Media Buzz | News/views about local media

Newsy tidbits: KVIA's Marin says goodbye, Newspaper Tree ready to launch?

•KVIA reporter and weekend anchor Daniel Marin said goodbye to viewers during his last newscast Sunday evening. Marin will be devoting himself full-time to his band The Royalty, which signed with Victory Records in November.

•Newspaper Tree recently posted a few job listings on its website, a sign that it could be launching soon. It recently announced the hiring of Louie Gilot as publisher, and is now looking for a managing editor, a community editor, an investigative reporter and interns. Gilot most recently was the executive director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and is a former El Paso Times reporter. To view the job listings, visit newspapertree.com.

•Congrats to KINT-Channel 26 reporter Cristina Zapata, who recently gave birth to a baby girl, and KFOX's Martina Valverde, who recently got married in a civil ceremony.

Las Cruces Sun-News building to be demolished

LAS CRUCES - It's been a year since an accidental fire in a storage building effectively destroyed the Las Cruces Sun-News complex at Las Cruces Avenue and Alameda Street.

Now, with asbestos abatement in the 56-year-old former grocery store building complete, demolition is imminent and a new building could be completed before the end of the year, according to Publisher Frank Leto.

After about 30 days to prepare the site, construction will begin immediately and could take up to nine months, Leto said.

"We remain excited about the new building," Leto said, "not only because our employees will have a modern and efficient new office, but because our investment in downtown Las Cruces provides an economic benefit to our community and furthers the long-term goal of downtown revitalization."

Newsroom staff are also looking forward to getting back to work.

To read more and watch video of the fire, click here.

That was fast!: KFOX's Rascon to leave EP for bigger market

KFOX reporter Jacob Rascon, who was just beginning to make strides in covering the court beat, will be leaving the station on Jan. 27.

Rascon has accepted a job as a multimedia journalist for KNBC in Los Angeles. He'll start off at the station's Inland Empire bureau, with the possibility of moving to the station's main office in Burbank in the future.

"This is an big 'get' for KFOX14 and continues our trend of sending our folks to large markets (i.e. Seattle, St. Louis, Dallas, etc.)," KFOX news director O'Hara wrote in an email to the El Paso Times announcing Rascon's departure.

Rascon joined KFOX in April and covered several stories here based off the courts beat. His father is Houston news anchor and veteran reporter Art Rascon.

Celina Avila to take the airwaves in California

Former KVIA reporter Celina Avila will return to the airwaves in the new year.

Avila announced via her Facebook page earlier this week that on Jan. 3, she will anchor the morning and noon newscasts on KESQ, the ABC affiliate in Palm Springs, Calif.

"I'm excited about getting home early to spend time with my boys and continuing to enjoy southern California," Avila wrote on her Facebook page.

El Pasoans will be able to watch Avila's newscasts online at www.kesq.com.

KTSM's Porter leaving next month

KTSM reporter and former weekend anchor Kai Porter will say goodbye to El Paso next month. His last day at the station is Jan. 8.

Porter will be moving to Portland, Ore., where he will be reporting for a news station there. The Santa Fe, N.M. native has been with KTSM for four years.

"I am grateful for all of the opportunities I've had at KTSM over the past four years and I will miss all the wonderful people I've met in El Paso," Porter said. "I'm excited to begin my new job as a reporter in Portland."

On a personal note, I will miss Kai, who has truly been one of the sweetest reporters I've ever come across. It's always been a treat to cover stories alongside Kai because of his personality. Good luck Kai!

Newsy tidbits

•KFOX will start the new year by launching a new hour-long newscast beginning at 5 p.m. weekdays in an effort to get ahead of other local news broadcasts.

 “We asked our viewers and those already watching the other stations.  The message was clear: Borderland news viewers prefer KFOX14’s late night news and they want us at 5 p.m. as well,” said Elizabeth O’Hara, KFOX's news director.  “We’re excited to give viewers what they want in the format they’ve grown to love.”

The new newscast will start Jan. 2 featuring anchors John Purvis and Erika Castillo and chief meteorologist Sandra Diaz. 

“I can still remember when we launched KFOX14 News at Nine,” says KFOX general manager John Witte. "To see our commitment continually growing through newscasts, social media, and media partnerships is a wonderful testament to how invested we are in our viewers.  Because we are never afraid to forge new ground, it was only natural for us to offer the first continuous hour of local news in the early evening.”

To watch a 30-second promo for the newscast, scan the QR code above.

•KFOX has also welcomed a new reporter to their news team, Bernadette Flores. She comes to El Paso from Tulsa, Okla., where she worked for the FOX affiliate there. According to her station bio, Flores, a veteran reporter and Hanks High School graduate, said her passion is investigative journalism and breaking news. 

•KVIA also has a new reporter, Vanessa de la Viña, who is based out of the station's Las Cruces bureau. She comes to the Borderland by way of Florida, where she worked as a producer and reporter for the University of Florida's news bureau, and reported for ABC News on Campus.

"I am thrilled to be working at KVIA in the El Paso, TX/Las Cruces, NM area," she stated on her LinkedIn profile. "I am looking forward to learning and growing throughout my time here."

Reporter arrested for alleged DWI

KFOX reporter Ric Dupont was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

According to Dupont's arrested affidavit, three Border Patrol agents saw Dupont driving a white Nissan passenger car with front end damage near the intersection of Vista Del Sol and George Dieter. Agents called state troopers to report the vehicle, stating it appeared the damage was recent because the car's apron had been dragged and steam was coming from the hood. The car was also missing a front driver head lamp.

Agents also reported they saw the car turn right onto George Dieter and drive onto the median. They then stopped the vehicle and detained Dupont for state troopers.

When a trooper arrived at the scene, he noticed "an odor of alcohol coming from (Dupont's) person." The trooper also noted Dupont's speech was slurred and "his balance was off."

Dupont allegedly admitted to drinking but refused to provide a breath sample. The report doesn't state what time the incident occurred.

Dupont was booked into the El Paso County Jail but was released shortly afterwards after posting a $600 bond. He was reportedly placed on three-days suspension at KFOX and returned to work Thursday.

This isn't Dupont's first run-in with the law. Back in 2009 when he was a photographer for KVIA, he and reporter Darren Hunt were detained by an El Paso police officer while covering a major crash that shut down a portion of I-10. They were released soon after they were taken to the Westside Regional Command Center and the officer was later suspended.

Live chat with Erika Castillo Wednesday

Chat live with new KFOX-TV primetime anchor Erika Castillo at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on elpasotimes.com.

Castillo, an El Paso native, was an anchor at KTSM-TV in the 1990s before leaving for Dallas in 1998. Watch Castillo on KFOX-TV starting Monday.

To submit your questions in advance, click here.

For your viewing pleasure

A friend of mine sent me a link to this "oops" clip featuring KVIA's Estela Casas and Rick Cabrera. Enjoy!

To view the video, click here.

Jaramillo to return to local TV

According to KTSM's Facebook page, former KFOX-er Noreen Jaramillo will return to the local airwaves on Dec. 12.

She will be the station's new morning anchor, replacing current morning anchor Amber Downing, who will move to weekend anchor. The current weekend anchor, Kai Porter, will then move back to reporting Monday through Friday.

Jaramillo used to be the morning anchor at KFOX until December 2009, when she left after the station didn't renew her contract following a three-year stint. Before that, she spent three years at San Francisco's KTVU. She's also known for being KFOX's first-ever anchor in 1997, and spent time reporting for KVIA.

Jaramillo has already set up a Facebook page, which can be viewed by clicking here.