Mike Landess to sign off from KMGH Channel 7 On Aug. 28 in 10 p.m. newscast. UPDATE: He's back on TV in Texas

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From The Denver Post:





After a half century in the business, and as announced this spring, retiring KMGH anchor Mike Landess will sign off next Thursday, Aug. 28, within the 10 p.m. newscast.

The station plans nightly tributes to his career next week, honoring in particular his steady presence on-air during the Colorado floods, wildfires and Aurora theater shooting.

The five-time winner of the local Best Anchor Emmy Award also won five Edward R. Murrow awards and was a contributor to the station’s Peabody Award-winning wildfire coverage in 2013. He won an Emmy while at WXIA in Atlanta for his live coverage of the bombing of Atlanta’s Centennial Park, and another at WTTG in Washington, D.C., for 16 hours of live coverage after the 9/11 attacks.

In a statement released by the station, News Director Jeff Harris said, “7NEWS will miss the warm and wonderful presence Mike has provided each and every night. I am grateful for his service to our newsroom. We are all indebted to him, his professionalism, and his credibility.”

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[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From The Denver Post:



Apparently 50 years wasn't enough for Mike Landess, the recently retired Denver TV anchor. Landess on Monday was back at work, not locally but at Tyler, Texas, CBS affiliate KYTX. “I never really left East Texas, not in my heart,” he said in a post on the station’s website.

The Tyler-Longview market is ranked No. 108 on Nielsen’s list with 270,750 TV homes. (That’s compared to Denver, the No. 17 market with 1,574,610 TV homes.)

The very idea lends credence to the skeptical side of the debate leading up to his departure from KMGH, did he jump or was he pushed (in favor of someone younger, ie. cheaper)?

The word from Landess:
“It was the proverbial aligning of the stars. A full circle opportunity to work where I started out and be close to my 90-year-old mom, three grown daughters and six grandkids in Texas.

“It also is a chance to work for Gannett again* Gannett purchased this station as part of the London Broadcasting acquisition in May. With that purchase and the previous purchase of Belo, Gannett now reaches 84% of the television audience in Texas. Being part of that, and having an opportunity to work with young reporters coming up in the business was too good to pass up.”

Landess and his wife just bought a home in Ft. Collins to be close to family there and plan to buy in Texas as well “and shuttle amongst them all.”

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