A decorated Marine veteran, Broyles had established himself in the world of journalism before he moved into TV and films. After graduating from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and postgraduate studies at Oxford, he went on to become founding editor of
Texas Monthly magazine. Under Broyles' stewardship,
Texas Monthly received four National Magazine Awards and his success led to positions as editor-in-chief at
California and
Newsweek. He had also contributed articles to various publications including
Esquire, Atlantic Monthly and
U.S. News and World Report.
In 1984, Broyles made a return trip