Houston Chronicle puts FuelFix into paper's business section

To contact us Click HERE
Just when you thought the only changes coming to the Houston Chronicle were on its newly launched website...think again.

Got word today from the Hearst owned paper that its award winning website FuelFix is going the paper route. That's right, a Chronicle representative tells me that FuelFix will now be printed in the physical newspaper each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the business section.

In addition to that, the paper is also bringing Harry Weber into the fold. Weber covered the Deepwater Horizon spill for the Associated Press.

“I’m pleased to welcome Harry to our energy staff,” Chronicle business editor Laura Goldberg said in a statement. “His tenacious reporting style and extensive experience covering the oil spill make him a valuable addition to our team of talented journalists who excel at providing comprehensive coverage of the energy industry from exploration and production to pipelines and refineries.”

The new FuelFix area of the business section will also feature reporting from award-winning columnist Loren Steffy, Washington-based Jennifer A. Dlouhy plus business reporters Jeannie Kever, Emily Pickrell, Simone Sebastian and Zain Shauk.

Old cartoon explains Astrodome's 'real' origins

To contact us Click HERE

The Houston Asrodome is a sore subject right now. The aging and unused building has this city mixed - some want to restore it, others want to blow that sucker like Texas Stadium.

Truth is, after some really bizarre ideas of what to do with it that never get off the ground, the former Oilers and Astros home is supposedly falling apart. My guess, it's a bureaucratic waiting game...keep the ideas coming, deny them and let the place crumble all by itself. Problem solved and no hard feelings come election time.

Let's forget all of that for now.

It's time to watch an episode of the Super Chicken cartoon from the late 1960s, to learn how the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" really came into existence. Judge Hofheinz must be rolling in his grave right about now.

(Thanks to mega anchor Ray Peters)

TV's Tom Abrahams writes Sedition novel

To contact us Click HERE

Before she left for KNSD 7 NBC San Diego, former KHOU 11 anchor Christine Haas wrote a book. Now another Houston TV anchor, a few clicks up the dial, has plunged into the book world.

Weekend anchor/reporter Tom Abrahams has written Sedition. Here is a synopsis:

"The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place. As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power. They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives."

Abrahams wrote the modern day political thriller based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

I'm always interested when someone with a full-time career writes a novel. Here are some questions I had for Abrahams.

Mike McGuff: Why did you want to write a book?

Tom Abrahams: I love writing. I like telling stories and getting reaction from those who read them. I got into the news business, in part, because I could write every day. I always knew it was a matter of time before I committed to writing something long form and actually wrote a crime novel in the late 1990s. It wasn't very good. Then I started and stopped with various manuscripts over the years until I found the right story, the right genre. And this was it.

MM: How different is writing a television news script from a book?

TA: TV news writing is very succinct. At its best it gets to the point quickly, hits the highlights, and lets the video (or audio) carry the story. A book needs more color. There's no video or audio to fill in the blanks. I actually found myself having to work really hard to add little details that I normally would leave out. But both are better when edited and rewritten multiple times. In news we'll cut a 2 minute story to 1:30. In SEDITION, I cut it from 106,000 words to about 90,000.

MM: How much discipline did it take to write it with a full-time job?

TA: It takes more discipline than I regularly have. A lot of authors will write every day. I can't do that. I'll write in chunks, when I can squeeze it in. It took me 7 months to write SEDITION and another 9 months to rewrite and edit. The most time consuming part, however, wasn't the writing. The tremendous amount of research I did to ground the story in realism took the most amount of effort.

You can buy the book at seditionbook.com in various formats.

Bob Goosmann is NewsRadio 1080 KRLD's new chief met

To contact us Click HERE
Local broadcasting veteran Bob Goosmann has been named chief meteorologist for NewsRadio 1080 KRLD, effective immediately.

“Bob lives and breathes North Texas weather, and greatly respects KRLD’s commitment to accurate and dependable forecast information every ten minutes” said Bruce Gilbert, Vice President of News/Talk/Sports Programming for CBS RADIO Dallas-Fort Worth. “NewsRadio 1080 KRLD listeners can rely on him, not only for accurate forecasts, but also for the information they need to stay safe when severe weather strikes.”

Goosmann is an award-winning meteorologist with twenty-six years’ experience in radio and television. Most recently, he was chief meteorologist for KDAF-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. Prior to that, he held the same position at KDVR-TV in Denver. He also served as chief meteorologist for KRLD’s sister CBS Television station KTVT (CBS 11) in Dallas-Fort Worth for nine years. In addition, he has worked at stations in Providence, Rhode Island and Richmond, Virginia.

Goosmann’s work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Press Club of Dallas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the AMS Seal.

(This post is from a release sent to me by CBS Dallas)

Houston Chronicle puts FuelFix into paper's business section

To contact us Click HERE
Just when you thought the only changes coming to the Houston Chronicle were on its newly launched website...think again.

Got word today from the Hearst owned paper that its award winning website FuelFix is going the paper route. That's right, a Chronicle representative tells me that FuelFix will now be printed in the physical newspaper each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the business section.

In addition to that, the paper is also bringing Harry Weber into the fold. Weber covered the Deepwater Horizon spill for the Associated Press.

