Rep. Jeff Denham, who represents California’s 19th Congressional district, is suing Sacramento TV stations as well as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee saying both the stations and the DCCC refused to pull a :30 second spot he says lied about his record.

“Not only is the ad a flat-out lie, but it’s malicious, and they should be held accountable,” Denham told the Fresno Bee in a telephone interview Friday.

In the spot the announcer says, “In times of conflict, American troops have our backs. But that didn’t stop Jeff Denham from turning his back on them. With a government shutdown looming in Washington, Denham voted against a measure to guarantee our troops would still receive their pay. But Denham did protect his own paycheck.”  You can watch the ad after the jump. Read more

KCRA announced Claire Doan will join its news team as a reporter on the first Monday in December.  Doan comes to the Sacramento NBC affiliate from Tucson’s ABC affiliate,  KGUN.

Doan, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, said in a statement, “I am excited about returning to Northern California to join the KCRA family and work with an amazing team of journalists who set the bar high as the market news leader.”

Doan is the recipient of an Emmy award for her reporting as well as a regional Edward R. Murrow award for her coverage of Jared Lee Loughner, who killed six people and injured 14 in an attempted assassination of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

“We are excited to have Claire on board here at KCRA,” said Lori Waldon, KCRA 3 news director.  “She is a strong, passionate reporter who likes to dig for compelling stories. Claire is a great addition to our excellent team of reporters.”

KXTV evening anchors Dale Schornack and Cristina Mendonsa are celebrating 15 years on the air together at the Sacramento ABC affiliate.  “I knew it was going to be a good partnership from the beginning, basically,” Mendonsa said in a tribute segment that aired Thursday night (video above).

“It was like, wow. That was the first newscast of the rest of our careers, and it felt really good,” Schornack recalled.  Read more

It’s supposed to be good luck, but try telling that to Paul Robins: a bird pooped on the KTXL morning anchor Thursday while he and Bethany Crouch were broadcasting from outside AT&T Park in San Francisco (video after the jump).

“One of my goals in life is to make it on YouTube, and I think I just did,” Robins said over Crouch’s hysterical laughter. “It’s raining bird crap, if I may say that.” Watch the video after the jump… Read more

After just three months as a general assignment reporter at KTXL, Tia Ewing has been promoted to weekend anchor at the Sacramento Fox affiliate.

“Tia has this huge personality, and she’s a natural leader in the newsroom,” KTXL news director Brandon Mercer told the Sacramento Bee. “It became obvious that she was perfect for this role after she presented me with her ideas for creating an even faster-paced newscast, putting an even stronger emphasis on owning local breaking news. That’s what she does.”

Ewing replaces Teri Cox, who left KTXL in July after 25 years at the station.

Walt Gray, longtime anchor for KCRA is leaving the Sacramento NBC affiliate to host his own morning radio show.  Gray had been with the station as a sports reporter and later a news anchor for nearly 25 years.

“This offer came a year or two earlier than I was planning on….but…’dinner is on the table and i want to eat while the food is hot.”  Gray told TVSpy. “I have loved every day I’ve walked into KCRA.”

The Sacramento Bee said the news about Gray’s departure was emailed to the KCRA staff by news director Lori Waldon.

Her e-mail announcement said: “Walt has been a tremendous asset to KCRA 3. Now, Walt is taking on a new and exciting challenge in his career. Walt has accepted a new position at Entercom Radio, “The Eagle” 96.9. The station is creating a morning team and they tapped Walt to do it – knowing he’d be the perfect fit.”

Read more

Morning anchor Lisa Gonzales is making the cross-town move from Sacramento CBS affiliate KOVR to NBC affiliate KCRA.

“I am honored and humbled to work at the station I grew up watching,” said Gonzales.  “I can’t wait to get started!”

Her first day will be next Tuesday, September 4.

Gonzales anchored the morning and noon newscasts at KOVR for seven years.  She previously worked at KFSN, Fresno, CA and KRCR in Redding, CA.

Sacramento ABC-affiliate KXTV is launching weekend morning newscasts.

Beginning Saturday, the station will air from 6 to 7 a.m. and 8 to 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. They will be anchored by Kate Larsen (pictured), who was previously a reporter on KXTV’s weekday morning newscast. Larsen will be joined by meteorologist Darla Givens.

“[On the weekends,] people aren’t as rushed and their priorities are different. So we’re putting together a fun, energizing show to reflect that,” KXTV news director Jerome Parra said in a statement.

WISN news director Lori Waldon is leaving Milwaukee for Sacramento, where she has been appointed news director at KCRA-KQCA.

The news was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

WISN and KCRA-KQCZ are all owned by Hearst. The move is a return to Sacramento for Waldon, who was assistant news director at KOVR-KMAX before joining WISN in 2006. In a statement announcing the move, WISN president Jan Wade praised Waldon’s “excellent job” as news director.

“Under her leadership we have earned numerous honors, done exceptional journalism, and provided the viewers of southeastern Wisconsin with high quality newscasts and reporting,” Wade said. “Lori has worked hard, and has earned this promotion to another of Hearst Television’s leading stations.” Read more

After 25 years at KTXL, Teri Cox has announced her exit from the Sacramento Fox-affiliate.

Cox anchors the weekend newscasts and reports during the week. She has accepted a job as the director of communications and public affairs for the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association.

“I’ve spent a quarter of a century and half my lifetime at FOX40 News, so this was a big decision for me, but anyone who has been a part of that 25 years knows I have a passion for using my words to tell people’s stories and a passion for law enforcement and public safety,” Cox said in a statement. “How wonderful for me that I now get to combine all of that on a daily basis.”