to cover Houston Oilers games. Listening to him is a great pleasure in covering the news.

Cynthia Cisneros.

^ from: houstonpress.com - Veteran reporter Cynthia Cisneros.

Cynthia Cisneros is a real professional in reporting on news events. She speaks with and reports with passion and purpose. I enjoy listening to and watching her report news with passion and dedication. I have SO much respect for Cynthia Cisneros. Here is a video sample from 2009 of her reporting:



Again- she's wonderful. Cynthia Cisneros is an invaluable asset to the ABC 13 News team. Become a Fan of Cynthia Cisneros by visiting Cynthia's Facebook fan page.

Miya Shay.

^ from: texasbusinessalliance.org - Political reporter and political blogger Miya Shay.

Reporter Miya Shay is usually covering political stories for ABC 13. The native of Beijing, China is someone else whom I enjoy hearing reports from. A few times, I have even seen her anchor news on the weekends.

Visit Miya's YouTube channel and Miya Shay's Facebook fan page if you are fond of her work.

Tom Abrahams.

On the weekends, Tom Abrahams is an anchor. He also does some reporting. I have great respect for what he brings to a newscast, whether reporting or anchoring. He is big on political news as well.

Adela Uchida.

Replacing Stephanie Guadian was Adela Uchida. The Japanese-American anchor/reporter from Denver, CO, USA usually does reporting through the weekdays and anchor the news on the weekends. Adela is great at covering news whether out and about or behind the desk.

Patricia Lopez.

^ from: nydailynews.com - Consumer reporter Patricia Lopez.

Consumer reporter, Patricia Lopez, is usually known for her "Stretch Your Dollar" segments during the weekday news. This beautiful reporter is someone whom is very knowledgeable in handling issues regarding consumer complaints.

Jeff Ehling.

The right-hand man to Patricia Lopez is Jeff Ehling. He does a wonderful job in reporting on consumer issues both on the air and in his blog on ABC13.com.

Wayne Dolcefino.

Wayne Dolcefino is an award-winning investigative reporter not afraid to mix things up to bust people and expose things. His work is exceptional. Truly passionate and seemingly impervious to danger. And more importantly, the 13 Undercover reporter gets results (which is what you want in having such a segment). It's also cool just hearing him say at the end of his segments: "Wayne Dolcefino, 13... UNDER COVER."

Wayne Dolcefino's Facebook fan page awaits you to Become a Fan if you enjoy his work.

Travis Herzog.

^ from: cmhouston.org - Travis Herzog.

Meteorologist Travis Herzog covers weather very nicely and sometimes adds some humor. He speaks with professionalism and is wonderful in covering the news.

Tim Heller.

Tim Heller is the most knowledgeable meteorologist in Houston news. His knowledge and expertise is exceptional. Tim really knows what he's talking about and provides everything in an understandable and complete manner. That even includes his coverage of Hurricane Ike back in 2008. No scare tactics, no cliffhangers, just weather in a clear and calm fashion. He is exceptional.

Casey Curry.

^ from: houstonpress.com - the humble and kind Casey Curry.

Sweet and knowledgeable, Casey Curry is wonderful at covering the news. She normally does weather reports in the morning. Casey used to do weather for the evening news five or so years ago.

Bob Allen.

What I like most about Bob Allen is that he's a tell-it-like-it-is guy when covering sports. I usually just watch Eyewitness Sports just to hear his commentary. He also does "Houston Texans: Inside the Game," a Sunday night show that looks back on the Houston Texans and how their season is going along with Spencer Tillman. The two segments he usually is known for is his commentary pieces and reports on what he's heard regarding certain sports stories. He's my favorite sports director in Houston media.

Tim Melton.

Besides Bob Allen, Tim Melton does a great job with sports whether reporting or anchoring.

Bob Slovak.

I enjoy checking out Bob Slovak's sports reports. He even anchors the sports segment sometimes, which he also does well.

Stephanie Guadian (former personality).

