Ron Stone (reporter)
Encyclopedia
Ron Stone was an American
news anchor at KPRC-TV
in Houston, Texas
for 20 years from 1972 to 1992. He was called "the most popular and revered news anchor the city has ever known" by
the Houston Chronicle
. He was president of Stonefilms, Inc., a Texas production company.
. He had an M.L.A. degree from Houston Baptist University
. After college, Stone was a broadcaster for the National Football League
and the Southwest Conference.
, Oklahoma
, graduated from East Central University
in Ada
, then known as Central State Teachers College, and worked in radio and television in several small Oklahoma markets. He was working at KVOO
in Tulsa
in 1961, when he caught the eye of Dan Rather
, who was then KHOU Houston, Channel 11's lead anchor.
He started his television news career at Houston CBS
affiliate KHOU
, where he worked for a decade before becoming anchor at NBC
affiliate KPRC-TV
.
He was a TV news anchor for KPRC-TV
from 1972 to 1992. During part of this time, he
co-anchored the news with Paula Zahn, who later anchored on CNN
and who worked with Ron Franklin
before his eventual move to ESPN
.
(1919–2008) as host of KPRC-TV
's The Eyes of Texas
cultural anthology series.
On May 21, 2002, he anchored the news for one evening as a commemorative celebration
along with veteran meteorologist Doug Johnson at KPRC-TV
.
He lived with renal cell carcinoma
and gave motivational speeches about cancer survival.
He died of cancer.
Disaster at Texas City, and Houston: Simply Spectacular.
He served as Artist in Residence
in the Communications Department at the University of St. Thomas
in Houston.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
news anchor at KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV is the NBC affiliated television station based in Houston, Texas, and serving the Greater Houston television market. It has studios located in the Sharpstown district on the Southwest portion of the city, and has a transmitter site in unincorporated Fort Bend County near Missouri City...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
for 20 years from 1972 to 1992. He was called "the most popular and revered news anchor the city has ever known" by
the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
. He was president of Stonefilms, Inc., a Texas production company.
Education and early career
Stone attended college and received a B.A. from East Central State UniversityEast Central University
East Central University is a four year public university in Ada, Oklahoma, located in the south central region of the state. The university also has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, Ardmore, and Durant....
. He had an M.L.A. degree from Houston Baptist University
Houston Baptist University
Houston Baptist University is a private Baptist institution founded in 1960. It is located in Greater Sharpstown in Houston, Texas near the Southwest Freeway.- History :...
. After college, Stone was a broadcaster for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and the Southwest Conference.
Television news career
Stone was born in HannaHanna, Oklahoma
Hanna is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 133 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hanna is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, graduated from East Central University
East Central University
East Central University is a four year public university in Ada, Oklahoma, located in the south central region of the state. The university also has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, Ardmore, and Durant....
in Ada
Ada, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019....
, then known as Central State Teachers College, and worked in radio and television in several small Oklahoma markets. He was working at KVOO
KFAQ
KFAQ is a news/talk radio station in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. The station is owned by Journal Broadcast Group and airs a mix of local and national talk shows. The station is an ABC News Radio affiliate...
in Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
in 1961, when he caught the eye of Dan Rather
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
, who was then KHOU Houston, Channel 11's lead anchor.
He started his television news career at Houston CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate KHOU
KHOU-TV
KHOU is the CBS affiliate television station in Houston, Texas. Serving Greater Houston, it is owned by the Belo Corporation and broadcasts on digital and PSIP channel 11...
, where he worked for a decade before becoming anchor at NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV is the NBC affiliated television station based in Houston, Texas, and serving the Greater Houston television market. It has studios located in the Sharpstown district on the Southwest portion of the city, and has a transmitter site in unincorporated Fort Bend County near Missouri City...
.
He was a TV news anchor for KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV is the NBC affiliated television station based in Houston, Texas, and serving the Greater Houston television market. It has studios located in the Sharpstown district on the Southwest portion of the city, and has a transmitter site in unincorporated Fort Bend County near Missouri City...
from 1972 to 1992. During part of this time, he
co-anchored the news with Paula Zahn, who later anchored on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and who worked with Ron Franklin
Ron Franklin
Ron Franklin is an American sportscaster, most notably with ESPN, where he was employed from 1987-2011. He was fired by ESPN on January 4, 2011 after allegedly making sexist comments to and then berating a colleague.He is married with one child...
before his eventual move to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Independent producer and other work
After retiring from television news in 1992, he started the production company, Stonefilms, Inc. with his son. In 1999, he succeeded Ray MillerRay Miller (Texas journalist)
Ray Elvin Miller was the creator and host of The Eyes of Texas , a television anthology series, syndicated through KPRC-TV, the NBC outlet in Houston. A native of Fort Worth, Miller began his career in radio there in 1938 and thereafter relocated to Houston...
(1919–2008) as host of KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV is the NBC affiliated television station based in Houston, Texas, and serving the Greater Houston television market. It has studios located in the Sharpstown district on the Southwest portion of the city, and has a transmitter site in unincorporated Fort Bend County near Missouri City...
's The Eyes of Texas
The Eyes of Texas (TV series)
The Eyes of Texas is a long-running regional television series which aired original episodes from 1969—1999. The program focused on unique people, events and places throughout the state of Texas. It was produced and syndicated by KPRC-TV & Stonefilms , both in Houston...
cultural anthology series.
On May 21, 2002, he anchored the news for one evening as a commemorative celebration
along with veteran meteorologist Doug Johnson at KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV is the NBC affiliated television station based in Houston, Texas, and serving the Greater Houston television market. It has studios located in the Sharpstown district on the Southwest portion of the city, and has a transmitter site in unincorporated Fort Bend County near Missouri City...
.
He lived with renal cell carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma is a kidney cancer that originates in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, the very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste products. RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for approximately 80% of cases...
and gave motivational speeches about cancer survival.
He died of cancer.
Scholarly works
Stone wrote three books about Texas history, A Book of Texas Days,Disaster at Texas City, and Houston: Simply Spectacular.
He served as Artist in Residence
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
in the Communications Department at the University of St. Thomas
University of St. Thomas (Houston)
The University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, United States is a comprehensive Catholic university, grounded in the liberal arts...
in Houston.
Awards
- Communicator of the Year, 1990, University of HoustonUniversity of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
School of Communications - Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree, University of Houston, 1994