marvin zindler of houston’s KTRK has passed away.  it’s hard to imagine an eyewitness news program without marvin zindler.  he’s been a part of channel 13’s newscast since i was a child.  always an advocate for the poor and elderly (”it’s HELL to be poor!”), he will be missed :(

Marvin Harold Zindler (August 10, 1921 - July 29, 2007) was an iconic and influential American television news reporter for Houston television station KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas, USA. His hard-hitting investigative journalism, through which he mostly represented the city’s elderly and working class, made him one of the city’s most influential and well-known media personalities.

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Zindler made local and national headlines when he closed the Chicken Ranch in Fayette County, Texas, near La Grange, after he made a news report on it in 1973. The Chicken Ranch story was featured in two 1974 issues of Playboy magazine, was the basis for the Broadway and film musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and served as the basis of the song La Grange by ZZ Top. The closing did not go well with the Sheriff of Fayette County, who later attacked Zindler in a fight that left Zindler with two fractured ribs.

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Zindler was also famed in Houston for his self-described Rat and Roach Report, where he read details from his controversial City of Houston Food Inspection Program restaurant reports on the air. These reports conclude with restaurants that were reported to have slime in their ice machines, which is referred to on the air by Zindler as ”Sliiiime in the Ice Machine!”. Hundreds, if not thousands of restaurants in Greater Houston have made at least one appearance on his reports. Ironically, KTRK-TV’s own commissary was cited on one occasion.

Zindler’s Rat and Roach Reports were traditionally broadcast on Friday nights live during KTRK’s 6 p.m. newscast and rebroadcast later during the station’s 10 p.m. newscast.

* The worst of the worst resturants in his Rat & Roach report were mentioned in the last segment of the report, with the intro, ”an’now an’now an’now for the big big big big big big S!”, going off to name the restaurants....
* After the reports concluded, several Marvin Zindler “clones” popped from the ice, shouting ”And what did they have? All together, gang!” before a graphic sequence came in, along with Zindler’s voice over, ”Sliiiiimmmee in the Ice machine!”. A funk chorus later sang ‘He said “Slime in the ice machine!”’ afterwards.
* Usually, when the live shot went back to Zindler after the report, he would say, “Most of those restaurants have since corrected their problems. Have a good weekend, good golf, good tennis, or whatever makes you happy...” before signing off.

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Zindler’s reports on KTRK also included international stories, many involving trips to various third-world countries, segments in which local business owners (known as Marvin’s Angels) provided services to a less fortunate person in dire financial or physical health, and stories focused on the elderly, including nursing home abuse reports that are similar to his trademark restaurant reports. On his Friday reports, Zindler had also reported birthday and wedding anniversary greetings on air, usually involving those celebrating their 100th birthday or at least a 50th wedding anniversary. The station has stated that over 100,000 requests for help from Zindler were received yearly. In choosing stories, Zindler focused on two factors, neediness and chance of success. While low income was a key factor, being selected for a story had more to do with an injustice than with income.

Marvin Zindler’s trademark signoff at the end of each report was, nearly shouting: ”Marvin Zindler..... Eyyyyyewitness News!” To which the anchor, usually longtime KTRK newscaster Dave Ward, calmly replies “Thank ya, Marvin”.

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