GM of the Year, Markets 1-25: Kathy Saunders, KDFW, Dallas-Fort Worth
Gaining a ratings point in Dallas-Fort Worth is a tall order, with a batch of intensely focused stations doing battle in every daypart. But Fox-owned KDFW, under Kathy Saunders, is inching ahead against stations owned by CBS, NBC and Tegna.
KDFWs Kathy Saunders keeps the Fox-owned station community minded.
Saunders said the hot news races bring out the best at Fox 4. This market is so, so competitive, and that's a good thing, she said. It keeps us paying attention and on our toes.
Fox 4 connects with viewers thanks in large part to the extraordinary connection its talent has with viewers. Saunders, KDFW's general manager since 1997, noted how comfortably residents approach anchors at community events. The station's involvement with events in Dallas-Fort Worth, including carnival Mayfest in the spring and the Plano Balloon Festival in September, stokes that relationship. Viewers are similarly comfortable watching the anchors on TV, whether it's on morning colossus Good Day, late news or the new sports program.
I think the viewer feels very comfortable with us, Saunders said. What they need to know, they know we'll be there to tell them.
More Local Heroes: Station Group of the Year | GM of the Year, Markets 26-50 | GM of the Year, Markets 51+ | News Director of the Year | Multiplatform Broadcaster of the Year
The station cranks out close to 60 hours of news a week. KDFW took the sign-on-to-sign-off crown in November, its 1.5 rating in viewers 25-54 topping the 0.9s put up by KXAS and WFAA. It also won 7-9 a.m. news, 5 and 6 p.m., and late news, too. (KDFW airs late news at 9 p.m.)
The station has had a couple big launches of late. Late in 2018, KDFW extended Good Day by another hour. The program now goes 4-10 a.m. The show is a mix of news, anchor banter, chef segments, musical guests and whatever else turns up. News is a big part of it, but there's an easier feel, Saunders said.
Fox 4s Mike Doocy at a Toys for Tots event.
Around the same time, Fox 4 premiered the sports show Free 4 All in the 10:30 p.m. slot Sunday through Friday. The program, hosted by Mike Doocy and Samantha Gannon, regularly beats competing late-night programs.
KDFW is also a key player in Fox Television Stations' program testing strategy. It aired The Wendy Williams Show, TMZ Live and 25 Words or Less in limited runs before they went national.
Saunders has managed KDFW through some frightful challenges. In October, as many as 10 tornadoes whipped through the market. It being a Sunday, chief meteorologist Dan Henry was not scheduled to work, but turned up anyway because that's the way things go at the station. We were ready to make sure viewers knew what was going on, Saunders said.
Station leadership prepares for most any disaster, including tornadoes. But no one anticipated what happened in September 2018, when a troubled man rammed his truck into station headquarters. Michael Fry repeatedly smashed his pickup into the KDFW building around 6 a.m. that Wednesday, then exited his vehicle and began ranting.
Fry was apprehended by police. The building sustained considerable damage, but KDFW stayed on the air throughout. Saunders got the staff together for a reassuring meeting. She was very calm, very professional, very caring, news director Robin Whitmeyer said. She didn't get riled up and didn't get emotional.
Saunders was struck by how the newsroom stayed focused on breaking this big, and a bit too local, story. They really wanted to keep doing the broadcast, and they did, she said.
Jack Abernethy, Fox Television Stations CEO, said a general manager has no one in the area to lean on when trouble strikes. Things happen and you have to lead, he said. Kathy was a calming influence.
Looking Ahead
Saunders is preparing for the future by keeping the station connected to the next generation of viewers. Fox 4 has a whopping 1.5 million Facebook followers, while WFAA has 930,000, KXAS has 852,000 and KTVT has 496,000. She has pushed for a high-energy, digital approach to content delivery. If it's important enough to have on the air, it had better be on digital also, said Saunders.
Abernethy noted KDFW's extremely successful weather app, called Fox 4 WAPP.
Outside of work, Saunders enjoys golf and decorating but said she's hardly a master of either. I can't seem to get my handicap down, she said, and described herself as a frustrated interior designer.
There's nothing frustrating about her work at KDFW. Abernethy said Fox's expertly run Dallas-Fort Worth operation makes his job easy. I don't have to worry about Kathy at all, he said. General managers like her make my job irrelevant.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
GM of the Year, Markets 1-25: Kathy Saunders, KDFW, Dallas-Fort Worth