“I’m pleased to welcome Harry to our energy staff,” Chronicle business editor Laura Goldberg said in a statement. “His tenacious reporting style and extensive experience covering the oil spill make him a valuable addition to our team of talented journalists who excel at providing comprehensive coverage of the energy industry from exploration and production to pipelines and refineries.”

The new FuelFix area of the business section will also feature reporting from award-winning columnist Loren Steffy, Washington-based Jennifer A. Dlouhy plus business reporters Jeannie Kever, Emily Pickrell, Simone Sebastian and Zain Shauk.

Old cartoon explains Astrodome's 'real' origins

To contact us Click HERE

The Houston Asrodome is a sore subject right now. The aging and unused building has this city mixed - some want to restore it, others want to blow that sucker like Texas Stadium.

Truth is, after some really bizarre ideas of what to do with it that never get off the ground, the former Oilers and Astros home is supposedly falling apart. My guess, it's a bureaucratic waiting game...keep the ideas coming, deny them and let the place crumble all by itself. Problem solved and no hard feelings come election time.

Let's forget all of that for now.

It's time to watch an episode of the Super Chicken cartoon from the late 1960s, to learn how the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" really came into existence. Judge Hofheinz must be rolling in his grave right about now.

(Thanks to mega anchor Ray Peters)

TV's Tom Abrahams writes Sedition novel

To contact us Click HERE

Before she left for KNSD 7 NBC San Diego, former KHOU 11 anchor Christine Haas wrote a book. Now another Houston TV anchor, a few clicks up the dial, has plunged into the book world.

Weekend anchor/reporter Tom Abrahams has written Sedition. Here is a synopsis:

"The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place. As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power. They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives."

Abrahams wrote the modern day political thriller based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

I'm always interested when someone with a full-time career writes a novel. Here are some questions I had for Abrahams.

Mike McGuff: Why did you want to write a book?

Tom Abrahams: I love writing. I like telling stories and getting reaction from those who read them. I got into the news business, in part, because I could write every day. I always knew it was a matter of time before I committed to writing something long form and actually wrote a crime novel in the late 1990s. It wasn't very good. Then I started and stopped with various manuscripts over the years until I found the right story, the right genre. And this was it.

MM: How different is writing a television news script from a book?

TA: TV news writing is very succinct. At its best it gets to the point quickly, hits the highlights, and lets the video (or audio) carry the story. A book needs more color. There's no video or audio to fill in the blanks. I actually found myself having to work really hard to add little details that I normally would leave out. But both are better when edited and rewritten multiple times. In news we'll cut a 2 minute story to 1:30. In SEDITION, I cut it from 106,000 words to about 90,000.

MM: How much discipline did it take to write it with a full-time job?

TA: It takes more discipline than I regularly have. A lot of authors will write every day. I can't do that. I'll write in chunks, when I can squeeze it in. It took me 7 months to write SEDITION and another 9 months to rewrite and edit. The most time consuming part, however, wasn't the writing. The tremendous amount of research I did to ground the story in realism took the most amount of effort.

You can buy the book at seditionbook.com in various formats.

Bob Goosmann is NewsRadio 1080 KRLD's new chief met

To contact us Click HERE
Local broadcasting veteran Bob Goosmann has been named chief meteorologist for NewsRadio 1080 KRLD, effective immediately.

“Bob lives and breathes North Texas weather, and greatly respects KRLD’s commitment to accurate and dependable forecast information every ten minutes” said Bruce Gilbert, Vice President of News/Talk/Sports Programming for CBS RADIO Dallas-Fort Worth. “NewsRadio 1080 KRLD listeners can rely on him, not only for accurate forecasts, but also for the information they need to stay safe when severe weather strikes.”

Goosmann is an award-winning meteorologist with twenty-six years’ experience in radio and television. Most recently, he was chief meteorologist for KDAF-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. Prior to that, he held the same position at KDVR-TV in Denver. He also served as chief meteorologist for KRLD’s sister CBS Television station KTVT (CBS 11) in Dallas-Fort Worth for nine years. In addition, he has worked at stations in Providence, Rhode Island and Richmond, Virginia.

Goosmann’s work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Press Club of Dallas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the AMS Seal.

(This post is from a release sent to me by CBS Dallas)

Space shuttle Endeavour angers Los Angeles residents

To contact us Click HERE
There are tons of stories in the media about space shuttle Endeavour’s journey through the streets of Los Angeles to its final resting place at the California Science Center and they are full of complaints from "our friends" (to borrow from VP Biden) in La La Land.

I've been to LA a bunch of times...never heard of this California Science Center. (not that my visits make me a Southern California tourism expert, but if it were a major destination, you'd think it would be more prominently featured).

Anyway, those stories are full of angry LA residents. Here is an example from Marketplace.org:

Some South Los Angeles residents are not excited about the historic event and see the weekend road closures as an inconvenience. Chris "Frost" Boone is one of those people. I met him on Crenshaw near 43rd Place waiting for the No. 210 bus.

"Most of the people on this side of town don't care about no space shuttle anyway," says Boone. "Why does it have to come this way?"

{sic}

"That's going to kill my business for Saturday," says Brown. "I'm going to pretty much be sitting here all day, not doing anything."

