Rich Lord
(Sports Broadcaster) Richard W. Lord, known as Rich Lord (born March 7, 1958), has been enshrined in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. He is a former radio sports talk host, reporter, anchor, sideline reporter and play-by-play announcer who spent 38 years on the airwaves in Texas, including 24 years hosting an afternoon drive sports talk show on SportsRadio 610 in Houston.
Early years Lord was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York. He attended Bishop Ford high school and the University of Dayton, graduating in 1981 with a degree in Communication Arts. During college, Lord worked at campus radio station WVUD-FM and covered UD sports, including the Men's Basketball team and it's participation in the 1981 N.I.T. tournament.
Professional career Upon graduation, Lord relocated to the Houston area with the goal of starting a career in the radio industry. In September of 1981, he landed a job in advertising sales at KFRD radio in the Houston suburb of Rosenberg, Texas. While there, he served as the basketball and baseball play-by-play voice for the Lamar Consolidated high school Mustangs and the B.F. Terry high school Rangers. Lord was also the host of, "Cougar Capsule," a twice-weekly recap of the University of Houston Men's Basketball team that included covering the first of their 3 consecutive runs to the NCAA Final Four and the emergence of Nigerian native Akeem (later Hakeem) Olajuwon as a budding basketball superstar. Lord also served as the play-by-play voice of the Houston Cougars baseball team, including their participation in both the 1982 Southwest Conference Tournament as well as the 1982 NCAA Baseball Tournament.
In the fall of 1982, Lord landed his first full-time sportscasting job as the Sports Director at KULP/KXGC radio in El Campo, Texas. In addition to providing local sports updates for both stations in morning and afternoon drive, he reported on a Houston sports scene that included the Houston Astros, Houston Oilers, Houston Rockets and both Rice University and the University of Houston. Lord also served as the play-by-play voice for El Campo high school football, basketball and baseball in addition to Wharton County Junior College football. During this time, he went on the road to cover the Houston Astros spring training camp in Cocoa Beach, Florida in 1983 and 1984. He also traveled to New York City to provide coverage of the 1986 National League Championship Series between the Astros and the New York Mets, reporting for the Texas State Network as well as KULP/KXGC.
In 1987, Lord was hired to work part-time at KTRH radio in Houston, the flagship station for the Houston Astros, Oilers and Rockets. He was initially assigned a weekend shift, delivering twice-hourly sportscasts from 5am to noon on Saturdays and Sundays. By 1989, he was a full-time employee and worked as a sports reporter and sports anchor. He also served as the weekend host of both Houston Rockets and Houston Astros pre-game and post-game shows. His duties also included co-hosting a talk show he co-created with Charlie Pallilo called, "SportsBeat Saturday."
By 1990, Lord increased his duties at KTRH by being named the co-host of the Houston Oilers Countdown to Kickoff pre-game show and the Fan Feedback post-game show. In 1991, he was named one of the co-hosts of KTRH's afternoon drive talk show, "SportsBeat." While at KTRH, Lord traveled in the playoffs with the Houston Rockets throughout their championship seasons of 1994 and 1995 in the role of reporter as well as pre-game and post-game host. He also hosted various shows with coaches such as Bum Phillips, Buddy Ryan, Kevin Gilbride, Jack Pardee, Don Chaney and Rudy Tomjanovich.
In October of 1995, Lord was hired by the newly-launched SportsRadio 610 in Houston to co-host, "Section 610," an afternoon drive talk show. From 1996 to 1998, he also served as the host of the Houston Astros post-game show on 610, "Clubhouse Extra." When SportsRadio 610 became the flagship station for the expansion Houston Texans of the NFL in 2002, Lord began a long-standing relationship with the franchise that included 6 years co-hosting their pre-game and post-game shows, 8 years as the co-host of, "The Gary Kubiak Show," 4 years as the co-host of, "The Dom Capers Show" and 7 seasons on the game broadcast, serving as the sideline reporter from 2007 through 2013. Lord remained in his position in afternoon drive until 2019. By then, his co-hosts had included Kenny Hand, Pallilo, Marc Vandermeer, Matt Jackson, Robert Henslee, Josh Innes, Sean Pendergast, Ted Johnson and Clint Stoerner.
Awards and Honors In 1985, the Texas Association of Broadcasters named Lord the winner of it's Best Feature Story Award. In 1990, the Houston Press Club honored Lord and co-host John O’Reilly for their interview with Bum Phillips and Earl Campbell after Campbell’s election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1998, the Houston Press named Lord the winner of its Best Talk Show Host in Houston Award. In 2002, in their Best of Houston issue, the Houston Press recognized Lord and his co-host, Pallilo, as the winners of their Best Sports Radio Talk Show Award. In 2003, The March of Dimes Achievement In Radio Awards recognized Lord and co-host Pallilo with it's Best Talk Show in Houston Award. In 2005, the Houston Press recognized Lord and co-host Vandermeer with it's Best Talk Show in Houston Award. In 2012, CBS Radio-Houston honored Lord with it's, "Roast of Rich Lord" at The Improv Comedy Club in Houston. In 2012, Talkers Magazine ranked his show #46 in it's nationwide Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. In 2013, the Greater Houston Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized Lord and co-host Innes with it's Outstanding Media Award. In 2013, Talkers Magazine ranked his show #44 in it's nationwide Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. In 2014, Talkers Magazine ranked his show #44 in it's nationwide Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. In 2015, Lord was recognized by Houston Can Academy, a public charter alternative school with it's Changing Lives In Houston Award. In 2015, Talkers Magazine ranked his show #44 in it's nationwide Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. In 2017, Talkers Magazine ranked his show #38 in it's nationwide Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. In 2018, Talkers Magazine ranked his show #42 in it's nationwide Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. In 2019, Talkers Magazine ranked his show #52 in it's nationwide Heavy Hundred of Sports Talk. In 2021, Lord was elected and inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
Personal Life In 1987, Lord married Jenny Johnston, a Houston native. They met at KULP/KXGC in 1982 where she worked as the news anchor and he was the sports anchor. She is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin. They have one child, a daughter named Kathryn who is also a graduate of UT-Austin. Kathryn is married to Chris Kotars, an Iowa Hawkeye and native of St. Charles, Illinois.
References[edit]
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