If there's a Denver media organization that hasn't employed Gloria Neal, rest assured: She'll work there eventually. Neal served a long stretch as news anchor on KOA-AM/850, hosted shows on defunct stations/formats such as Jammin' and Sassy, appeared on Channel 31's "Fox Box" feature and wrote a blog for the Denver Post's Politics West website, among many other gigs. Now, however, she's serving as a Democratic National Convention specialist for Channel 4 -- and while the assignment doesn't sound built to last, the outlet will be well advised to find a permanent place for her.
Neal's DNC blog for the CBS affiliate isn't all that distinctive; it consists mainly of convention news snippets, most derived from the sort of press releases that are spewing out at a dizzying rate these days. But when she's on the air in featured segments for the station's morning show, she delivers the same warmth and charisma that characterized her radio work. Plenty of radio pros don't translate in a visual medium, but she clearly does, bringing personality-plus to a program that could certainly use it.
If the Channel 4 gig proves temporary, Neal will survive, as a glance at her busy online events calendar demonstrates. But she deserves to stick around for a while. -- Michael Roberts