I COMPLETELY forgot about her after visiting (a blog I will mention at the end of this blog entry). Stephanie Guadian was a beautiful anchor/reporter who covered news very well.

Ed Brandon (former regular).

For over 35 years, I've always regarded him as a great fixture for ABC 13 weather. Maybe the quote that resonates in my mind is when it's Friday as he says "Congratulations! You made it through another week!" He is absolutely classic. Ed is no longer the Chief Meteorologist (retired in 2007), but he still sometimes fills in to cover Houston weather. I am a BIG fan of his.

Dave Garrett (deceased).

When I usually check out SkyEye HD helicopter footage, the man I normally associate with providing quality footage from above was Dave Garrett. His work was exceptional. I still can not imagine helicopter newscasts without Dave Garrett.

Marvin Zindler (deceased).

^ freerepublic.com, by way of jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com - Marvin Zindler in 2005.

I don't think ABC 13 Eyewitness News STILL isn't the same without Marvin Zindler. He usually was a commentary figure that covered various consumer complaints as well as helping those in need. He was also famous in covering restaurant reports on Fridays. Marvin was famous for the end of these segments when certain restaurants were tabbed for having slime in the ice machine. "Slime in the Ice Machine" became quite catchy. There was no one better than Marvin Zindler at his craft. When he died of pancreatic cancer in 2007, a hero and a legend was lost. Marvin Zindler was truly a class act. ABC 13 STILL isn't the same without him even to this day.

--- Channel 26 (KRIV FOX 26, Houston's FOX Affiliate) ---

Back when I was usually preparing for college, I would watch FOX 26 Morning news.

José Griñan.

José has a wonderful voice and covers news quite well. His work is exceptional.

Sibila Vargas (former personality).

The beautiful Sibila Vargas took over for Jan Jeffcoat as Jan joined the FOX affiliate in Chicago. She came to Houston apart from her days on CNN and Headline News.

UPDATE (9/20/2010): Word has it that Sibila Vargas will leave FOX 26 to join a local network in her native Los Angeles. My best wishes go out to the beautiful Sibila Vargas.

Mike Barajas.

^ from: texasbusinessalliance.org - Mike Barajas.

Erik Barajas is the finest on ABC 13. Mike Barajas has been the finest on FOX 26 for many years. I respect him so much for his work. Like Erik, Mike has a wonderful voice and covers news very well.

Mike Iscovitz.

Mike Iscovitz is very good at covering the weather for FOX 26. He offers great weather explanations with great confidence and professionalism.

Isiah Carey.

While I don't watch FOX evening news much anymore, I'm sending special consideration to Isiah Carey because I'm subscribed to his Blogspot blog. He is a wonderful reporter who is very insightful. To visit his blog (right here on Blogspot, go to ISIAH CAREY'S 'INSITE'.

Lanny Griffith.

Formerly part of 94.5 FM The Buzz (an alternative rock music station here in Houston), Lanny has since been an influential part in mostly covering morning news and certain specialty segments for FOX 26. He's great fun to watch on TV.

Cecilia Sinclair (former personality).

You couldn't have asked for better coverage of weather from Cecilia Sinclair. The former Chief Meteorologist of FOX 26 had such cheery persona as well as professionalism in covering Houston weather. She was masterful in covering Houston weather.

Erin Anthony (former personality).

Erin Anthony of Milwaukee used to cover traffic for FOX 26. Sadly, she's no longer part of the FOX 26 team.

Jan Jeffcoat (former personality).

As I mentioned earlier, Jan Jeffcoat was great on the morning news before she signed on as part of the FOX affiliate in Chicago.

--- Channel 39 (KIAH Channel 39, Houston's CW (CBS-Warner Bros.) Affiliate) ---

^ from: papercitymag.com - CW 39's two wonderful anchors side-by-side: Katishia Cosley (left) and Mia Gradney (right).

