After nearly 28 years at FOX 26 and close to four decades in TV news, Tom Zizka is preparing for something unfamiliar: figuring out what comes next.
The longtime Houston anchor announced this week that he will retire from FOX 26 later this month, closing out a career that took him through hurricanes, Super Bowls, papal ceremonies and some of the biggest stories in Houston history. But while Zizka says he’s ready to step away from TV news, he’s still trying to define exactly what retirement will look like.
“Boy, if I knew what that was, that would be awesome,” Zizka told Chron with a laugh when asked what comes next. “The short answer is I’m looking for a job—just something other than what I’m doing now.”
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Tom Zizka helped lead FOX 26’s election night coverage during his decades in Houston TV news.
Tom Zizka
Zizka said the response since announcing his departure has been overwhelming. While colleagues at FOX 26 had known for weeks, viewers only learned of the news after he posted about it online this week.
In less than a day, he said he was flooded with messages from longtime viewers.
“I’ve just been really touched by the outpouring of well wishes and the sense that people did indeed watch and have watched for a good long while,” he said. “They trusted the voice, they trusted the product, they trusted the stories and you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
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Making Houston home
When Zizka arrived in Houston in 1998, he never expected the city or FOX 26 would become permanent. Like many TV journalists, he initially saw the move as another stop along the industry ladder. But over time, Houston became home.
Longtime FOX 26 anchor Tom Zizka also spent years reporting investigative stories in Houston.
Tom Zizka
He and his wife raised two daughters here, and instead of chasing bigger markets, they chose stability.
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“We decided there was no need to go anyplace else,” Zizka said. “We wanted to make this home, and I’m really satisfied that we did.”
Why now felt right
The decision to leave TV news, he said, wasn’t sudden. It evolved as he began reflecting on what was left for him professionally after covering major storms, championship runs and high-profile events around the world.
“I have covered the big stories. I have been to some neat places. I have done some really neat things and met all sorts of interesting people and won awards,” he said. “What more could I ask for?”
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During his career at FOX 26, Tom Zizka covered two Super Bowls and many of Houston’s biggest sporting events.
Tom Zizka
Part of that reflection came earlier this year after foot surgery sidelined him at home for weeks. Zizka said the recovery period forced him to slow down and think about what he had been missing while working weekends.
Being away from work reminded him how little time he and his wife actually shared unless one of them took vacation time.
“If anything, it was a reminder of what perhaps I didn’t have that was important to me,” he said.
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The stories that stayed with him
Looking back on his career, Zizka said some of the most memorable moments came during Houston’s biggest disasters. He recalled marathon coverage during Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Harvey, when FOX 26 stayed on the air around the clock trying to get lifesaving information to viewers.
Longtime Houston broadcaster Tom Zizka reports from the field during severe weather coverage.
Tom Zizka
He also pointed to more unusual assignments, including traveling to Rome when Cardinal Daniel DiNardo was elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI. The live shots required FOX 26 to broadcast during Houston’s prime time while Rome was waking up for the day.
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Tom Zizka reports from Rome during Cardinal Daniel DiNardo being elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI.
Tom Zizka
Still, Zizka said the stories that stay with him most are often the smaller, everyday moments.
“Above all that, I’ve really come to believe it’s the day-to-day stories and meeting day-to-day people and helping them and having what we do mean something to them,” he said.
Life after the newsroom
Zizka said leaving the day-to-day rhythm of the newsroom may be the toughest transition.
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“My wife asked me if I’m going to be able to handle not being on TV, and the short answer is I’m certain that I can,” Zizka said. “But this is all I have done since I got out of college.”
Tom Zizka alongside late FOX 26 anchor José Griñán during their years working together in Houston TV news.
Tom Zizka
After nearly 40 years in the business, the FOX 26 newsroom became what he described as a “home away from home,” complete with the frustrations, routines and relationships that shaped his daily life for decades.
As for what comes next, Zizka said he’s open to almost anything that allows him more freedom than TV news did. He hopes to find work where his communication experience and institutional knowledge of Houston can still be useful, whether that means helping businesses tell stories, traveling more or pursuing creative projects.
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A view of longtime FOX 26 anchor Tom Zizka on air from the station’s technical operations center as he prepares to retire after nearly 28 years in Houston TV news.
FOX 26 Houston
“I want the next chapter to be personally rewarding,” he said.
One thing he already knows he wants more time for is cycling. At FOX 26, coworkers knew him as the guy who never passed up a bicycle-related story idea.
FOX 26 anchor Tom Zizka, an avid cyclist, says he’s looking forward to spending more weekends back on two wheels.
Tom Zizka
“I’d like to be able to, on weekends, go out and rejoin my friends on two wheels and ride more,” he said.
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He’s also looking forward to spending more time building and renovating things around the house, though he joked his wife may not enjoy the inevitable messes.
Staying in Houston
Despite stepping away from Houston TV news, Zizka said he has no plans to leave the city anytime soon. His wife still works in the energy sector, and after nearly three decades here, Houston remains deeply tied to both his personal life and professional identity.
“Even in a time like this, it’s still home,” he said.
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And while viewers may soon stop seeing him behind the FOX 26 anchor desk, Zizka said he hopes they won’t hesitate to approach him around town.
“If somebody sees me out there and says, ‘Hey, that’s Tom,’ feel free to say hi,” he said. “I’d love to say hi.”