Lindsay Liepman, a news anchor in central Texas, tearfully informed viewers that her co-anchor, Kris Radcliffe, had died.
On Wednesday (October 30), Liepman announced during a live broadcast that Radcliffe had died “unexpectedly” earlier that day. The co-anchors worked for NBC affiliate KCEN-TV in Waco and Temple, Texas.
“This is an incredibly sad day for our KCEN family,” Liepman began the segment, as she discussed her 51-year-old co-worker. “My co-anchor Kris Radcliffe died unexpectedly and we received the news today. Kris sat in the chair right beside me and he was the best, he was simply the best.”
As she spoke about her co-anchor, Liepman’s voice began to quiver before she ultimately cried. She explained to viewers that someone else at KCEN-TV would be taking over the rest of the broadcast for her.
“Funny, genuine and smart, I looked forward to working with Kris every single night and I think you all could tell at home,” she said. “We had fun here. Kris loved this community and never took his role for granted.”
“If I had known yesterday was going to be our last newscast together, I would have ignored the cues to wrap from our producers and just laughed a little longer at all of his jokes. He always has lots of jokes.”
Radcliffe had worked at KCEN-TV for 22 years. Despite all of the work he put into the station over the past two decades, Liepman admitted that there were many aspects to him that viewers at home hadn’t witnessed in person.
“What you don’t get to see on-air is the time spent talking about our families and our group chats,” the anchor continued. “He loved talking about sports and politics. It was important for me to share what he meant to us here at KCEN right now because I know he would have done the same for me.”
She went on to offer her condolences to Radcliffe’s family members, including his wife, two daughters, and two grandchildren whom Liepman said he “always had a story about.”
The anchor then concluded her statement by announcing that KCEN-TV’s sister station, located in Austin, Texas, would be helping them out for the rest of the broadcast. “I simply cannot get through the newscast tonight and I hope you understand,” Liepman said.
“This is a true loss for our community, his family, and I know that he touched so many of your lives in a positive way. I think it was an honor for him to do this job, it was an honor for us to work with Kris,” she concluded.
The station then aired a tribute video to Radcliffe, showing various photos of him working at the station and with his loved ones. KCEN-TV did not reveal his cause of death.
According to the station’s website, prior to his time in Texas, Radcliffe also worked in Nebraska and California. He grew up in a Los Angeles suburb and graduated from California State University at Long Beach. Throughout his time at KCEN-TV, he covered the Baylor Men’s Basketball scandal, the Columbia breakup over Texas, the Lady Bears 3 National Championships, and a Heisman trophy.
“KCEN and the Central Texas community lost a truly wonderful person,” Rob Dwyer, president and general manager of KCEN/KAGS, said in a statement.
“Kris Radcliffe, husband, father, grandfather and anchor for KCEN and the community will be missed. Kris was a kind and generous person who elevated everyone he was around. It is hard to say goodbye.”
