In an internal memo obtained by local media blogger Mike McGuff, Fuchs praised Haider as “one of the nicest people in the biz.”
Haider also shared a farewell message with colleagues, thanking them for making his return to Houston memorable.
“As I wrap up my time at KTRK, I just wanted to give a heartfelt thank you to all of you,” Haider wrote in the memo. He called ABC13 “the strongest and most talented team” he has worked with and said the station has long “set the bar and the standard for local news.”
Haider added that standard quickly became clear after he arrived, saying he learned a tremendous amount during his time there and crediting his coworkers for helping him grow.
An Emmy-nominated journalist, Haider returned to Houston in 2024 when he joined ABC13 from KOMO in Seattle, where he worked as a news reporter and fill-in anchor beginning in 2021.
His career has taken him to newsrooms across the country, including WTVF in Nashville, Tenn.; NBC 26 in Green Bay, Wis.; KRQE in Albuquerque, N.M.; and KCAU in Sioux City, Iowa.
Although born in New Orleans, Haider has deep ties to the Houston area. His family moved to Sugar Land in 2005 and still lives there today.
Haider graduated from the University of Houston’s Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, where he wrote for The Daily Cougar, hosted a program on Coog Radio and completed internships at Houston stations KPRC 2 and FOX 26 before launching his television career.