For the past 30 years, José Griñán has been more than a fixture on Fox 26 KRIV-TV, he’s become a Houston icon. However, most recently, Griñán has taken on a new title—retired.
The Tampa-born Griñán, who takes pride in his Cuban roots, built a formidable media career before coming to Houston in 1993, working in El Paso, Miami, New York and Dallas with multiple outlets, CNN being one of them.
At Houston’s Fox 26, Griñán made a name for himself as the senior morning news anchor for the 6:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon newscasts. But Griñán did as much work off air as on—actively serving the greater Houston community as a volunteer for the National Kidney Foundation, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Special Olympics and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, among others.
And on July 15, Griñán’s wife, Kathy Griffin Townsend Griñán, put on a spectacular “Roast, Toast & Boast Retirement Party for him. The event, held at the Million Air Interlink Hanger (7555 Ipswich Rd., Houston, XT 77061, was emceed by Fox 26 media personalities Isiah Carey, Nate Griffin and Melissa Wilson, and was described by multiple attendees, of which there were hundreds, like a family reunion with every aspect of the Bayou City represented.
But now that Griñán has reported on his last big story, and there have been many, he took a moment to speak with the Defender about his transition into retirement.
DEFENDER: How does it feel now to be actually retired?
GRIÑÁN: Well, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do next with my life, because I know that there is a lot more to come. I just don’t know exactly what that is right now and what phase I’m going to have to go through in order to get to that particular point. But retirement, it’s a joy not having to wake up at 3:30 and 3:45 in the morning to make it to work and be on the air at 7a.m. I thought about destroying my alarm clock . Because it had been part of my life for a very long time. And now I’m on my own time. It’s just that now I’m trying to figure out what to do with the time.
DEFENDER: What big stories while in Houston stand out?
GRIÑÁN: One morning on the air, in my earpiece, someone was saying that there was a plane crash into a particular building in New York City. I happened to glance to the side and see a little bit of video, and I just started talking about the video. The director followed me, and we eventually put on one of the first hits on the Twin Towers in New York City. That was on 9/11.
DEFENDER: You’ve been a fixture in the Houston community, doing as much off camera than you did on. Why has serving the Houston community been so important to you?
GRIÑÁN: I think as a journalist, you have a responsibility to the community which you are working in because you’re serving that community. And, when folks asked me to emcee an event for them, I did not see any problem with doing that. I just think that in addition to getting the facts right [as a journalist], you do have a responsibility to the community. Because without the people you’re serving, you don’t have a job because they’re the ones who support you. They’re the ones who speak up for you. They’re the ones who will come to your aid if need be. In fact, they’re kind of family to a certain extent. People talk about community. Community is not just your neighborhood. It’s not just your city. It’s not just your county. It’s all of the folks who are your viewers in my case. And that extended past Harris County, past Montgomery County, past Galveston County.
DEFENDER: Do you have any advice for up-and-coming journalists, especially journalists of color?
GRIÑÁN: First off, I tell anyone who is thinking in terms of being a reporter or a journalist, know your history, know social studies. History is not something that just happened in the past. Something today happens because something in the past happened. And if you can relate those two things, you have part of your story already written. Know your community. Know your city officials. Know your county officials. Know what they’re doing. Try and get as much knowledge as you can, but also be a part of the community that you’re serving or that’s serving you. Because without that support, you’re not gonna make it as a journalist.
DEFENDER: How has your Cuban roots shaped who you are as a person, and also as a journalist?
GRIÑÁN: Well, to a certain extent, you represent two communities. The Latin American community because of my Cuban roots, but then the African American community because of the way I look. If it were not for the African American community, I would not be where I am today. But also, there was a time during the 1970s and 1980s when everyone in journalism were looking for people who were minorities. And I happened to fit two categories. So, to a certain extent, I was a twofer. And, I used that to my advantage. If people asked me to do something in the Latin American community, I did not refuse because I spoke the language and I would be able to communicate with people there. And quite naturally, they would ask me to do stories in the African American community because of the way I looked. So, when you say how it shaped my career, it is part of me. It is something that I can’t turn my back on because when you look at my name, you see one thing, and when you look at me, you see another thing. But those two things are combined and I just had to use them to my advantage.
Favorite thing about Houston: The people.
Favorite food: Well, Latino food, . Now, don’t get me wrong. I have to say soul food, too, because that’s comfort food, and both of them are comfort foods.
Favorite musical genre: I listen to a lot of popular music because that’s what’s on the radio nowadays. But sometimes, when I want to relax, I’ll listen to some jazz.
Hobbies outside of work: Fishing. I don’t do enough of it, but fishing.
Favorite fishing spot: That’s getting on a boat with a friend and going out. Years ago, we used to go down to a place called Chandelier Islands in Louisiana, which is about 27 miles south of the southernmost point of Louisiana.
Mantra (words to live by): Give it your all in whatever you do, because that’s going to help you as well as help someone else once they see you performing to the best of your ability.
