UT Tyler Radio 99.7 FM is staffed by career, professional broadcasters and journalists with decades of experience providing audiences with entertainment, education, news and the information they need to make informed decisions. Our leadership team includes …
Lorri Allen, General Manger
Lorri comes to UT Tyler Radio after a 30-year career in broadcasting that has taken her on a tour from East Texas to Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Tucson, Phoenix and back to East Texas. Most recently, she worked as the news director at Tyler’s CBS affiliate. During her tenure there, she hired more than 20 on-air reporters, producers and web/social media producers. She also helped coordinate efforts that resulted in the station’s first two Edward R. Murrow regional awards. Lorri has worked as a reporter, anchor, producer, radio host and even a weather forecaster. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin and spending more than a decade in broadcast management, Lorri earned a Master of Mass Communication from Arizona State’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. She’s also attained the status of Certified Speaking Professional, which means she’s proven a “global measure of professional platform competence recognizing top-notch speaking ability and a track record of professionalism and success,” according to the National Speakers Association.
Lorri anchors and reports for special events as well as regular and breaking news coverage.
Jeff Johnson, Director of Operations, Host of The Jazz Bistro
Jeff oversees all programming and technical functions for UT Tyler Radio and UTTylerRadio.org’s on-air and digital components in addition to hosting The Jazz Bistro from 6 to 9 a.m. and at noon each weekday. For more than four decades, Jeff has led radio stations to improved ratings and increased revenues through on-air performance, programming enhancements and technical improvements. Working at the network level and in national-syndication, Jeff has also won seven awards from the Associated Press Broadcasters’ Association, and served with teams that have won four national awards for radio station of the year from broadcast industry associations. Jeff has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on Fox News Channel. He’s spoken as a disability advocate to thousands of people around the country, including speaking to an audience of more than 10,000 on the National Capital Mall in Washington, D.C. Jeff also anchors special events and severe weather coverage, as well as reporting on local and breaking news.
Mike Landess, News Director, Host of UT Tyler Radio Connects
Mike is a seasoned broadcast anchor, reporter, producer, writer and editor whose career began in Tyler radio while he was a high school senior. He’s been honored with nearly two dozen National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmys—five of which were for “Best Anchor” in Washington D.C., Atlanta and Denver. He’s also received six Edward R. Murrow Awards and is in the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame and the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame. Mike is the host of UT Tyler Radio Connects and the primary local news anchor/producer for UT Tyler Radio. He also anchors special events as well as reporting on local and breaking news.