Veteran radio and TV news anchor/reporter Bill Alford has passed away in Nacogdoches at age 65. His obituary says he died of lung cancer. Bill was a longtime pal, colleague and friendly competitor in the radio news business. He was one of the guys who made radio news reporting the fun business it used to be.
His professional career in radio and television broadcast news included stints at KIKK in Houston, KLSB TV in Nacogdoches, KTRE TV in Lufkin, KXAN Channel 36 in Austin, KTBC TV in Austin, KVET Radio in Austin, KNUZ in Houston, KHOU TV in Houston, and KIVY Radio Station news director, and for a short time in the early 80s he was editor of the Houston County Courier in Crockett.
He was Chairman of The Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Ass'n three times, Vice Chairman one time, Chairman of the AP's Freedom of Information Committee, Chairman of the UPI Broadcasters of Texas, Vice Chairman of UPI Broadcasters of Texas, and a member of Sigma Delta Chi Professional Broadcasters. He won a truckload of honors and awards from all those orgs over the years.
I got to know Bill when we competed with each other chasing news in Houston in the 70s, but my favorite Bill memory came when he was anchoring at KTRE TV in Lufkin in the 80s. I asked him how in the world he came to be in Lufkin after working in Houston. He told me he quit radio in 1980 so he could move to Crockett to help take care of his ageing parents. He needed real income so he talked his way into the job of editor and reporter at the Crockett newspaper. Then one day in 1981 he was watching TV coverage of the first space shuttle launch, and the network cut to a reporter at the Johnson Space Center.
Bill said in the background he could see local reporters he knew when he was in Houston, and they were there covering the biggest technology story of their lives - mankind's greatest adventure. His big story in Crockett that day was the unveiling of a new four-way stop sign. That's when he decided he had to get back into broadcast news, so he drove to Lufkin and got the TV anchor job at KTRE. Bill and I laughed about that for a long time. He was a really fun guy and I hate knowing he's not with us anymore.
His professional career in radio and television broadcast news included stints at KIKK in Houston, KLSB TV in Nacogdoches, KTRE TV in Lufkin, KXAN Channel 36 in Austin, KTBC TV in Austin, KVET Radio in Austin, KNUZ in Houston, KHOU TV in Houston, and KIVY Radio Station news director, and for a short time in the early 80s he was editor of the Houston County Courier in Crockett.
He was Chairman of The Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Ass'n three times, Vice Chairman one time, Chairman of the AP's Freedom of Information Committee, Chairman of the UPI Broadcasters of Texas, Vice Chairman of UPI Broadcasters of Texas, and a member of Sigma Delta Chi Professional Broadcasters. He won a truckload of honors and awards from all those orgs over the years.
I got to know Bill when we competed with each other chasing news in Houston in the 70s, but my favorite Bill memory came when he was anchoring at KTRE TV in Lufkin in the 80s. I asked him how in the world he came to be in Lufkin after working in Houston. He told me he quit radio in 1980 so he could move to Crockett to help take care of his ageing parents. He needed real income so he talked his way into the job of editor and reporter at the Crockett newspaper. Then one day in 1981 he was watching TV coverage of the first space shuttle launch, and the network cut to a reporter at the Johnson Space Center.
Bill said in the background he could see local reporters he knew when he was in Houston, and they were there covering the biggest technology story of their lives - mankind's greatest adventure. His big story in Crockett that day was the unveiling of a new four-way stop sign. That's when he decided he had to get back into broadcast news, so he drove to Lufkin and got the TV anchor job at KTRE. Bill and I laughed about that for a long time. He was a really fun guy and I hate knowing he's not with us anymore.
