Mr. Landess Verified

Mike Landess returned to Denver and 7News in 2002, after nine years as primary anchor at stations in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. [CR-LF][CR-LF]A ninth-grade speech contest in Tyler, Texas, was the humble beginning of his career. Winning the contest ultimately led to a weekend job at a local radio station. Over the next decade, Landess went from radio news to WFAA-TV in Dallas as a reporter and anchor. He later went to NBC News in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was primary evening news anchor for WKYC-TV. He was called to come to Denver and KBTV in 1977. [CR-LF][CR-LF]Over the next 16 years, Landess anchored the top-rated late newscasts that at one point garnered a 50+ share. In 1993, Gannett transferred Landess to WXIA-TV, the official television station of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Over the next six years, Landess served as primary anchor and covered the preparation for the Summer Games. It was his live coverage on NBC of the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park that won him the first of two anchor Emmy Awards in Atlanta. Landess was rewarded after his first year at Denver's 7 with Emmys for best anchor and best newscast. Landess anchored live coverage for 16 hours after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The station carried 72 straight hours of coverage and won two Edward R. Murrow Awards. Landess was awarded Washington's Best Anchor Emmy. Over the years, Landess has interviewed heroes, killers, Hollywood stars, major sports figures, three U.S. presidents, and had an audience with Pope John Paul II. But what he's most proud of are his five daughters, four sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren.

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