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ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston Names Texas Native Rita Garcia As New Weekday Morning Anchor
Rita Garcia Joins Station From KTTV-TV Los Angeles
ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston President and General Manager Wendy Granato named Rita Garcia to co-anchor its weekday morning newscast and appear on-air on Monday, July 26.
Garcia joins the morning Eyewitness Team from 4:30-7:00 a.m. with co-anchor Samica Knight and meteorologist Elita Loresca. She replaces Tom Koch who retired from broadcasting after 39 years.
“We are so excited to have Rita return home to Texas!” exclaimed Granato. “Rita is an experienced journalist who understands our Houston area communities, our commitment to serving them, and how to provide fast-paced, accurate and timely information to help our viewers start their day. She is also a lot of fun and will be a great addition to ABC13’s quick-witted, high-energy morning team.”
Joining from Fox 11 in Los Angeles, Garcia was an anchor on “Good Day LA” where her most memorable coverage includes the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris, the 2009 and 2011 NBA Finals, the death of Los Angeles Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant, the Woolsey Fire in California, the Oscars® and Emmy® red carpet events, NFL Super Bowl LI, Hurricane Harvey, the 2017 and 2018 MLB World Series, and the death of Michael Jackson.
Garcia returns to familiar roots as a Texas native where she previously served as a weekday morning anchor in the Houston market. She began her television career in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas at ABC (KRG – CH. 5) as bureau chief in Cameron County. While at the station, she reported on a number of international border stories.
“I’m thrilled to return to Houston and join the ABC-owned family,” said Garcia. “It’s truly a privilege to be invited into viewers’ homes every morning, and I can’t wait for us to begin our day together, sharing the stories that matter the most to them.”
Garcia graduated cum laude from Texas State University in San Marcos with a degree in electronic media.
About ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston
For over 50 years, ABC13 has been Houston’s news leader from sign-on to sign-off. Broadcasting 49 hours of locally produced newscasts each week, ABC13 is the top-rated and most-watched news station among the Houston-area viewers. ABC13 also leads the market in its digital media efforts, with top rankings for its website, abc13.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. ABC13 delivers live and streaming content on Roku, Fire TV, Amazon and AppleTV in the ABC13 Houston App. ABC13 is deeply invested in the Houston community, spotlighting Houston’s diversity with community affairs programs covering issues that affect different segments of the population – from local town halls to ABC13+. The station also hosts several community projects throughout the year including Share Your Holidays, an annual food drive benefiting the Houston Food Bank; and our E-cycle Drive, a collection/recycling effort for outdated electronic equipment in conjunction with Earth Day. ABC13 is also known for broadcasting the city’s major events including the annual July 4th Freedom Over Texas celebration, The Chevron Marathon, Houston Pride and The Houston Rodeo Parade.