It isn't every day that a local newsroom goes quiet, but when Kris Radcliffe news anchor for KCEN 6 News passed away, the silence in Waco, Texas, was deafening. If you’ve ever lived in Central Texas, you likely started your day with him or let him wrap up your evening. He wasn't just a guy in a suit reading a teleprompter. Honestly, he was the guy people felt they knew. He was a fixture.
On October 30, 2024, the news broke in the most painful way possible: his co-anchor, Lindsay Liepman, had to announce it live on air. She was visibly shaken. She couldn't even finish the broadcast. It was one of those raw, unscripted moments that reminds you these people are humans first, "personalities" second. Kris was only 51.
The Career of Kris Radcliffe News Anchor
Kris didn't just stumble into the anchor chair. He put in the work. He was a California kid, born in Redondo Beach and raised in Torrance. Baseball was his first love. He actually played at Harbor College and later at California State University, Long Beach. A nasty injury cut the dream short, but that competitive drive just moved from the diamond to the newsroom.
He spent some time in Nebraska and California before landing at KCEN in 2002. For 22 years, he was the heartbeat of that station. He started in sports—which makes sense given his background—but eventually moved to the "Texas Today" morning show for nearly a decade. By the time he moved to the evening slot, he had become the most trusted voice in the region.
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People liked him because he felt real. He won the "Waco Tribune-Herald On-Air Television Personality of the Year" award six years in a row. That’s not a fluke. It’s because he covered the heavy stuff—the West Fertilizer Plant explosion, the Columbia shuttle tragedy, the Fort Hood shootings—with a level of empathy you can't fake.
More Than Just Headlines
What most people don't realize is how much Kris did off-camera. He hosted a segment called "Money Talks" for years, producing over 200 episodes. He was actually a licensed real estate agent with RE/MAX for 15 years too. Basically, he was a guy who never sat still.
He was also a huge family man. He met his wife, Eden, at a local spot called George's in Waco after a softball game. They were married for 18 years. If you followed him on social media or caught his banter on air, you heard about his daughters, Tori and Courtney, and his grandkids, Tate and Wynter. He called his wife a "walking angel." It’s kinda rare to see that level of open devotion in a public figure nowadays.
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What Happened on October 30?
The "unexpected" nature of his passing is what really hit the community hard. There was no long, public battle with an illness. One day he was there, and the next, he wasn't. While the family asked for privacy regarding the specific medical details, the impact was immediate.
Lindsay Liepman’s tribute was gut-wrenching. She talked about how they would joke around during commercial breaks and how he was a mentor to everyone in the building. Another station even had to step in to help KCEN finish their news cycles because the staff was just too devastated to function. That tells you everything you need to know about the man.
A Legacy in Central Texas
Kris Radcliffe's legacy isn't just a list of awards or a collection of Emmy nominations. It’s the way he made a medium-sized market feel like a small town. He wasn't trying to get to a bigger city or a national network. He loved Waco. He loved the Lady Bears' championships and RGIII’s Heisman win. He was one of us.
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If you’re looking for ways to honor his memory or stay connected with the community he loved, here is the best way to move forward:
- Support Local Journalism: Kris believed in the power of local stories. Staying engaged with your local news outlets keeps that spirit alive.
- Contribute to Memorial Funds: The family occasionally suggests specific charities or foundations in his name; checking the KCEN website for updated memorial links is the most direct way to help.
- Share Your Stories: The Radcliffe family has expressed how much the "outpouring of love" has helped them. If you have a memory of meeting Kris or a story he covered that impacted you, sharing it on the station's memorial pages provides real comfort to his loved ones.
The chair at the 5, 6, and 10 p.m. desk might be filled by someone else now, but for a whole generation of Texans, that will always be Kris’s spot. He proved that you can be a professional without losing your soul, and a "news anchor" while remaining a neighbor.