Mike Barz (born Michael Barszcz, April 9, 1970) is an American broadcaster and a former news anchor at WFLD-TV, the Fox affiliate in Chicago until July of 2009. ^[1].

Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Professional career 3 Misconduct allegations and termination 4 Personal 5 References

[edit] Early life and education

Born in Los Angeles to a military family, Barz moved to the Midwest to attend Indiana University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1993.^[2]

[edit] Professional career

Early in his career, Barz worked 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.^[5] Barz also anchored the Good Morning America 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.^[6] 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.

[edit] Misconduct allegations and termination

In September 2007, Barz was pulled off the air for two days^[7] 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."^[8]

On July 15, 2009, Barz was fired from WFLD -- where he had 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^[9] for outgoing WFLD reporter Margaret Shortridge, whose contract was not renewed.^[10] The move essentially voided the remaining eight months left on Barz's contract.^[11] 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.^[12]

[edit] Personal

Barz is divorced from his first wife, Marisa, and has three children. He currently is engaged to WFLD reporter Tera Williams and is planning to wed her in April 2010.^[13]

[edit] References