Laura Diaz Monserrate’s career has just taken a huge leap.
A production technician at WKMG has been arrested as part of an Internet sex string. Christian Rodriguez-Torres, 19, was among 28 caught in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office’s latest operation targeting men wanting to have sex with under-age girls.
Detectives, posing as 13-and-14-year-old girls, lured suspects from Internet chat rooms to a rented house in Polk County. The men — which also included three Disney workers and two UCF students — were arrested over four days after they arrived at the undercover home.
WKMG-TV General Manager Henry Maldonado said, "These charges are severe and we are shocked that one of our employees was involved. The employee was suspended. Local 6, of course will aggressively report on the arrests and continuing investigation."
The Florida Gators are in college basketball’s national championship game — again. WKMG-Channel 6 will air CBS’ coverage of the game against Ohio State tonight starting at 9.
WFTV-Channel 9 has sent a handful of people to the Georgia Dome and will air a pre-game special on the Gators tonight at 7:30. "Gators: Go for the Glory" will have sports anchors Zach Klein and Jenny Dunn — who both hosted Sunday’s Sports Night on 9 highlight show live from Atlanta.
News anchor Cynthia Demos will kick off WFTV’s Gators coverage with live reports from Atlanta this morning on Eyewitness News Daybreak.
Fox’s American Idol is undoubtedly the hottest show on TV right now. I just don’t get it, but I accept that I’m in the minority when it comes that.
Have you ever wondered if the folks working in the news departments at Fox’s TV stations take a break to watch the show? Well, you might have a chance to find out — especially here in Orlando at Fox 35.
WOFL’s Web site, MyFoxOrlando, has added a live newsroom cam and live studio cam — so you can spy on the journalists at Fox 35. Are they watching American Idol or Fox News Channel? Come back during the show to find out. Click here for the newsroom Web cam, and click here for the studio Web cam.
Oh, and if you can’t get enough American Idol, MyFoxOrlando has an entire are dedicated to the show. Click here to see the American Idol section.
Scott Schroeder, a photographer for WKMG, suffered severe carbon monoxide poisoning inside a Local 6 live truck earlier this week while on assignment in Cocoa Beach. NewsBlues.com reports that Schroeder was found sitting upright in the front seat, passed out and foaming from the mouth. The truck’s CO alarm was sounding. The reporter with the crew called 911, and when fire department investigators arrived they found carbon monoxide levels in the vehicle were "off the chart." Schroeder — who fire officials said was lucky he didn’t die or suffer brain damage — was later released from the hospital and was resting at home.
For longtime market watchers, the incident was eerily similar to what happened in 1992 to 
then-Channel 6 reporter Shepard Smith. Now a Fox News Channel anchor, Smith was rushed to the hospital after he was found passed out from carbon monoxide fumes inside a Channel 6 news van. Smith had been editing for about two minutes inside the aging van when he collapsed. Photographer Chris Kennedy got Smith out of the van and called for help.
Station management at the time cited the poor condition of the news vehicle, saying there were expecting a replacement soon and didn’t want to bother fixing any problems with it.
