MEDIA / KEVIN BRASS : KKLQ’s Hint of an Affair Has Tuck and Hunt Upset

Media gossip and speculation about the relationship between KGTV (Channel 10) news anchors Michael Tuck and Kimberly Hunt became very public gossip and speculation last week when Murphy and NcKeever, the popular morning team for KKLQ-FM (106.5), raised the issue of a possible off-camera romance and invited listeners to call in if they had seen Tuck and Hunt together.

The station received “10 to 15 calls” from people claiming to have spotted them, said Terry McKeever, and “two or three” listeners were put on the air with their information. Later, Channel 10 also received calls, from people inquiring about the Q106 stories.

Tuck, recently separated from his wife, called the station and pleaded with management to have the deejays pull back.

“He was very nice and very humble,” program director Garry Wall said. “He said, ‘Kimberly was getting hurt by this and I’m getting hurt by this.’ ”

Wall said he talked with Murphy and McKeever, who have left the subject alone for the last week.

“They went on the air with something that is untrue and they didn’t care if it was true or who it hurt,” Tuck said from Atlanta, where he was covering the Democratic Party National Convention. He referred to the radio broadcast as “pure sleaze.”

“I don’t care what they say about me--I’m not thin-skinned--but they were saying things hurtful to Kimberly and hurtful to my wife at a time when we’re going through emotional difficulties.”

Hunt labeled Murphy’s and McKeever’s actions “potentially dangerous,” if people were to take them seriously.

“It’s not fair to anyone,” she said. “We should be able to be co-anchors and friends.”

Notes and quotes: Channel 10 is expecting sportscaster Larry Sacknoff to return in early August. He had triple-bypass surgery in May after suffering a heart attack. For those who can’t wait until August, Channel 10 will air a two-part interview with the recovering Sacknoff today and Tuesday during the 5 p.m. newscasts. . . .

Carlos Amezcua is leaving KCST-TV (Channel 39) for Denver’s NBC affiliate, KCNC. Meanwhile, KCNC’s Stephen Clark is heading to San Diego to be the new weekend anchor for Channel 10, beginning on Aug. 1. He replaces Bill Griffith, who is co-hosting Channel 10’s daily talk show, “InSide San Diego.” . . .

Former Channel 39 news director Ron Miller, ousted last month as part of a station-wide reorganization, has landed a new job. He will be news director of the ABC affiliate, KATU-TV, in Portland, Ore. . . .

Channel 39 reporter Rory Bennett thought she was going on a harbor cruise for her 30th birthday. Instead, she found 20 of her friends on her lawn with a wheelchair to help her in her old age. The surprise party was the work of her boyfriend, Channel 8 producer/photographer (soon to be Channel 39 producer/photographer) Kurt Snider. The highlight of the party was a video compilation of Bennett’s stints with stations in Boise, Ida., and Yuma, Ariz. “You haven’t lived until you’ve covered the Snake River Stampede,” she said. . . .

The second edition of Video File magazine, “San Diego’s Magazine for Home Video Viewing,” hits the stands this week with another article by ace reporter Tish Walker. Never heard of Walker? In fact, Tish is an often-used pseudonym for Laura Walcher, wife of Video File publisher Bob Walcher and the owner of her own San Diego public relations firm. . . .

Missing from Channel 39 this week was reporter Jack Gates. While driving to work Wednesday afternoon, he was hit from behind by a woman in a Rolls-Royce. Gates reportedly suffered a minor neck injury, in addition to a jolting increase in his blood pressure. Even worse, though, he was forced to miss the Rubio’s fish taco-eating contest Saturday. He should return to the station this week. . . .

It’s now official: XTRA-AM (690) is dropping oldies to go to a news-talk format “within the next 30 to 60 days.” . . .

XTRA-FM (91.1) early-evening deejay Mike Halloran is on his way to Los Angeles to be a weekend deejay with KROQ-FM (106.7). He is taking a job that fellow 91X personality Katy Manor originally accepted, then turned down when she decided to stay with the 91X morning show.

Eyewitness views: KGB-FM (101.5) officials were upset over a characterization of their station as “hard-rock oriented.” Although the station does play a large number of so-called new music songs, bands like INXS, and a lot of middle-of-the-road rock ‘n’ roll, it also plays Led Zepplin, Van Halen, Def Leppard and other “hard-rock” bands. It only takes an occasional Guns & Roses set to label a station. Sorry, guys, the label sticks. . . Of the local stations, Channel 39 did the best job of covering the Democratic convention. Reporter Gene Cubbison was able to find some real stories of relevance to San Diegans. Both Channel 10 and 39, however, suffered from the yokels-going-to-the-big-city attitude. They were trying to cover national politics as if they had been covering it their entire lives, when they clearly had not. Perhaps Channel 8 had the best idea. They didn’t send anyone. . . .

KUSI-TV’s (Channel 51) new graphics are great. But couldn’t they make them smaller, so as not to interrupt the shows?