Meet the KEYE TV News Team
Judy Maggio - Anchor
Judy has been proud to call Austin home for the past 32 years.
After graduating from Milby High School in Houston, she came to the University of Texas in 1978 to study journalism. She fell in love with Austin. She's a Longhorn, through and through. She was fortunate to land a job in Austin when she graduated from UT and never plans to leave, what she calls, the most wonderful city in the world.
Judy has had the joy of spending her entire career in Austin. She was hired as an entry level reporter at KVUE-TV in November 1981 and was promoted to the nightly news anchor spot in 1986. In2003, she chose to leave KVUE and accepted an Anchor/Managing Editor position at KEYE TV.
With 29 years experience delivering the news in Austin, Judy is one of the most familiar faces in Central Texas. She was voted "Best News Anchor in Austin" for eight years running by Austin Chronicle readers. Judy was also voted Austin Communicator of the year in 1997 and Austin Toastmaster of the Year in 2005.
Judy is an admitted political junkie, and counts her coverage of three presidential inaugurations and four national political conventions among the highlights of her career. She has also interviewed and profiled celebrities such as the late Lady Bird Johnson and Willie Nelson. She even sang a bar of "On the Road Again" with Willie on his bus. She has also done lengthy interviews with some of the nation's most prestigious television journalists -- Walter Cronkite, Bob Schieffer, Dan Rather, Katie Couric and Peter Jennings.
Judy is a community advocate, giving her time to many different non-profits in Austin such as Blue Santa and Dell Children's Medical Center. She also enjoys reading to children, speaking at schools and emceeing charity fundraisers.
She is married to Thad Rosenfeld.She has a daughter, Carly and a step-daughter, Stephanie. They also have two dogs, Duncan and Buster and a cat named Winnie.
Ron Oliveira - Anchor
Ron Oliveira is an award-winning journalist and has spent the past 34 years working in the television industry.
Ron graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Radio-Television and Film in 1976. He is a native of Brownsville, Texas.
He started his career as a television news anchor in 1977 at KGBT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Harlingen, Texas. In 1980 he moved to Austin where he became lead anchor for KVUE, the ABC affiliate. Several times, Ron was part of the KVUE anchor team that won Best Newscast in the USA.
In 1994, Ron expanded his career in television when he started and became co-owner of KNVA-TV, the Warner Brothers affiliate in Austin. Then in 1999, he helped launch and became co-owner of KTLM-TV, a Telemundo affiliate in the Rio Grande Valley.
In 2005, Ron joined the KEYE TV newsteam.
Besides helping to rear four children, Ron is also very active in the community.
He currently serves on the board of the Lola Wright Foundation, the Texas Secretary of State's Election Advisory Committee and the advisory councils of Leadership Austin, Any Baby Can and Foundation for the Homeless.
He is a former member of the Executive Board of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau.
Troy Kimmel - Chief Meteorologist
Troy Kimmel is the dean of television meteorologists in Central Texas.
He started back in 1978 at KBTX-TV in Bryan/College Station.
In 1984, he moved to KVUE in Austin where he worked for almost 10 years. There he worked with both Judy Maggio and Ron Oliveira.
From 1993 to 1994, he worked as Chief Meteorologist with the Lower Colorado River Authority and then from 1994 to 1997 as Chief Meteorologist with KTBC-TV.
Troy has worked at KEYE twice before -- from 1998 to 1999 and 2000 to 2003.
In 1997, he joined KVET/KASE/KFMK Radio Stations in Austin in his current position as Chief Meteorologist.
Troy is a native Texan and proud graduate of Texas A&M University. But he also has ties to the Longhorns. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Texas at Austin.
Troy is qualified as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society. In addition, he holds his Radio and Television Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society and his Television Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association.
Troy volunteers for several local agencies including being a member of Austin Police Department's Civil Defense Battalion and Community Emergency Response Team.
Bob Ballou - Sports Director
Bob Ballou joined KEYE TV as Sports Director in August 2007.
Answer to your first question: Yes. Bob Ballou is his real name. He has to show his driver's license as proof all the time.
Bob arrives in Austin from San Antonio where he worked at the CBS affiliate. Prior to that, he worked in Columbia, Missouri.
