Bob Slovak is the new weekend sports anchor at KTRK in Houston, Houston media blogger Mike McGuff reports.

Slovak has worked at the ABC O&O since 1998. Tim Melton, who has been off the air since 2011 recovering from a stroke, was previously the weekend sports anchor. Melton announced his exit from KTRK last month.

Before joining KTRK, Slovak worked at KTEN in Ada, KFDM in Beaumont, KOTV in Tulsa and KNXV in Phoenix.

Two rival stations are pitching in today at KFDM in Beaumont so anchors and staffers can attend the memorial of anchor Bill Leger, who was killed in a car accident last week.

ABC affiliate KBMT and Fox affiliate KBTV (a sister station to KFDM) both offered to help, according to a post on the station’s Facebook page from meteorologist James Brown on Thursday:

How wonderful is this? Channel 4 and 12 are covering for us so we can attend Bill’s memorial tomorrow. Fox 4 anchor Jessica Guidry will anchor the News at Noon show and Meteorologist Dana Melancon will cover the weather for me on KFDM. Thank you for doing this for Bill and for us.

KFDM executive producer Scott Lawrence told the Houston Press that KBMT offered to also provide coverage of any breaking news that occurs during the memorial service, which takes place today.

Bill Leger, the KFDM news anchor who died in a traffic accident early Saturday, was remembered by the station with video tributes and updates on funeral arrangements and memorials for the man the station knew as the, ”ever present face of 6 news.”

KFDM’s managing editor, Tom Wright, looked back on Leger’s career with the Port Arthur/Beaumont, TX CBS affiliate in a video tribute.  Wright said of Leger, “For those of us who worked with him, he made difficult work fun.  For those of you who watched him, he made difficult news tolerable.” You can click here to view the video.

The station also posted updates on how viewers can help out the Leger family to its website saying,

We and many in the community remember Bill for much more than his television work. Bill was a caring, compassionate person who enjoyed helping people, touching their lives with his anchoring and reporting, and having a positive influence on the region. Read more

Foti Kallergis, who has worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor at KTBC for the past five years, is leaving the Fox O&O to oversee his family’s cooking school and catering company.

Austin360 reports that Kallergis will leave KTBC at the end of March to become CEO of Silver Whisk, the company he co-owns with his wife Myrna.

“I’ve had an amazing career in TV news, but this is the next chapter for me,” Kallergis told Austin360. “I have the opportunity to live the American dream. I can help run the family business and, best of all, spend more time with my family and new son.” Read more

Sinclair Broadcasting announced today that Rix Garey will take over as general manager of KFDM, the CBS-affiliate in Beaumont, Texas.

Since joining KFDM in 1980, Garey has held a variety of management roles at the station, including local sales manager and director of retail development. Most recently, he was general sales manager.

“We are pleased to promote Rix to the position of General Manager,” Sinclair COO Steve Marks said in a statement. “As someone who has spent his career at KFDM, he understands the needs of the community and the role KFDM plays in it.  We look forward to Rix building on that relationship.”

Sinclair Broadcast Group will purchase the eight-station Freedom Communications station group for $385 million, the company announced today. The deal will be reviewed by the FCC and is expected to cl0se early next year.

Sinclair announced the deal in conjunction with the company’s third-quarter earnings report, which included net broadcast revenues of $151.7 million. Compared to the same quarter last year, revenue dipped 4.5%, mostly due to lack of political advertising, according to Sinclair.

Until the deal closes, Sinclair will operate the stations under a local marketing agreement. In September, Sinclair announced the purchase of Four Points Media, a seven-station, $200 million purchase. Read more

In the studio where he’s worked for the past 37 years, KFDM anchor and general manager Larry Beaulieu announced to staff this week that he will retire at the end of September.

“I’ve been privileged and blessed to be part of a great family for 37 years,” Beaulieu told viewers of the Beaumont-Port Arthur CBS-affiliate, publicly announcing his retirement.

Beaulieu has worked the KFDM anchor desk since 1974 and for much of his time with the station he has served in a unique dual role–appearing on-air as well as overseeing station operations as vice president and general manager.

“This dual role has helped me stay intimately connected to how we gather and report it and to how it impacts the community we serve,” Beaulieu said. “The news is such an important part of what we do.” Read more