Charles Porter Jr., Trailblazing Houston News Anchor, Dies At 81
The first Black reporter and anchor in Houston, Texas, Charles Porter Jr., has died at the age of 81.
According to Houston station KTRK, the broadcasting trailblazer lost his battle to a lingering illness on Monday (Oct. 2).
Notably, he covered prime events in Texas — for example — the swearing-in of late-congresswoman Barbara Jordan, who in 1972 became the first Black woman elected to Congress from Texas.
For well over seven years, Porter (a.k.a. Charlie) worked at KTRK from 1971 to 1978.
His surviving children (Charles, Stacy, Phillippa, and Jonas) had this to say about their father in his obituary:
“Our brilliant, charming, and witty father, Charles Porter, Jr. passed peacefully and serenely into the loving arms of our savior Jesus Christ on Monday, October 2nd. He was a trailblazing broadcaster as the first Black news producer and reporter at ABC13 Houston, and had a prolific, half-century career in radio broadcasting. We will miss his unmistakable and incomparable deep booming voice, cheerful and happy go lucky persona, and remarkably creative whistling.”
On his tribute wall, someone wrote, “He was someone that many of us looked forward to seeing on TV.
Along with his two sons and two daughters, Porter is survived by 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Porter served as a mentor to many young Black people.