Bob attended the University of Missouri and proudly graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism.
However, he is originally from Dallas and his roots run deep in Texas sports. His parents attended the University of Texas and raised him with Longhorn ties (literally - they bought him burnt orange ties; figuratively - they passed on their trait of bleeding burnt orange).
Don't be fooled though - his mom is NOT "Cat Ballou". She's better looking.
Ballou won the 2010 Texas Associated Press Award for Best Sportscast. He won the same award in 2006. He is extremely excited about getting involved in church, charity and of course the sports world surrounding Austin. Bob enjoys playing and watching any and all sports - though his golf game could really use some work.
Jason Wheeler - Anchor
Jason Wheeler is a study in contradictions. In his special reports, his regular blog, and his web and social media posts, it is clear Jason has a passion for creative writing. But he also thrives on not having any written words to rely on as he pretty regularly anchors hours of non-stop breaking news coverage and navigates numerous unscripted moments each afternoon as he hosts the hour-long news, interview, lifestyle, and entertainment show "Austin Live". As Senior Reporter and as an anchor, Jason relishes presenting serious, thoughtful, hard-hitting stories. And as a host, he also enjoys personality-driven features on sports figures, celebrities, and everyday characters who have a story to tell.
Jason's versatile body of work has earned him an Emmy award, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, and multiple accolades from The Texas Associated Press Broadcasters, including the TAPB's designation as "Best Reporter" in 2008.
Jason is a native Texan (from the Houston area). Growing up, he dabbled in different sports and did some acting. When he wasn't socializing as a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, Jason maintained a scholarship-worthy GPA as he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Radio-Television Communications from the University of Houston, making him one of the few people in Austin who isn't constantly clad in burnt orange.
Before he joined KEYE, Jason reported and anchored at stations in El Paso and San Antonio, in addition to a few out-of-state stints at stations in Pittsburgh, PA., and most recently, Miami. Jason is an avid traveler. Work-related junkets have allowed him to land on aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean, traipse through the jungles of the Amazon, report from space shuttle launches, cover the Superbowl, The World Series, and the NBA playoffs, go on the U.S. presidential campaign trail, hunt for treasure at sea, chase hurricanes and blizzards, report on elections from Mexico, cover the beginning of the Iraq War from the nation's capitol, and ride "shotgun" on an open road race in the West Texas desert. To "unwind" from all that stimulation, Jason frequently takes his wife and two young daughters on dizzyingly ambitious trips around the world. Since he works for a CBS station and isn't eligible to compete in "The Amazing Race", Jason has set his sights on someday hosting that show instead. Look out Phil!
When Jason is home, he pours his energy into his kids, plays tennis, swims, bikes, buys and sells stocks, follows politics, tries to become more fluent in Spanish, edits video projects, and refines ideas for documentaries and different businesses he plans to start.
Jason is always looking for the next challenge, opportunity, interview, story, or trip.
Bettie Cross - Anchor
Bettie Cross was born and raised in Texas and loves living in Austin. She says she made a mistake many years ago when she left Texas for an anchoring job in Des Moines, Iowa. She and her husband could not wait to get back. They learned during those three years how important it is to be near family and friends and how much they love everything about Texas.
Bettie holds a degree in political science from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In college, she thought she wanted to specialize in political reporting, but later realized she was even more interested in covering crime, trials and consumer news.
Bettie has spent 20 years covering news in Texas and has had the privilege of covering many stories that had a big impact on the state. One that stands out to her is covering the 51-day Branch Davidian standoff near Waco from start to finish. She also enjoyed the challenge of covering the Pope's visit to San Antonio and both of Kenneth McDuff's capital murder trials. She was selected "Texas AP Reporter of the Year" in 1995 and has won several Associated Press awards for breaking news coverage.
Bettie's son, Tanner, has to be the most photographed child in Texas. She can take an entire roll of film of him eating dinner! Okay, it may not be THAT bad, but she averages taking a roll of film a week. Bettie also loves to scrapbook those photos. She gets together with friends once a month for "Midnight Madness," when they talk, eat and work on their scrapbooks from 6pm to midnight at a local scrapbook store. Bettie says she knows it sounds crazy, but swears it's a blast!