For Brown, not doing anything means losing the $300 he makes on a Saturday. He says it costs him $100 a week to rent his booth, so he's taking a hit. Brown wants somebody to compensate the businesses in South L.A. "I don't know, the city, the museum," says Brown. "Whoever is doing all this, they should pay us for our day, at least."

I'm sure lots of Houston area residents would put up with the inconvenience. In fact here it wouldn't be considered an inconvenience, the streets/freeways would be lined up with Houstonians watching it's final journey to the NASA/Space Center Houston area in Clear Lake.

RELATED
Houston lost the space shuttle to this?

Old cartoon explains Astrodome's 'real' origins

To contact us Click HERE

The Houston Asrodome is a sore subject right now. The aging and unused building has this city mixed - some want to restore it, others want to blow that sucker like Texas Stadium.

Truth is, after some really bizarre ideas of what to do with it that never get off the ground, the former Oilers and Astros home is supposedly falling apart. My guess, it's a bureaucratic waiting game...keep the ideas coming, deny them and let the place crumble all by itself. Problem solved and no hard feelings come election time.

Let's forget all of that for now.

It's time to watch an episode of the Super Chicken cartoon from the late 1960s, to learn how the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" really came into existence. Judge Hofheinz must be rolling in his grave right about now.

(Thanks to mega anchor Ray Peters)

TV's Tom Abrahams writes Sedition novel

To contact us Click HERE

Before she left for KNSD 7 NBC San Diego, former KHOU 11 anchor Christine Haas wrote a book. Now another Houston TV anchor, a few clicks up the dial, has plunged into the book world.

Weekend anchor/reporter Tom Abrahams has written Sedition. Here is a synopsis:

"The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place. As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power. They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives."

Abrahams wrote the modern day political thriller based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

I'm always interested when someone with a full-time career writes a novel. Here are some questions I had for Abrahams.

Mike McGuff: Why did you want to write a book?

Tom Abrahams: I love writing. I like telling stories and getting reaction from those who read them. I got into the news business, in part, because I could write every day. I always knew it was a matter of time before I committed to writing something long form and actually wrote a crime novel in the late 1990s. It wasn't very good. Then I started and stopped with various manuscripts over the years until I found the right story, the right genre. And this was it.

MM: How different is writing a television news script from a book?

TA: TV news writing is very succinct. At its best it gets to the point quickly, hits the highlights, and lets the video (or audio) carry the story. A book needs more color. There's no video or audio to fill in the blanks. I actually found myself having to work really hard to add little details that I normally would leave out. But both are better when edited and rewritten multiple times. In news we'll cut a 2 minute story to 1:30. In SEDITION, I cut it from 106,000 words to about 90,000.

MM: How much discipline did it take to write it with a full-time job?

TA: It takes more discipline than I regularly have. A lot of authors will write every day. I can't do that. I'll write in chunks, when I can squeeze it in. It took me 7 months to write SEDITION and another 9 months to rewrite and edit. The most time consuming part, however, wasn't the writing. The tremendous amount of research I did to ground the story in realism took the most amount of effort.

You can buy the book at seditionbook.com in various formats.

Bob Goosmann is NewsRadio 1080 KRLD's new chief met

To contact us Click HERE
Local broadcasting veteran Bob Goosmann has been named chief meteorologist for NewsRadio 1080 KRLD, effective immediately.

“Bob lives and breathes North Texas weather, and greatly respects KRLD’s commitment to accurate and dependable forecast information every ten minutes” said Bruce Gilbert, Vice President of News/Talk/Sports Programming for CBS RADIO Dallas-Fort Worth. “NewsRadio 1080 KRLD listeners can rely on him, not only for accurate forecasts, but also for the information they need to stay safe when severe weather strikes.”

Goosmann is an award-winning meteorologist with twenty-six years’ experience in radio and television. Most recently, he was chief meteorologist for KDAF-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. Prior to that, he held the same position at KDVR-TV in Denver. He also served as chief meteorologist for KRLD’s sister CBS Television station KTVT (CBS 11) in Dallas-Fort Worth for nine years. In addition, he has worked at stations in Providence, Rhode Island and Richmond, Virginia.

Goosmann’s work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Press Club of Dallas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the AMS Seal.

(This post is from a release sent to me by CBS Dallas)

Fox 26 grabs Caitilin Espinosa from KIII

To contact us Click HERE

Courtesy Caitilin Espinosa Facebook page

Caitilin Espinosa joins KRIV FOX 26 as Meteorologist of “FOX 26 Morning News,” announced Tom Doerr, the station’s Vice President and News Director. Caitilin’s first day on the air will be Sunday, October 14th.

In making the announcement, Doerr stated “As a Houston native, Caitilin knows the needs of our viewers. She is a great addition to the FOX 26 Gulf Coast Weather Authority team.”

Most recently, Espinosa served as Weather Anchor for KIII-TV in Corpus Christi, TX. Prior to this, she was Weather Anchor for KVEO-TV in Brownsville, TX. Espinosa began her career as a weather intern for KXXV-TV in Waco, TX.

John Thomas Kobos and Caitilin Espinosa at KIII. 

Added Espinosa, “I am overjoyed to be returning to my hometown, where my family, friends and heart have always been. I look forward to joining the talented team at KRIV and can’t wait to give viewers the information they need to get their days started, as well as keeping them informed when severe weather arises.”

