On October 30, Kris Radcliffe, a beloved Texas news anchor, died at 51. Announced by KCEN-TV, the television network where Radcliffe had worked for 22 years, his passing shook many of his colleagues. Among them was Lindsay Liepman, Radcliffe's co-anchor, who had to break the news live on air. Visibly shaken by the news, Liepman broke down while delivering them.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"This is an incredibly sad day for our KCEN family," Liepman said, "My co-anchor Kris Radcliffe died unexpectedly and we received the news today. Kris sat in the chair right beside me and he was the best, he was simply the best." He continued to describe Radcliffe and how his personality made working with him a total joy.
"Funny, genuine and smart, I looked forward to working with Kris every single night and I think you all could tell at home," she continued in a trembling voice. "We had fun here. Kris loved this community and never took his role for granted."
Grieving Radcliffe's Loss
With Radcliffe's sudden passing, as with any other loved one who passes that way, Liepman then wondered what she could have done to spend more time with his co-anchor. "If I had known yesterday was going to be our last newscast together I would have ignored the cues to wrap from our producers and just laughed a little longer at all of his jokes. He always has lots of jokes," Liepman said. "I would have thanked him for all he's taught me and given to all of you, the viewers, but that is not how life works out."
"What you don't get to see on-air is the time spent talking about our families and our group chats," Liepman continued. "He loved talking about sports and politics. It was important for me to share what he meant to us here at KCEN right now because I know he would have done the same for me"
Liepman then exited the broadcast by telling viewers: "I simply cannot get through the newscast tonight and I hope you understand." KCEN's Austin station then took over, sharing highlights of Radcliffe's life and career.
Kris Radcliffe joined KCEN in 2002 as a sports anchor. He later anchored Texas Today, a lifestyle show, and eventually became an evening news anchor on KCEN News in 2018, with Liepman joining him as his co-anchor in 2022. Radcliffe also produced 200 episodes of Money Talks segments. He was the "Waco Tribune-Herald On-Air Television Personality of The Year" a total of six times.