Katherine Stolp - Anchor/Reporter
An Austinite's dream comes true!
Katherine Stolp grew up knowing early on she would return home to Austin as a news reporter. Her first taste of TV was anchoring the morning announcements at Stephen F. Austin High School. She credits her high school friend, Barry Flanagan who now works at the MTV network in New York, for helping her believe in herself on and off camera.
However, it was an internship at a local news station and the encouragement from anchor Judy Maggio that sealed the deal to become a journalist.
Katherine made the tough decision to leave her beloved city and head to Columbia, Missouri, home of the renowned University of Missouri School of Broadcast Journalism to follow her dream.
While there, Katherine was an anchor, reporter, photographer and editor at KOMU, the local NBC affiliate. The summer before her senior year, she landed an internship at KEYE TV where she learned from many people who still work there today. Katherine graduated the next year from the honors college at Mizzou with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in Spanish.
Two weeks into her first full time reporting gig at WEHT in Evansville, Indiana, an F4 tornado ripped through the city killing 25 people. It was the deadliest tornado to hit Indiana in 30 years. Katherine learned more about telling stories in those next months than she ever anticipated, as she watched her new community come together in one of its greatest times of need.
After ten months as a general assignment reporter at the ABC affiliate, she was promoted to weekend anchor. In the Midwest, Katherine loved the people, hated the winters (she was the only reporter to wear long johns under her work clothes anytime the temperature dropped below 40 degrees) and still had that itch to return to Austin.
When Katherine had the chance to come home and join the group of co-workers she had admired since she left, she jumped at the chance to be the morning reporter for KEYE TV in early 2008. She started her days at 1 a.m. (!) to prove herself and it was worth it as she quickly moved to the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts as a general news reporter. By September 2009, Katherine was promoted to weekend anchor where she is happily learning and developing in her newest role.
When Katherine isn't working, she volunteers every week at the Dell Childrens Medical Center, spends time with her family, hikes the Greenbelt, rows on Lady Bird Lake, hangs out at Barton Springs, eats lots of queso, dances at live concerts and explores all the ways Austin has changed since she's been gone.
Fred Cantu - Reporter
Fred Cantu, aka Uncle Fred, has been a fixture on the Austin airwaves since 1980 and marks his 40th year in the broadcast business this year.
Radio and TV has been his life. Fred has been recognized by his peers with a nomination to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame and a first place award from the Texas Associated Press for his TV news feature reporting. And four years in a row, 2003-2006, he was voted Best News Anchor in the Austin Chronicle's annual readers' poll.
Fred is a Valley boy, born and raised in Brownsville. He's also a UT graduate and a notorious gadget head. His hobbies include DIY projects, home electronics, foreign television, travel, pop music and showtunes.
Fred is a family man. If he isn't at work, he's at home with his wife of 36 years... or he's on the computer with his 4,000+ Facebook friends.
Fred is currently amassing a legion of minions called "Fred Heads" who are preparing to take over the world. We asked him to elaborate, but he says what he does off the clock is his business. We THINK he's kidding... but it's always the quiet ones.
Karla Leal - Anchor
Karla Leal joined the KEYE-TV team in October 2009 to be part of the launch of Telemundo Austin, the first local Spanish newscasts of the Telemundo network in this city.
Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., Karla brings you your local news in Spanish on digital channel 42.2, Time Warner Cable 75, & Dish Network 43, with a unique and personable style.
She complements her anchoring duties working on special reports for both KEYE TV and Telemundo Austin, helping with production duties, and she's also Telemundo Austin's weather forecaster.
Karla was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, but she came to the U.S. after finishing high school. Now she says she's in love with Austin, her new home. Just two months after her arrival, Hispanic Austinitites named Karla their favorite local Spanish language News Anchor in a survey done by Ahora S! a local Spanish language newspaper publication.
Karla loves to be in touch with the community. Currently, she's a volunteer with second graders through the Austin Partners in Education program called Class Room Coaches. She also mentors future journalist through the local chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalist, and her hobbies include cooking, exploring Austin, and running around Town Lake.
Her first opportunity on TV was at Chicago's public access channel CAN-TV 19 hosting the bilingual show "Latina Spirit," in 2004. She got her Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia College Chicago in 2005.
