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KTVT 11 gets Lisa Pineiro as anchor
CBS OandO KTVT Dallas (DMA 5) announced that Lisa Pineiro will co-anchor the CBS 11 News This Morning with Scott Sams weekdays from 4:30 to 7 a.m. beginning Oct. 28.

Much-missed Buffolino returns to mornings
Early birds, rejoice! At long last, the popular Vicki Buffolino is back on KENS this week next to Fred Lozano.

San Antonio viewers weigh in on newscasts
Things San Antonio anchors do that annoys the viewers.

WFAA faces off with KHOU again after Cowboys win
The WFAA Daybreak staff faces off with KHOU once again after the Cowboys win over the Texans.

Monitoring Signals With ATSC USB Tuners
If you are geeky enough to understand that title, then you should love the article.

“Lone Star” pulled from Fox schedule
“Lone Star,” Austinite Kyle Killen’s Texas-filmed and -set drama about a reluctant oil swindler with two wives, has become the first casualty of the fall television seas

Belo stations to start airing Live Well HD
ABC said the Dallas-based station group had agreed to add the network to subchannels on five of its major market station.

Deadliest Catch Captains, Including Sig, Quit the Show Over Lawsuit
The Deadliest Catch stars and captains of the deep-sea power scow Time Bandit, announced Tuesday that they’re leaving the hit series. (thanks Michael)

RELATED
- KUBE-TV channel 57 Houston programming schedule
- KTRK 13 steals Alex Radow from KIAH 39
- 39 KIAH Newsfix - what’s the latest?
- VIDEO: Fox 26 KRIV spray paint Simpsons TV promo
- It’s KCBS 2 for Fox 26 KRIV’s Sibila Vargas
- KIAH 39 producer Travis Sattiewhite is CNN bound
- Dr. Oz drops by KPRC 2 to visit Jennifer Reyna?

> Mike McGuff Blog

The Houston Press Best of Houston 2010 edition is out. GO CHECK IT OUT

The highlights for those who read this blog include:

Best Radio Talk Show
Partisan Gridlock, KPFT

Best Flack
Norm Uhl, HISD (He’s great, worked with him off and on for years for stories)

Best Weathercaster
Casey Curry, KTRK abc13

Best Local TV Talk Show
InnerVIEWS (Ernie Manouse knows the art of the interview for sure)

Best Radio Station
103.7 FM

Best Local Blog
Swamplot (I predicted this one)

Best Local TV News Reporter
Mark Greenblatt — KHOU (anyone reading this blog sees the amount of awards he brings in)

Best Radio Host (Talk)
Michael Berry — KTRH (the Press attacks him during the year, but then gives him the best usually)

Best School - 2010
T.H.Rogers
Since I attended the school, I had to make a note. Congrats principal David Muzyka!

> Mike McGuff Blog

Yes, I recently said I only allow food promotion on this blog as long as their is some free food offers for the public. However this one caught my eye because it is about dessert and it is at Whataburger (a Texan favorite).

The fast food chain is, for a limited time, offering a Chocolate Brownie Pie featuring warm chocolate brownie filling surrounded by a hot flaky crust for just 99 cents.

The restaurant says the fried pie was first introduced to the Whataburger menu in the late 1950s. Other limited-run pie flavors have included strawberry, cherry and lemon.

Remember, you have till the end of the year to get this at all Whataburger locations. Whataburger should offer these for free for a few hours one day.

> Mike McGuff Blog

I think I’m going to have to make a blog category called ‘KHOU 11 awards.’ Every time I turn about, KHOU is winning something. Now the station is telling me it made television history. How?

For the second year in a row, KHOU won the Outstanding Regional News Story – Investigative Reporting award at the National News and Documentary Emmy ceremony in New York City. This is the first time a local station has received this award consecutively. Last year, KHOU was awarded the prize in the same category for their investigative piece Hiding Homicide. Here is more from the station:

This year’s winning entry is Soldiers at Risk: The Iraq Water Investigation, which originally aired in May 2009. Reporter Jeremy Rogalski, Executive Producer for Investigative David Raziq and Photojournalist Keith Tomshe uncovered how U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and often facing 130 degree heat were given an inadequate supply of drinking water. The investigation discovered that some soldiers were rationed to a half-gallon of water a day for as long as one year. Military guidelines, however, recommend seven times that amount.

