What’s in your
OFFICE? CHIP HOWARD Radio host, KZNE (1150 AM, 93.7 FM)
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hip Howard’s office in the Bryan Broadcasting area of Crystal Park Plaza looks a lot like his radio show sounds. There’s a stack of new books on his desk, pictures of fishing conquests, a photo of a bloodied Nolan Ryan on the mound and a wall of Willie Nelson images. Howard points to a shelf of family photos and says, “Family means the most to me by far.” But he also points to Nelson: “He’s right behind the family. My wife might argue otherwise, but he’s second.” Howard’s local media career began in 1979 and his long-running SportsTalk show airs on KZNE weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. He notes that he’s not the longest-serving local radio host, not with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia in the building. “You know he’s a lot older than I am,” he says with a laugh. There’s a thick dangling pile of press passes from the many sporting events he’s covered, including from World Series, Final Four and Stanley Cup games. A cardboard cutout of a glaring Homer Simpson stands behind Howard’s desk, like an incompetent-but-hilarious bodyguard. And there’s a photo of a sailfish he nabbed in Miami. “My wife says at my funeral she’s not going to have any pictures of anything but fish,” he says. Howard calls his office messy and unorganized, but laughs when he’s reminded that the writer and photographer in the room also work with Robert Cessna at The Eagle, another of his longtime media pals, who is not known for the tidiest of desks. “It’s organized for me,” Howard says of his office. “I know where everything is.”
That’s my dad, Charles. I’m a third. He died eight years ago. He had pictures of me literally in diapers, taking me fishing when I was younger than 2. He instilled that in me for sure. We take the grandkids fishing, and I’m trying to do the same with them to bring them up right.
Story ROB CLARK | Photos CASSIE STRICKER
These are my girls [Lindsey and Lesley] at Yellowstone, and Old Faithful. They were 5 and 2 at the time. That was our first trip to Yellowstone. I love Yellowstone Park. I think that’s my favorite place to go. We went last winter, we did a winter visit. That was phenomenal. This is one of my all-time favorite pictures. They’re very embarrassed that I have this picture with their headdresses on.
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That’s the only autograph that I have. Jack Nicklaus. That I found, I think when I changed offices, so maybe five or six years ago. I’m cleaning out stuff and I found this picture. That’s when he came and announced the Traditions Club project. We’re just standing out in the middle of a field. I saw this and I mailed it to him with a story, I said, ‘This is when you came and did the Traditions.’ I sent it off to him, and I’m telling you two weeks later he came back with it signed. That was pretty cool. I really enjoy that picture. And we didn’t talk about golf, we talked about fishing. He’s a big fisherman.
BRAZOS 360 | SUMMER 2021
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