Joe Halstead, a legendary Texas Radio Man!
Dan Cutrer
Joe Halstead, who worked daily as a Texas News Director for over
three decades, died Monday evening, October 16, of a heart attack
at his home.
It's easier to recall where Joe DIDN'T work; from the mid-60's to the
mid-90's, he was at KXOL, KFJZ (now defunct calls) and WBAP in
Ft. Worth; KLIF, WFAA, KRLD, the Texas State Networks, KSNN
and KYNG in Dallas, as News Director.
Several of us who worked with him have commented that Joe is the first of
our generation of newsfolks to die of "natural causes", his death has set off
a series of resolutions to "shape up", and "take better care of ourselves." He
came from a generation of broadcasters who didn't worry about ratings or
consultants, he knew what was news for his audience, and he collected and
reported it effectively.
He'd also mentioned organizing a "radio news reunion" for Dallas/Ft. Worth,
something we put off doing, his death should be an incentive to this and other
markets ... don't put it off any longer. In this, as any other top-10 market,
there's a couple hundred veterans of radio news from the days when EVERY
station had at least eight or ten newsfolks, had to, to keep their FCC license.
One of Joe's hobbies was cooking chili; he outfitted the "break room" at WBAP
as a restaurant, and started work on his "bowls of Red" early each morning ...
after anchoring the morning news, getting the day started, he'd disappear to the
back and check on his gallons of chili that he served to anyone who stopped by,
listeners, advertisers, truckers, police, bums, any donation accepted. This
went on into the mid-80's, certainly a unique effort at any radio station.