Due to these conditions, KHOU’s investigative team found that some soldiers were forced to steal water from civilian facilities in order to survive. Many developed severe medical problems that continue to plague them in civilian life.

Soldiers at Risk has also won a National Headliner Award and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Award.

“Texas and Houston are well represented in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps,” said Susan McEldoon, KHOU President and General Manager. “We stand behind them and are proud to receive national recognition for a story that exposed a preventable, yet potentially life-threatening obstacle to their service.”

“Just as soldiers answer a call to duty, our investigative team answers a call to uncover injustice and, in this case, danger that shouldn’t exist,” said Keith Connors, KHOU Executive News Director. “There is a profound amount of care that goes into this type of investigative reporting and we are humbled to once again be recognized by the Television Academy with this prestigious award.”

Now remember this is the national Emmy awards, not the Texas version. But don’t think the station doesn’t have its eyes on some Lone Star Emmy awards. KHOU is in the running for 56 nominations. The station says that is more than any other station in the state of Texas.

RELATED
Watch Emmy-award winning ‘Soldiers at Risk: The Iraq Water Investigation’

> Mike McGuff Blog

Wow this is creative!

GONZO247 of Aerosol Warfare rocks a ‘Fresh’ mural for the Simpsons on FOX26 KRIV.
Produced by Alex “PR!MO” Luster, Steve Ellis & Craig Chambers
Music by Video Helper.

RELATED
VIDEO: Houston documentary Stick ‘Em Up!’s latest trailer

> Mike McGuff Blog

My Lone Star Emmy wingman, Michael A. Carl, is at it again. I’ve called him the triple threat for a reason (producer/photographer/editor). Forgot to mention how he recently racked up more nominations.

Cross your fingers for him at the upcoming awards ceremony. I will be wrapping myself in tape from an old Beta SP cassette that night in his honor.

After the Trauma: Helping Children Heal
KTRK
Molly O’Connor, Executive Producer
Gina Gaston, Anchor
Michael Carl, Special Projects Producer/Photographer/Editor

Homes for the Holidays
KTRK
Molly O’Connor, Producer
Andre Dorsey, Photographer
Brian Schack, Photographer/Editor
Rebecca Spera, Anchor
Michael Carl, Photographer

RELATED
8th Annual Lone Star EMMY Awards nominations

> Mike McGuff Blog

Taco Cabana is giving away FREE Kiolbassa sausage and egg breakfast tacos on Monday, October 4, from 7-9am at all Texas locations. The offer is valid for dine-in or drive thru; one taco per person.

This free food event is in honor of National Taco Day. I already bought a new suit to celebrate.

Taco Cabana tells me the chain is launching its own version of street tacos - available for a limited time. Here is the description:

Inspired by an actual trip to Guadalajara, the tacos are made with grilled beef, mixed with fresh-cut cilantro and onions, and laid in two 100% corn tortillas. The tacos are served three at a time, just like you would get from the carts on the streets of Mexico, with fresh lime wedges and your choice of salsa to compliment the simple, yet savory flavor.

I’ll admit it, I’ll let marketing messages slide through on the blog if I can post about free food for you.

> Mike McGuff Blog

Here is my story on KIAH 39 News from last Friday. It’s a cool story. Thanks to the hard work of Jennifer Peebles from TexasWatchdog.com, we know the top 5 cell phone wreck hot spots from TXDOT accident report data. No other Houston TV station has covered this that I know of. READ THE STORY

Honestly when I was at KTRK, I would have tried to save this story for sweeps.

http://www.texaswatchdog.com/

> Mike McGuff Blog

Allegedly there is a conspiracy theory that I have been hired at KIAH 39 so the company can leak information to me about Newsfix for my blog. If this is true, then I need to find the leak and get this person talking. And why couldn’t someone from Tribune just email me stuff? Oh well, it looks like I was actually hired to work as a reporter.

That being said, lots of readers email me asking what the heck is going on with Newsfix. I can give you an update, but its from stuff I found online or has been sent to me by people who do not work for 39 or Tribune corporate.

Newsfix has a web page introducing the 15 things the concept is about.  As noted, someone emailed this to me from outside of the station and I don’t even know where to find it on the 39online.com website.