(UPDATE: MAR 25 2011) - The NewsFix format was introduced on March 19, 2011; replacing CW39 News. This is the news format that does away with anchors and reporters. A lot of the on-air talent has either moved on or stayed with CW39 in roles not on the air. To find out where most of the former on-air talent of CW39 News went to (and to get my own review of NewsFix, I invite you to read my blog post entitled NewsFix Review).

The CW 39 News is seen by most people as being the lowest-rated news coverage in Houston. They've made strides to enhance their news. One such way was in going with the only stand-up news set in Houston. Two HDTV monitors and two different stands comprise the news set for the CW39 these days.

Since March 19th of 2011 however, the NewsFix format came into play to provide a new spark to news not only on the CW39, but also to Houston news in general. NewsFix is seen more like a TV show (like TMZ on FOX) rather than a real news show. There is also Eye Opener as a new weekday morning news program. Regardless, this is a salute to some of the many personalities whom have helped to shape Channel 39 news before and after both NewsFix and Eye Opener.

Mia Gradney.

^ from: tinypic.com - Mia Gradney (this picture represents the old news set before the new one came along earlier this year).

For some people, Houston native Mia Gradney IS CW 39 News. I've called Mia as the quarterback of CW 39 News. Mia is amazingly beautiful as she does everything from anchoring the news during the weekdays to her "Mia's Style Files" and "Mia at the Movies" segments. I respect her a great deal for what she does and what she brings to 39 News. She picked up a Lone Star Emmy Award in 2010 for her "Mia Style Files" work. Here is a demonstration of Mia and her fashion-themed work:



Mia Gradney has a deal called More With Mia. In More With Mia, she shares a lot of her on-air material as well as her Looks of the Day. She shares certain outfits she wears on the set for that day. If you are on Facebook and want to be a fan of her "More With Mia Gradney" material, please Become a Fan of More With Mia Gradney now!

UPDATE - 3/25/2011: Mia Gradney is still with CW39. However, she now does news updates in a brief commercial courtesy of headlinehouston.com. The NewsFix concept does away with reporters and anchors, so she has NO on-air appearance during NewsFix.

UPDATE - July 13, 2011 - When "Eye Opener" was introduced, Mia signed on as one of the different on-air personalities to cover morning news for CW39. I have NEVER seen Eye Opener to this date to see the stylish Mia cover news for this show.

Katishia Cosley.

^ from: (Katishia Cosley's Facebook Fan Page) - Anchor/Reporter Katishia Cosley is now the host of her own show, "Deals" on the Live Well Network.

Katishia Cosley is perhaps my favorite personality on Houston-area news. She is usually a reporter as well as an anchor for weekend news on the CW 39. The native of Greentown, Indiana honed her craft as a multimedia journalist. For the uninitiated, a multimedia journalist (or MMJ) is one who shoots, edits, and writes his/her own stories for the news. I first learned of Katishia when she was a reporter for ABC 13 in 2007 or 2008. When I was unsure as to where Katishia went after her time on ABC 13, I would get to see her again on the CW 39 News on that Friday it snowed last year (December 4, 2009). From there, I felt I had reason to watch CW 39 news- to see Katishia Cosley cover the news the way only she can. I've grown to respect the Indiana native for her lighthearted humor, passion in covering the news, and even working to find some sort of happiness and solitude even on the most depressing news days. Katishia Cosley, then, represents sunshine in a cloudy world. Since first seeing her on ABC 13, I've been more than pleased seeing her report news as well as anchor a newscast. There is no one single anchor/reporter that I have more respect for than Katishia Cosley. Here is a sample of Katishia as a reporter, from her days at FOX 61 (now FOX CT), the FOX affiliate in Hartford, CT, USA. This story from 2007 was about a tax collector getting run over by a car:



If you enjoy her on-air work, and if you have Facebook, why not Become a Fan of Katishia Cosley?

UPDATE: July 4, 2011 - "Deals" debuted on the Live Well Network (LWN). Katishia Cosley (or Kat Cosley) is the host offering up advice. For the most part, these shows are very informative and useful. Learn more about Deals and see videos of Deals episodes by visiting livewellnetwork.com/Deals. Also, you can become a fan of Deals on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/DealsTV.

