Until fairly recently, news anchors in the Houston market tended to stay in their jobs until full fossilization had set in. Nowadays they seem to change faces quicker than a channel-surfing dude switches channels. Which means Gina Gaston, who was once an utter newcomer, is now a reassuring longtime presence. She's paired with the ultimate anchor survivor, Dave Ward, and neatly balances his tendency toward Ted Baxter-ism with a welcoming warmth. Gaston knows the town well and conveys a professional, smooth presence on the air, even as she sometimes has to deal with the more outrageous ratings-bait that editors come up with. Here's hoping she never gets caught up in the change-anchors-every-month trend.