With the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts set to open in three months, WFAA-TV has decided to assign arts coverage as a permanent beat to its longtime movie reviewer and Good Morning Texas regular, Gary Cogill (talking opera with Sister Helen Prejean, left).  Which probably explains his appearance this morning at the Wyly Theatre for the announcement of the Jazz Roots series at the DCPA.

Mike Devlin, WFAA president and GM, is quoted in the press release stating an argument I used to make regularly (and futilely) at the Dallas Morning News:

“Sports teams grab headlines,  however on any given night just as many, or even more people attend a significant number of concerts, movies, theater, museums and other cultural happenings in D-FW than the large athletic events.”

He added, “Performing arts in Texas deserves comprehensive reporting.”

It only took a new, half-billion dollar arts center.  Welcome, gentlemen.