Local meteorologists may face layoffs amid new initiative with The Weather Channel: NPR

Allen Media Group founder Byron Allen speaks at Allen Media Group’s upfront presentation on April 26, 2023 in New York City.

Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Allen Media Group/The Weather Channel

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Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Allen Media Group/The Weather Channel

Meteorologists at 27 local TV news stations face job uncertainty after Allen Media Group announced a new local weather initiative with The Weather Channel.

The group, which owns television stations in 21 markets across the country, said Saturday it is rolling out a new format for weather coverage that will have “additional visual storytelling opportunities” across its stations by 2025.

The move comes as the broadcast industry, particularly television, seeks new ways to engage audiences as it navigates declining viewership amid cord-cutting and the rise of streaming platforms.

The plan involves meteorologists at The Weather Channel in Atlanta producing content for local stations across the country. The team under the new initiative will be led by Carl Parker, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel, and include some meteorologists from local television stations who are relocating to Atlanta, the media group said in a statement.

Severe weather will remain a priority, the group said, and the new format will “enhance reporting capabilities, particularly in high-stakes weather situations.” It will also ensure “the most accurate, timely and engaging forecasts for communities across the country,” according to the release.

The company would not publicly describe how the change will affect meteorologists at local television stations.

Meteorologists at some stations say they expect to be affected by the decision. There are also stations facing ongoing layoffs was announced in early 2024.

“Now, most of you have probably seen the talk about Allen media letting local meteorologists go, well, I’m one that’s going to be affected by this,” Amber Kulick, a meteorologist at WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Ala., a station owned by the media group, wrote in a post on social media. “At the moment I’m still at the station, but I’m looking for my next career opportunity.”

Josh Franson, a meteorologist at KWWL-TV in Iowa, said he is among those facing layoffs at his station.

“Hey guys, if you haven’t heard the latest news about the layoffs, I want to share that our station is one of those affected,” Franson wrote in a post on X. “Thank you to my viewers and those of you who have been on Franny’s Report since day one.”

Zach Stanford, a former state coordinator for crisis information and disaster intelligence for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, said local meteorologists are the “obvious choice for life-saving local weather information” and play a critical role in sharing other information, such as wildfire perimeters and evacuations.

“Local meteorologists on TV are a trusted face, not only because they know their science, but also because they’re a member of that community,” Stanford told NPR. “The community component needs to be thought through to ensure the critical service is not lost.”

Allen Media Group took ownership of The Weather Channel in 2018.