All-Time Best TV Reporters

[Reefmonkey]

Present

Best News Anchors--Bill Balleza and Dominique Sachsa hands down. They are not talking heads like the 2 airheads on Ch 11. And poor Dave Ward needs to retire. Half of the time I can't understand a word he says

Best Weather--Frank Billingsley

Channel 2 got a lot of guff since the Washington Post folks bought it. But as a native Houstonian of 52+ years I have to say that for the present time Channel 2 seems to have gotten its act together moreso than the rest of the players. The Hurricane Ike coverage by 2 has been outstanding....no fear mongering, no sensationalism, they have been very educational and (I hate to say it this way) but neighborly. I grew up in a house where you were not allowed to watch anything except Channel 2 news and NBC nightly news. In the early 1990's I started watching Ch 11 because of Steve Smith and the departure of Ron Stone and Doug Johnson. When they hired the 2 talking heads on Ch 11 and ran Dr Neil off (course he also sunk his own ship when he refused to change the forecast for Rita even though it did change course) I gave up and went to Ch 2. Honestly I think they have the best local news in town (except for the wheel for fortune criminal thing that I still don't understand).

Agree or disagree with me....for now I am a Ch 2 fan. Oh yeah, and Eric Berger with the Chronicle. The guy is an amazing science guy and reporter.

I agree with you on Dave Ward needing to go, and Bill Balleza and Frank Billingsley being good. I do see what you mean that Channel 2 is starting to get it's act together, but I think it sank so low that it still has distance to cover before it will have improved enough to be what it once was. This was once the station of Ray Miller and Ron Stone, and now it has gone so commercial, so young-demographic at the expense of solid reporting, it sucks. As I said before, the morning news has chosen pretty people over ones with experience and gravitas, or even intelligence. I don't think much of Dominique Sachsa as a reporter or anchor, and I thought her "I have a secret" several weeks of teaser promos before she revealed she was pregnant (gasp!) was shameless and solipsistic. The whole "Radar the Weather Dog" gimmick was cringe-inducing. Are they a news program or a children's program?

[gripper]

Houston's Best TV Reporters ?

current: Art Rascon All-time: Dan O'Rourke

[rsb320]

I think Phil Archer does a good job.

I just had a flashback. Remember when Dr. Red Duke used to do spots on 13?

Elma Barrerra has to have the most amusing name when said.

[editor]

Not as well known as those who became anchors, but Dennis Spellman was one of those behind-the-scene workhorse cogs of reporters in Houston.

He didn't have a big sense of self and wasn't a showman, so most people probably never noticed him. He was more interested in the news than in making a name for himself.

Reliable, sensible, stable. He worked at KTRK before going over to 39. He jumped from that job a couple of months ago and works for the city now.