Mike McGuff on KTRK 13's Good Morning Houston 1987

Why did I want to work in TV news? I'm sure this 1987 appearance of mine on KTRK 13's Good Morning Houston was part of the reason. Take a look at Jan Glenn and Don Nelson in action!

McGuff out, '70s Dominique Sachse in

After writing this blog for almost seven years, I am going to take a little break.

But plenty of posts will still be coming. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, make sure to friend me on Twitter, Facebook, Facebook page, Google+ or Tumblr for more media news when I start rolling again.

And just because I get such a spike in readership every time she is mentioned, here is KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse (without fiance and businessman Nick Florescu this time) going back to the 70s.

Copyright © 2012 Michelle Watson. All rights reserved.

See more of the Sachse photo session.

Culturemap says the reason Sachse went back in time was to help promote Lester and Sue Smith's Feb. 4 benefit for Texas Children's Cancer Center.

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Bo Chase is now helming the wakeup shift on 98.9 FM Austin’s Greatest Hits, a station focused on oldies from the 1960s and ’70s. He debuted today in the 6 to 10 a.m. timeslot.
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Where has KTRK 13 anchor Sharron Melton been?

Lots of emails coming into this blog asking where KTRK 13 morning news anchor Sharron Melton has been?

Don't worry Melton fans, she will be back. Here is what Melton wrote on her Facebook fan page:

"Sorry I've been away for so long. But, for those of you who do not know I have a painful back injury. As soon as I get past this, I will be back on the air. Thank you to all who have sent words of encouragement and prayers because I really do appreciate it."

Melton is not the only KTRK anchor disappearing from the channel 13 airwaves lately. Longtime anchor Dave Ward injured himself after a fall while heading to the news desk to anchor the 10pm news a few weeks ago. He is currently recovering from surgery.

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(Image courtesy of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto)

Fox 26 KRIV assistant ND Carolyn Mungo leaves station

It was in 2005, that Carolyn Mungo left the glitz and glamour of the Houston TV reporting world an entered the rough and tumble, often political world of TV news management. (That's enough of my noir writing experiment.)

Simply put, Mungo was a reporter at KHOU 11 and moved over to Fox 26 KRIV to be the managing editor about seven years go. In 2009, she ascended to the assistant news director role at the Fox owned and operated station.

I was alerted last Friday that it was Mungo's last day at KRIV.

"I can say I am very excited about my future," Mungo mysteriously told mikemcguff.com.

While Mungo is remaining mum for now, sources tell me her contract and non-compete were up and she is moving on from KRIV. To where, I don't know yet, but I understand she has several opportunities out there.

According to her old channel 11 bio, Mungo started at KHOU in 1999 and picked up a ton of awards while there such as 12+ Emmys, the Texas Associated Press' "reporter of the year" in 2001, a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for best documentary and two Gold World Medals from the New York Film Festival. It says she began her career in Austin and worked in Minneapolis and Phoenix before moving to Houston.

KPRC 2's Dominique Sachse and Nick Florescu's new wedding plans

After the engagemnt of KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse and businessman Nick Florescu was my number one post in 2011 in terms or reader traffic, you know I will follow up on this one. In fact, Sachse is clearly so popular in Houston, that I should be posting about her everyday!

Shelby Hodge of Culturemap is back with an update on the couple's upcoming wedding:

Copyright © 2011 Michelle Watson. All rights reserved.

Yes, Dominique and Nick Florescu will tie the knot in mid-May in Houston, having abandoned the early romantic idea of a wedding in Rome. ( Too many complications with family, children and orchestrating the perfect across-the-Atlantic nuptials.)


They will be wed in a private ceremony, family and intimate friends only, in the Memorial area home of John and Becca Cason Thrash. READ THE REST

Hodge has more details on the ceremony including the DiSanto gown Sachse will be wearing.

KPRC 2 hires Chris Best as assistant ND from KTVT-KTXA

Chris Best via Twitter
@CBS11BestEP

KPRC 2 has hired the Best candidate for its open assistant news director position. Well at least the guy has the Best name.

Chris Best from CBS stations KTVT 11/KTXA 21 in the Dallas-Fort Worth TV market, is taking the Houston TV management gig (I'm sure Chris likes stuff like this as much as I like Crime Dog talk).

According to an internal KTVT memo about his new gig, Best is passionate, very good at breaking news and incorporating technology into the newscasts. It says he has been the driving force behind TXA21 News.

Best joined KTXA as managing editor in 2007 from WKMG Orlando where he was the assistant news director.

Best’s last day in DFW TV will be February 17th. As you might imagine, he is getting well wishes from the Metroplex TV community including former KHOU 11 reporter (now WFAA 8) Jason Whitely.

Best replaces Rick McFarland in the assistant news director role. McFarland is now the senior executive producer in charge of the areas like special assignments, the investigative unit, scheduling and sports.

Best did not get back with me for a comment.