Before moving to Austin, Karla worked for Telemundo 11 in Bakersfield, California, where she was the anchor and reporter for 4 years. There, she developed special report series like "El Sueo Mexicano" and "El Arte de la Charrera" that helped her get nominated for an Emmy in 2007 & 2008. She also received the regional Kern Press Club award several times for a variety of feature reports.
Her journalist work has already been recognized in Texas. In 2009 the Texas Association of Broadcasters gave her an award for her special report series called "Emprendedores de la Recesin." Those stories focused on local entrepreneurs that got creative when the recession hit and came up with successful businesses that took them off unemployment.
Karla says she feels honored to serve such a dynamic community here in Austin, and she adds she is committed to keeping you well informed.
Sarykarmen Rivera - Anchor
Sarykarmen Rivera joined the Telemundo Austin/KEYE TV team in July 2011 as anchor of the Telemundo 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts.
She comes from Orlando, Florida where she reported and was the weekend anchor at News 13 En espanol, a 24 hour local news channel. She also reported for Telemundo Orlando where she participated from day 1 in the case against Casey Anthony.
Rivera was born and raised in Guayama, ("El Pueblo Brujo" or Witch Town") Puerto Rico. It was there at the young age of 10 where Rivera discovered her passion for television and broadcasting. She vividly remembers the riots when the government sold the Puerto Rico telephone company to a private investor. After spending the day watching the television live trucks and reporters, Rivera began dreaming of her future as a broadcast journalist.
Her dream became true while attending college at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she earned an internship at WVEA, Univision Tampa. As an intern, Rivera learned everything from producing to reporting. After graduating USF with honors and a B.A. in Mass Communications/TV News Production with a minor in Humanities, Rivera was officially hired in 2004 as a full time reporter. She covered such notable cases as the infamous "Band Aid Bandit," Terri Schiavo and the murder of Jessica Lunsford.
In 2005, Rivera broadened her broadcast career as part of the launch team for Tampa's first and only FM Hispanic radio station WYUU La Nueva 92.5 (today Maxima 92.5 FM) where worked on the morning show "El Traketeo."
Coming back to her first love of television, Rivera worked as an Associate Producer for WTFS, the ABC affiliate in Tampa before returning to her favorite position as a reporter at Telemundo Orlando.
Rivera's honors include a nomination for an Idolo Award. She has also won a Premio Paoli for Reporter of the Year 2008, Outstanding Women in Media and the Lion's Club Media person of the year at her hometown Guayama, PR.
Sarykarmen loves the beach, dancing and reading. She also adores pets and is the proud owner of a black and white Pekingese named Monte. She and her husband are happy to call Austin their new home.
Allison Miller - Meteorologist
Join Emmy-nominated Meteorologist Allison Miller on the weekends at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday and 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday. She'll also bring you current weather updates on weareaustin.com and on her Facebook and Twitter!
Background: Before coming to Austin, Allison worked in her home town of Phoenix, Arizona at KNXV ABC15, as a multi-media meteorologist and journalist. She received her B.S. in Atmospheric Science from Arizona State University and is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.
Hobbies: When Allison is not at the station, you can find her outside enjoying Mother Nature, rain or shine. She has also grown up dancing since the age of 2 learning and performing many styles. There's a good chance you'll see her out country line or salsa dancing!
Tidbits: Allison grew up wanting to become a pilot like her father in the Air Force. She never misses an air show and would like to complete her training to get her private pilot's license. Also, she's somewhat of a science nerd and you may catch her reading her favorite magazine, Popular Science.
Allison loves to connect with our viewers. If you have questions, comments, or story ideas, don't hesitate to contact!
Kelly Slifka - Meteorologist
I was interested in weather at a very young age. Growing up in southern Minnesota, I saw weather go from 30 degree below zero temperatures and 2-foot snowfalls in the winter to hot and humid summers that brought on weekly bouts of severe weather.
I remember a storm in particular when I was probably about 10 years old. The sky turned eerily pink and the wind went dead calm. Not more than 15 minutes later we were all ducking for cover at a recreation center where I used to spend my summer days as a youth. I have never heard or seen such tremendous power from Mother Nature. The electrical power was out but when we were able to go outside, the entire street and town for that matter, was littered with uprooted trees and debris from buildings. It was later calculated that straight-line winds of 100 mph likely did the damage.
