Channel 4 has hired this guy from Tulsa to be their news director…

Back in January, we let everyone know that Mary Ann Eckstein was stepping down as the news director at KFOR Newschannel 4. The report came as a shock to many. Mary Ann had been with KFOR for 33-years; long enough to remember when Mike Morgan wore regular ties, the Ogle men were just the Ogle boys, and Gene Wheatley had a farm report.

Via NewsBlues.com, we've learned that KFOR has hired Carlton Houston from KTUL 8 in Tulsa to be Mary Ann's replacement. Here's his Twitter profile pic along with the NewsBlues story:

Carlton Houston, who worked his way up through the news ranks as a reporter and anchor to become news director at Allbritton's KTUL-8-ABC in Tulsa (Market #59), starts May 28 as news director at Local TV's KFOR-4-NBC and KAUT-43-MyTV in Oklahoma City (Market #41).

He replaces Mary Ann Eckstein, the longtime vice president of news at KFOR, who unexpectedly resigned in January, ending 33 years at the station. Natalie Hughes and Steve Johnson have been filling in as co-interim news directors during the selection process.

Houston is a RTDNA board member for Oklahoma and Texas.