TV Weather Forecasters' Positions Abolished by Allen Media Group's Original Plan
In a dramatic turn of events, Allen Media Group (AMG) has decided to retain local weathercasters at its stations across the United States, following a wave of public outcry and negative feedback from both viewers and advertisers.
The initial plan, announced less than a week ago, involved replacing local meteorologists with meteorologists from AMG-owned The Weather Channel for live forecasts. However, this decision sparked immediate and overwhelmingly negative responses from loyal viewers who valued the local connection of their meteorologists and saw them as essential to community trust and public safety.
Mike Wright, vice president and general manager of WAAY-TV Huntsville, Alabama, agreed, emphasizing that local meteorologists with a deeper understanding of the unique weather patterns and challenges of their region will remain. Wright also mentioned that viewer feedback was instrumental in guiding the decision to keep local meteorologists.
Craig Ford, news anchor for ABC affiliate WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi, stated that severe weather coverage will continue to come from their studio and team. Similarly, WAAY-TV Huntsville, Alabama, remains committed to providing timely, in-depth coverage of their communities, especially during severe weather events.
KEZI, the ABC affiliate in Eugene, Oregon, and KDRV Medford, Oregon, also announced that AMG has decided to pause and reconsider the strategy of providing local weather from The Weather Channel in Atlanta.
The change elicited cheers from viewers online, with Brad Mitchell, with the Twitter handle @BallCoach2009, expressing appreciation for AMG's decision to listen to their viewers and make the change.
Tom O'Brien, President of Weather Group/The Weather Channel, said they are committed to delivering next-level weather news to local television stations 24/7. Despite this commitment, critics argue that laying off weather people in tornado-prone areas is very dangerous, especially since people based in Atlanta may not know the local areas in markets like Tupelo, Mississippi.
This reversal comes as Allen Media Group faces broader industry challenges and financial pressures. However, the viewer and advertiser reaction was a key factor that prompted the company to change course and retain or reconsider local meteorology operations at affected stations.
[1] Allen Media Group Press Release, January 2025 [2] WAAY-TV Huntsville Statement, January 2025 [3] KEZI News Article, January 2025 [4] Craig Ford Twitter Post, January 2025
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