The Texas Historical Records and Publicans Commission (THRAB) has awarded UNT Library Advocacy Board member Brian Hocker the prestigious Advocacy for Archives Award. This award acknowledges an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to ensure the preservation and availability of the historical record of Texas. Brian was presented with the award during a ceremony in Dallas on October 17, 2025.
Brian was nominated for this award in recognition of his extraordinary and visionary efforts to preserve the archive of the first television news station in Texas (NBC/5/KXAS- formerly, WBAP-TV), and to ensure that the archive is made widely and freely accessible to the public.
Brian Hocker, serving as Vice-President for Digital Media Production and Research at NBC5/KXAS, recognized the need to preserve the news station’s archive in 2013. As NBC5 was planning to move from their long-standing home on “Broadcast Hill” in Fort Worth to a new headquarters near DFW Airport, Brian recognized the urgent need to find a repository willing to accept the large archive of news footage which had accumulated in the basement for six decades. After identifying UNT Special Collections as a potential home for the archive, Brian took unprecedented action to negotiate a copyright agreement and significant financial contributions from the General Manager at NBC5 and executives at NBC Universal.
Brian retired from NBC5 in 2022, but he continues to support the archive and UNT Libraries. As a member of the UNT Libraries Advocacy Board Brian supports many initiatives within the UNT Libraries, and continues his support of the NBC5/KXAS archive through frequent outreach and community advocacy efforts.
The NBC5/KXAS archive today is a heavily used research collection and supports a variety of television and film projects through footage licensing.
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