Mike Barz
Encyclopedia
Mike Barz 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.
to a military family. He moved to the Midwest to attend Indiana University
, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1993.
in Rock Island, Illinois
and at WLUK-TV
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
, where he worked as a feature reporter and anchor. 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.
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). 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
. 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
.
. "The staffer has not been identified."
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 for outgoing WFLD reporter Margaret Shortridge, whose contract was not renewed. 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. On July 15, 2010, Feder reported that the female news anchor who had complained was Robin Robinson
.
.
WTEV-TV
WTEV-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Florida's First Coast licensed to Jacksonville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter on Hogan Road in the city's Southside section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 6 and in high...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. He was a morning news anchor at WFLD-TV, the Fox affiliate in Chicago, Illinois from 2007-2009.
Early life and education
Michael Barszcz was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to a military family. He moved to the Midwest to attend Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1993.
Professional career
Early in his career, Barz adjusted his surname and began working as a news anchor at WHBF-TVWHBF-TV
WHBF-TV, channel 4, is a television station licensed to Rock Island, Illinois, which serves as the CBS affiliate for the Quad Cities television market...
in Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
and at WLUK-TV
WLUK-TV
WLUK-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Fox River Valley area and Northeastern Wisconsin. Licensed to Green Bay, Wisconsin, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter on Scray's Hill in Ledgeview; the station also broadcasts in...
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, where he worked as a feature reporter and anchor. Barz left WLUK in 1998 to come to Chicago to take a job at WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
as its weekday morning sports anchor, joining a morning news team with a controversially comedic bent.
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
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
' Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
(GMA). Barz anchored the GMA's weather segment after Tony Perkins
Tony Perkins (television meteorologist)
Tony Perkins is an American weather broadcaster best known for his work on ABC's Good Morning America from 1999 to 2005. He currently is the weekday morning weatherman for WTTG in Washington, DC....
' departure from the show in 2005 until September 5, 2006 when he was succeeded by Sam Champion
Sam Champion
Samuel James Champion is the weather anchor of ABC's Good Morning America and weather editor of ABC News.-Early life and education:...
.
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
Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall is a day-side anchor for MSNBC and host of the program NewsNation with Tamron Hall.-Early career:...
and David Novarro
David Novarro
David Novarro is a television news journalist for WABC-TV in New York. He is currently the co-anchor of Eyewitness News 4pm Newscast alongside Liz Cho....
. Novarro subsequently was moved to a different WFLD newscast, and after Hall joined MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
in New York, Barz received a new co-anchor, Jan Jeffcoat
Jan Jeffcoat
Jan Jeffcoat is an afternoon news anchor at WFLD-TV in Chicago. Jeffcoat started anchoring in Chicago on June 2007. She previously hosted WFLD-TV's Good Day Chicago for 3 years which won an Illinois AP award for Best Newscast in 2008. She started anchoring afternoons in August 2010. Before...
, in June 2007.
In July 2010, Barz was hired as a weekday morning news anchor at two stations in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
Misconduct allegations and termination
In September 2007, Barz was pulled off the air for two days 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 FederRobert Feder
Robert Feder is a noted Chicago media blogger who was the TV and radio columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1980 until 2008 and a blogger for Vocalo.org from 2009 until 2010...
. "The staffer has not been identified."
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 for outgoing WFLD reporter Margaret Shortridge, whose contract was not renewed. 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
Robert Feder
Robert Feder is a noted Chicago media blogger who was the TV and radio columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1980 until 2008 and a blogger for Vocalo.org from 2009 until 2010...
that he is taking legal action aimed at reinstatement and back pay. On July 15, 2010, Feder reported that the female news anchor who had complained was Robin Robinson
Robin Robinson
Robin Carolle Robinson , known professionally as Robin Robinson, is a longtime Chicago television news anchor who is currently one of the two principal news anchors at WFLD-TV in Chicago...
.
Personal
He married former WFLD-TV reporter Tera Williams (aka Tera Barz) in April 2010, who is also his current co-anchor at WAWSWAWS
WAWS is the Fox-affiliated television station for Florida's First Coast licensed to Jacksonville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter on Hogan Road in the city's Southside section. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 10 and in high...
.