Art Rascon (born December 4, 1962) is an American former news anchor for
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
-owned
KTRK in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. Prior to joining KTRK, he worked as a
CBS News correspondent on assignments that included international reporting for the
CBS Evening News with Dan Rather
The ''CBS Evening News'' is the flagship evening television news program of CBS News, the news division of the CBS television network in the United States. The ''CBS Evening News'' is a daily evening broadcast featuring news reports, feature st ...
and
48 Hours. He also reported for
CBS Radio, which earned him a national
Edward R. Murrow award for his spot coverage of
Hurricane Opal
Hurricane Opal was a large and powerful Category 4 hurricane that caused severe and extensive damage along the northern Gulf Coast of the United States in October 1995. The fifteenth named storm, ninth hurricane and strongest tropical cyclon ...
in 1995.
Rascon has reported on major events all over the world, covering everything from natural disasters, civil unrest to wars, conflicts throughout the Middle East, Central America and elsewhere. He has traveled to more than 75 countries on five continents and reported from nearly every state in the union. He has been nominated for national
and regional
Emmy Awards, and by the end of 2016, had earned more than 20 Emmy
awards.
[
Rascon was recognized in 1997 as being one of only five Latino correspondents appearing on national television networks in the U.S., reporting major events for the evening news.] He is a former vice president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic and Latino journalists in the United States and Puerto Rico. It was established in 1984.
NAHJ has approxim ...
, and was named one of the one-hundred most influential Hispanics in America by Hispanic Business Magazine.
Early years
Rascon was born in El Paso, Texas.[ While he was still a young boy, Rascon and his family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and later to ]Albuquerque
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, but most of his youth was spent growing up in Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
. He graduated from Green Mountain High School just outside Denver and began his college studies at Ricks College
Ricks may refer to:
People
* Andre Ricks (born 1996), American basketball player
* Bob Ricks (21st century), American police chief
* Christopher Ricks (born 1933), British literary critic and scholar
* Doug Ricks, American politician and member ...
in 1980. Rascon served a mission for his faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church) and then returned to his studies at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
(BYU) in Utah. He also spent six months in Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
studying European political science, History, Humanities and the Arts. He graduated from BYU in 1985. While in college, Rascon worked as a reporter for KBYU-FM and KBYU-TV
KBYU-TV (channel 11) is a non-commercial educational independent television station licensed to Provo, Utah, United States, serving Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. The station is owned by Brigham Young University (BYU), an arm of the Church ...
.
Career
Rascon began his television career in 1983 in Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, where he was an associate producer and reporter for then-PBS member station KBYU-TV in Provo, Utah and then for ABC affiliate KTVX-TV
KTVX (channel 4) is a television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Ogden-licensed CW owned-and-operated station KUCW (channel 30). Both stations share studios o ...
in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
.[ In 1985, Rascon moved to ]Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
where he was a producer, reporter, and anchor for NBC affiliate, KRBC-TV
KRBC-TV (channel 9) is a television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of dual ...
, in Abilene until August 1987, then for ABC affiliate KVIA-TV
KVIA-TV (channel 7) is a television station in El Paso, Texas, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus. Owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company, the station maintains studios on Rio Bravo Street in northwest El Paso and a transmit ...
in El Paso
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
until 1988, and for NBC affiliate KMOL-TV (now WOAI-TV
WOAI-TV (channel 4) is a television station in San Antonio, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Fox affiliate KABB (channel 29); Sinclair also provides certain services to Ke ...
) in San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
until he moved to KABC-TV
KABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast of the United States, West Coast Flagship (broadcasting), flagship of the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network. ...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in August 1989 as a reporter and anchor.[ There, Rascon reported on natural disasters in ]California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
and highly publicized events such as the O. J. Simpson, Rodney King
Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was an African American man who was a victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers during his arrest after a pursuit for driving whi ...
, and Lyle and Erik Menéndez trials, the Branch Davidian stand-off, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sometimes called the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and the Los Angeles Race Riots, were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, in April and May 1992. Unrest began in So ...
among a host of other stories, including brush fires, riots and other natural disasters.[
In 1994, Rascon moved to ]Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
as a CBS Evening News
The ''CBS Evening News'' is the flagship evening television news program of CBS News, the news division of the CBS television network in the United States. The ''CBS Evening News'' is a daily evening broadcast featuring news reports, feature st ...
correspondent. While there, he reported on major events that occurred in the southeastern U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, including reporting on a host of stories out of Cuba and South and Central America. Rascon also covered the Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorism in the United States, domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-federal go ...
