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Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Chauncy Glover's Houston celebration of life


Chauncy Glover's Houston celebration of life will be held this Saturday, November 23, 2024, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. The public is invited.

Glover died earlier this month at the age of 39.  No cause of death has been released for the CBS Los Angeles KCBS 2 - KCAL 9 co-anchor.

Last Saturday, family and friends attended Glover's funeral in Athens, Alabama, where he was laid to rest. His former ABC13 KTRK Houston co-workers also attended his funeral, with Melanie Lawson and Mayra Moreno eulogizing Glover (you can read their emotional tributes through the link).

You can reserve a seat at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church for Glover's celebration of life here.

Donations can be made to his non-profit, The Chauncy Glover Project, to continue its mission of empowering young men.


RELATED
Video tributes from across the US




Sarah Forgany heading to KENS 5 PM shift


Sarah Forgany has been waking KENS 5 San Antonio morning viewers up for over a decade, but that changes next week as the AM anchor will move to the PM shift with the TEGNA station.

Starting Monday, November 25, 2024, Forgany will co-anchor the noon and 4 p.m. newscasts with Audrey Castoreno and the 5 p.m. newscast with Deborah Knapp.

"After waking up at 1:30 a.m. for the last 13 years, I’m smashing that alarm clock and sleeping in a bit. I look forward to being with my daughter, Bella, when she wakes up in the morning," Forgany said in a statement. "I hope our viewers who had breakfast with me all of those years will also be able to join me for lunch and dinner. After having Bella and a recent health scare, I’m grateful for this opportunity to work a more normal schedule where I can focus more on family and my health."

"When Sarah asked whether it was possible to adjust her schedule, we started exploring how that might be accomplished," added Tom Cury, KENS 5 president and general manager.  "She has made a tremendous impact on our morning newscasts, and we look forward to her contributions at 12, 4 and 5 p.m."

She leaves the morning newscast on Friday, November 22.

Forgany joined KENS 5 in April 2010 from KLFY News 10 Lafayette, Louisiana.

The University of Houston grad started her broadcasting career with News24Houston and ABC13 KTRK.



Tuesday, November 19, 2024

The TEGNA cuts of 2024


My LinkedIn feed is full of reports of TEGNA's job cuts this week. This makes TEGNA just the latest to have layoffs or buyouts.

Here is the memo from executive vice president and chief operating officer of media operations Lynn Beall, who will depart from TEGNA in mid-2025: 


"Today, we’re sharing that we’re centralizing our marketing team. This team will share the same goals as stations – growing audience and revenue. 

We know this change won’t be easy, but it is a necessary step to becoming more focused, effective and strategic in our marketing efforts. This will eliminate duplication of work and allow us to apply best practices across the entire organization.

The team will oversee key areas including the growth of our stations and audience, digital marketing, consumer insights, community engagement, commercial production and strategic initiatives like sponsorships and sports. This structure will include regional marketing leaders who will oversee multiple stations and markets. We encourage everyone to apply for roles on the new team.

Unfortunately, because not everyone will have a seat in the new structure, we have also created a transition period for marketing employees through mid-January.

We’re very thankful for the hard work and dedication of our marketing teams and the positive impact they’ve made in serving our communities."


NewscastStudio reports that TEGNA is creating seven regional marketing hubs to eliminate hundreds of marketing jobs from its local television stations. 

FTVLive says that more than marketing jobs were also cut.

TEGNA tried to merge with Standard General in 2022, but regulatory pushback killed that effort. So, maybe this is preparation for the next deal.

Just today, TEGNA issued a release stating its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of 12.5 cents per share, payable on January 2, 2025, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 6, 2024.

In Texas, TEGNA owns KHOU Houston, WFAA Dallas, KENS San Antonio, KVUE Austin, KCEN Waco, KAGS College Station, KYTX Tyler, KIII Corpus Christi, KBMT-KJAC Beaumont, KXVA Abilene and KIDY San Angelo.











Marlene Guzmán and Edgar Olivares join Telemundo Houston

Marlene Guzmán


Marlene Guzmán and Edgar Olivares have joined Telemundo Houston KTMD as multimedia journalists (MMJs).  Guzmán started on Monday, while Olivares started in June. 

