Linda Lorelle is best known as an Emmy Award-winning journalist who anchored the evening news for nearly 17 years at Houston's NBC affiliate, KPRC-TV. From her most recent Emmy for "Beyond Brown vs. Board: The Journey Continues," a documentary on how Houston desegregated its schools to her Emmy Award-winning, and first-person account of another local news anchor's battle with cancer Linda's stories have had a significant impact on the lives of Houstonians. Lorelle also garnered two national Gracie Awards, given by the American Women in Radio and Television.[1]
Contents |
Linda Lorelle made her move to broadcast journalism in 1987 after a successful career as a professional dancer and actress. At that point, Linda had already attained a B.A. in Developmental Psychology and a B.A. in Italian Language from Stanford University when she decided to turn to a new career in journalism.[2] She went back to school to attain an M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. While in graduate school, she became weekend anchor at KOMU-TV, the top-rated NBC affiliate in Columbia, Missouri. After completing her Masters, she went on to reporting at KMOV-TV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis, Missouri.
In 1989, Linda signed on with KPRC-TV in Houston as a weekend anchor, but was quickly promoted to anchoring the weekday 6 and 10 pm newscasts, a position she held for 14 years. In the last two and a half years of her employment at KPRC, Linda moved to anchoring the 5 and 6 pm newscasts as well as the mid-day and 4 pm newscasts. Throughout her years at KPRC, she anchored Dateline Houston, led the station's documentary projects and hosted several special programs, including the Muscular Dystrophy Labor Day Telethon and the College Fund (UNCF) Telethon. While at KPRC she won two Emmys for “Beyond Brown vs. Board: The Journey Continues,” a documentary on how Houston desegregated its schools and “Sydney’s Story,” her first person account of another local news anchor's (Sydney Seaward of KNWS-TV battle with cancer.
Linda has reported on a variety of stories and events through the years as a reporter and anchor, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; President Bill Clinton's first inauguration; President George W. Bush's first inauguration; the shuttle flight of Dr. Mae Jemison, the first woman of color in space; John Glenn's return to space; the shuttle Columbia tragedy; Super Bowl XXXVIII; numerous NBA and WNBA Finals; the World Series; the Houston Rockets in China, and President George H.W. Bush's 80th birthday, complete with a first person account of what it's like to sky dive with the Golden Knights of the U.S. Army.
Her documentary on the former President George H.W. Bush now has two permanent homes: at the Bush Presidential Library in College Station and in the Peabody Collection of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, Illinois. The Brown vs. Board documentary also rests in the Museum.[3]
Linda left KPRC-TV in 2006. She later freelanced at Houston's Fox O&O station KRIV and then went on to work in Real Estate
In addition to her two Emmys, Linda is also a two-time recipient of the national Gracie Award from the American Women in Radio and Television, as well as numerous honors on the local, regional and national level:
Linda's special interest in education and children led her to found the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity that provides major college scholarships and support to Houston area students. The LLSF targets students with average grades from challenging backgrounds. To date, the LLSF has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to more than 230 students. Each year the LLSF also hosts thousands of Houston area students and parents for a free, citywide College Preparatory Conference.[4]
Linda's community activities include current and past, board and advisory board memberships in: the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund; the Texas Woman’s University Institute of Health Sciences-Houston Center, the Houston Police Foundation; San Jacinto Girl Scouts; the Women's Resource; Society of Professional Journalists; Sisters Network; the Houston Zoo; the Junior League; the Children's Assessment Center Foundation and Casa de Esperanza and I Have A Dream. Linda also served as the Selection Committee Chair for the 2002 Leon Jaworski Award.