Amanda Perez is joining Houston NBC affiliate KPRC as a reporter, according to Houston media blogger Mike McGuff.

Perez has been a reporter and weekend anchor at KFSN, the ABC O&O in Fresno, since 2006. “It has been an absolute honor to work with the members of the Action News team, who strive to produce the best newscast in the Valley every single day,” Perez wrote on Facebook. “You can’t ask for better coworkers.”

Perez has previously worked at KPRC as an editor. According to McGuff, she begins in her new role on April 8.

Six months and one wig after returning to the anchor desk since beating breast cancer, Liz Harrison, anchor for the Fresno ABC owned station KFSN, is showing off her new short haircut.

“The reaction to my hair has been overwhelmingly positive,” Harrison told the Fresno Bee. “Most people are aware that I have been through cancer treatment and are happy to see that I am healthy and have given up the wig. There are those that haven’t been following my journey and have written in to say they like my new ‘short haircut.’ So either way, it’s been great.”

Harrison, who had been wearing a wig while her grew back after treatment for her double mastectomy, debuted her short hair Friday, March 8 on the 11:00 p.m. news.

On her facebook page, she said goodbye to the wig she nicknamed “Sasha” saying “”Sasha,” you have been good to me, but it’s time we parted ways. Tomorrow I will leave you at home. Be good up there on the shelf ” You can see a picture of the wig after the jump.

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Jeff Jordan, the director of safety and broadcast compliance for the ABC owned television stations, was arrested last week, according to KFSN, the ABC O&O in Fresno. He is accused of possessing and distributing child pornography.

Jordan, who is based in Fresno and also serves as chief engineer of ABC’s Living Well Network, was arrested at KFSN on March 7. He was the subject of an investigation from the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to Fresno Fox affiliate KMPH:

Investigators from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, agents from the Department of Homeland Security and investigators from the Clovis Police Department found numerous computers and other media storage devices inside of Jordan’s home.

Jordan, 56, was booked into the Fresno County Jail.

According to jail records, he made bond at 1:30 a.m. on March 8.

A spokesperson for the ABC Station Group declined to comment on the arrest.

KFSN, the ABC O&O in Fresno, has announced plans to produce a 10 p.m. newscast for MyNetworkTV-affiliate KAIL.

The newscast, which debuts Monday, will be anchored by KFSN evening anchors Liz Harrison and Warren Armstrong. They will be joined by meteorologist Kevin Musso and sports director Tommy Tran.

“We … see it as a great opportunity for us to further our commitment to the community, the Central Valley — to continue to provide news and information to them, in the ABC30 brand, whenever and where ever they want it,” KFSN general manager Dan Adams said in a statement.

“You’re going to bring people, viewers, to our station that we haven’t had before,” KAIL program director Bob Jenkins said. “People who are looking for news at a convenient time, and not just any news, but probably the best produced news in the Valley.”

After more than a year of planning and promoting, Katie Couric‘s syndicated talk show, “Katie,” debuts this afternoon.

“Katie” will air at 3 p.m. in all but two of the top 10 markets. The exceptions are Dallas and Washington, DC,  where ABC affiliates WFAA and WJLA will run “Katie” in the 4 p.m. timeslot, which was vacated by daytime fixture Oprah Winfrey last June.

• Related, TVNewser: Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper Facing Serious Challenges in Crowded Syndie Marketplace
  

The eight ABC O&Os — WABC in New York, KABC in Los Angeles, WLS in Chicago, WPVI in Philadelphia, KGO in San Francisco, KTRK in Houston, WTVD in Raleigh-Durham and KFSN in Fresno — are sticking with a commitment to local newscasts, some of which launched in the wake of Winfrey’s departure, in the 4 p.m. time slot.

Nancy Osborne, anchor for KFSN’s 5 p.m. newscast, has retired after more than three decades at the Fresno ABC affiliate.

Osborne planned to step down on her own terms after 35 years on the anchor desk, but a fall in the station’s hallway forced the issue when she suffered a shoulder injury and a concussion.  She will undergo surgery to fix the shoulder soon, but the brain injury is more of a wild card.

“They tell me with an injury like this some people get a lot better and some don’t get any better,” Osborne told the Fresno Bee.  “I know I will never be the same as I was before I fell. That’s why I decided it wasn’t fair to the station or me to try to go back to work.”

She told the Bee that the injury forced her to re-evaluate her retirement plans.

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President Obama discussed the details of his rural economic plan, which he unveiled yesterday, in interviews with eight local stations on Monday morning.

Obama was interviewed by Tom Wills of WJXT, Matt Breen of WTIV, Matt Smith of WBAY, Warren Armstrong of KFSN, Hollani Davis of WDBJ, Don Ward of KKTV, Kristen Remington of KTVN (pictured) and Michael Cogdill of WYFF.

Obama also discussed healthcare reform, the Wisconsin recall election and the health of Commerce Secretary John Bryson, who is taking a medical leave of absence after reportedly suffering a seizure over the weekend. Read more

With the election drawing closer, President Obama is doing another round of local press today.

The stations at the White House today are WDBJ in Roanoke, KKTV in Colorado Springs, KTVN in Reno, WJXT in Jacksonville, KTIV in Sioux City, WBAY in Green Bay, WYFF in Greenville, SC and KFSN in Fresno, CA.

In addition to a five-minute sitdown with the President, the reporters will also take a tour of the White House and the kitchen garden, and conduct interviews with administration officials from each respective market, according to CNN.

The entire season of “Dancing with the Stars” came down to this: two couples remained and host Tom Bergeron promised to announce the winner live after just one more commercial break.

Viewers in Fresno were on the edge of their seats, but then KFSN went and ruined everything.

Seconds after viewers saw finalist Donald Driver nervously awaiting the results, the ABC O&O aired footage of him triumphantly raising the mirror ball trophy during its 11 p.m. newscast tease. Read more

Michael Carr has been promoted to news director at KFSN, the ABC O&O in Fresno.

Carr, an executive producer at the station, has served as acting news director since Tracey Watkowski left KFSN for KGO last month. He joined KFSN in 1999 as a weekend assignment editor.

In a statement announcing the promotion, KFSN noted Carr has overseen both the launch of a new newscast and a strong February ratings period.

“Michael Carr’s excellent credentials as a newsroom manager, his integrity and proven track record as a journalist at ABC30 make him the best choice for taking over the helm at ABC30 Action News,” KFSN president and general manager Dan Adams said in a statement.