Texas Monthly is pleased to announce that J.B. Sauceda, a popular multimedia chronicler of the Lone Star State, will be the next host of Texas Country Reporter. The acclaimed TV show has explored the state’s back roads for more than fifty years and reaches more than 8.6 million viewers annually.
J.B. will start hosting Texas Country Reporter for the show’s fifty-third season, which will begin airing in September 2024. After Texas Monthly LLC acquired Texas Country Reporter in December 2021, the show’s current hosts, the legendary Bob Phillips and his wife, Kelli Phillips, agreed to continue hosting the television program for a transition period, which is now coming to an end.
“For the past two years, Bob and Kelli have graciously shared the important nuances that shape TCR, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to carry on this cultural treasure’s legacy,” said Melissa Reese, the video and events director for Texas Monthly, who oversees the work of Texas Country Reporter and led the selection committee. “It’s because of this insight that I feel so confident J.B. is the right Texan for the job. He is an empathetic and visual storyteller with a deep love for our state, which he knows border to border. His creative background will make him a strong collaborator as we preserve what Bob and Kelli have built, while expanding TCR’s ambitions and audience.”
Raised in La Porte and now residing in Central Texas with his wife and children, J.B. Sauceda is an experienced video host, photographer, and entrepreneur. The 38-year-old describes himself as “extremely Texan.” In 2011, he launched the social media account Texas Humor, and in 2016, he published Y’all: The Definitive Guide to Being a Texan. On camera, he has hosted segments for the travel show YOLO TX, and he has represented the state in a documentary collaboration between National Geographic and Travel Texas, the state government organization that encourages tourism.
Longtime readers of Texas Monthly might recognize Sauceda as a photography contributor. He is a licensed pilot whose aerial photography of the state’s borders were featured in the magazine in 2017 and became the basis for his second book, A Mile Above Texas.
“My family played a big part in my decision to pursue this opportunity,” Sauceda said. “I grew up watching Texas Country Reporter and now enjoy watching it with my kids on Sunday mornings. I’m honored to join this program that so many viewers have also welcomed into their homes for years. This is a show that brings people together, and as a proud Texan, I can’t wait to hit the road with the crew and build upon that legacy.”
That five-person crew of video producers, photographers, and editors will continue to work for Texas Country Reporter. The crew members were deeply involved in the selection of the new host, informed by their duty to preserve the qualities that makes TCR unique: its big-hearted storytelling and love for the back roads of Texas.
In the months before the show’s fifty-third season premiere, viewers will be introduced to J.B. across TCR’s social media platforms. Until then, fans of the show can continue watching Bob and Kelli during Season 52, which is airing now through August 2024. Episodes are available on 26 network broadcast stations across Texas and nationwide on the RFD-TV cable network.
Additionally, the recently redesigned Texas Country Reporter website is now home to all episodes from the previous two seasons. Additional episodes will be published over time. Viewers can visit tcr.texasmonthly.com to browse available episodes, find showtimes, and search the show’s historical catalog.
For more updates on the host and new seasons, sign up for the TCR Dispatch here.
