expanded its news offerings to include a 4 p.m. newscast that launched in the late summer of 2001. On August 17, 2009, KTRK became the first station in the market to expand its weekday morning newscast to 4:30 a.m., with all of KTRK's competitors following suit later in the year. On August 26, 2013, KTRK-TV split its hourlong 6 p.m. newscast into two separate half hours, with the 6 p.m. half-hour continuing with Dave Ward and Gina Gaston, while Erik Barajas and Ilona Carson would take over as anchors of the newly rechristened 6:30 p.m. newscast; following Ward's retirement in 2017, Live at Five anchor Art Rascon would take Ward's place at 6 p.m., with the station expanding its 10:00 p.m. newscast to one hour on weekends beginning January 4, 2014. On September 10, 2018, KTRK became the first television station in Texas to air a 3 p.m. newscast. In August 2019, news director Wendy Granato was promoted to general manager for the station. She was the first woman to lead the newsroom and became the first woman to take the reins of the entire station. KTRK began producing an hour-long 9 p.m. newscast for KIAH (channel 39) in May 2020 though an agreement with Nexstar Media Group. Sports coverage KTRK has been the official television home of the Houston Texans since the team began play in 2002, telecasting any preseason games that are not aired nationally. The station also airs three Texans programs that, like the games, are aired by a network of stations covering most of Texas: Texans Extra Points, a game preview show aired on Saturday nights at 10:30 p.m. during the season; Texans 360, a weekly recap of highlights and news coverage of the Texans, aired on Saturday nights at 11:00 p.m. throughout the year; Houston Texans Inside the Game, a game recap hosted by KTRK sports director Greg Bailey and Spencer Tillman) on Sunday nights at 10:35 p.m. KTRK also serves as the official local television home of the Houston Marathon. Notable on-air staff Current staff Gina Gaston – anchor Elita Loresca – meteorologist Jacob Rascon – anchor/reporter Jessica Willey – general assignment reporter Former staff Troy Dungan – meteorologist (?–1976); later at WFAA-TV in Dallas–Fort Worth and now retired Art Rascon – anchor (1998–2022; retired) Dan Rather – sportscaster (late 1950s) while working at KTRH radio; former anchor of the CBS Evening News Steven