2016 Silver Circle Inductee Kenny Boles

The Lone Star Chapter lost one its brightest stars on February 14^th with the passing of Kenny Boles, news director at KLTV and KTRE.  He grew up in the Deep East Texas town of Lufkin, the son of a groceryman.  As a junior in high school, he went to work for KTRE in Lufkin.  He immediately saw a career in television as the way to put Lufkin, and the grocery business, in his rear-view mirror.  He was hired to work for KPRC by Ray Miller, one of the most highly respected news directors in Texas.  Kenny was mentored by Miller, which led to his working in major market television news including Dallas, Chicago, Washington DC and Los Angeles.  He was lured back home in the mid-nineties, by happenstance, right back where he started.  The difference was, when he came back he came with a solid reputation of his own as one of the best news directors in the business.   Today, we mourn his passing, and we share this tribute from Kenny’s induction into the Silver Circle, produced by his friend who was a witness to the beginning of an illustrious career.

Silver Circle Tribute Video

In 1971, happiness was Lufkin, Texas in my rear view mirror.   Growing up working in my father’s supermarket, I was terrified at the prospect of spending the rest of my life stocking shelves and sacking groceries.  I wanted to see the world.  I had to escape.  Television news was my ticket out.

At the age of 17, I went to work at KTRE-TV in Lufkin during my junior year in High School.  Starting as the studio floor cameraman, I was soon promoted to weathercaster and Sports Director.  Two years later, I landed the overnight police reporter job at KPRC-TV in Houston.  My first day on the job the Houston Mass Murder story broke with 23 young men killed in a sex-torture ring.  Spot news would follow me the rest of my life.  I’m a magnet for the stuff.

At KPRC, I moved up to reporter, producer, covered the Texas Legislature, and then news anchor.  In 1980, I was offered an Executive Producer position at KDFW-TV in Dallas.  Afterward, I would return to KPRC as Managing Editor.

Over the next ten years I worked as Executive Producer at WLS-TV and WBBM-TV in Chicago, and as a producer for ABC News.  Stationed in ABC’s Chicago Bureau, I covered presidential campaigns and many major national news stories.   Too much travel sent me back into local news as Executive Producer in Orlando, Florida and then on to the position of Managing Editor at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

Five years on the west coast put me in the middle of the Rodney King Beating, riots, the Northridge Earthquake, O.J. Simpson and, oh yeah, Michael Jackson and the children.  My priorities and dreams began to change.  I wanted to get back to East Texas, closer to my family and friends.

In 1996, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to take the job of News Director at KLTV in Tyler, Texas, just a few miles up the road from my hometown.  I’m privileged to work with an outstanding group of professionals at KLTV who help fill every day with exciting challenges… and to this day, lots of spot news.

45 years in the broadcast news business.  The last 20 years as KLTV and KTRE News Director.  It’s been an honor to work in this profession.  I can truly say I helped make a difference in the lives of so many people through thousands of stories we’ve done.

And there are some EMMY’s on the shelf along with some other hardware.  I am blessed to have found my passion and calling so early in life.  I wouldn’t change a thing.