A graduate of Baylor University, Espinosa holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography, with an emphasis in Meteorology.

RELATED
Fox 26 KRIV's Kristi Powers exits weather center

(This post is from a release sent to me by Fox Broadcasting)

Houston Chronicle puts FuelFix into paper's business section

To contact us Click HERE
Just when you thought the only changes coming to the Houston Chronicle were on its newly launched website...think again.

Got word today from the Hearst owned paper that its award winning website FuelFix is going the paper route. That's right, a Chronicle representative tells me that FuelFix will now be printed in the physical newspaper each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the business section.

In addition to that, the paper is also bringing Harry Weber into the fold. Weber covered the Deepwater Horizon spill for the Associated Press.

“I’m pleased to welcome Harry to our energy staff,” Chronicle business editor Laura Goldberg said in a statement. “His tenacious reporting style and extensive experience covering the oil spill make him a valuable addition to our team of talented journalists who excel at providing comprehensive coverage of the energy industry from exploration and production to pipelines and refineries.”

The new FuelFix area of the business section will also feature reporting from award-winning columnist Loren Steffy, Washington-based Jennifer A. Dlouhy plus business reporters Jeannie Kever, Emily Pickrell, Simone Sebastian and Zain Shauk.

Old cartoon explains Astrodome's 'real' origins

To contact us Click HERE

The Houston Asrodome is a sore subject right now. The aging and unused building has this city mixed - some want to restore it, others want to blow that sucker like Texas Stadium.

Truth is, after some really bizarre ideas of what to do with it that never get off the ground, the former Oilers and Astros home is supposedly falling apart. My guess, it's a bureaucratic waiting game...keep the ideas coming, deny them and let the place crumble all by itself. Problem solved and no hard feelings come election time.

Let's forget all of that for now.

It's time to watch an episode of the Super Chicken cartoon from the late 1960s, to learn how the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" really came into existence. Judge Hofheinz must be rolling in his grave right about now.

(Thanks to mega anchor Ray Peters)

TV's Tom Abrahams writes Sedition novel

To contact us Click HERE

Before she left for KNSD 7 NBC San Diego, former KHOU 11 anchor Christine Haas wrote a book. Now another Houston TV anchor, a few clicks up the dial, has plunged into the book world.

Weekend anchor/reporter Tom Abrahams has written Sedition. Here is a synopsis:

"The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place. As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power. They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives."

Abrahams wrote the modern day political thriller based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

I'm always interested when someone with a full-time career writes a novel. Here are some questions I had for Abrahams.

Mike McGuff: Why did you want to write a book?

Tom Abrahams: I love writing. I like telling stories and getting reaction from those who read them. I got into the news business, in part, because I could write every day. I always knew it was a matter of time before I committed to writing something long form and actually wrote a crime novel in the late 1990s. It wasn't very good. Then I started and stopped with various manuscripts over the years until I found the right story, the right genre. And this was it.

MM: How different is writing a television news script from a book?

TA: TV news writing is very succinct. At its best it gets to the point quickly, hits the highlights, and lets the video (or audio) carry the story. A book needs more color. There's no video or audio to fill in the blanks. I actually found myself having to work really hard to add little details that I normally would leave out. But both are better when edited and rewritten multiple times. In news we'll cut a 2 minute story to 1:30. In SEDITION, I cut it from 106,000 words to about 90,000.

MM: How much discipline did it take to write it with a full-time job?

TA: It takes more discipline than I regularly have. A lot of authors will write every day. I can't do that. I'll write in chunks, when I can squeeze it in. It took me 7 months to write SEDITION and another 9 months to rewrite and edit. The most time consuming part, however, wasn't the writing. The tremendous amount of research I did to ground the story in realism took the most amount of effort.

You can buy the book at seditionbook.com in various formats.

Bob Goosmann is NewsRadio 1080 KRLD's new chief met

To contact us Click HERE
Local broadcasting veteran Bob Goosmann has been named chief meteorologist for NewsRadio 1080 KRLD, effective immediately.

“Bob lives and breathes North Texas weather, and greatly respects KRLD’s commitment to accurate and dependable forecast information every ten minutes” said Bruce Gilbert, Vice President of News/Talk/Sports Programming for CBS RADIO Dallas-Fort Worth. “NewsRadio 1080 KRLD listeners can rely on him, not only for accurate forecasts, but also for the information they need to stay safe when severe weather strikes.”

Goosmann is an award-winning meteorologist with twenty-six years’ experience in radio and television. Most recently, he was chief meteorologist for KDAF-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. Prior to that, he held the same position at KDVR-TV in Denver. He also served as chief meteorologist for KRLD’s sister CBS Television station KTVT (CBS 11) in Dallas-Fort Worth for nine years. In addition, he has worked at stations in Providence, Rhode Island and Richmond, Virginia.

Goosmann’s work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Press Club of Dallas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the AMS Seal.

(This post is from a release sent to me by CBS Dallas)

Rating Chita Johnson, KVUE reporter to Houston and more

To contact us Click HERE

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Houston Chronicle puts FuelFix into paper's business section

To contact us Click HERE
Just when you thought the only changes coming to the Houston Chronicle were on its newly launched website...think again.

Got word today from the Hearst owned paper that its award winning website FuelFix is going the paper route. That's right, a Chronicle representative tells me that FuelFix will now be printed in the physical newspaper each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the business section.

