Defender Muy Caliente

KHOU's Eileen Faxas has been a stalwart Defender, Channel 11's consumer-rights champion; lately she's also been co-anchoring the morning news.

Not to mention laying down some hot Latin beats in the recording studio. Faxas, a Miami native, has been busy recording a four-song EP at Sugar Hill studios in Houston. She hopes to shop it around to major labels.

"This is not a project I take lightly," says Faxas, who writes her own material on piano and guitar. "You have to reach a point where it's now or never. Music has truly been my first love all my life. I never stopped loving music or writing songs. Finally I just couldn't figure what other excuse I had for it not to happen."

EP producer Dan Workman calls the effort "Bette Midler goes cubano," but that description makes Faxas cringe. She prefers "a Latin-disco-soul fusion that you can almost always dance to, with a big emphasis on meaningful lyrics." Two of the songs are in English, two in Spanish.

She hasn't cleared her project with news director Mike Devlin (who might have a coronary when he learns Faxas talked with us; he's made clear to others that he's no fan of our weekly efforts). "I believe in freedom of speech, including the freedom to be me," she says.

The EP has no title yet but is scheduled to be released early next year.

Faxas is following a proud KHOU tradition. About 20 years ago, then-anchor Amanda Arnold -- who used to end each newscast with a cheery wave good-bye to viewers -- recorded a country album.

Why stop now? We're guessing weightless anchor Greg Hurst has an inspiring Wyndham Hill collection in him.

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