On the hiring front, Newsfix is looking for a Newsfix voice over person:

The New Tribune Company needs a biting and earthy voice to narrate a modern Newsreel style presentation. Think modern day Walter Winchell. Character is far more important than a big “radio voice.” We need POV, attitude and a complete lack of traditional radio in your face hype. More akin to documentary with attitude…and non elitist mass appeal intellect. This experiment in modern Television will happen in Houston and is unlike anything on any media.
Skillful writing and a sense of understanding the pulse of America is good.

In addition to the voice, the station needs a sound designer (I’ve never heard of local TV having a position like this):

KIAH IN HOUSTON will be launching a sound intensive News concept that’ll focus on wide screen sound. Think Soundtrack. It’ll be a combination of recorded music from AC/DC to Zamfir, natural sound, original sound, effects and literally ANY sounds we can gather to better tell our stories.
It would be good if you:
*Have multi genre scope and maybe even encyclopedic of music styles, artist and songs
*Are well versed in today’s sound technologies
*Understand theater of the mind
*Have a knack for matching stunning sound with stunning images and video
*Have no experience in TV. OK—not a deal breaker, but we need someone who thinks more movie or even old time radio than TV.
*Think in stereo
Some musicianship is good but not necessary.

And I leave you with an image of former KIAH news director KyAnn Lewis on the turntables.

> Mike McGuff Blog

!$%# WFAA Dale Hansen Says — how come ABC didn’t think of this sitcom first?
A perceptive Uncle Barky reader notes that ABC — or WFAA8 — might want to counter CBS’ new $#*! My Dad Says with a version starring ever-unpredictable sports anchor Dale Hansen.

KVIA El Paso gets props
It’s “Manhunt Monday” concept is bringing in viewers and ad sales.

Tracy Austin Named Program Director At KHMX
Former 104.1 KRBE program director now head of MIX 96.5 KHMX.

Rangers agree to extension with Fox Sports Southwest
The Texas Rangers have agreed to a 20-year contract extension with Fox Sports Southwest.

FCC approves challenged Texas TV transaction
RBR reports Una Vez Mas Texas Holdings LLC will get the two stations for $24.8M according to terms of a contract filed with the FCC late in 2009.

KRLD-AM going all-news
As of yesterday, 1080 KRLD is going all-news.

Effective Web Site Teases
Effective website teasing is rare in our business, in most newsrooms it is an afterthought at best.

Nick Kosir: The Rapping Weatherman’s San Francisco Gig Is Over
His very quick San Fran stint is over.

KIAH 39 Anything That Rolls host takes on new duty
Jennifer Vogel is now also executive producer

LoneStarTimes.com blog shuts down
Editor explains why he is ceasing publication.

Univision relaunches websites
Univision’s digital division has begun a launch of 72 new online, mobile TV and radio sites in 20 top Hispanic markets nationwide.

Services set for longtime Houston sportswriter
Services for longtime Houston sportswriter Jim Carley, who died Friday at 62, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Miller Funeral Services, 7723 Beechnut.

32% of Media Consumed Daily by African-Americans is from the Internet
According to a new report from The Media Audit, African-American adults spend much more time consuming media from the Internet than any other adult group.

- WFAA and Time Warner have reached a tentative agreement
- Time Warner Cable reaches deal to keep KVUE on air

‘Lone Star’ faces cancellation after one episode
Now 20th Century Fox can claim to have produced both a Death Star and a possibly dead “Star.”

Texas School Asks FCC to Block TWC PEG Move
The McAllen (Tex.) School District has asked the FCC to block Time Warner Cable from migrating PEG channels from analog to digital there starting Oct. 1.

NATIONAL HEADLINES
- Marysol Castro Leaving ‘GMA’ Weekend
- CNN Anchor Don Lemon’s On-Air Revelation
- Bianna Golodryga and Peter Orszag Tie the Knot
- Jeff Zucker to leave NBC Universal
- Management shakeup at CNN
- 2 media companies, 2 bosses exiting

News Anchor Barbie: ‘A flair for journalism — and power pink!’
Astronaut Barbie, Newborn Baby Doctor Barbie and Rock Star Barbie, get ready to answer some tough questions asked by journalist Barbie.

> Mike McGuff Blog