This week on This Just In, we pull back the curtain.You see the anchors. You see the reporters. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. From producers and photographers to editors, assignment desks, and the people you never hear about who make live TV work under deadline pressure—Bryan and Rich take a deep dive into the real nuts and bolts of a TV newsroom. How the sausage actually gets made. What can go wrong. And why it’s a minor miracle the news gets on the air every day.
Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
This week on This Just In, Bryan and Rich are joined by an incredibly talented photojournalist who didn’t follow the traditional path into TV news. But once he got behind the lens, Raul Cantu quickly became one of the finest photojournalists in America. For years, he was the eye behind the Lone Star Adventure stories. After Rich retired, Raul shifted gears and moved into producing TV shows—bringing that same visual instinct and storytelling magic to a whole new level. All the while being one of the most positive, joyful people you’ll ever meet.
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A few weeks back on This Just In, Rich and Bryan had a fascinating conversation with legendary investigative reporter Becky Oliver. One name kept coming up again and again: Phil Fleming — her photographer, partner in undercover stakeouts, and the other half of one of the most formidable investigative duos in Texas journalism.This week, Phil joins the show to pull back the curtain on how they did it.He takes us inside the techniques, the risks, and the flat-out dangers he and Becky faced while breaking scandal after scandal — all in relentless pursuit of the truth. From covert surveillance to high-stakes confrontations, this is a master class in old-school investigative journalism from someone who lived it.
Ever wonder how — and why — SMU’s football program ended up with the NCAA “death penalty” in the late ’80s, and sanctions that crippled the program for years?
A big part of that story starts at WFAA Channel 8 in Dallas, where a young producer named John Sparks helped drive a series of explosive investigative reports that changed college football forever.This week on This Just In, John joins Rich & Bryan to walk through the behind-the-scenes twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments that led to one of the most infamous scandals in NCAA history. You won’t believe what it took to break this story.
On this week's podcast Rich & Bryan continue their fascinating conversation with the legendary Fox 4 Newsinvestigative reporter Becky Oliver turned top-performing luxury realtor at Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty From exposing corruption to closing high-end deals, Becky’s transformation is as sharp and driven as ever. Don’t miss the eye-opening conclusion to this incredible two-part conversation!
Becky Oliver, Global Real Estate Advisor, can be found at www.briggsfreeman.com/realestate/agent/becky-oliver/
or email her at boliver@briggsfreeman.com
This week on This Just In, Bryan and Rich go behind the lens with legendary TV investigative reporter Becky Oliver. Her fearless undercover work exposed corruption, sparked reform, and often put her in danger. As Becky puts it, “Every story I did, somebody wanted to sue me — or kill me.” TJI goes undercover, sort of, to expose the secrets of investigative journalism. Becky Oliver was 1 of 1 in the DFW TV market for investigative reporting. She tells us the inside stories and the danger of standing up for the public interest. Don't miss this one. Share it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Richard Ray and Bryan Lochhead continue the conversation with award-winning, former NPPA news photographer of the year, Doug Burgess. Dough shares his start to his TV News career (hint: he watched alot of VHS tapes) and the journey from Canada to Texas to Washington and back to Dallas, Texas. Richard worked with Doug on some of the most interesting stories, including a failed Lone Star Adventure and more. Doug drops some truth bombs and wisdom on us in this episode.
This week on This Just In — Part Two of our look at the U.S. military’s embed program during the Iraq War. Each journalist saw only a small slice of the conflict unfolding around them. For Rich, it meant days and nights in the air with a Black Hawk battalion — for others, it was the front line itself. Joining Rich and Bryan is award-winning photojournalist Doug Burgess, whose experience in Iraq was much closer to the action. Together, they pull back the curtain on what it was really like to tell the story of war, one mission at a time.
This week on This Just In, Rich and Bryan take a deep dive into the U.S. military’s embed program from the 2003 Iraq War. Rich shares what it was really like living the soldier's life inside the 4th Infantry Division—what training reporters went through before deployment, what life in the desert was like, and how they pulled off live broadcasts from a war zone back to DFW.
n this week's podcast —Bryan and Rich trace how a reporter’s assignment turned into a calling. From Sri Lanka to Ukraine, Rich’s work with Texas Baptist Men—now Texans on Mission—shows how faith and journalism can intersect in powerful ways.
Texans On Mission: https://www.texansonmission.org
Texans on Mission mobilizes Christ followers to live on mission with Christ by meeting crucial needs after a disaster, providing clean drinking water for people around the globe, undertaking construction projects and sharing God's love to hurting people in Texas, across the United States and around the globe.
