For almost half a century, Bob Philips has been traveling back and forth across the state of Texas, recording the stories of the Lone Star State. Then he puts them on TV with the program "Texas Country Reporter."
Kicking off in 1972, "Texas Country Reporter" is the longest-running independently produced TV show in the country. It was started off by a squad of TV news reporters at the CBS affiliate in Dallas, and was so good a rival Dallas station snagged the show. In 1987 a Dallas TV critic called it “the best and most beloved local program in the history of Dallas television.” That same year, it was canceled. Phillips didn’t give up. He started syndicating it himself.
Phillips has written a book about his journeys and his own personal journey: "A Good Long Drive: 50 Years of Texas Country Reporter." It's published by University of Texas Press. Click the audio button at the top of this page to hear his interview with David Martin Davies.