For two years, Guzmán served as a Texas-based National Correspondent for Televisa-Univision. 

Before that, the native Houstonian worked at Univision 45 KXLN Houston, starting as a producer in July 2016 before being promoted to weekend anchor/reporter in May 2017, a position she held until February 2022. 

Earlier in her career, she was an anchor/producer for Entravision’s FOX and Univision stations in Laredo and a national and regional news correspondent for Azteca. 

Guzmán's broadcasting journey began in December 2014 at CBS Radio Houston, where she worked as an on-air personality and board operator for Mega 101 KLOL.

The University of Houston grad reported for the school’s El Gato Media Network.

A bilingual journalist dedicated to excellence, Guzmán earned five regional Lone Star Emmy Awards and a National Emmy Award.

"Marlene is an exceptional professional with extensive experience, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome her to our team," said Freddy Oldenburg, KTMD Vice President of News. "Over the last decade, she has built an impressive career across several major media outlets and brings both local roots and a deep understanding of our community."


Edgar Olivares



Olivares came to KTMD from Telemundo 23 Salinas, California, where he was an anchor.  

The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara grad previously worked as a morning anchor/reporter/political analyst for Canal 44 Guadalajara Area, Mexico. 

Before that, he was a morning anchor for Grupo Radio Fórmula Guadalajara.




Monday, November 18, 2024

Houston TV anchors celebrate international journalist and bride


Ruchi Mukherjee and Walter Sassard's wedding was attended by a who's who of famous Houston TV anchors, reporters, and a meteorologist.

Mukherjee, the founder of LCAHouston and the publication's International Mother’s Day Awards, had ABC13 anchor Rita Garcia and reporter Pooja Lodhia as bridesmaids. 

Also joining as guests were KHOU 11 morning meteorologist Chita Craft and anchor Rekha Muddaraj, with ABC13 reporters Miya Shay and Mycah Hatfield. No matter the Houston TV channel, they danced to Bollywood tunes in traditional saris. 

The wedding and incidental Houston media event occurred on November 3, 2024, at the Bryan Museum in Galveston, Texas.





Since arriving in the U.S. in 2002, Mukherjee has also worked as a correspondent for The Statesman and Times of India. Sassard, a New York transplant since 2013, currently serves as a Lieutenant at the Magnolia Fire Department.

The couple's relationship faced a challenging period when Sassard sustained a work injury that required a lengthy five-month recovery. Mukherjee's unwavering support during this challenging time strengthened their bond. Together, they have navigated the demands of their careers and the challenges posed by the pandemic, demonstrating the resilience of their partnership.

"As a little girl, I always believed in having a true partner to travel with, to work together, experience things and someone who will truly understand my passion for fashion, my culture and journalism," Mukherjee told mikemcguff.com.   "The evening was a fairy tale because I finally found a true partner who cherishes all that and to see the entire Houston community and my fellow journalist TV friends who whom I have experienced not just a professional but personal journey dance on the tunes of Bollywood in sari was a dream. The venue was simply a historic dream."

The couple honeymooned in St. Lucia.




Saturday, November 16, 2024

Chauncy Glover funeral service had ABC13 memories


Chauncy Glover's family, friends, and television co-workers celebrated and remembered him at his funeral service Saturday in Athens, Alabama, at the Lindsay Lane Baptist Church.


RELATED
Tributes from across the US


Glover, 39, former ABC13 Houston KTRK anchor and current CBS Los Angeles stations KCBS 2- KCAL 9 co-anchor, died in early November.  No cause of death has been released. CBS Los Angeles live-streamed Glover's funeral service for the world to see.

His ABC13 KTRK Houston work family members, including Melanie Lawson, Mayra Moreno, David Tillman, Erica Simon, Rosie Nguyen, Briana Conner, and Elita Loresca, were in attendance. Former KTRK president and general manager Wendy Granato, now president and general manager of ABC7 KABC Los Angeles, was also there.

Moreno and Lawson participated in the service, giving emotional remembrances of the former television anchor that let the rest of us know the person he was off camera.


