On Monday (1/20), a change was poised to come across all of Allen Media Group‘s broadcast TV stations that attracted much attention. Specifically, the outsourcing of local weather forecasts on AMG station newscasts to sibling operation The Weather Channel was announced.
While the Byron Allen-controlled AMG heralded the “groundbreaking” initiative and “innovative partnership” between two co-owned media businesses, it appears viewer derision and widespread criticism of the plan has led to a rescission in more than one market.
At WTVA-9 in Tupelo, Miss., word came late Thursday that its parent company “reversed its decision” to dismantle the station’s signature “Severe Weather Authority.”
Station anchor Craig Ford provided a special announcement to viewers and WTVA.com visitors that bluntly shared how WTVA parent AMG was “handing down a directive” that all weather coverage for its stations no longer be produced locally.
“The company’s plan was to have meteorologists from The Weather Channel supply local weather coverage from Atlanta,” WTVA said. “While the details of this decision were slow to be released, the news spread across north Mississippi instantly, as people from across our area were devastated by this announcement … as we were. Wednesday afternoon, we received word from our parent company that they heard you loud and clear.”
The result? “The communication we received was that their decision has mostly been reversed,” WTVA said.
At KEZI-9 in Eugene-Springfield, Ore., News Director Matt Templeman offered its audience a brief statement with a similar theme — “KEZI will continue to provide market-leading coverage from your StormTracker 9 Meteorologists.”
Meanwhile, WAAY-31 in Huntsville, Ala., which had described in detail staff cuts at AMG stations in Terre Haute, Ind.; Flint, Mich.; and in its own building, offered its own update on January 23.
WAAY GM Mike Wright perhaps offered the most clarity into what Atlanta-headquartered Allen Media Broadcasting did after widespread outcry surfaced over the TWC move.
“After a reassessment of Allen Media Broadcasting’s plan to utilize the company-owned Weather Channel’s national weather team to fill the role of local meteorologists at its stations, the company decided to postpone the full implementation of this strategy,” he said. “As a result, WAAY-TV will retain its local meteorologists. While The Weather Channel is consistently voted one of the most trusted weather brands in the country, this decision was about keeping local meteorologists who have a deeper understanding of the unique weather patterns and challenges of our region. We understand our viewers rely on timely, in-depth, coverage of our communities, especially during severe weather events. Our commitment to providing that expertise remains steadfast.”
It is unclear if those who were poised to lose their jobs will remain at their respective stations.
An Allen Media Group spokesperson did not immediately respond to RBR+TVBR‘s request for comment on Friday morning.
