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.

DFW reality TV show follows 'American Pin Ups'

Dallas based network news producer, Derik Lattig (also formerly of KTVT 11 and KTRK 13), tells me he is embarking on a new project and it involves women and reality TV. Sounds like it a winning formula in that world!

It's called American Pin Ups and follows pin-up models and a photographer in Fort Worth:

Safari Productions presents the new original real-life series "American Pin Ups," which follows two Texas pin up models and a photographer who are hoping fame and fortune are just one click away. A “pin up” craze is sweeping the country and this trio hopes their photographs, costumes and attitude will propel them into the national spotlight. The soon to be shot 10-episode half-hour series is currently being shopped to several major Networks.

Each episode of "American Pin ups" dives into the fun but competitive world of retro pin up photography. Watch as these nationally published professional’s juggle their day to day lives and battle for the chance to land a cover or spread in major magazines. The show begins featuring Lorelei Lee and Flossie Carmichael who appear to be everyday wives, moms and homemakers. Appearances can be deceiving though as a phone call can transform this pair into sexy rock and roll gals from days gone by or elegant fur clad models. The man behind the camera is Rene Soliz, who has his own magazine “Delicious Dolls”. He too works to balance his “real job” as an engineer with his love of photography. It’s a rock and roll filled half hour show illustrating the rollercoaster life of a pin up.

From pesky garage workers on location to conflicts with other models to the truly bizarre, these models do what it takes in hopes of reaching the top. The high-stakes race is on as they set out to get that perfect picture, and any setback can cost big bucks.

From shooting in freezing cold temperatures in front of Texas landmarks to dark damp warehouses, no shoot is too hard for these professionals to handle. Lorelei Lee has been featured in numerous magazines, films and commercial TV over the past several years and clearly has a knack for the business. She always manages to keep a smile on her face and makes the best of adverse situations both in front of and behind the camera. Flossie Carmichael may be slightly newer to the pin up world but is no rookie. She’s about as tough and competitive as they come. She has participated in dozens of shoots since 2009. Whether at work in his historic Deep Ellum studio in Dallas or on location Rene Soliz is a true professional whose photographs and magazine have received a lot of attention.

www.Americanpinups.tv

NBC 5 Program Nominated for GLAAD Media Award

NBC KXAS 5 sent me a release about how one of its shows has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award. The station says it is the only local TV station nominated for this national award:

NBC 5’s “NBC 5 Spotlight,” a locally-produced program for and about North Texans, has been nominated by The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for their annual GLAAD Media Awards, which recognize and honor media for outstanding images of the GLBT community.

“NBC 5 Spotlight: GLBT in Texas” is nominated in the Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine category and is the only local television station to earn a nomination among any of GLAAD’s 116 nominees across 25 English-language categories.

The 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media from across the nation for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives.

“NBC 5 Spotlight: GLBT in Texas,” a thirty-minute program, originally aired in February 2011 on NBC 5 and DFW Nonstop, NBC 5’s 24/7 digital channel. The program tells the stories of local people in touching reality: the first Dallas Police Department officer to transition gender during her career with the department; a Fort Worth lesbian couple successfully adopting an at-risk youth into the family; and, a video essay on the Dallas Diablos Rugby Football Club who openly include both gay and straight team members.

NBC 5 anchor/reporter Kristi Nelson hosted and reported in the nominated episode and NBC 5 executive producer Reginald Hardwick produced the program.

The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in New York on March 24, in Los Angeles on April 21 and in San Francisco on June 2.

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Daniella Guzman IS NBC5 WMAQ bound from KPRC 2

Earlier today I blogged how longtime Chicago media reporter Robert Feder was taking time out to report that KPRC 2 weekend anchor Daniella Guzman was getting hired in the Windy City.

Feder reported Guzman would jump to weekday mornings at NBC owned and operated NBC 5 WMAQ:

After more than five years at KPRC-TV in her native Houston, Guzman is the odds-on favorite to succeed Zoraida Sambolin as anchor of NBC 5 News Today. Sambolin signed off last November to join CNN as co-anchor of Early Start with Ashleigh Banfield.

Well Guzman told me earlier this evening the deal is actually done and she is leaving her birth city for the bigger TV market.

"I'll be heading to NBC 5 in March," Guzman told mikemcguff.com. "Opportunity knocked and I opened the door. I will miss Houston very much!"

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KPRC 2's Daniella Guzman to NBC 5 WMAQ???

UPDATE
Daniella Guzman IS NBC5 WMAQ bound from KPRC 2

Longtime Chicago media reporter Robert Feder is reporting that one of our Houston anchors could be going to the Windy City. It's none other than KPRC 2 weekend anchor Daniella Guzman too. Feder reports she's up for the big morning gig at NBC 5 WMAQ.

I know many of my male readers have a crush on her. At least TV stations have websites where you can watch video from afar now.

Here is Feder's report:

Daniella Guzman, a reporter and weekend news anchor from Houston, soon could be the new face of mornings at NBC 5 in Chicago.

After more than five years at KPRC-TV in her native Houston, Guzman is the odds-on favorite to succeed Zoraida Sambolin as anchor of NBC 5 News Today. Sambolin signed off last November to join CNN as co-anchor of Early Start with Ashleigh Banfield.

If all goes as planned, Guzman could start at NBC 5 in early March, insiders said. It’s not clear whether she’ll co-anchor with Rob Elgas or be part of a reconfigured talent lineup from 4:30 to 7am weekdays. There’s talk of shifting Elgas off the morning show to anchor duties later in the day. READ MORE

It seems all I write about lately are posts about Houston TV news people leaving town!

I contacted Guzman, but have not heard back from her yet.

UPDATE
Daniella Guzman IS NBC5 WMAQ bound from KPRC 2

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