Matt Houston is a reporter at WFAA in Dallas, Texas specializing in general assignment reporting covering Tarrant County.
1) Who are you? I am a reporter from Tyler, Texas, where my parents still live. My dad, Bryan, worked as a news anchor for three decades. My mom, Laura, is an administrator at a not-for-profit health clinic.
My parents deserve endless credit for my development as a man, friend, and journalist.
I made my radio debut in the 8th grade, during a 12-overtime game between Jacksonville and Nacogdoches. My dad called play-by-play, and I joined my father on Friday nights as color commentator until I made varsity on my own football team.
I grew up an LSU Tiger and fulfilled a lifelong dream when I graduated from Louisiana State University in 2018. The Manship School of Mass Communication named me its “Most Outstanding Senior.”
I joined WFAA after two years at our sister station in San Antonio, where I led KENS 5’s investigative reporting efforts after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde.
In 2023, the Texas Association of Broadcasters named me a finalist for its “Large Market Reporter of the Year” award.
Before I returned to Texas, I worked for three years in Baton Rouge. There, I covered state politics for WAFB and its four sister stations throughout Louisiana.
I led the state’s television coverage of the 2019 gubernatorial election and monitored 14 legislative sessions. Management promoted me to weekend anchor at the height of the pandemic.
The Radio Television Digital News Association awarded me three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for my work in Baton Rouge. I also hold six regional Emmy awards, including for a special report on Heisman-winner Joe Burrow that I filed from the LSU quarterback’s Ohio hometown.
The Associated Press and Louisiana Association of Broadcasters awarded me “Best General News Report” in 2019.
I’ve reported from Israel, the U.S. border with Mexico, and six different states. I’ve conducted one-on-one interviews with former Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
I was in the Superdome, reporting, when my alma mater won the College Football Playoff in 2020.
2) What are your interests? I spend most weekends watching sports. I am a lifelong Rangers, Cowboys, Mavericks, and Stars fan.
I love animals, though I do not currently have any pets.
I’m not a good cook, but I enjoy eating good food. Please send recommendations, especially for brunch.
3) What do you like about working at WFAA? For decades, viewers and professionals have regarded WFAA as the nation’s premiere local television station. I’m humbled and honored to be a part of this staff, which cares deeply for its community and stands for the truth.
4) What's one thing people would be surprised to learn about you? I bought a Camaro strictly because I loved the first Transformers movie, which debuted when I was 10-years-old.
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