This Just In

It’s Christmas week and the dead week between Christmas and New Year's, and if you’ve ever worked in journalism, you already know what that usually means: you’re probably working. While most people are gathered around the tree or sitting down for a big family meal, newsrooms are still lit up. Stories still need to be told. Cameras still roll. Deadlines don’t take the holidays off. And yes—missing Christmas morning or a holiday dinner can be hard. So this week, Bryan and Rich talk about why working the holidays isn’t all bad… and how some of the most meaningful moments of our careers happened when the rest of the world was off. Merry Christmas, and welcome to This Just In.

This week on This Just In, Bryan and I are talking about one of Rich's former TV colleagues who made a bold move—trading in a reporting job for a career in politics.

It’s a journey that took him from the newsroom into the halls of power, ultimately landing him as a top White House staffer under President Bill Clinton. And in one of those full-circle moments you only get in this business, that same path helped bring President Clinton to the Channel 4 studios.

It’s another great example of something we talk about a lot on this podcast: journalism is not a straight line. The skills we learn in news—storytelling, curiosity, communication—can open doors you never imagined.

From the newsroom to the White House, this is a story about risk, opportunity, and where a journalism background can take you.

This week on This Just In, we pull back the curtain.You see the anchors. You see the reporters. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. From producers and photographers to editors, assignment desks, and the people you never hear about who make live TV work under deadline pressure—Bryan and Rich take a deep dive into the real nuts and bolts of a TV newsroom. How the sausage actually gets made. What can go wrong. And why it’s a minor miracle the news gets on the air every day.

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This week on This Just In, Bryan and Rich are joined by an incredibly talented photojournalist who didn’t follow the traditional path into TV news. But once he got behind the lens, Raul Cantu quickly became one of the finest photojournalists in America. For years, he was the eye behind the Lone Star Adventure stories. After Rich retired, Raul shifted gears and moved into producing TV shows—bringing that same visual instinct and storytelling magic to a whole new level. All the while being one of the most positive, joyful people you’ll ever meet.

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A few weeks back on This Just In, Rich and Bryan had a fascinating conversation with legendary investigative reporter Becky Oliver. One name kept coming up again and again: Phil Fleming — her photographer, partner in undercover stakeouts, and the other half of one of the most formidable investigative duos in Texas journalism.This week, Phil joins the show to pull back the curtain on how they did it.He takes us inside the techniques, the risks, and the flat-out dangers he and Becky faced while breaking scandal after scandal — all in relentless pursuit of the truth. From covert surveillance to high-stakes confrontations, this is a master class in old-school investigative journalism from someone who lived it.

On this week’s This Just In, Rich and Bryan continue their conversation with legendary investigative producer John Sparks — the man behind the explosive WFAA reports that helped trigger the NCAA “death penalty” for SMU football. But Sparks’ career didn’t stop there. It went on to take several fascinating and unexpected turns — including a brief stint at Fox 4 when he and the guys were colleagues, and later a move to New York City, where he continued breaking major scandals and ultimately oversaw newsroom coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.It’s a remarkable journey through some of the biggest stories in Texas and national journalism — and this week, John pulls back the curtain on all of it.

Ever wonder how — and why — SMU’s football program ended up with the NCAA “death penalty” in the late ’80s, and sanctions that crippled the program for years?
A big part of that story starts at WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas, where a young producer named John Sparks helped drive a series of explosive investigative reports that changed college football forever.This week on This Just In, John joins Rich & Bryan to walk through the behind-the-scenes twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments that led to one of the most infamous scandals in NCAA history. You won’t believe what it took to break this story.

On this week's podcast Rich & Bryan continue their fascinating conversation with the legendary Fox 4 Newsinvestigative reporter Becky Oliver turned top-performing luxury realtor at Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty From exposing corruption to closing high-end deals, Becky’s transformation is as sharp and driven as ever. Don’t miss the eye-opening conclusion to this incredible two-part conversation!

Becky Oliver, Global Real Estate Advisor, can be found at www.briggsfreeman.com/realestate/agent/becky-oliver/

or email her at [email protected]

This week on This Just In, Bryan and Rich go behind the lens with legendary TV investigative reporter Becky Oliver. Her fearless undercover work exposed corruption, sparked reform, and often put her in danger. As Becky puts it, “Every story I did, somebody wanted to sue me — or kill me.” TJI goes undercover, sort of, to expose the secrets of investigative journalism. Becky Oliver was 1 of 1 in the DFW TV market for investigative reporting. She tells us the inside stories and the danger of standing up for the public interest. Don't miss this one. Share it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Richard Ray and Bryan Lochhead continue the conversation with award-winning, former NPPA news photographer of the year, Doug Burgess. Dough shares his start to his TV News career (hint: he watched alot of VHS tapes) and the journey from Canada to Texas to Washington and back to Dallas, Texas. Richard worked with Doug on some of the most interesting stories, including a failed Lone Star Adventure and more. Doug drops some truth bombs and wisdom on us in this episode.