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Mike Mombrea,Jr. is WIVB-TV’S five time Emmy Award winning Chief Photographer.
As a videographer, producer, and documentarian, Mike’s extraordinary talents have been recognized in state, national, and international award competitions.
His television specials include documentaries shot on location in the Persian Gulf, China, Poland, and Rome. “Lost Childhood: The Story of the Birkenau Boys” a Holocaust documentary Mike co-produced with News 4 Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg, won two New York Emmys for Documentary Photography and Historical Programming.
Mike began his storied career collaborating with WKBW-TV feature reporter Don Polec, who he calls “The Charlie Chaplain of Television News.”
He has co-produced some of the station’s most memorable specials at WIVB-TV, including “The People’s Pope,” a one hour documentary on the life and times of Pope John Paul II. Mike also covered the pontiff’s funeral live from Rome.
Mombrea’s versatility as a photographer earned him a position with an elite group of film cinematographers who document the NFL. He covered the Buffalo Bills for thirteen years for NFL Films.
Mike also served for seven years as an adjunct professor of video production at St. Bonaventure University, under Dean Lee Coppola. He now works in the News 4 investigative unit with Luke Moretti.
Mike learned valuable lessons from his broadcast pioneer father, Mike Mombrea, Sr. who was also inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He says his father taught him more than just the technical skills of photography. “He taught me that everyone has dignity, and how important it is to have a spiritual foundation in life.”
Mike brings invaluable photographic, editing, and content contributions to every story he covers. Many veteran journalists say they have never worked with a finer and more compassionate photojournalist than Mike Mombrea, Jr.
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