Marty Haag
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H. Martin "Marty" Haag, Jr. (1934–2004) was the news director at the perennially dominant ABC station, WFAA-TV, in Dallas, TX from 1973 to 1989. During those 16 years, WFAA won 5 duPont-Columbia University Awards, more than any other television station during that time, and a Peabody Award in 1988.
Haag earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, after going to Texas Christian University for one year. His college roommate at TCU was Jim Lehrer. He earned a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University.
He began his journalism career in print as a reporter and editor for The Dallas Morning News during the late 1950s. He then moved to radio as news director at WBAP-AM before finding his true niche in television. Haag served first as national assignment editor and overnight manager at NBC News, then worked at CBS News before joining a then ratings-impaired WFAA in 1973.
Marty Haag and WFAA reached national prominence most notably from their coverage of the Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crash at DFW Airport in 1985. CNN carried WFAA's live feed for the entire day.
Under the guidance of Haag at WFAA, many reporters went on to the networks. Those include Scott Pelley, Paula Zahn, Verne Lundquist, Bill Macatee, Andrea Joyce, Peter van Sant, Russ Mitchell, Leeza Gibbons, and Bill O'Reilly.
Then, he moved over to WFAA's parent company, Belo, to become the Senior Vice-President of Broadcast News Operations until he retired in 2000.
In 2000, Haag received the broadcast industry's highest honor, the George Foster Peabody Award. The organization described Marty Haag as "an industry icon, who's helped establish high ethical standards and quality reporting at both local and network news levels." Former Nightline anchor Ted Koppel, said in a letter to the Peabody committee that WFAA operates at a network level because "it reflects Marty Haag's sense of professionalism, his high standards and his impeccable value system."
After retirement, Haag worked as a consultant and taught several journalism courses at Southern Methodist University.
He was a voice for tough journalism and ethics. He was a mentor, teacher, boss, coach, and friend to hundreds of broadcast journalists.
Haag died of a stroke in January of 2004.
Haag is survived by wife Susan Haag, and three sons; Richard, Andrew, and Matthew. Andrew and Matthew both followed in their father's footsteps by entering the field of journalism. Andrew is currently a producer at Belo's WVEC-TV in Norfolk, VA. Like his older brother, Matthew is attending his father's alma mater, the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
