31-03-2025
CBS Austin's Fred Cantú signs off for the last time Monday. How to watch 'Fred's Farewell'
At 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 31, witness history in the making.
Or at least set your DVR for those times and dates on CBS Austin.
That's when Fred Cantú makes his last official broadcasts from a career that spans more than 50 years.
"Today was my last day reporting," Fred Cantú said on Friday. "Monday at 9 a.m., I will be interviewed on 'We Are Austin.' And a special 6:30 p.m. newscast on Monday will be devoted to 'Fred's Farewell.'
More on Uncle Fred: 'Uncle Fred' signs off: Austin broadcast journalist Fred Cantú to retire at age 69
That's right, "Uncle Fred" the journalist known to many viewers by his avuncular nickname, will retire from CBS Austin after 53 years in the broadcast industry, 45 of those years in Austin.
"I want to spend more time with my wife," Cantú, 69, told the American-Statesman in February. "She needs me more these days. My wife is a polio survivor. She's having health issues related to that."
Over the decades, Cantú covered major events such as the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, the Blanco River floods in 2015, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Fred was a serious journalist, loved reporting," said Diane Holloway, former television columnist for the American-Statesman, in February. "It seemed to bother him that so many people thought he was just a jolly curmudgeon: 'I'm not as jolly as people think.'
"He was well-known and well-loved, sometimes to the detriment of his reporting," Holloway continued. "I remember during some horrific freeze, he was on an I-35 overpass doing a story on the terrible road conditions. His mustache was frozen, and his lips barely moved. People kept honking as they drove by yelling, 'Hey, Fred! Get out of the cold!'"
"Everybody thought they were his best friend."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Watch Fred Cantú's farewell on 'We Are Austin,' CBS news Monday