Telemundo Houston KTMD hires Antonio Hernandez for morning news

Former Univision 45 KXLN anchor Antonio Hernandez is returning to Houston TV after a few years out of the industry. This time Hernandez is moving up the television dial to Telemundo Houston KTMD.

"I left Univision almost five years ago because I opened a Real Estate company," Hernandez told mikemcguff.com. "I missed TV and started to produce infomercials and commercials, but that was not enough."

The call back to television for Hernandez came in the form of a new morning show for Telemundo Houston. Hernandez serves as both the morning anchor and assignments director.

"I love the daily contact with our Hispanic Community and the great opportunity I will help to help inform, educate and motivate Houston Latinos every morning," Hernandez said. "I enjoy working on human stories that motivate others to achieve their own goals."

Hernandez told me becoming a TV journalist has been his goal since age 14 while working as a migrant worker in South Texas.

"I would be working the potato and tomato seasons, but my mind would be on my goal of becoming a journalist," Hernandez remembered. "TV was my window to get away from the poor reality I was living, I never lost hope.

"Now I want to take that message to the Hispanic youth of today, 'Never lose hope, never.'"

NBC, the company that owns Telemundo, announced in August it would be adding a local version of Buenos Dias Houston by January 2012 featuring a format modeled on Buenos Dias Los Angeles” The format includes local, national and world news, weather and traffic reports and special segments tailored to the unique interests of Houston’s Latino community.

The new morning newscast, which is labeled on TV Guide as Noticiero Telemundo Houston, just started this Monday. It runs from 5 to 6am.

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KTRK 13's Bob Allen emptying his TV locker this year

Bob Allen with Laura and Dave Ward

What is Houston sports without KTRK 13 sports director Bob Allen? According to Allen's bio, he's been with the ABC station since 1974 (it also says he has the longest tenure of any major market sports anchor in the country).

Tuesday night on the channel 13 10pm newscast, we got our first glimpse into a future without Allen helming the Eyewitness Sports desk. That's because Allen told the audience he is leaving KTRK by the end of the year.

"It's something I've thought about for a while and those close to me know that I've been kicking it around for a few years," Allen wrote. "I am not -- repeat -- am not retiring; it's just that after 38 and a half years of sharing Houston's sports news with all of you at this station, and over 40 years of covering Houston sports, I want to do some other things while I can."

Some of those other things he says include possible public speaking, writing a book and possible duties with his alma mater of Stephen F. Austin State University. Overall it appears he wants a change of course, but is not ruling out a future role in television.

Allen actually had expressed some of these wishes to me the last time I saw him a few years ago.

Another thing he told me was a story about his early love of television - a story anyone who has been bitten by the TV bug will appreciate.

Allen told me as a boy he used to ride his bike to the KHOU 11 studios when they were located in the Texas Medical Center. In fact those very studios were just demolished this month. Allen told me in those days security was not what it is today and he could basically walk in, observe and learn. Clearly that education paid off considering his tremendous television career.

One thing Allen can always fall back on is his movie acting.

Naturally thoughts of Bob Allen lead to longtime anchor Dave Ward. As you probably know, Ward injured himself after a fall while heading to the news desk to anchor the 10pm news more than a week ago. He is currently recovering from surgery.

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Mix 102.9 KDMX lands Khloé Kardashian Odom

Mix 102.9 KDMX in Dallas has just landed a big asset for its mid-day lineup. That's right, new Dallas resident Khloé Kardashian Odom. She's in the Metroplex because her husband, Lamar Odom, is a recently traded Dallas Mavericks player now.

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment’s MIX 102.9 – KDMX -FM announced today that, Khloé Kardashian Odom will be the newest member of the on-air staff. The Mix Up with Khloé Kardashian Odom on MIX 102.9 takes over DFW from 12 noon – 1 pm CST starting Monday, January 30.

The Mix Up with Khloé Kardashian Odom on MIX 102.9 is a daily, one hour, commercial free show where Khloé will take requests, chat with her celebrity friends and more, during Mavs season while she's with her husband. “Khloé has the perfect mix of personality and sincerity that will fit right in on MIX 102.9,” stated Operations Manager, Patrick Davis.

Khloé, star of, ‘Khloé & Lamar’, ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’, co-designer of Kardashian Kollection and other projects will now add daytime radio host in her new hometown of Dallas to her list of credits.

“We embark on a new era where our on-air talent is also an international star,” says Program Director, Jay Michaels; “I am excited to see how this unfolds on-air and the entertainment it will offer our listeners.”

“I have always loved doing radio! The best part is connecting with the callers and I'm so excited to get to know the Dallas audience,” stated Khloé.

In addition to her new role in Dallas as hostess of The Mix Up with Khloé Kardashian Odom on MIX 102.9, you can find Khloé active in her different business ventures, engaged in her charity work and filming.

Tune in Monday, January 30 at 12 noon for the debut of The Mix Up with Khloé Kardashian Odom on MIX 102.9…..the voice that will become DFW’s source of entertainment.