The Lone Star Way is a new docuseries produced, shot, and edited by DFW Producer/Photographer Mike Alexander. The Lone Star Way goes behind the scenes with the Frisco High School Lone Star as they march toward the state championship. Mike had unprecedented access to the team. The show airs on Victory +. Sign up for a free account (you can watch the Stars this season), go to High School and find the episodes of The Lone Star Way. The show is a unique look at one Texas High School football team.
www.victoryplus.com
On this episode, Richard Ray and Bryan Lochhead talked with legendary Dallas/Fort Worth sports anchor Mike Doocy. Mike has been through the ups and downs of the Cowboys and shares his thoughts on the team, his relationship with Jerry Jones, why baseball is not his favorite sport to cover anymore and he and Richard share some interesting back stories.
Fox4 Dallas sports anchor Mike Doocy joins Richard Ray and Bryan Lochhead to talk about everything from a chance encounter back in the day, to the Cowboys, covering sports, getting started in the business, and some behind-the-scenes stuff. It was a great conversation and we end the podcast with interesting tidbits in This Just In.
This week on This Just In, Rich and Bryan continue the story of how mission trips to Africa evolved into “vision trips” that culminate with the ultimate adventure—a once-in-a-lifetime safari through some of Africa’s most spectacular game parks. Drawing on decades of safari experience, Rich breaks down what these trips actually cost, what they include, how safe they are, and why they leave travelers with memories that last a lifetime. And as a bonus, we’ll take you on another kind of “vision trip”—this one to South America for a safari of a different kind, exploring the wonders of the Amazon River.
If you want more information about going on Safari, send an email with Safari in the subject line to info@ndoto.org.
You can get involved and help grow the mission. Go to Ndoto.
org to find out how you can help.
This week on This Just In, Rich and Bryan revisit a story that began with a mission trip to Africa in 2004—one that unexpectedly grew into a multi-part TV news series in Dallas/Fort Worth. But the bigger story was just beginning. That trip sparked a life-changing initiative that’s since helped hundreds of young people earn an education, break free from poverty, and fight the grip of disease. We’ll share the journey, the impact, and how you can be part of what’s still unfolding today.
Our interview is with Ndoto founder Allison Schlack. You can sponsor a child by going to Ndoto.org.
It is August 27, 2025
This week, Rich and Bryan look back at one of the defining legacies of Rich’s 36-year career in DFW TV news — the award-winning weekly series Lone Star Adventures.
From flying weightless aboard NASA’s legendary KC-135 “Vomit Comet” … to catching monster catfish … to swimming with whales … and hundreds more unforgettable journeys — Rich shares how the series began, and what it took to keep it running for more than two decades.
A must-listen for anyone who loves adventure, storytelling, and Texas history.
This week on This Just In, Rich and Bryan rewind to 1986—when satellite trucks dramatically changed TV coverage forever by making it possible to go live from virtually anywhere.
A three-week demonstration of its potential, called Salute Texas, was supposed to showcase the Lone Star State’s vastness, variety, and beauty—from El Paso to Caddo Lake.
But the feel-good feature took a dark turn with a deadly helicopter crash that no one saw coming.
Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at a moment that transformed broadcast news forever.
This week on the TJI podcast, Rich offers a brief reflection on his recent trip to Africa and shares insights from over twenty years of overseas mission work.
Then, he and Bryan delve into one of the deadliest events they've covered in their long careers in TV news: the crash of Delta Flight 191.
Forty years ago, the plane went down at DFW Airport, claiming 137 lives and triggering a nationwide overhaul of the air safety system. Rich and Bryan recount the tragedy and reveal behind-the-scenes stories from their coverage of the horrific disaster.
For more information on the Ndoto mission go to
https://ndoto.org
Season 1 Episode 22
In this week’s TJI podcast, Rich and Bryan pull back the curtain on a fascinating chapter of their careers—when they took their broadcast experience into the corporate world. About a decade ago, the duo launched a side venture offering on-camera coaching and media mentoring to employees across Fortune 500 companies. Their clients ranged from classroom teachers and mid-level managers to C-suite executives—all eager to sharpen their public speaking skills and improve their presence in front of a camera.
As part of their training, Rich and Bryan also taught crisis communication—how to stay composed and credible under the harsh glare of media scrutiny during high-pressure situations. The techniques they developed are rooted in decades of real-world newsroom experience—and they just might surprise (and entertain) you.
A Deep Dive Into the TV Newsroom: How the Sausage Is Made
TJI podcast listeners have been asking for it—and this week, Rich and Bryan deliver. In this behind-the-scenes episode, they take you inside the inner workings of a TV newsroom, where 24/7 news coverage requires a complex, nonstop operation that goes far beyond the handful of anchors and reporters you see on screen.
With decades of experience between them, Bryan and Rich share eye-opening stories and insider insights: Who decides what makes it into the newscast? How is fairness and accuracy maintained? What does it take to build a clean, compelling rundown—and how quickly can it all be thrown out when breaking news hits?
From the daily grind of slow news days to the controlled chaos of live disaster coverage, this is a candid look at the high-pressure, high-stakes world of broadcast journalism... and how the news really gets made.
TJI is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.