- Mike Barz
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Mike Barz (born Michael Barszcz, April 9, 1970) is an American broadcaster and weekday morning news anchor at WAWS-TV and WTEV-TV in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a morning news anchor at WFLD-TV, the Fox affiliate in Chicago, Illinois from 2007-2009.[1][2]
Contents
Early life and education
Michael Barszcz was born in Los Angeles to a military family. He moved to the Midwest to attend Indiana University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1993.[3]
Professional career
Early in his career, Barz adjusted his surname and began working as a news anchor at WHBF-TV in Rock Island, Illinois and at WLUK-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he worked as a feature reporter and anchor.[4] Barz left WLUK in 1998 to come to Chicago to take a job at WGN-TV as its weekday morning sports anchor, joining a morning news team with a controversially comedic bent.[5]
In early May 2005, Barz received an early release from his contract at WGN-TV to become a full-time feature contributor at ABC News' Good Morning America (GMA).[6] Barz anchored the GMA's weather segment after Tony Perkins' departure from the show in 2005 until September 5, 2006 when he was succeeded by Sam Champion.
In March 2007, Barz returned to Chicago as a co-anchor of WFLD-TV's "Fox News in the Morning," working alongside co-anchors Tamron Hall and David Novarro.[7] Novarro subsequently was moved to a different WFLD newscast, and after Hall joined MSNBC in New York, Barz received a new co-anchor, Jan Jeffcoat, in June 2007.
In July 2010, Barz was hired as a weekday morning news anchor at two stations in Jacksonville, Florida.[8]
Misconduct allegations and termination
In September 2007, Barz was pulled off the air for two days[9] after his bosses investigated a complaint involving after-hours antics at a nightclub, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "While attending a going-away party for a production assistant the previous Friday night, Barz was seen with a female staffer engaged in what was described as 'dirty dancing'", wrote the Sun-Times' Robert Feder. "The staffer has not been identified."[10]
On July 15, 2009, Barz was fired from WFLD -- where he was reported by the Chicago news media to have been earning $500,000 a year -- after a female news anchor at the station alleged that Barz had hugged her inappropriately and made her feel uncomfortable while about two dozen station staffers attended an offsite going-away party on July 10, 2009[11] for outgoing WFLD reporter Margaret Shortridge, whose contract was not renewed.[12] The move essentially voided the remaining eight months left on Barz's contract.
Barz called the episode "a fabricated story" and told former Sun-Times columnist Robert Feder that he is taking legal action aimed at reinstatement and back pay.[13] On July 15, 2010, Feder reported that the female news anchor who had complained was Robin Robinson.[14]
Personal
He married former WFLD-TV reporter Tera Williams (aka Tera Barz) in April 2010, who is also his current co-anchor at WAWS.
References
- ^ "Mike Barz out at WFLD". Chicago Tribune. July 22, 2009. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/07/mike-barz-out-at-wfld.html.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Feder, Robert (September 29, 1998). "WGCI-AM is switching from dusties to gospel". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 45.
- ^ Feder, Robert (September 29, 1998). "WGCI-AM is switching from dusties to gospel". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 45.
- ^ Feder, Robert (September 29, 1998). "WGCI-AM is switching from dusties to gospel". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 45.
- ^ Feder, Robert (March 15, 2005). "WBEZ to spin off full-time music station". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 53.
- ^ Feder, Robert (February 9, 2007). "CSO revises score for WFMT broadcasts". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 51.
- ^ Barz lands at WAWS
- ^ Barz suspended for two days for misconduct allegations
- ^ Feder, Robert (September 11, 2007). "Doing the Fox trot? - Alleged 'dirty dancing' with staffer draws day off for 'Good Day' anchor". Chicago Sun-Times: p. 49.
- ^ "Mike Barz out at WFLD". Chicago Tribune. July 22, 2009. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/07/mike-barz-out-at-wfld.html.
- ^ Barz fights firing from WFLD
- ^ Barz denied allegations which resulted in his firing
- ^ Robin Robinson named as co-anchor who complained about Barz
Categories:- 1970 births
- Living people
- Indiana University alumni
- People from Jacksonville, Florida
- People from Los Angeles, California
- American people of Polish descent
- Chicago, Illinois television anchors
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