Don Teague suddenly exits FOX 26 KRIV
Mike McGuff: So you started in TV news in Texas (KFXK-TV then KLMG-TV in Longview, Texas.), have you been itching to come back? Where are you originally from?
Don Teague: I've been based in Texas as a network correspondent since 2005. I love Texas, and perhaps more importantly, my wife and daughters love Texas. It has been my goal for the last couple of years to return to local news, and I'm thrilled such a great opportunity came up in Houston. I grew up in Los Angeles, but my parents are Texans, so I was raised as a Texan (who surfed...poorly).
MM: What will it be like for you to transition back to local TV news from the networks?
DT: I'm looking forward to having a better relationship with my cell phone. As a network correspondent, when the phone rings it means dropping everything and racing to the airport. It's an exciting life, but very difficult for a family. Last year I flew more than 100 flights...missing school plays, anniversary dinners, and birthdays. I loved the job, but I also love local news...and Houston is a great city.
MM: Tell us about your book "Saved By Her Enemy."
DT: "Saved By Her Enemy" is the true story of a young Iraqi woman named Rafraf Barrak. She worked as an interpreter for NBC News in 2003 and 2004, and because of her work for an American company was targeted for death by insurgents. She and I became friends while working together in Baghdad...a bond that was sealed when we were hit by an IED while working on a story together. The book chronicles our efforts to bring Rafraf to safety in the U.S...where she became a part of my family. My daughters think of Rafraf as a big sister...and while she now lives on her own in Florida, my wife and I still consider her very much part of the family.
Don Teague's bio and video of his work are available here.
Teague will not be the only former network correspondent behind a Houston anchor desk. Others that come to mind are KTRK 13's Art Rascon (CBS correspondent) and KHOU 11's Len Cannon (Dateline NBC).
Also, I blogged how I thought Bob Martin aka "The Accountant to the Stars" could be the next anchor at KRIV. Well he is clearly too busy getting quoted in the New York Times. And when not in prominent papers, Martin also shoots stories in the field at his swanky beach front property! Could he give all that up, plus his big accounting business?
You can find more on Teague's book here:
- Saved by Her Enemy: An Iraqi woman's journey from the heart of war to the heartland of America
- http://www.don-teague.com/
UPDATE FEBRUARY 18, 2016
Don Teague suddenly exits FOX 26 KRIV
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