Most people don't realize that Minnesota and Wisconsin receive a lot of severe weather as fronts stall across these states during the hot summer months. It was that event that I decided I wanted to be a meteorologist.
I received my B.S. Degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. After college I worked for Weather Central, a television graphics computer vendor in Madison. In fact, KEYE TV uses Weather Central's graphics.
I then ventured to the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a year. I have a lot of respect and gained a lot of knowledge from some of the best meteorologists while at the NWS. While in Albuquerque, I received an opportunity to work part-time for KOB-TV as a weekend meteorologist.
I moved back to Wisconsin and worked at WEAU-TV for one year before returning to Madison where I became their weekend meteorologist for five years. I had many late nights in Madison due to rounds of severe weather they would get during the summer.
I remember one night in particular when a line of storms was developing along a stationary front in eastern Iowa and Minnesota. This was a prime set-up for a "derecho" or fast moving damaging line of severe storms. In fact that night every county from the western border of Wisconsin to Lake Michigan had severe weather with winds up to 100 mph. That line of storms eventually made it all the way to western New York State.
Longing for a warmer climate I moved to Austin in 2003. I worked at KVUE before coming to KEYE TV. In between I stock trade. I guess, I just love the challenge of forecasting the future. Austin's weather is great for getting outdoors. I love biking and bike to work often. I also play a lot of two-on-two beach volleyball.
Courtney Timmons - Anchor/Reporter
After being away for nearly four years, Courtney Timmons couldn't get back to Austin soon enough.
Most recently, Courtney worked in Fayetteville, Ark. covering the Razorbacks, as the Sports Anchor at the local FOX affiliate. Before that she spent time at TV stations in West Texas with stints in both Midland and Abilene.
Courtney came to love Austin during college. She graduated from the University of Texas not with a journalism or RTF degree, but instead with a Philosophy degree. It's a long story.
Courtney joined the KEYE Sports Team in October 2009 as the Weekend Sports Anchor/ Reporter.
After being away from Central Texas, Courtney couldn't be happier to be back home where she enjoys running, playing basketball and tennis (not necessarily well) and obviously watching and talking about sports.
Adam Winkler - Anchor/Reporter
Adam Winkler's TV career has gone South, and he's perfectly fine with it.
After spending three years with KWTX, the top-rated station in Waco, Adam headed 100 miles down Interstate 35 to join the KEYE-TV sports team in June of 2010. However, this isn't the first time he has called the Austin area home. Adam received his Communication Studies degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown. While at SU, he played baseball for legendary head coach Jim Mallon. Adam helped the Pirates reach the conference title game four straight years, including 2002, when Southwestern defeated Trinity to win the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship.
After graduating from Southwestern, Adam started his career at KNOE in Monroe, Louisiana. From 2004 to 2007 he covered Louisiana Tech, UL-Monroe, Grambling, and LSU before making his way back to the Lone Star State.
During his time in Waco, Adam traveled to Madison Square Garden for Baylor's historic trip to the 2009 Men's NIT Final Four. He also covered the 2010 NCAA Women's Final Four, the first regular season game in Cowboys Stadium, multiple Big 12 tournaments, and was courtside in College Station for the five overtime game between Baylor and Texas A&M in 2008.
Since arriving in Austin, Adam has been to Berea, Ohio for Colt McCoy's rookie training camp with the Cleveland Browns, Lincoln, Nebraska for the Longhorns' final Big 12 football game against the Huskers, Houston to cover the 2011 Men's NCAA Final Four, and Pasadena, California for UT's first game at the Rose Bowl since playing in the 2009 BCS national championship.
Adam is an Emmy-nominated journalist, as his feature Sidelines & Bloodlines: The Hoffman Family Football Story was nominated for a 2010 Lone Star EMMY Award. The Texas Associated Press Broadcasters has honored him four times. He won the 2009 award for Best Sports Story and also received First Place honors in the category of Best Sportscast for his work as co-host of Sports Friday. In 2008, Adam won a 2nd Place award in Best Sportscast and received an Honorable Mention in Best Sports Story. In all, Winkler has been honored with six Associated Press awards in Texas and Louisiana.