Moreno celebrated Glover for their special bond as an anchor team:


"For eight years, Chauncy and I sat side by side delivering the news, but he was so much more than a co-worker. He was a friend, my confidant, my partner in crime. We were, as many would say, two peas in a pod. When you saw us on TV, we had our little routine. We had matching outfits and matching energy. And boy, did people think we were married. So to this day, if you Google his name, the top search is are Chauncy Glover and Mayra Moreno still married.


 Over the years we bonded because we grew together as a team. We started weekend mornings getting to the station at three in the morning. And boy, was that so rough. We would say this is temporary. One day we'll go Monday through Friday, which we did. And we launched the station's first 3:00 newscast in the city. And that was just the beginning. On days when he was low on energy, he was like, boo! I'm gonna need you to carry this newscast today. And I was like, I got you. On days when I was low, I said, boo. It's been a week. He already knew what to do. We cared about our product. And everything that people saw on screen was real. We knew how to roll with the punches at work, with breaking news or last minute changes. We could finish each other's sentences. And if my hair was off, he would fix it. If his forehead was shiny, I would tell him.


One time, a button from his suit popped out and he was like, Myra, I'm gonna need your help, girl. And there I was, trying to figure out how am I going to get his suit together, y'all. I had a safety pin and getting him together during a commercial break, trying to count down the time. He was mind blown, y'all. I told him, baby, I'm a Mexi-CAN. 


When he left for L.A. it was bittersweet. I wanted him to get that dream job, that big time TV market. But I also knew that meant breaking up the team. I joked with him saying, you're going to miss this Mexi-CAN. And sure enough, he did. And it felt so much recently when I would get a message from him simply saying I miss you, or texting a picture of us from back in the day and I would simply text him, I miss you too, boo! Since I heard about Chauncy's passing, his laughter, his smile, and his bright, joyful spirit have been on my mind constantly. Those memories, the way he could light up a room with a single joke or just a kind word, are all the things that I'm going to hold close to my heart. I take comfort in knowing that he is now at peace, embraced by God's love. I trust that he's in a place where laughter never fades and joy never ends. Until we meet again."



Here is a portion of how Lawson remembered Glover joining ABC13 KTRK:


"He was such an amazing man. He taught us how to live life to the fullest and love people to the deepest. Chauncy was born to enrich the lives of others. He made us all feel like his best friend. And as I listen to everybody else talk clearly, he learned it right here. We come to you from a city now in grief. Houston is mourning the loss of Chauncy Glover. I'm a Houstonian. I've worked at the station longer than Chauncey's been alive, if you do the math on that. Um, but I have to tell you, I've never seen so many people in such grief so devastated by the loss of a single person, including so many who never met him in person but felt like they knew him because we all saw Chauncey on screen, was just like Chauncey in person. He adopted Houston and we adopted him. 


I was so blessed to get a chance to meet him on the first day, thanks to our former president and general manager, Wendy Granato. Wendy. Stand up, if you would. Just so we can see you. Wendy came to me and said, I'm interviewing this guy. We really want him to come here. He's got a lot of other offers. So close the deal for me. Melanie and I thought, close the deal, but it wasn't hard. We got a chance to sit down and talk for almost an hour, and by the time he left, we were already family. I have to thank Wendy for being so smart.


That was Chauncey's M.O. He was the new kid, but suddenly he knew more about the station than any of us. Within weeks, he knew everybody in town from the mayor, half of the Congress people to barbers and bus drivers. Right. That was Chauncey. He saw everyone as the same, and everyone was part of his family."





 

Investigative Reporting 101

Friday, November 15, 2024

Daniella Guzman takes on TV consultants

Daniella Guzman


Daniella Guzman, the KPRC 2 Houston evening co-anchor, took to social media to take on the TV image consultants:


"I’ve worked as a TV news, anchor and reporter for about 20 years now and these are some of the things that image consultants and talent coaches have told me throughout my career. 

There are no hard feelings. Yes, it was sometimes hard to hear, but I know the intention was to make me better in many ways. I have received opinions, criticism, feedback and unsolicited comments about how I look, about my hair, about how I sound, about how I pronounce something, how I laugh, how I sit, how I stand, even how I breathe. 

