Local TV meteorologists tearfully bid adieu as stations replace them with the channel's feed
Allen Media Group recently decided to abolish local meteorologists and replace them with a centralized weather hub, eliciting emotional farewells and concerns from viewers about the future of local weather reporting. Terre Haute, Indiana-based TV personalities Patrece Dayton and Kevin Orpurt tearfully said goodbye to the audience after word broke that their positions were on the list of layoffs. Between them, Dayton and Orpurt have nearly 40 years of experience. According to them, budget cuts and changes in the television industry caused them to leave.
The changes have been made with Allen Media Group choosing to consolidate weather reporting as part of its decision to host its new headquarters, operated by The Weather Channel in Atlanta, GA. While live coverage on severe weather situations will be made available, meteorologists will eventually lose their time slot to locally pre-recorded forecasts from area specialists at The Weather Channel. However, some who work for it will be relocated and hired; most will have to find jobs elsewhere. The restructuring affects at least 50 meteorologists at nearly two dozen stations along the Eastern seaboard, all the way down to Hawaii.
Local viewers are concerned about weather reports now originating from a national feed in places like smaller markets. Many meteorologists believe that no generic, centralized system can replace their intimate knowledge of regional weather patterns and their credibility within the community. While Allen Media Group assures that the new system will improve forecasting technology and give continuous around-the-clock weather coverage, critics argue that the change could lead to losing some of the local news value. An example of such a person is Spencer Denton, a meteorologist in Knoxville, Tennessee. He expressed how the long-term credibility of the weather coverage was delivered from outside the local communities.
This comes at a time when Allen Media Group is taking even more sweeping cost-cutting measures that include staff reductions and other strategic changes. Local news is an important part of American viewers' lives, especially in the case of weather-related emergencies. As was seen during the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, viewership for local TV stations rose as people looked to trusted local meteorologists for real-time information.
Meteorologists and industry experts warn this will hurt communities, especially during critical weather, in a departure from localized reporting. "When it gets really bad outside, when the severe weather arrives, local communities would miss the trusted, community-focused weather professionals," said Sam Kuffel, meteorologist, Milwaukee.
And in a time where weather-related disasters continue to remind the public of the importance of local news, the Allen Media Group move is sure to question the future of weather reporting and its role in the public's need for reliable, community-specific information.