Adam is the proud father of a Dorkie (a mix of Daschund and Yorkie) named Oscar. When he's not busy trying to convince Oscar that the squirrel always wins, Adam enjoys Houston Astros baseball, a competitive game of shuffleboard, an aggressive football match, and a mulligan-filled round of golf.
Lisa Leigh Kelly - Reporter
A circuitous route took Lisa Leigh Kelly from her birthplace of Austin to 38 countries around the globe, but she is thrilled to finally return to the Lone Star State for good and join the KEYE TV news team.
After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Lisa moved to London, where she interned at the ABC News Bureau. Once her visa expired and she had to leave Britain, she relocated to New York City, working for NBC News as a temp while taking acting classes and pondering a career on Broadway.
But a small station in Elmira, NY, offered her a job as an anchor / reporter / talk show host / producer / writer / editor / weathercaster, and so she went to work for WENY (yes, that's pronounced "weenie").
Lisa has also worked as an anchor/reporter for KCCN in Monterey, CA; KTBC in Austin; and WFTV in Orlando, Fla., where she reported from West Palm Beach on the 2000 "dimpled chad" election controversy.
Other reporting jobs included WNYW in New York City; WCAU in Philadelphia; and KPHO in Phoenix. She has also freelanced as a correspondent for CNN Newsource and CBS Newspath.
Lisa spent two years as a White House Correspondent for the Tribune network (including WGN) during Clinton's second administration, covering the impeachment scandal from Capitol Hill and the Kosovo War from the Pentagon. She also covered the death of Princess Diana from London and reported from Ground Zero after the Twin Towers collapsed on September 11.
Internationally, Lisa spent several months in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where she worked as a consultant for a Mongolian television station, helping train reporters how to cover politics during a national election. She also covered the election there for CNN.
Lisa's work has landed her on other national news outlets including The Today Show, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel.
Always one to leap at adventure, Lisa has bungeed off a bridge in Zimbabwe, hiked through a leech-infested rain forest outside Kathmandu, performed with a choir in the Kremlin during the USSR's first legal Easter celebration (she sings alto), climbed Mt. Sinai in Egypt, investigated a political assassination in Mongolia that raised the ire of the KGB, and climbed an active ice volcano in Chile wearing crampons.
Along the way she met her husband, a pastor and fellow adventurer. Together they have four small children, who have considerably slowed their overseas escapades.
Besides her family, Lisa's primary passion is Texas Longhorn football. She is also an accomplished pianist and enjoys cooking with real food.
Lydia Pantazes - Reporter
Named one of the 20 most Inspirational Latinos on the central coast of California by Latino Today Magazine, Lydia Pantazes is excited to call Austin her new home.
"I'm so grateful to be in Austin and everyone here has made me feel at home."
She joined the KEYE-TV and Telemundo Austin Team in June 2011 reporting in both English and Spanish.
Lydia grew up in National City, California and graduated from UC Santa Barbara with bachelor's degrees in both English and Spanish Literature.
Lydia began her career in Santa Barbara as a Spanish radio news reporter and appeared on "Inside Santa Barbara" and its Spanish counterpart "Nuestra Cuidad". After more than a year, she moved back to San Diego where she worked as a writer for KUSI-TV. In 2001, she started working as a news reporter for KCOY-TV and KKFX FOX 11 covering the Central Coast of California.
Lydia is very involved in organizations that help people with developmental disabilities. It's a cause that's close to her heart because her sister has Down Syndrome. She has been a volunteer with Special Olympics since she was a child and served on the board for VTC enterprises, an organization in California that provides various services to people with disabilities. Among her proudest accomplishments are helping the organization raise 3.9 million dollars to build a new facility.
In 2001, Lydia was the first local television reporter to earn the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau and California State Farm Bureau "Media Person of the Year" award. In 2003, Lydia won a Radio and TV News Association for her spot news coverage of a shark attack in Avila Beach, and in 2009 won an RTNA award for her best News Special for a half hour cooking segment she produced and hosted featuring various restaurants. She also won an Associated Press Radio & Television News Association award for her feature reporting in 2002 and is also an Emmy award nominee.
