Veteran Houston TV News Anchor To Retire

On Tuesday, Melanie Lawson announced her retirement from KTRK, effective January 31, 2026, after 43 years on staff (45 including her internship). She returned to the anchor desk in June 2025 after a hiatus due to personal health issues and the passing of her father in 2023.

Melanie Cerise Lawson is a trailblazing African American journalist and longtime anchor at KTRK. Lawson joined KTRK in 1978 as an intern—her accidental on-air debut came from shadowing a reporter and submitting a story package without clearance, which aired to the news director’s chagrin. She quickly transitioned to full-time roles, starting as a general assignment reporter before becoming co-anchor of Live at 5 and Eyewitness News at 11 a.m.

Lawson had been part of Houston’s greatest TV news team, which included Dave Ward (anchor/reporter, 1966–2017) and Marvin Zindler (Action 13 consumer reporter, 1973–2007).

Over 45 years (counting her internship), Lawson has covered every major local, state, and national race, including the inaugurations of Houston’s first Black mayor (Lee P. Brown, 1997) and first female mayor (Annise Parker, 2009).
She also hosts Crossroads, a weekly community affairs program addressing Houston issues. Lawson has served on boards for organizations like the Houston Ballet, Museum of African American Culture, and Princeton University Trustees. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the 1990s; she has managed it privately, using a cane occasionally but rarely letting it impact her work.

ABC13 plans a month-long tribute in January 2026, dubbed “The Month of Mel,” featuring tributes and memories.