In addition to that, the paper is also bringing Harry Weber into the fold. Weber covered the Deepwater Horizon spill for the Associated Press.

“I’m pleased to welcome Harry to our energy staff,” Chronicle business editor Laura Goldberg said in a statement. “His tenacious reporting style and extensive experience covering the oil spill make him a valuable addition to our team of talented journalists who excel at providing comprehensive coverage of the energy industry from exploration and production to pipelines and refineries.”

The new FuelFix area of the business section will also feature reporting from award-winning columnist Loren Steffy, Washington-based Jennifer A. Dlouhy plus business reporters Jeannie Kever, Emily Pickrell, Simone Sebastian and Zain Shauk.

Old cartoon explains Astrodome's 'real' origins

To contact us Click HERE

The Houston Asrodome is a sore subject right now. The aging and unused building has this city mixed - some want to restore it, others want to blow that sucker like Texas Stadium.

Truth is, after some really bizarre ideas of what to do with it that never get off the ground, the former Oilers and Astros home is supposedly falling apart. My guess, it's a bureaucratic waiting game...keep the ideas coming, deny them and let the place crumble all by itself. Problem solved and no hard feelings come election time.

Let's forget all of that for now.

It's time to watch an episode of the Super Chicken cartoon from the late 1960s, to learn how the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" really came into existence. Judge Hofheinz must be rolling in his grave right about now.

(Thanks to mega anchor Ray Peters)

TV's Tom Abrahams writes Sedition novel

To contact us Click HERE

Before she left for KNSD 7 NBC San Diego, former KHOU 11 anchor Christine Haas wrote a book. Now another Houston TV anchor, a few clicks up the dial, has plunged into the book world.

Weekend anchor/reporter Tom Abrahams has written Sedition. Here is a synopsis:

"The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place. As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power. They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives."

Abrahams wrote the modern day political thriller based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

I'm always interested when someone with a full-time career writes a novel. Here are some questions I had for Abrahams.

Mike McGuff: Why did you want to write a book?

Tom Abrahams: I love writing. I like telling stories and getting reaction from those who read them. I got into the news business, in part, because I could write every day. I always knew it was a matter of time before I committed to writing something long form and actually wrote a crime novel in the late 1990s. It wasn't very good. Then I started and stopped with various manuscripts over the years until I found the right story, the right genre. And this was it.

MM: How different is writing a television news script from a book?

TA: TV news writing is very succinct. At its best it gets to the point quickly, hits the highlights, and lets the video (or audio) carry the story. A book needs more color. There's no video or audio to fill in the blanks. I actually found myself having to work really hard to add little details that I normally would leave out. But both are better when edited and rewritten multiple times. In news we'll cut a 2 minute story to 1:30. In SEDITION, I cut it from 106,000 words to about 90,000.

MM: How much discipline did it take to write it with a full-time job?

TA: It takes more discipline than I regularly have. A lot of authors will write every day. I can't do that. I'll write in chunks, when I can squeeze it in. It took me 7 months to write SEDITION and another 9 months to rewrite and edit. The most time consuming part, however, wasn't the writing. The tremendous amount of research I did to ground the story in realism took the most amount of effort.

You can buy the book at seditionbook.com in various formats.

Bob Goosmann is NewsRadio 1080 KRLD's new chief met

To contact us Click HERE
Local broadcasting veteran Bob Goosmann has been named chief meteorologist for NewsRadio 1080 KRLD, effective immediately.

“Bob lives and breathes North Texas weather, and greatly respects KRLD’s commitment to accurate and dependable forecast information every ten minutes” said Bruce Gilbert, Vice President of News/Talk/Sports Programming for CBS RADIO Dallas-Fort Worth. “NewsRadio 1080 KRLD listeners can rely on him, not only for accurate forecasts, but also for the information they need to stay safe when severe weather strikes.”

Goosmann is an award-winning meteorologist with twenty-six years’ experience in radio and television. Most recently, he was chief meteorologist for KDAF-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. Prior to that, he held the same position at KDVR-TV in Denver. He also served as chief meteorologist for KRLD’s sister CBS Television station KTVT (CBS 11) in Dallas-Fort Worth for nine years. In addition, he has worked at stations in Providence, Rhode Island and Richmond, Virginia.

Goosmann’s work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Press Club of Dallas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the AMS Seal.

(This post is from a release sent to me by CBS Dallas)

Comcast SportsNet Houston launch party & news

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Comcast SportsNet Houston sidewalk level studio - you can walk right up and look

I figured the Comcast SportsNet Houston launch party Monday at the network's new Houston Pavilions studio would be big, but it hit me just how big when I walked up and standing there on the street was Calvin Murphy. Then, as I was getting my badge, Kevin McHale's was right behind mine! You know me, it doesn't take much to excite me since I rarely get out anymore.

The crowd was full of Houston Astros and Rockets players and staff members (both teams own the network along with Comcast/NBC Sports). After a little crowd smoozing, members of the University of Houston Cougar Marching Band showed up to drum the crowd into the House of Blues which is directly across from the new sports network's studios.

Houston City Council Member James G. Rodriguez, who represents this area of town, said the city recognized the day as Comcast SportsNet Houston day.