Angel Covarrubias - Reporter
Angel Covarrubias joined the KEYE- TV family in 2011. He is from Monterrey, Mexico but considers himself a true Texas journalist.
Angel has been working in TV since he was 21 years old, but has been in newsrooms and radio stations since he was 11. His father works in television and has been in the business more than 25 years.
Angel attended school at the University of Texas in Austin and also UT in San Antonio, as well as going through the radio and television program at Del Mar college in Corpus Christi.
His television career began in Corpus Christi at Action 10 News. He worked as a news photographer, reporter and anchor. His involvement in all those different positions helped give him an understanding and perspective of the challenges it takes to produce news.
Angel then moved to Laredo. He was executive producer and anchor at KLDO/KXOF (Univision/FOX) in English and Spanish. He rose to the position of News Director.
His next move was to the Rio Grande Valley where he worked at KVEO (NBC) as the station's main anchor delivering the 5, 6 and 10 newscast daily.
Then Angel's television career took him to San Antonio where he worked as a franchise reporter and anchor.
In addition to reporting on the local level, Angel has contributed to NBC News, CNN and The Weather Channel throughout his career. He has covered everything from major storms around Texas, community issues, Presidential elections to violence across the border in Mexico.
Angel is looking forward to becoming active again in the Austin community and helping in numerous organizations. He says he is always available to our viewers, so never hesitate to contact him to discuss or pitch a story idea.
Hunter Ellis - Reporter
Hunter Ellis has enjoyed a long and adventurous journey on his way to Austin.
An award winning television host, Hunter has worked on both the national and local stage for years. Hosting everything from adventure travel and technology series for the History Channel to evening magazine and entertainment specials for KCBS, KCAL, and KTLA in Los Angeles, Hunter takes a hands-on approach to his stories and immerses himself into the situation to give his audience true perspective. He has shared many heart-stopping adventures with viewers in order to highlight the fun and exciting elements that today's world has to offer.
He has skydived solo with the Army's Golden Knights, flown with both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, rappelled into tombs on a 1,500-foot limestone cliff in Northern Peru, dived on pirate shipwrecks off the coast of England, run 150 miles across the Sahara Desert and tracked mountain gorillas in the impenetrable jungles of Uganda. But it's not just the adrenaline rush that motivates him. Hunter brings great versatility to his projects through his inquisitive nature and passion for exploration. Having traveled to more than 40 different countries around the world, he enjoys meeting and interacting with people from all walks of life. He believes that by sharing the stories of others, we learn more about ourselves.
Travel has been a part of Hunter's life since an early age. A third generation Navy fighter pilot, he grew up moving around the country, following the smell of jet fuel and aircraft carriers. Hunter actually learned to fly here in Texas, and enjoyed many days of cloud surfing during his training in Corpus Christi and Kingsville.
That is when he first fell in love with Austin as it provided a much-needed escape from the rigors of flight school. After a couple of years, he was sure he had seen his last August in Texas and returned to the cool Pacific breezes of California. During his ten-year Naval Career, Hunter amassed more than 2,000 hours in the F/A-18, TA-4J, T-2C, and T-34C. He completed two Middle East deployments in support of Operations Southern Watch and Desert Strike and accumulated 433 carrier landings, more than 100 at night. In addition, he was a qualified F/A-18C Flight Demonstrations Pilot and Landing Signals Officer. After completion of his service, Hunter, a cast-away on Survivor Marquesas, became a pilot for FedEx. He was with FedEx for five years before dedicating his full-time to his television career.
While on a ski trip in the Sierras, Hunter met his wife, a Los Angeles-based interior designer, who ironically hailed from the Texas Hill Country. After the birth of their first child, Hunter realized another August in Texas might be in his future. They relocated to Austin to be closer to family and have enjoyed exploring a city that has so much to offer. However, Hunter is a graduate of the University of Southern California, and is constantly reminded of the 2006 Rose Bowl by all of the commemorative t-shirts.
Chances are you will see Hunter around town, either with KEYE or with his family, as he continues to explore new places and meet new people who have interesting stories to tell.