, conflicts and unrest in Haiti, Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
, Mexico, and hurricanes in the region.[ He interviewed both ]Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno (; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator, politician and military officer who was the ''de facto'' ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. An authoritarian ruler who amassed a personal f ...
and Daniel Ortega. His spot coverage of Hurricane Opal
Hurricane Opal was a large and powerful Category 4 hurricane that caused severe and extensive damage along the northern Gulf Coast of the United States in October 1995. The fifteenth named storm, ninth hurricane and strongest tropical cyclon ...
on CBS Radio and CBS News earned him a national Edward R. Murrow award.[ He and the 48 Hours team also received an Emmy nomination from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their coverage of ]Hurricane Fran
Hurricane Fran caused extensive damage in the United States in early September 1996. The sixth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season, Fran developed from a tropical wave near Cape Verde on ...
.
In 1998, Rascon moved to Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
's ABC-owned station, KTRK-TV where he anchored many newscasts, including a long stint as co-anchor of the 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. broadcasts. He has reported on domestic and international events and conflicts, including events in the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
, Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
, Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
, Bosnia and Central America. He also covered three Papal conclaves. He has reported extensively on the immigration issue, following children, teen and adult immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala all the way to the U.S. border. Rascon has covered everything from earthquakes to tsunamis and has executive produced and reported numerous half-hour special reports on a variety of subjects and reported from the scene of more than a dozen major hurricanes, including Katrina, Ike, and a host of other storms. He was one of the first to report from Haiti the morning after the quake.
In 2020, Rascon became an area seventy
Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of Je ...
of the LDS Church, which like most other positions in the church is a non-paid position that is conducted while employed in other lines of work. Rascon was president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the church's Houston Texas Summerwood Stake from 2017 to 2020. When the stake was formed in 2012 Rascon was second counselor in the stake presidency. In the LDS Church he has also served as a bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
, bishop's counselor, mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending o ...
's counselor, stake mission president, and stake high councilor.
In October 2021, Rascon announced he would step down from his position at KTRK effective January 2022. It was reported that his son, Jacob Rascon, would be joining the station as his replacement. The younger Rascon is one of three hosts for the station’s early morning programming.
On January 3, 2022, Art and Jacob co-anchored the 11 a.m. news together, marking the end of the father’s run at the station and beginning of the son’s.
Honors
Rascon has been nominated for and has received many awards, including two national Edward R. Murrow awards, one for his spot coverage of Hurricane Opal in 1995,[ and 19 Emmy Awards out of 25 nominations.][ He has also received an RTNDA Award for Continuing Coverage, 18 Associated Press Reporting awards, three ]National Association of Hispanic Journalists
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic and Latino journalists in the United States and Puerto Rico. It was established in 1984.
NAHJ has approxim ...
' awards, two National Headliner Awards, and a Rotary International award.
Rascon was once named by The National Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the '100 Most Influential Hispanics in America'. He is an active participant in several local and national charities and has served, or is currently serving on, several notable national and international Boards, including: Executive Board Member of Interfaith of The Woodlands, YMCA International, and the BYU School of Communications Board of Advisors. He has served twice as president of the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), and is a former board member of the Radio Television News Directors Association
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA, pronounced the same as " rotunda"), formerly the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), is a United States-based membership organization of radio, television, and online news dire ...
(RTNDA).
Family life
Jacob Rascon, one of Art's five sons who began at KTRK in January 2022, was a reporter at rival station KPRC-TV
KPRC-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Houston, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Graham Media Group. Its studios are located on Southwest Freeway (I-69/US 59) in the Southwest Management District (formerly Greater ...
, the NBC affiliate in Houston from 2017 to 2021. He has also worked as a Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
-based correspondent for NBC News and at NBC owned-and-operated station KNBC in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
.
Books
*
*
References
External links
BYU School of Communications wiki article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rascon, Art
American Latter Day Saints
American Mormon missionaries in the United States
Hispanic and Latino American people
People from El Paso, Texas
People from Denver
American television news anchors
1962 births
Living people
Brigham Young University alumni
Brigham Young University–Idaho alumni
20th-century Mormon missionaries
Latter Day Saints from Texas
Latter Day Saints from New Mexico
Latter Day Saints from Colorado
Television anchors from Houston