The day for holiday cheer and jolly time with friends and family has arrived.
Christmas Day is a day to be spent with the ones you love most — but just like every other day, news does not take a day off.
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KSAT will air the Nightbeat at 10 p.m. on Christmas Day, and anchors Japhanie Gray and Deven Clarke will be there with you to celebrate the end of the night.
Here are some quirky things to know about the two anchors and reporters, from Japhanie’s favorite desserts to that one time Deven endured an awkward moment on-air.
Where did you get your start in broadcast?
Japhanie: I got my start in Jonesboro, Arkansas as an Arkansas State University sophomore in 2012 working for the Jonesboro Radio Group stations (107.5 The Party Station, Mix 106.3, 100.5 The Eagle Rocks and 104.9 The Fox).
While I was on the air there as a DJ, I worked behind the scenes in production for the morning news at KAIT Region 8 News until I became a reporter.
Deven: I got my start at WJLA, the ABC affiliate for Washington D.C., where I interned and put together a resume reel. It helped me land my first paid gig at WHBF, the CBS affiliate in the Quad Cities, which sits on the Iowa, Illinois border.
Do you have any holiday traditions?
Japhanie: I always put my tree up at the beginning of November. On Christmas Day, I always get my dog, Beau, a big bone and we watch “A Christmas Story.”
Deven: Unfortunately, I don’t have any long-time traditions, since I’ve lived away from family for quite some time. The best part about that is I get to create new traditions. For example, the past three years now it’s been a tradition for me to anchor the Christmas Day newscast.
What’s your favorite dessert?
Japhanie: Cold strawberry cheesecake, rich chocolate cake with chocolate icing, or anything cookies and cream related.
Deven: Pecan pie and eggnog make me quite happy.
Any embarrassing moments on air?
Japhanie: Outside of the occasional word vomit filled with stutters, “uhs” and misspoken words I get while at certain scenes, I haven’t had a memorable embarrassing moment just yet.
Deven: The first Christmas I anchored, the prompter went out, and so did my iPad, so while reading in the middle of a script I had nothing to say. It was very awkward, and when I tried to toss to break, that didn’t work either!
I ended up tossing to a story out of order after the producer cued it up.
What is your favorite story you have ever covered?
Japhanie: I would have to say everything “What’s Up South Texas” related. I don’t have a favorite because all of them are equally special and have equally impacted my life in some form of fashion.
Deven: My favorite story is one that I covered last Christmas season. A color-blind man saw color for the first time when his brother bought him special glasses that allowed him to see in color. It was the gift that will keep on giving.