UPDATE: 3/19/2011 Katishia Cosley will return to ABC 13, but to be on the Live Well HD Network. She makes the move as CW39 is killing off the traditional newscast deal for the NewsFix concept. You can see Katishia Cosley on Live Well Network as a host/producer for a show to be called "Deals: Living Well for Less." This regards saving money on things and being frugal. This is reminiscent to her "On the Cheap" duties on CW39 News in the past. Katishia did everything beautifully both as an anchor and as a reporter for CW39. Best wishes to the lovely Indiana Hoosier on ABC 13.

Maggie Flecknoe.

^ from: behindthevoiceactors.com - Maggie Flecknoe and her beautiful curly hair.

The CW's "Social Butterfly," Maggie Flecknoe (also known as "Blondie"), is mostly the entertainment reporter that serves up Online Dish. The Aurora, Colorado native usually dishes on entertainment news and some other weird news notes. There are even news segments she does. One of her most recent segments was on going to the to watch as children work to learn and perform magic tricks. Aside from her broadcasting and journalism, she has also been a voice actor for a number of animé films and even a few video games. She is both beautiful and entertaining as well as a real joy to see on TV. Maggie has a voice that is somehow the perfect combination of sultry and beautiful. Just a joy to listen to and see.

(Added: March 7, 2011) As of March 1st of this year, Maggie's "Online Dish" went national. CW affiliate networks can click on the Entertainment tab to check out the Online Dish reports.

For more on Maggie, check out Maggie's official website, CW39 Online Dish with Maggie, or her old blog called "The World According to Maggie!"

Online Dish now has it's own Facebook Fan Page! Check it out: The Online Dish with Maggie on Facebook!

Steve Simon.

Outspoken and highly-professional, Specialty Reporter Steve Simon usually covers "Steve's Sites" as well as "Simon Says." "Steve's Sites" usually relates to various websites he's found and wants to share with CW39 viewers. His commentary piece, "Simon Says," is a more serious deal where he creatively expresses his points on certain issues, usually based on what viewers tell him to look into. Earlier this year, he picked up a Lone Star Emmy Award for his work on 39 News with his Simon Says commentary piece.

Leticia Juarez (former personality).

"Letty" is a wonderful reporter for the CW39 News. Sometimes, she anchors the CW39 news. There is great passion in her news coverage. This was probably the most famous moment for Leticia Juarez as part of CW 39 News:



Wow, huh?

UPDATE (9/18/2010) A few days ago, I learned that she's apparently left KIAH 39 some time ago. Her final report (according to mikemcguff's blog) will reportedly be on September 22nd. "Letty" was pretty solid both as a reporter and as an anchor.

Mayra Moreno.

Equally wonderful is the very lovely Mayra Moreno. Her reporting is solid. She speaks sweetly and is very beautiful. She joined the 39 News team in October 2009 apart from her days at KHOU Channel 11 here in Houston and her older days at KRGV Channel 5 in Rio Grand Valley, Texas. Here is a demonstration of the on-air talent she brings:



(ADDED: October 18, 2011) Mayra Moreno will reportedly go from Houston to San Antonio for a new gig in TV news. As a fan of Mayra Moreno, I wish her all the best in her new TV news gig in San Antonio.

Become a Fan of Mayra Moreno by going to Mayra Moreno's Facebook Fan Page!

Jason Volentine.

^ from: jasonvolentine.com - The handsome reporter Jason Volentine.

I think Jason Volentine is a wonderful reporter. The Nebraska native and Cornhusker alum covers news very well and also covers the news equally well.

UPDATE: (9/18/2010) It's been reported a few days ago that Jason Volentine has moved on to FOX 11 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I wish Jason Volentine the very best as he is a handsome and wonderful reporter.

Andrea Nguyen.

^ from: houstonpress.com - Andrea Nguyen.

