Thinking of WFAA's Don Harris, 30 years later

[MikeShannon914]

Just hard to believe that it's been 30 years since Jonestown, and the loss of an excellent newsman and investigative reporter that we were lucky to have here in Dallas for such a short time at Channel 8. Don co-hosted "News 8 etc..." (local morning info-tainment program) as well.

 

[Slambang]

Reading about Don Harris, this was a guy who would've been browkaw, rather or jennings if he lived. I was a wee lad when Jonestown happened (2) but ive read up on the topic over the years.

 

[stinker]

i've seen an excellent documetary of the Jonestown saga recently on CNN.

Very good stuff. Lots of video footage and interviews with the very few who got out alive.

 

[OnTexasTime]

I was just a kid living in Oak Cliff when he was doing News 8 Etc, would get up the mornings and watch about 30-40 minutes of it before I left out for school. I believe Don Harris lived in Oak Cliff when he first moved to Dallas, I remember my "celebrity sighting" of trying on suits at the Sanger-Harris in Oak Cliff when I was a kid.

I wonder where his family is these days?

 

[Steve Eberhart]

I remember that eveny very well.
The story broke just before 6pm on a Saturday nite. I did 6 to midnight at KVIL on Saturday nights at the time and Larry Dixon was on before me. Just before he went off we saw it clear on the "wire" and Larry did a break about it and then I went on at 6. I remember him saying to me "Steve, this looks like a really big story, I'll stick around and help you out with it." He did, and actually went into the newsroom and did several breaks over the next hour anchoring our coverage of it. (He was a great impromptu newscaster, too!) I kept up with the story throughout the night and the news got progressively worse. An amazing tragedy and the precursor to things like Waco.

 

[Slambang]

Steve, is there any of that coverage on an aircheck? That would be an interesting piece of history id like to hear...

 

[MikeShannon914]

I wonder where his family is these days?

Funny you should ask...Don's son Jeff Humphrey is a (surprise!) TV news reporter in Spokane, WA, and just this week talked publicly about Don's passing for the very first time. I've never heard the story from the family's side...very compelling. Go to this link: http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=7504856 and also search for his blog and YouTube clip where he tells the story.

BTW, Don's real name was Roy Humphrey...kinda strange considering his longtime co-host on "News 8 etc..." was Suzie HumphreyS !

 

[firstimelongtime]

Was Don the TV reporter that was involved in the drag racing incident with the jet car at the old Texas International Motor Speedway on I-35N?
Not a negative toward Don for sure, just trying to remember.

 

[OnTexasTime]

Was Don the TV reporter that was involved in the drag racing incident with the jet car at the old Texas International Motor Speedway on I-35N?
Not a negative toward Don for sure, just trying to remember.

No that was Gene Thomas who took over for Don Harris at News8etc. I believe it happened on a Saturday and I believe it was the news director that was sitting in his chair the following Monday Morning when they went on the air. I believe the news directors name was Travis Lynn (?). I wish I could remember the man's exact words. I was young when I saw that, but I always think back to that when a key person in a business dies and they have to go forward and work.

 

[KTN Corp]

It's been 25 years since Jessica Savitch's (formerly KHOU-TV) fatal accident. (Remind me to start a thread about her in 5 years.) Houston TV also has a great loss.