Local meteorologists who belong to 27 news stations under the Allen Media Group are now facing layoffs.
Allen Media, which acquired The Weather Channel for $300 million in March 2018, said in a press release that the company is rolling out a “groundbreaking” new format for local weather news that will be produced at The Weather Channel’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The newly-created hub will send a feed of weather forecasts and updates to local stations and be led by a 20-year veteran of The Weather Channel, meteorologist Carl Parker.
A person familiar with the matter told CNN Business on Tuesday that the transition will result in at least 50 local meteorologists being laid off, though some will be offered a spot on the Atlanta team working under Parker.
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Other industry veterans, however, are being shown the door.
Local meteorologists affected by layoffs have been disclosing they were let go on social media. News anchor Patrece Dayton and chief meteorologist Kevin Orpurt, both with WTHI-TV in Terre Haute, Indiana, gave their final broadcast together on Thursday. Dayton had been reporting with the station for nearly 37 years and Orpurt for over 40 years.
“For those of you who don’t know, both of our positions are being eliminated here at WTHI-TV,” Dayton said. “The television news business in general is changing nationwide and budget cuts are happening everywhere.”
Amber Kulick, a WAAY-TV meteorologist based in Huntsville, Ala, wrote in a Facebook post on Friday that she was affected by the layoffs.
“By now most of you have probably seen the chatter about Allen media letting local meteorologists go, well I am one that will be affected by this,” Kulick wrote.
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Josh Franson, a KWWL-TV meteorologist based in Eastern Iowa, took to X to post that he was affected by layoffs too.
“Hey guys, If you haven’t heard the recent news about the layoffs, I wanted to share that our station is one of those impacted,” he wrote.
Hey guys, If you haven’t heard the recent news about the layoffs, I wanted to share that our station is one of those impacted. It was an honor to forecast the weather for Eastern Iowa. I am so grateful to KWWL for this opportunity. #wxtwitter #iawx pic.twitter.com/eRKBuSvXlE
— Josh Franson ☈ (@FrannyWX) January 18, 2025
According to Pew Research from May 2024, about 90% of Americans who follow local news do so for information about the weather, the highest out of any other category of news.
The new initiative will leverage The Weather Channel’s advanced technology, like innovative forecasting tools and immersive mixed reality, to deliver weather news with advanced visual storytelling elements, according to the press release.
“We are one hundred percent committed to delivering next-level weather news to our local television stations 24/7,” said Tom O’Brien, president of Weather Group/The Weather Channel, in a press release.
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