“I first walked through the doors of ABC13 in 1978 as an intern,” says Melanie Lawson, a 45-year veteran of local television news along Texas’ Gulf Coast. “My first time on the air was a mistake. I had gone out and shadowed a reporter and asked if I could ask some questions and get some information.”
Lawson returned to KTRK-13 in Houston‘s studios, wrote up the story, got it edited, and handed it in. The producer put it on the air without anyone asking much of anything, but the News Director was irate and screamed at Lawson when he saw her reporting in the air. Yet, the story wasn’t so bad. Lawson stuck around … and after a brief trip to law school has enjoyed a robust career in local news at the ABC Owned Stations property.
Now, Lawson is preparing to say farewell to television broadcasting.
Lawson will be retiring in January, after a total of 43 years at “ABC13” — two of those years, in the 1970s, were devoted to pursuit of a Juris Doctor.
Lawson’s career “has been nothing short of inspiring,” Station President/General Manager Michael Carr shared in a staff memo distributed Tuesday via e-mail. “As the anchor of Live at 5 and Eyewitness News at 11 a.m., Melanie has been a trusted voice in our community and a guiding presence in our newsroom. Her passion for journalism, rooted in her Houston upbringing, has shaped the way we tell stories and connect with our audience.”
Lawson has interviewed U.S. Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton; Vice President Kamala Harris; Betty White; Maya Angelou; and Aretha Franklin, among others.
Yet, Carr noted, “Melanie’s favorite stories have always been those that celebrate Houston’s rich, multi-ethnic community—especially stories about children and those quietly working to make a difference in their lives.”
Addressing ABC13 viewers, Lawson commented, “I took a detour to law school and enjoyed a short stint practicing law, but the spark I felt each day at KTRK couldn’t be replicated. The light I felt wasn’t in a law office, it was telling stories – stories about the things that mattered to you and your families. And now, a few short years later, that light still shines bright for the important work we do here each and every day. It’s time to share that light in a different way, as I focus on my family and my next chapter. I’ll step away from the anchor desk and my time here at the end of January.”
She concluded her formal on-air announcement regarding her retirement with a tongue-in-cheek approach.
“I’ve had the privilege of telling your stories, the tragedies and triumphs, the stories that have shaped the very fabric of who we are here in Houston,” she said. “The light that shines from me – to tell your stories, right the wrongs, and hold people accountable shines on here at ABC13. There’s so much in our future, my friends, as Houston grows and we thrive together. I hope that I’ve been able to inspire you, as my friends, and I hope I’ve been able to inspire a young generation of journalists and storytellers that the world is not quite as big as it may seem. That sometimes, you do the work, you hand it in, and they just might put it on TV. The bad news – you’re stuck with me a little longer here, so don’t call dibs on my desk just yet.”
