Houston News Director Ousted
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FTVLive FIRST told you on Friday that longtime Houston News Director Dave Strickland was out at Graham’s KPRC and it was effective immediately.
Strickland had been the ND at KPRC for over 6 years and spent 15 years before that as the ND at KTRK in Houston.
A couple of TV insiders weighed in on the news that Strik was gone in Houston.
Email:
Sad to see Dave Strickland get ousted as ND at KPRC. But sadly, that is what happens when you lose as much good talent as they have in the last year and a half. Dominique Sachse was the first domino to fall and they've continued since. Basically, they were one of the very best stations in America two years ago and now they're pretty meh. They're also sinking their time, money, and effort into their streaming service KPRC+ and it's not paying off. Nobody watches their 7 am streaming-only newscast and it's burning out the staff who work on it. Houston TV news viewers are pretty steadfast in their desire for a traditional newscast.
Email:
Hey Scott.
I worked with Strick for several years at KPRC. Great newsman. Loved by some, despised by others (like all NDs). Dave can be rough around the edges when things don't meet his high standards. It's old school and these days, not everyone reacts well to that kind of boss. Not sure that's the main reason he was fired though. KPRC has had anchor turnover in recent years and the numbers have suffered. KPRC finishes 4th some nights behind ABC, CBS, and Fox. The morning show may be a bigger problem. Dave spent a lot of money on anchors who don't like each other and I think it shows. My friends still there say the new GM came in, met with staff, recognized the problems pretty quickly, and decided to start fresh with someone who can clean it up and make KPRC more competitive.
Just my take.
Thanks for all you do.
