Late Friday night Radio One made the announcement that KROI-FM in Houston would flip to an all news format, dumping the gospel music format now on the station. J.P. Pritchard and Lana Hughes, who were fired by KTRH in Houston in July, will anchor the morning news on the station when it flips to all news in two weeks.
Shane Media Services President Ed Shane has been brought in by Radio One to help make the switch and says "Houstonians will find much to like about News 92 FM. We?re going to give people the facts without the biased opinions that dominate so-called news stations. We?ve assembled an A-list of broadcast journalists who mission is to report the news and let people make up their own minds.?
Shane says that the programming team, led by veteran news director Denise Bishop, will deliver an appealing blend of local, regional and national news along with topical information and the traffic and weather updates that are essential to Houston listeners. Pritchard and Hughes were on the air in Houston for 27 years before being let go in the summer. At the time, KTRH GM Eddie Martiny told a Houston Newspaper, "Traditional news coverage is no longer as compelling as it used to be. Ten years ago, radio stations were prime sources of where people went to get news. Today, they get it from Blackberries and smartphones. He says the new format will resemble Fox News' Fox and Friends and will reflect current appetites for commentary along with news." Apparently, Radio One does not buy into that statement.
Additional duties throughout the day will be handled by other local notables including (listed alphabetically) Mike Barajas, Scott Braddock, Carolyn Campbell, Kevin Charles, Brent Clanton, Lanny Griffith, Laurie Kendrick, Martha Martinez, Bonnie Petrie, Matt Sampsell, Meteorologist Dr. Joe Sobel, Pattie Shieh, Craig Roberts, and Jorge Vargas.
(10/29/2011 11:23:41 AM)
As a TV broadcaster & longtime Houston resident now in Oklahoma, I envy the Houston listeners having access to such an all-star team!
Good luck, everyone! I'll be wishing you success from afar.
John
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