NBC 5 KXAS' Scott Friedman wins Texas Freedom of Information Award

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KXAS NBC 5 has let me know that former morning anchor Scott Friedman (and now investigative reporter for the station) won a Texas Freedom of Information Award.

NBC 5 / KXAS-TV has been honored with the prestigious Texas Freedom of Information Award, presented annually by the Texas AP Broadcasters in conjunction with the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.

In the award-winning news story, NBC 5 investigative journalist Scott Friedman and researcher Shane Allen followed a trail of police records to see what happened to speeders who were caught travelling in excess of 100 miles per hour in several North Texas cities.

“The risk of serious injury and death goes up dramatically when speeds are over 100 mph,” said Friedman, “yet, we found our justice system sometimes treats those speeders no differently than someone caught driving 7 mph over the limit.”

“We spent months searching through municipal court records and stacks of traffic tickets because we felt this was an important story to pursue,” added Friedman, “It really affects the safety of everyone on our roads.”

Friedman was recently named to lead the NBC 5 investigative team that is devoted to uncovering stories important to the North Texas community.

Last week KXAS NBC5 announced former WAGA Atlanta anchor Mark Hayes was hired to anchor the station's morning newscast.

NBC 5 KXAS wins two Edward R. Murrow Awards

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NBC 5 KXAS-TV has won two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for newscast and writing.

The newscast, “Remembering a Father, and a Fan,” featured NBC 5 team coverage of Shannon Stone, the Texas Rangers fan who died at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington while trying to catch a souvenir ball for his son. In a highly emotional, carefully crafted tribute to Stone, NBC 5 talked to the people who knew Stone as a firefighter and friend, along with the Rangers players and fans that mourned his loss during their first night
back at the stadium.

The writing award was for a compilation of work by NBC 5 Video Journalist Andrew Tanielian, which included feature reports on a man whose home is decorated with beer cans, a taxi-driving Santa and local minor league hockey fans.

“Telling local stories well is what we try to do every day,” said Susan Tully, NBC 5 Vice President of News. “So being recognized by our industry peers is some confirmation that our efforts are paying off. What’s most important is that viewers value what they see on-air and online from NBC 5.”

The Edward R. Murrow Awards were presented in large market television category by the Radio Television Digital News Association for Region 6, which includes Texas and Oklahoma.

(This post was taken from an NBC 5 KXAS release sent to me)

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KHOU 11's Lisa Chavarria leaves for WFLD Chicago

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And there goes another one...KHOU 11 reporter Lisa Chavarria is the latest Belo Houston based reporter to take off. She is going to the Windy City. The Chicago Tribune has more:

Courtesy WTVF

Lisa Chavarria is joining WFLD-Channel 32 as a general assignment reporter for Fox Chicago News at 9 p.m.

A native Chicagoan, Chavarria is returning to the market after working most recently as a reporter at KHOU-TV in Houston. Her first day on the air will be April 30, alongside anchors Robin Robinson and Bob Sirott. READ THE REST

Chavarria came to Houston in 2010 from WTVF in Nashville. According to TVSpy, Chavarria also worked at WTOM. She interned at NBC News Chicago and WGN.

It's no secret on their social media accounts that Chavarria and SportsRadio 610 KILT afternoon show producer/on air host Ben Nance are in a relationship. And according to Twitter, Nance will be leaving for Chi-Town too.

This departure is one of many Houston direct flights to Chicago for TV people. Recently KPRC 2 weekend anchor Daniella Guzman took off to anchor NBC5 WMAQ mornings. That prompted me to write a post (which the Chicago blogosphere enjoyed) about all of the Houston TV media folks heading to Chicago.


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KHOU 11 hires Tim Wetzel from WTVF 5 Nashville

KHOU 11 hires Tim Wetzel from WTVF 5 Nashville

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Courtesy WTVF

Don't stand in front of the revolving doors at KHOU 11's Allen Parkway Houston studio - you might get trampled.

Earlier I told you how KHOU reporter Lisa Chavarria is WFLD 32 Chicago bound, and now we already know who her replacement is.

Funny enough, Tim Wetzel joins KHOU 11 from WTVF 5 Nashville. That just happens to be the TV station KHOU hired Chavarria from a few years ago!

"It looks like I'm about to miss meeting Lisa Chavarria," Wetzel told mikemcguff.com. "She came from my station in Nashville. I started there days after she left. I guess I'll be missing her twice!"

If Wetzel plays his cards right, he might be missing her a third time one day at WFLD Chicago if things continue in the same direction.

Wetzel tells me he was in Nashville for two years. Before that he worked at WFTV in Orlando, WINK in Fort Myers and KTIV in Sioux City, IA.

"I'm very excited to join the KHOU team and look forward to working at such a great station," Wetzel told me.

Wetzel starts with the Belo owned Houston station Monday.

Houston media members dress up as toys

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KHOU-TV's Chita Johnson, KTRK-TV's Andy Cerota, KHOU-TV's Courtney Zubowski, Event Co-Chair Joan Schnitzer Levy, KUHT-TV's Ernie Manouse, KTRK-TV's Miya Shay, KTRK-TV's Tom Koch (emcee and head auctioneer) and kneeling is KTRK-TV's Casey Curry at the 31st Annual ESCAPE Celebrity Serve Benefit at Tony's. 

