ABC10 has hired former “Good Day Sacramento” host Mark S. Allen to join its team of reporters and anchors, the station said Wednesday. The date of his on air debut has not been announced.
“Mark will primarily be on in the mornings, but will likely show up in other shows as well,” said ABC10 General Manager Risa Omega. “We have a lot of change planned here over the next few months, and that will require new thinking, new insights, and fresh perspectives. From what I’ve seen of Mark over the years, and what I’ve learned about him over the past few weeks, he brings that energy and positivity every day.”
Allen said he is excited about ABC10’s direction.
“ABC10 and (station owner) TEGNA are really looking ahead at not just what local news can be, but what it should be,” he said. “They are about to go through some very exciting and disruptive change, and that excited me. I wanted to be in on the ground floor of that."
Allen worked on CBS Sacramento’s “Good Day Sacramento” for nearly 20 years. He resigned on air in March following his second arrest for driving under the influence. Allen served 12 days in jail and completed a 30-day rehab program after his arrest.
“Mark wants to redeem the faith of the people who put their faith in him,” Omega said. “He wants to heal his family, and he wants to tackle this issue head on.
“I was incredibly impressed by how he handled himself during this situation,” she added. “He was honest and forthcoming about his problems, and has spent the time since dealing with them head on. All we can do is to recognize that this is a recovery process, and support him every step of the way, as we would for anyone who works here, and anyone in recovery for that matter.”
Allen said he appreciated the opportunity to return to the local airwaves.
“I know there will be people who will be critical of my return, and I understand that,” he said. “I’m very lucky to get a chance like this, and I won’t take it for granted.”
