Mike Sauceda to join Silver Circle at Rocky Mountain Emmys

Arizona PBS producer Mike Sauceda will be inducted into the Silver Circle Society of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter.

The achievement is reserved for media veterans in the Southwest who have shown exemplary service in the industry for more than 25 years.

“The Silver Circle is composed of many smart, talented people, and I am honored and humbled to be inducted,” Sauceda said.

Sauceda has worked on “Arizona Horizon” since joining Arizona PBS in 1990. In this time, he has traveled to practically every city and town across Arizona, talking to the people whose stories are the fabric of our daily news. Those who know him well admire his professionalism, his humor and his kindness.

Sauceda’s deep knowledge of Arizona and wealth of state-wide connections often help the “Horizon” team secure a last-minute guest when there is late-breaking news, said Arizona PBS General Manager Mary Mazur.

“Mike enables the station to do a better job serving our community,” Mazur said.

In addition to his work at Arizona PBS, Sauceda has covered the news at many Valley radio stations, including: KJZZ, KOOL and KTAR. In addition to helping to steer the ship on “Horizon,” he currently covers daily news for Skyview Satellite radio. He has also taught broadcast writing and producing at Arizona State University.

Sauceda caught the journalism bug early, working for a local radio station while still a teenager in Casa Grande, Arizona. He graduated from ASU at a time when only a small percent of the student population was Hispanic. Sauceda says he felt the responsibility of his minority status while in school. It’s one of the things that motivated him to volunteer later in his professional career at Trevor Brown High School mentoring other, largely Hispanic journalists in their broadcast club.

Sauceda will join a distinguished group in the Silver Circle, including “Arizona Horizon” host Ted Simons.

The honor will be conferred on Sauceda at the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmy Awards on Sept. 14.