Who let the toys out? Houston media personalities were out “toying around” as Barbie Doll, Sesame Street and Toy Story characters at Tony’s for the 31st Annual “Toy Box” ESCAPE Celebrity Serve Benefit Sunday night. But the monies raised meant serious business for the ESCAPE Family Resource Center, whose mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect before a child is hurt. No “play money” here: corporate and individual sponsorships, topped by a high-bidding “live” auction and limited edition raffle, generated a whopping $323,000 for ESCAPE coffers.

With Co-Chairs Joan Schnitzer Levy and Gerald Franklin at the helm and Janice and Bob McNair, founder, chairman and CEO of the HOUSTON TEXANS, as the “Hometown Superstar” headliners, the colorful, fun-filled dinner was destined for “To Infinity and Beyond” success. Tony’s was transformed into a virtual toy box, with curly-Q and toy-animal balloons and play toys as centerpieces and local media celebrities and personalities decked out in creative Toy Box togs and ESCAPE aprons. The celebs’ mission: to sell “Buzz Lightyear” specialty drinks, limited edition raffle tickets and various trinkets and candies to support ESCAPE’s bottom line.

Longtime, deeply committed ESCAPE supporters Kristi (who previously worked in radio and had a mini reunion with News 92 FM Radio’s Lanny Griffith, a celebrity server) and John D. Schiller Jr., (Executive Committee member of ESCAPE), whose Energy XXI company was the top (“Starship”) sponsor of the benefit, were the high bidders on more than one “live” auction items, including an NFL Football autographed on-the-spot by Bob McNair, and a spur-of-the-moment package offered up by actor Lee Majors and his wife, Faith. -- dinner for six with the Majors! The Majors, who are new Houstonians, were table guests of Joan Schnitzer Levy and husband Irvin. Majors is famous for his role as TV’s “$6 Million Man.”

Restaurateur Tony Vallone welcomed an overflow crowd of 300 ESCAPE supporters who filled the entire restaurant. Guests raved about the exquisite menu complemented by wines generously donated by Becker Vineyards. In addition to the 25 or so media celebrities lined up by Celebrity Chair Kim Padgett and make-believe action figures like G.I. Joe (Stylist Todd Ramos) and adorably made-up Toy Soldier Edward Sanchez, there were some very real-life action heroes in the house, namely NASA astronauts Gene Cernan (and wife, Jan), and Walt Cunningham (and wife, Dot). KHOU-TV anchor Chita Johnson, KHOU-TV Reporter Courtney Zubowski, KTRK-TV Meteorologist Casey Curry and KUHT-TV Host Ernie Manouse (who assisted KTRK-TV Anchor and Emcee Tom Koch with auctioneer duties) were centers of attention in their Barbie Doll, Woody (sans “Buzz Lightyear”), Candyland and Ernie (sans “Bert”) personas. Other Celebrity Servers on tap: Buzz Lady Roseann Rogers, KTRK-TV reporter Andy Cerota, KIKK/FOX 26’s Cleverley Stone, Absolutely! Memorial’s Lara Bell, Shara Fryer, The 9-5-0 Radio’s Michael Garfield, Houston Chronicle Society Writer Lindsey Love and KTRK-TV Reporter Miya Shay. Susan Farb Morris, a.k.a. the PR Fairy, came dressed as a PR Fairy Princess, complete with a tiara.

According to Lidya K. Osadchey, CEO of the ESCAPE Family Resource Center, the Celebrity Serve Benefit is a major annual source of funding for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is held in April as part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. For more info about ESCAPE, call (713) 942-9500, ext. 14, or go to http://www.learntoparent.org.

This post was written by guest blogger Susan Farb Morris.

KTRK 13 hires Crystal Kobza, formerly of KOB

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My readers seem to be very excited about the latest KTRK 13 reporter to hit the airwaves. Just last week, Crystal Kobza debuted on the ABC owned and operated station. So far, I've received emails, comments and tweets about Ms. Kobza.

Courtesy University of St. Thomas - Houston

"That's Crystal Kobza and she is a hot blue-eyed blonde," said one commenter.

Wow, clearly she has a tapped in fan club already.

Kobza is a graduate of Houston's University of St. Thomas. While a student, Kobza interned at Fox 26 KRIV and KPRC 2.

 After her 2005 graduation, Kobza worked as a reporter for KETK in Tyler for two years. She then started anchoring at Fox 51 News East Texas KFXK, Fox 44 KWKT Waco/Kileen/Temple and Fox 33 Shreveport Ark-La-Tex KMSS (As I look at the bios of the new TV reporters arriving in Houston, this type of small market TV consolidation seems to be pretty popular now).

According to the Albuquerque Journal, in January 2011 Kobza started anchoring the KOB Eyewitness News 4 morning show with Antoinette Antonio and reported for the station's noon newscast. According to various Internet reports, Kobza then left New Mexico in the summer of 2011 to return to Texas after getting engaged (These sites say she announced this on KOB before her departure).

Embedded above is a video of Kobza shooting a gun that has received more than 30,000 views!

 Much like new KTRK 13 reporter Pooja Lodhia, Kobza looks like she could bring in some youthful energy to the ABC station. This reminds me of last year when I asked if KHOU 11's hiring of Chita Johnson was the beginning of a new era for the Belo station. Looks like I called that one. Maybe Kobza and Lodhia are the dawn of a new era for KTRK.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
- NBC 5 KXAS wins two Edward R. Murrow Awards
- KHOU 11's Lisa Chavarria leaves for WFLD Chicago
- KHOU 11 hires Tim Wetzel from WTVF 5 Nashville
- KHOU 11 EP Perry Pace to WTHR 13 Indianapolis
- Houston media members dress up as toys
- KTRK 13 hires Crystal Kobza, formerly of KOB