Everyone had an opinion, and everyone still has an opinion, and most are not shy to communicate that to me. Sometimes in a very sweet way and sometimes in hurtful and rude ways. After all these years, I realized I’m never going to make everyone happy, so I seek peace for myself and my own approval because I am confident in my skills, my knowledge, my experience… and for that...I am grateful."


Anyone who has ever worked in TV news just let out a collective cheer for Guzman's sentiments. However, according to the post, her television viewers could be harsher than the professional experts!


WATCH HERE



Jessica Gonzalez moves to KFOX evenings

Jessica Gonzalez


Jessica Gonzalez moved to the KFOX14 El Paso evening co-anchor shift from mornings in late October 2024.

Gonzalez takes the seat left vacant by Liz Dueweke.

Here is what Gonzalez posted on social:


"I cannot tell you how proud and lucky I am to have been part of this morning crew for the last 6 years. 


Know that everyone here is passionate about what they do. Each one has a talent of their own. 


Four hours of news on the zombie shift is not easy and they do it effortlessly. 


Starting Monday, you can catch me on the anchor desk alongside my friend and co-worker Robert Holguin. See you at 5 and 9! Alexa, turn off my 2 a.m. alarm."


So now Gonzalez will be in primetime with Holguin and meteorologist Brad Montgomery at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. This is quite a schedule change from her previous 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. shift!

In 2014, Gonzalez joined KFOX14 as an assignments editor and later became a KFOX14/CBS4 digital content producer. 

Gonzalez jumped into the on-air world in 2018 as a KFOX morning traffic anchor before starting to co-anchor the AM news when John Purvis was there.

Before KFOX, Gonzalez worked at ESPN in Connecticut in the production department for SportsCenter, Monday Night Football, and Sunday Night Baseball.

She previously worked for Noticias 26 Univision El Paso KINT's morning show.

An Irvin High School and New Mexico State University graduate, Gonzalez anchored for NMSU's student-run newscast News 22.





Thursday, November 14, 2024

Where is Shara Fryer?


740 KTRH listeners have emailed me asking about the whereabouts of "Houston's Morning News" anchor Shara Fryer. They say she has not been on-air lately, and no explanation has been given.

I found that Fryer's image and social media links have been removed from the KTRH website's morning newscast page. However, she is still listed in the text field along with co-anchor Jimmy Barrett, whose photo remains online.

On Tuesday morning, I emailed my official KTRH contact and Fryer.  I have not heard back from either yet.  

I did point out to KTRH that Fryer is still listed in the text field, and so far, after my email, her name has remained. This could mean she is still involved with the show in some way.

Listeners' nerves are a little high with the recently reported IHeartMedia layoffs nationwide. As I have blogged, two people have been laid off from the Houston cluster.

Fryer joined KTRH in September 2012 with then-host Matt Patrick.

Before transitioning into her new radio career, Fryer spent over 25 years in TV with ABC13 KTRK Houston, co-anchoring with Dave Ward

In addition to anchoring, Fryer earned many honors for her reporting and long-form coverage in her EMMY award-winning "IN FOCUS" documentaries and "Up Close and Personal" interview segments with everyone from US presidents to foreign heads of State.

Fryer was recently honored with the Dave Ward Excellence in Media Award at the 2022 Crime Stoppers of Houston, Houston Heroes Award Luncheon.

Before joining Channel 13 in Houston, Fryer built her career across Texas at television stations like KSAT 12 San Antonio, KVUE 24 Austin, and KLRN Austin.

Fryer is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, has been honored as a Woman of Distinction by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, received the Ben and Julie Rogers Ecumenism Award from the Anti-Defamation League of Houston, the Community Builder Award from the Grand Masonic Lodge of Houston, and has been recognized by the governments of Japan and Israel for her efforts toward international goodwill. She has also served as the Director of the World Affairs Council of Houston. 

A cancer survivor, she has dedicated much time to cancer outreach initiatives and established the Shara Fryer Cancer Research Fund within the Department of Surgical Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.