After 47 years of chasing Houston news, Bill Bishop is hitting the exit. 

Bishop, the longtime managing editor at KHOU 11, announced Thursday that he will retire Friday after nearly five decades in Houston news, including 42 years at the CBS affiliate.

The Emmy Award-winning journalist wrote on X: “Some personal news. After 47 years in Houston news, 42 of those at my home away from home, KHOU, I’m retiring tomorrow. News is in my blood.”

Bishop told Chron the timing simply felt right. “Years ago, my Dad said you’ll know when it’s time. He was right,” Bishop said. “Things just sort of came together.” 

He said he wants to focus more on his health, travel with his wife, who is already retired, and spend more time with their new grandson. 

Bishop said he’ll miss the fast pace and constant interaction of the newsroom, where conversations can shift from breaking news and coverage plans to movies, sports and lunch. 

“I love the vibe in the newsroom. I won’t be able to replace that,” Bishop said. “I’ll miss being on the cutting edge of Houston news. It’s exciting to cover it as it is happening.” 

David Loving, president and general manager of KHOU, described Bishop as “an encyclopedia of Houston history,” whose knowledge of the city extends far beyond the newsroom. 

Over four decades at KHOU, Bishop helped guide coverage of hurricanes, floods, major public safety events, investigations, civic milestones and some of Houston’s biggest sports moments, Loving said. 

“But I think what stands out most is how much Bill genuinely loves Houston,” Loving told Chron. “That comes through in his work. He understands this city, he cares about this city, and he’s passed that same sense of responsibility on to a lot of journalists who have worked alongside him.”

Loving said Bishop also became a constant inside a newsroom where generations of anchors, reporters, producers and leaders have passed through. 

“His institutional knowledge is almost impossible to replace,” Loving said. But he added that Bishop’s biggest legacy may be the journalists he coached and mentored during his career.

Bishop, who has more than 17,000 followers on X, said retirement won’t mean disappearing from social media. Instead, he’s looking forward to more quality time with family, as well as other things he enjoys, like history, movies, photography, the Astros and the Texans. 

“Less stress. Fewer phone calls. More rest. More fun,” he said.