D/FW's Longest-Tenured Duo Finally Breaks Up

I appeared on NBC5's Out of Bounds Sunday night with Matt Barrie and hosted Monday's mid-day slot on 105.3 The Fan with NBC5's Newy Scruggs, yet still was somehow clueless that we're in the midst of a monumental alteration to our TV landscape. Was watching Channel 5's newscast last night when...

By Richie Whitt

July 7, 2009

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I appeared on NBC5's Out of Bounds Sunday night with Matt Barrie and hosted Monday's mid-day slot on 105.3 The Fan with NBC5's Newy Scruggs, yet still was somehow clueless that we're in the midst of a monumental alteration to our TV landscape.

Was watching Channel 5's newscast last night when Mike Snyder turned to Jane McGarry and lovingly whispered: "I love you."

What?

It wasn't a confession, but more a salutation.

Turns out that Snyder passed on an early buyout option and took what was behind Door No. 2 - a 50-percent pay cut and a demotion from the coveted 10 p.m. show to only the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. opening acts.

I grew up a Channel 8 man - a habit formed back in the days of Iola Johnson and Verne Lundquist - and other than Harold Taft's legendary weather gauges Channel 5 has never been must-see TV. (Looks like I took 5 for a test drive in '06 and came away a tad unimpressed.) Honestly, I had no idea that Snyder had been teaming with McGarry on the 10 o'clocker since 1992. Wow. Even more impressive, they hosted the No. 1 prime-time news from 2001-06 before slip, slip, slipping to a distant third behind 8 and 11 in the recent May sweeps.

On his debut show, Snyder told McGarry he hoped to be there for 12 years. Mission: Accomplished.

As for his replacement, I dunno. But I have some suggestions: Jay Leno? Sarah Palin? Ben and Skin? Greggo? Russ Martin?

I'll always remember Snyder for sitting so uncomfortably close to McGarry.

And, of course, this.

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