[“Veteran TV Anchors Deliver Emotional Farewell as Station Eliminates Local Meteorologists
Patrece Dayton, a news anchor in Terre Haute, Indiana, and Kevin Orpurt, the TV station’s chief meteorologist, delivered a tearful farewell to viewers on Friday after the station’s parent company, Allen Media Group, announced sweeping cuts that will see all local meteorologists eliminated or reassigned at its nearly two dozen stations nationwide.
The on-air duo, who have long been household names in western Indiana, told viewers that their positions were being eliminated due to budget cuts and changes in the television business. They will be replaced by a national “hub” based in Atlanta led by Carl Parker, a veteran storm and climate specialist at The Weather Channel.
The layoffs will impact at least 50 meteorologists across the country, with some being offered new positions at The Weather Channel in Atlanta and others being allowed to remain in their respective markets. Weather forecasts will be sent from the weather channel in Atlanta, with pre-recorded hits for each Allen station and live severe weather coverage also coming from the Atlanta-based team.
Allen Media Group emphasized that weather coverage will remain a “top priority” for local stations, but meteorologists warned that the loss of local weather forecasters will come at a cost to their communities. Local meteorologists are trained scientists who are distinctly familiar with their community’s weather threats and vulnerabilities, providing critical forecasts and information during emergencies.
Weather has consistently been the top reason viewers tune in to local news, with a 2019 Pew study finding that 70% of respondents “expressing a daily need for information” on weather. Recent weather-related disasters have also highlighted the need for local news reporting during emergencies.
Some meteorologists, including Spencer Denton, a meteorologist at Gray Media-owned WVLT in Knoxville, Tennessee, noted that while the change may save money in the short term, it also “takes away value and credibility in the long term.” Others, like Sam Kuffel, a meteorologist at a Milwaukee CBS affiliate, warned that communities will suffer during major, local weather events due to the decision.”
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