Houston Rockets broadcaster Bill Worrell took the microphone and addressed the crownd about how Houston cable sports coverage started on Home Sports Entertainment (HSE), then became Prime Sports Networks and eventually Fox Sports Southwest and Fox Sports Houston. He says a lot of the original crew is back with CSN Houston.


Worrell added he likes the fact that CSN Houston will be broadcasting live Houston sports news in the afternoons and evening instead of the two minutes the rest of Houston TV devotes to it.

Matt Hutchings, President and General Manager at Comcast SportsNet Houston, closed the evening saying CSN Houston will be one of the best regional sports networks in the country. No stranger to Houston, Hutchings said he grew up here and his father worked for the Houston Astros under Judge Hofheinz.

Three CSN programming partnerships were announced last night:
- UH/Rice
- The Marathon Oil Corporation Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards
- Houston Shell Open

The Houston Rockets begin pre-season play so we'll see how CSN Houston handles team coverage for the first time.

RELATED
- Comcast SportsNet Houston launches

Old cartoon explains Astrodome's 'real' origins

To contact us Click HERE

The Houston Asrodome is a sore subject right now. The aging and unused building has this city mixed - some want to restore it, others want to blow that sucker like Texas Stadium.

Truth is, after some really bizarre ideas of what to do with it that never get off the ground, the former Oilers and Astros home is supposedly falling apart. My guess, it's a bureaucratic waiting game...keep the ideas coming, deny them and let the place crumble all by itself. Problem solved and no hard feelings come election time.

Let's forget all of that for now.

It's time to watch an episode of the Super Chicken cartoon from the late 1960s, to learn how the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" really came into existence. Judge Hofheinz must be rolling in his grave right about now.

(Thanks to mega anchor Ray Peters)

TV's Tom Abrahams writes Sedition novel

To contact us Click HERE

Before she left for KNSD 7 NBC San Diego, former KHOU 11 anchor Christine Haas wrote a book. Now another Houston TV anchor, a few clicks up the dial, has plunged into the book world.

Weekend anchor/reporter Tom Abrahams has written Sedition. Here is a synopsis:

"The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place. As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power. They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives."

Abrahams wrote the modern day political thriller based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

I'm always interested when someone with a full-time career writes a novel. Here are some questions I had for Abrahams.

Mike McGuff: Why did you want to write a book?

Tom Abrahams: I love writing. I like telling stories and getting reaction from those who read them. I got into the news business, in part, because I could write every day. I always knew it was a matter of time before I committed to writing something long form and actually wrote a crime novel in the late 1990s. It wasn't very good. Then I started and stopped with various manuscripts over the years until I found the right story, the right genre. And this was it.

MM: How different is writing a television news script from a book?

TA: TV news writing is very succinct. At its best it gets to the point quickly, hits the highlights, and lets the video (or audio) carry the story. A book needs more color. There's no video or audio to fill in the blanks. I actually found myself having to work really hard to add little details that I normally would leave out. But both are better when edited and rewritten multiple times. In news we'll cut a 2 minute story to 1:30. In SEDITION, I cut it from 106,000 words to about 90,000.

MM: How much discipline did it take to write it with a full-time job?

TA: It takes more discipline than I regularly have. A lot of authors will write every day. I can't do that. I'll write in chunks, when I can squeeze it in. It took me 7 months to write SEDITION and another 9 months to rewrite and edit. The most time consuming part, however, wasn't the writing. The tremendous amount of research I did to ground the story in realism took the most amount of effort.

You can buy the book at seditionbook.com in various formats.

Bob Goosmann is NewsRadio 1080 KRLD's new chief met

To contact us Click HERE
Local broadcasting veteran Bob Goosmann has been named chief meteorologist for NewsRadio 1080 KRLD, effective immediately.

“Bob lives and breathes North Texas weather, and greatly respects KRLD’s commitment to accurate and dependable forecast information every ten minutes” said Bruce Gilbert, Vice President of News/Talk/Sports Programming for CBS RADIO Dallas-Fort Worth. “NewsRadio 1080 KRLD listeners can rely on him, not only for accurate forecasts, but also for the information they need to stay safe when severe weather strikes.”

Goosmann is an award-winning meteorologist with twenty-six years’ experience in radio and television. Most recently, he was chief meteorologist for KDAF-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. Prior to that, he held the same position at KDVR-TV in Denver. He also served as chief meteorologist for KRLD’s sister CBS Television station KTVT (CBS 11) in Dallas-Fort Worth for nine years. In addition, he has worked at stations in Providence, Rhode Island and Richmond, Virginia.

Goosmann’s work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Press Club of Dallas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the AMS Seal.

(This post is from a release sent to me by CBS Dallas)

Houston media sports moves

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Looks like the Houston sports media scene is getting some changes...from TV, newspaper and radio.

KPRC 2 MMJ Gary Striewski moves to the station's sports department according to Twitter chatter. Messages of congratulations from Striewski's colleagues about his going to the sports department gave the move away. He came to Houston from KGWN 5 in Cheyenne, Wyoming last May. KPRC 2 sports guy Adam Clanton left the station in August to host a show on 1560 KGOW with John Wessling.

Speaking of KPRC sports...the NBC affiliate lost two sports photographers to the new Comcast Sportsnet Houston channel. Both Allen Reid and Daryl George are now NBC dudes and still getting to shoot Houston sports.

