Shern-Min Chow anchors KHOU 11 News at Noon weekdays, fills in on other newscasts and reports. She joined the station in 1996.
She began her career in journalism as a stringer for Newsweek and has worked at KTRK-TV and anchored at KPRC-TV in Houston, as well as KENS-TV in San Antonio. Chow's awards include the Houston Press Club Award for Best Series, the Texas Associated Press Award for Best Spot Newscast-Producer and an Emmy for the documentary "Hong Kong Under the Dragon."
Shern-Min speaks often to civic groups, schools, churches and other organizations. Over the years, she has made close to 1,000 community appearances. She is currently on the advisory boards of the Asia Society and the Chinese Community center. She has previously served on the boards of SpringSpirit Baseball, the Bo & Stacey Porter Self Foundation, the YWCA, The Houston Ballet, the Chinese Community Center and The Bayou City Medical Center.
A history graduate from Yale University, Shern-Min speaks conversational Mandarin and Shang Hai dialects of Chinese. She has also studied Spanish, French and German. Shern-Min and her husband have two sons. They are new graduates of Rice University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Getting to know KHOU 11 News Anchor Shern-Min Chow
How long have you lived in Houston?
I have lived here full time since 1988
What is your favorite mobile app?
KHOU 11, of course and Amazon.
Where is your hometown?
Sunnyvale, CA. You know it as Silicon Valley.
Do you have any pets?
Two sons and two cats
What is something you wouldn't leave the house without?
I end up leaving the house all the time WITHOUT something I need. My keys and cell phone are essential.
What is your favorite part of working in television news?
Learning something new and getting to share it.
If you could trade lives with someone for a day, who would that be?
My oldest son: to see what he actually does, since he never tells me anything.
What is your favorite movie 2020?
Thanks to Covid, I’ve only seen Tenet in theatres. Streaming: Queen’s Gambit, Dead to Me, Narcos, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Homecoming – I could go on and on.
What are 3 favorite oldie films?
The Sixth Sense, Hitch, Sabrina (the original please)
What are you reading right now?
Last Kings of Shanghai by Jonathan Kaufman
What are your favorite books?
History, Spy action, mystery and comedy. (I refuse to read True Crime stuff. Get enough of that on the job.)
What are your favorite foods?
Chinese, Seafood, CHOCOLATE (caps intentional)
What kind of music do you like?
Classic Rock
Who is your favorite band?
Shakira
What is always in your refrigerator you cannot live without?
Fruit of some kind
Coffee or tea or neither?
I make a special homemade Coffee Frappuccino: fake sugar and flavored creamer and heavy on the milk. It's GOOD!
What is one thing you dream to do?
Host a food travel show. Eat my way across the globe.
What is one thing about you most people might be surprised by?
In the day, I was a pretty good plumber. I fixed running toilets, leaky faucets, etc.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
Someplace with beaches! Costa Rica.
Where was your last vacation?
New York City for the Astros Vs Yankees 2019 ALCS (We won!)
What is your favorite soft drink?
Coke Zero. Treats are Tapioca Drinks and Aguas Frescas (horchatas y sandias got me through 2 pregnancies)
Do you have any siblings?
A younger brother: Patent Attorney. He's the one with a real job!
What else might we like to know about you?
I am the wimpiest anchor ever. I get choked up over sad stories. My co-anchors know the signs and when to come to the rescue.
What is your favorite pastime?
Binging on tv series, watching my boys enjoy eating something I cooked, listening to audio books, writing.
What is your favorite car model?
Anything I don't have to drive!
Who is your hero?
We meet heroes everyday in this business. Usually, it's the everyday heroes that inspire you the most because that's something you can follow in your life.
Did anyone inspire you in your life?
Actually, most people do. The terminally ill teenage US PFC who looked at me clear eyed and said “Tomorrow is promised to no man." He passed shortly afterwards, at 19. The fellow reporter whose parents adopted 10 racially diverse children. The producer who lived in a car as a child after his dad left their family. The girlfriend who is pulling her life together after her 4 year old accidentally drowned. The wife who’s Covid hospitalized husband was in a coma for weeks. Every day, she wrote him 2 letters, each morning and night, and prayed under his window at sunset, until he died. It's true. EVERYBODY has a story. All you have to do – is listen.