KHOU-TV

_Broadcast |

  call_letters   = KHOU-TV|

station_logo =

  station_slogan = The Spirit of Texas|

station_branding = Channel 11/11News | analog = 11 (VHF)| digital = 31 (UHF)| affiliations = CBS| founded = March 23, 1953| location = Houston, Texas| callsign_meaning = K HOUston (obviously the city their studios are located)
callsign also borrowed from airport code HOU for Hobby Airport|

  former_callsigns = KGUL-TV (1953-59)|

owner = Belo Corporation|

  former_affiliations    = None |

homepage = www.khou.com| }}

KHOU-TV is the local CBS affiliate in Houston, Texas, owned by Belo Corporation (which purchased the station, along with the rest of Corinthian Broadcasting, from Dun & Bradstreet in 1984). It broadcasts on channel 11. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. The station's best known alumni are former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather and newswomen Linda Ellerbee and Jessica Savitch.

The station has been one of the top-rated CBS affiliates in Texas for the past 20 years and more, aided by a strong programming lineup with popular syndicated shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show (since 1989), Jeopardy! (since 1984), Wheel of Fortune (since 1983), Extra, and The Insider.

KHOU was the second TV station to sign on in the Houston area (KPRC was the first), as KGUL-TV (as in Gulf) broadcasting out of Galveston and became the city's CBS affiliate. Later on, it changed calls to KHOU in June 1959, and on April 20, 1960 the station moved to its present location just outside downtown Houston on Allen Parkway; to this date, KHOU is the only TV station in Houston to have its studios close to the downtown area.

Newscasts

KHOU has traditionally battled for second place with KPRC throughout the years (first place in Houston was usually won by KTRK-TV). However, some of its newscasts in the 1980s were usually in third place; its 5pm newscast ratings were so low they even trailed reruns of old sitcoms on then-independent stations KTXH and KRIV in Houston.

However, beginning in the late 1980s, KHOU began to step up its news reputation, hiring three high profile personalities to its news team. The most notable of the three was Dr. Neil Frank, the former director of the National Hurricane Center, who was tapped by the station to be the chief meteorologist. The station also hired former KTRK anchor Sylvan Rodriguez away from his job at the West Coast bureau of ABC News, and also added Giff Nielsen, a former Houston Oilers quarterback, to the station's lineup as sports director. The station also began to use the Spirit of Texas slogan used at sister station WFAA-TV in Dallas, and incorporated a redesigned logo at the time. As a result, KHOU became active in Houston's news race.

If any year proved to be a breakout year for KHOU, it was 1999. Despite the retirement of longtime anchor Steve Smith, the abrupt resignation of fellow anchor Marlene McClinton, an African-American, during one of the station's newscasts (over claims that she was given unfair treatment by station employees), and news that Sylvan Rodriguez was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, KHOU reached number one in several timeslots, unseating KTRK at midday, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. The station's ratings boost also included an exclusive interview with Serbian and Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic during the Kosovo War just a month before indictment.

Today, it continues to bolster strong ratings, even ousting KTRK and KPRC in almost every timeslot, while also often posting victories in the midday and 5 p.m. timeslots. And while KTRK continues to lead the Houston area in morning news, KHOU has often finished in second place. It also continues to draw star talent to Houston. For example, after longtime award-winning anchor Jerome Gray left for KPRC in 2006, the station hired Len Cannon, whose experience included working with NBC News, to replace Gray.

Given KHOU's newfound status as a news ratings powerhouse in Houston, it often clashes with KTRK over who is number one, with KHOU taking into account actual Nielsen ratings tallies while KTRK has been emphasizing household numbers, as KTRK broadcasts more hours of local news weekly than other Houston stations.

On July 24, 2006, KHOU began using a new logo, along with a new graphics package, on all its newscasts, starting with its evening newscasts. While it is their first logo not to incorporate the KHOU callsign, it is also the first recent logo to incorporate the CBS eye logo.

11 News Investigates

KHOU also has gained a reputation for its investigative news team, 11 News Investigates, which has uncovered numerous stories, including its 2000 investigation into defective tire designs by Firestone, which led to the mandatory recall of its Wilderness AT, Firestone ATX, and ATX II, as well as numerous lawsuits. An investigative report in the early 2000s by former anchor Anna Werner led to the shutdown of the Houston Police Department's crime lab. 11 News Investigates has also exposed allegations of dropout rate fraud in the Houston Independent School District, which resulted in the dismissal of several HISD officials. Originally called 11 News Defenders, the unit was rebranded to its current name on July 24, 2006, when KHOU unveiled its new look on its newscasts.

Monday-Friday
*11 News This Morning 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
*11 News This Morning shared with Early Show 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
*Great Day Houston 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
*11 News at Noon 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
*11 News at Five 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
*11 News at Six 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
*11 News at Ten 10 p.m. to 10:35 p.m.

Saturday
*11 News Saturday Morning 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. (First hour of The Early Show is preempted)
*11 News at Six 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
*11 News at Ten 10 p.m. to 10:35 p.m.

Sunday
*11 News at 5:30 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
*11 News at Ten 10 p.m. to 10:35 p.m.

Newscast titles

NewsWatch 11 (Savitch era)
The News with Ron Stone
News 11 (1974-1979)
NewsCenter 11 (1980-1984)
11 News (1984-1986)
Channel 11 News (1986-1989)
KHOU 11 News (1989-1991)
11 News (1991-present)

Logos

Former Anchors

*Steve Smith (5 & 10 p.m. Anchor)
*Alma Newsome (mid to late 1970s - left KHOU to become the press secretary for U.S. Congressman Mickey Leland d. 1989)
*Marlene McClinton (5 & 10 p.m. Anchor)
*Sylvan Rodriguez (Noon & 6 p.m. Anchor) (died in 2000)
*Amanda Arnold (6, 6:30 & 10 p.m. Anchor) (early 1980's)
*Jerome Gray (Weekend Anchor/Noon & 6 p.m. Anchor)
*Nesita Kwan (weekend Anchor)
*Clare Casademont (Noon & 6 p.m. Anchor)
*Felicia Jeter (5 & 10 p.m. Anchor)
*Dan Patrick (Sports Anchor--1980's; current a radio personality on KSEV-AM. Also current candidate for Texas Senate District 7 as a Republican - he won the March 2006 primary with 73% of the vote, beating two incumbent State Representatives Peggy Hamric and Joe Nixon, along with former Houston City Councilmember Mark Ellis)
*Chip Moody (6 & 10 p.m. Anchor - Early 80's) (died in 2001)
*Dan Rather (Anchor/Reporter)
*Mitch Duncan (Afternoon/Evening Anchor)

Current Anchors

*Greg Hurst (5, 6 & 10 p.m. Anchor)
*Lisa Foronda (5 & 10 p.m. Anchor)
*Len Cannon (6 p.m. Anchor)
*Deborah Duncan (Morning Anchor)
*Ron Trevino (Morning & Noon Anchor)
*Shern-Min Chow (Weekend Anchor)
*Vicente Arenas (Weekend Anchor)
*Dr. Neil Frank (Chief Meteorologist)
*Gifford (Giff) Nielsen (Sports Director)
*Matt Musil (Sports Anchor/Reporter)
*Mario Gomez (Weekend Meteorologist)
*David Paul (Morning & Noon Meteorologist)
*Butch Alsandor (Sports Anchor)
*Johnathan Walton (Walton's World/Morning Reporter)
*Darby Douglas (Traffic Anchor)
*Dan Meador (Weekend and Backup Meteorologist)

External links

*KHOU-TV

KHOU-TV: Encyclopedia BETA