Houston Chronicle baseball writer Zachary Levine announced on twitter he is moving on, "Don't know where I'm headed next, but I'll keep tweeting and keep you posted." Chronicle sports editor Nick Mathews added, "To Mr. @zacharylevine, as your editor and a reader, I thank you most sincerely for your amazing work at @HoustonChron. You will be missed."

MLB.com is reporting that Houston Astros announcers Brett Dolan and Dave Raymond, who along with Milo Hamilton, have called games for the last seven years are out. Brian McTaggart writes the duo's contracts were not renewed so the team will have a totally brand new broadcasting team for 2013.

Minerva Perez talks TV anchor bullying

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No doubt you've heard of the La Crosse, Wisconsin television anchor bullying incident and subsequent response from WKBT News 8's Jennifer Livingston. Livingston's on air statement went viral and landed her on the network morning shows.

The anchor bullying event struck a chord with one Houston talk show host and former TV anchor. Minerva Perez, host of Latina Voices, and former KTRK 13 Houston and KTLA 5 Los Angeles anchor, contacted me to share her experiences on the subject with you.

The following is a mikemcguff.com guest blog post from Minerva Perez:

Jennifer Livingston is NOT ALONE

Watching La Crosse, Wisconsin anchor Jennifer Livingston deliver what will go down as one of the gutsiest editorials in the annals of TV news, in response to hate mail about her weight from a male viewer, struck a chord with me. As a former News Anchor at Top 10 Markets, who had similar experiences throughout my career, I cheered her on while at the same time was reminded of similar real life experiences throughout my career.

She is not alone.

From the beginning of my career in a small Rio Grande Valley market, which was 95% Latino and from where all my family hails, I was questioned about the way I used a Spanish pronunciation of my name, correctly and accurately rolling the rrrr’s in both my first and last names: Minerva Pérez...sacrosanct where I come from.

My nickname as a kid was Minnie, Minnie Mouse and Mini Skirt. Would viewers take me seriously if I used nicknames? I was supposed to come across as a serious Journalist.

After leaving the Valley, and moving to the mid-size market of San Antonio and away from family and friends, the catty comments started coming. Some of my colleagues, especially, laughed and sniped behind my back. I knew it and I ignored it. My news director brought me in and said “perhaps you should consider the way you say your name.” I ignored him. I refused to homogenize my name and identity for the sake of my job and instead stayed true to my heritage. It was the decade of the Hispanics, after all.

Several markets later, and arriving in the 2nd largest TV Market in the country of Los Angeles, the hate or bullying heated up. It was there, the biggest Latino market next to Mexico City that the hate mail started arriving. “You’re too Latina,” one cowardly and anonymous person wrote. Another suggested I should “go back to México!” As Anchor Jen openly told the author of her egregious email and her viewers, “you don’t know me.” Little did my haters know I am a 4th generation Texan, whose family goes back hundreds of years…before Tejas was taken by the Texians. The common Tejano saying goes, “the border crossed us.” We still own part of a major land grant.

Consistently, some colleagues in all the TV markets where I worked, friends, I wrongly thought, generated some of this bullying. In one market, one co-anchor with an air of much superiority, turned to me and pointedly asked, “Why do you say your name that way?” A not-so-kind, icy query. Another one would encounter me in the hallway and loudly mimic me, “Minerrrrrva Pérrrrrez.” I laughed as his insulting words. Another one said the way I pronounced my name “jarred the ear.” Jarred the ear? This, while they all went out of their way to correctly pronounce Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They went crazy with French names. Latino names? Not so much.

Conversely, I also received a lot of praise from Latinos in every community in which I worked. They loved that I represented them proudly in what they considered a not-so-welcoming “white world.” To see me on TV was to see themselves.

Jennifer Livingston’s criticism by a male viewer is typical and discriminatory. Only female anchors are targeted. There are many men, some currently on national and local TV, who could use a trim down.

Why don’t viewers approach them about their weight? Not an issue when it comes to male anchors. The question is WHY?

For a time, due to chronic illness and badly prescribed medications, not to mention Menopause, I too was a “plump anchor.” Sadly, men in TV can’t or won’t understand that one. Neither does the average Joe. One male viewer picked up the phone, called in and told the AP that answered, “tell Minerva she’s been eating too many cookies.” I was 7 months pregnant for darn sake! Even a local columnist took it upon himself to send a message. Without naming names, the columnist wrote about “plump anchors.” It, no doubt, came from the inside as a veiled message to me. That is bullying and to top it off, it was done in a cowardly fashion.

To describe what happened to me for years, is now described as “bullying,” the new catch phrase. I was a victim my entire career and chose to ignore it for fear of more personal attacks. So cheers to Jennifer Livingston who chose not to. She’s speaking for all of us who were “bullied” then and now.

Minerrrrva Pérrrrez
Executive Producer/Show Creator
Latina Voices: Smart Talk
www.latinavoices.com
Past President of the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals HAHMP
Lifetime member, National Association of Hispanic Journalists NAHJ

RELATED
- Former KTRK anchor Minerva Perez to KHOU 11
- Former KTRK 13 anchor Minerva Perez talks to Mike McGuff about new show, U2
- Houston TV anchor sampled by U2

KHOU 11 'Ellen-izes' METRORail; offers free rides

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This fall, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and KHOU 11, Houston’s CBS affiliate, have teamed up to offer four days of free rides on the Houston area’s METRORail. The effort hopes to encourage riders to take advantage of public transit as a fast, convenient and environmentally friendly transportation option.

