It’s the end of an era for San Antonio’s sister TV stations as the general manager who led them for three decades has retired.
Dean Radla, general manager of Sinclair stations News 4 San Antonio (WOAI), FOX SA (KABB) and CW35, stepped into retirement on Tuesday, September 29. According to News 4, he joined Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1997, and he spent the last 14 years overseeing operations. KABB and News 4 became sister stations under Sinclair in 2012, and CW35 is operated by the broadcasting giant through a joint sales agreement with Deerfield Media.
Prior to becoming general manager, Radla was director of sales. A native Texan, he also brought in eight years of previous print sales management experience, including time at the San Antonio Light, which folded in 1993. The past three decades at KABB have brought several big moments — the launch of Fox News at Nine, merging with News 4 and sharing the Loop 410 studio after WOAI’s downtown building burnt down in 2013, the rebrand to Fox SA in 2023, plus goodbyes to longtime anchors alongside welcoming new faces to the team.
After his exit from the hectic TV news industry, retirement will bring Radla more time to spend with his family, including seven children and 11 grandkids. “He’s gonna have a full itinerary,” News 4 Chief Meteorologist Chris Suchan said during a broadcast.
“Dean, we will certainly miss you, and we wish you all the best in your retirement,” News 4 evening anchor Jonathan Martinez said on-air. Suchan added, “Dean is, in my career — 30 years doing this — the best general manager I’ve ever had … great man, great general manager.”
Evening anchor Mandy Noell said Radla is “such a kind person, always saying ‘My door is open.’ So, we’ll really miss you, Dean.”