Andrea Nguyen was a Vietnamese boat refugee as a child, but later went up the ranks to become the great reporter and anchor that she is today. I have great respect for this Vietnamese anchor/reporter. Just like Isiah Carey, Andrea Nguyen also has her own blog right here on Blogspot. To have a look, visit: Behind the Headlines with Andrea Nguyen. Here is a demo reel of what Andrea Nguyen brings to the news:



I have NO idea what she's up to lately. Been a long while since seeing her on TV. Isn't she beautiful? ;)

Keith Monahan (former personality).

"Chief Keith," as he is often called, is a great meteorologist. Since first watching the CW 39 news in about 2005 or 2006 (back when it was the Warner Bros. affiliate), I've always enjoyed checking out the weather report from him.

UPDATE: March 11, 2011 - Keith Monahan is the latest to go from CW39 as the new NewsFix format is being implemented. His final day on the job was last night. Watching the weather news right now, CW39 is looking to CW33 (Dallas/Fort Worth CW affiliate) for weather coverage.

Justin Horne (former personality).

Justin Horne speaks calmly and delivers weather news with professionalism. I think he does a very good job covering weather. Justin also does a few news segments. I think I remember seeing a segment on him with the Hurricane Hunters' aircraft doing a mission. (ADDED: Mar. 7, 2011) He has since been replaced by Jené Rockwood.

(UPDATE - Jan. 14, 2010): Justin Horne called weather for the final time on 39 News on December 12, 2010; announcing his departure from 39 News. He was a solid meteorologist for 39 News. According to a tweet a few days ago I read from Justin Horne's Twitter feed, he is now a meteorologist for Channel 12 KSAT in San Antonio. Best of luck to him at his new station for the Texas A and M alum.

Jorge Vargas.

Sports director, Jorge Vargas, is pretty funny and very cool in covering sports for CW39. Jorge is a big New Orleans Saints fan.

Alex Radow (former personality).

Alex Radow is a great sports anchor on the weekends. I usually know him best for his "Radow Replays," whereas the best (and worst) sports highlights are put in a nice highlight package. A few months ago, he no longer was part of the 39 News team. He was great in doing 39 Sports.

Hailey Frances (former personality).

^ from: mlive.com - Hailey Frances and her beaming wide smile.

I really miss Hailey Frances. When covering the news or doing certain segments, the young Los Angeles native always had a smile on her face and really enjoyed her work. She's now an anchor/reporter for FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Alan Hemberger (???).

Alan Hemburger has been a longtime fixture of covering Houston news for years. Where he is now? I'm not sure. Haven't seen him on the CW39 lately...

--- Honorable Mention ---

This section provides Honorable Mention to someone I follow here on Blogspot for his hard work. Here is my Honorable Mention figure:

Mike McGuff (Honorable Mention!).

Mike McGuff is a freelance reporter who impressive at covering Houston media. I follow his blog right here on Blogspot, and he provides interesting content for all to check out.

Visit Mike McGuff's blog now!





At least, these are the ones that immediately come to mind for both past and present on-air TV news personalities for me. Nothing but love and respect for all they have done. Names I may have not included are mostly because I completely forgot about them, or I just don't know enough about them to note them as favorites. I'm pretty sure any comments I may get may be subject to me getting laughed at and ridiculed. Still, I present everything the way I see fit. Maybe my commentary is a bit different from what someone else may say. Still, I respect these individuals and back them up the way only I can.

Having said this, thank you for reading! And if any of the aforementioned people were to read this, let me just say that my words are completely truthful and that I have full respect for the ones I've mentioned. Keep up the great work. You made this blog entry for the reasons specified. PLEASE correct me on anything that I mess up, because I'm sure I've messed up at least something in this blog. I'm not perfect and want to better serve my readers any way I can. So please set me straight on any details I may have botched.

IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED: Read about my favorite Houston Sports news personalities by reading "My Favorite Houston Sports News Personalities" here on John's Blog Space!

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