“We are proud to partner with KHOU 11 and ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ to encourage people to ride METRO,” said METRO President and CEO George Greanias. “One of METRO’s operating principles is to be a trusted community partner and we hope those who ride METRORail on the free weekend dates will see that public transit is a great option every day.”

To kick off the free rides, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and KHOU 11 targeted Museum District Day in Houston, Saturday, September 15. On Museum District Day, 18 participating museums wave general admission, and many offer activities, demonstrations, performances and more. An estimated 25,000 people attend the annual event each year.

“We’re thrilled ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ is supporting Museum District Day by providing free METRORail rides all day on September 15,” said Laurette Canizares, Executive Director of the Houston Museum District. “Because all 19 museums in the District are within walking distance of the light rail, this is a great way to promote the cultural resources in this area and the importance of alternative transportation.”

Free rides on Saturday, September 15 will run from 5:30 a.m. to 2:20 a.m. The free rides courtesy of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and KHOU 11 continue on the following Sundays – September 23, October 7 and October 28, from 5:30 a.m. to 11:40 p.m. each day.

To help support the effort, one METRORail train has been wrapped with Ellen-themed graphics and will run on the rail line through October 28. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” can be seen locally on KHOU 11 weekdays at 3 p.m.

(This post from a release sent to me by KHOU)

Houston Chronicle puts FuelFix into paper's business section

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Just when you thought the only changes coming to the Houston Chronicle were on its newly launched website...think again.

Got word today from the Hearst owned paper that its award winning website FuelFix is going the paper route. That's right, a Chronicle representative tells me that FuelFix will now be printed in the physical newspaper each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the business section.

In addition to that, the paper is also bringing Harry Weber into the fold. Weber covered the Deepwater Horizon spill for the Associated Press.

“I’m pleased to welcome Harry to our energy staff,” Chronicle business editor Laura Goldberg said in a statement. “His tenacious reporting style and extensive experience covering the oil spill make him a valuable addition to our team of talented journalists who excel at providing comprehensive coverage of the energy industry from exploration and production to pipelines and refineries.”

The new FuelFix area of the business section will also feature reporting from award-winning columnist Loren Steffy, Washington-based Jennifer A. Dlouhy plus business reporters Jeannie Kever, Emily Pickrell, Simone Sebastian and Zain Shauk.

Old cartoon explains Astrodome's 'real' origins

To contact us Click HERE

The Houston Asrodome is a sore subject right now. The aging and unused building has this city mixed - some want to restore it, others want to blow that sucker like Texas Stadium.

Truth is, after some really bizarre ideas of what to do with it that never get off the ground, the former Oilers and Astros home is supposedly falling apart. My guess, it's a bureaucratic waiting game...keep the ideas coming, deny them and let the place crumble all by itself. Problem solved and no hard feelings come election time.

Let's forget all of that for now.

It's time to watch an episode of the Super Chicken cartoon from the late 1960s, to learn how the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World" really came into existence. Judge Hofheinz must be rolling in his grave right about now.

(Thanks to mega anchor Ray Peters)

TV's Tom Abrahams writes Sedition novel

To contact us Click HERE

Before she left for KNSD 7 NBC San Diego, former KHOU 11 anchor Christine Haas wrote a book. Now another Houston TV anchor, a few clicks up the dial, has plunged into the book world.

Weekend anchor/reporter Tom Abrahams has written Sedition. Here is a synopsis:

"The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place. As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small group of disenfranchised neo-patriots conspire to violently seize power. They have the will. They already have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives."

Abrahams wrote the modern day political thriller based on the 1820 British plot, The Cato Street Conspiracy.

I'm always interested when someone with a full-time career writes a novel. Here are some questions I had for Abrahams.

Mike McGuff: Why did you want to write a book?

Tom Abrahams: I love writing. I like telling stories and getting reaction from those who read them. I got into the news business, in part, because I could write every day. I always knew it was a matter of time before I committed to writing something long form and actually wrote a crime novel in the late 1990s. It wasn't very good. Then I started and stopped with various manuscripts over the years until I found the right story, the right genre. And this was it.

MM: How different is writing a television news script from a book?

TA: TV news writing is very succinct. At its best it gets to the point quickly, hits the highlights, and lets the video (or audio) carry the story. A book needs more color. There's no video or audio to fill in the blanks. I actually found myself having to work really hard to add little details that I normally would leave out. But both are better when edited and rewritten multiple times. In news we'll cut a 2 minute story to 1:30. In SEDITION, I cut it from 106,000 words to about 90,000.

MM: How much discipline did it take to write it with a full-time job?

TA: It takes more discipline than I regularly have. A lot of authors will write every day. I can't do that. I'll write in chunks, when I can squeeze it in. It took me 7 months to write SEDITION and another 9 months to rewrite and edit. The most time consuming part, however, wasn't the writing. The tremendous amount of research I did to ground the story in realism took the most amount of effort.

You can buy the book at seditionbook.com in various formats.