Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 11, 2007 at 08:28:07:
From Feder,
Two days after Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 relaunched its morning news show as "Good Day Chicago," one of its main anchors was missing in action.
Viewers weren't told why Mike Barz wasn't on last Thursday -- leaving many to wonder why he'd vanished so soon after the debut of the newly retitled show, which he co-hosts with Jan Jeffcoat.
Even the Fox station's official spokesman claimed not to know the real reason. "As far as I know, Mike just took a day off," said Dom Mancuso, vice president of programming and promotions.
Sources said Barz had been ordered off the air while his bosses investigated a complaint involving his attention-grabbing after-hours antics at a night club.
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." The staffer has not been identified.
"A lot of alcohol was consumed that night, and it looked like what Mike and his partner were doing was clearly consensual," one source said. "But it did happen."
Another source called Barz' impromptu dance fling "a joking thing -- just sophomoric frat-boy kind of stuff."
As word of the incident began filtering back to the station, other employees complained about Barz' conduct to human resources officials, leading to an investigation and at least two meetings with top management.
In addition to the unplanned day off the air (it was unclear whether Barz was suspended with or without pay), sources said, Barz also was ordered to undergo "behavioral counseling."
Barz, 37, who lives with his wife, Marisa, and their three young children, did not respond to several voice-mail and e-mail messages Monday.
Pat Mullen, vice president and general manager of Channel 32, also did not return calls.
Barz was hired by Channel 32 last March after two years as a features correspondent and fill-in weatherman for ABC's "Good Morning America" in New York.
Before that, he spent seven years as morning sports anchor at Tribune Co.-owned WGN-Channel 9.