Colorado Meteorologists Highlight the Value of Local Expertise Amid Industry Consolidation Concerns – FREE READ

NOTE: Happy Easter from News Blues. News Blues is a subscription-based news source.  However, on occasion, we offer articles, some which have previously been published, for free so that non-subscribers can see the type of stories we published regularly here.

At Today’s News Blues, the new management team all have deep and extensive backgrounds in local TV news and want to highlight the positive and successful work done on the ground by local TV stations in news, marketing and sales.

Once you’re a member, you can enjoy reading all of the articles published since News Blues came under new management in early 2024, as well as what we’re publishing today and in the future.

Enjoy this story and take advantage of our discount subscription off from now until the end of April. Go to NEWS BLUES subscription page, https://newsblues.com/subscribe/

Enter discount code, SpringSavings, to redeem your special three-month subscription for only $9.95.

By: Jessica DeWeese  |  jessica@newsblues.com

Recent reports of potential layoffs for meteorologists at Allen Media Broadcasting (AMB) stations across the U.S. sparked a significant industry debate.

AMB initially considered centralizing local weather forecasting to a hub based in Atlanta, which could have impacted at least 50 meteorologists in markets ranging from Massachusetts to Hawaii, according to CNN’s Liam Reilly.

However, following public backlash, the company reversed its decision.

“AMB has decided, based on viewer and advertiser reaction, to scrap the project on a company-wide basis,” the broadcaster stated to a Kentucky newspaper, as reported by The Desk.

While AMB doesn’t own stations in Colorado, the controversy has reignited conversations about the critical role of local meteorologists, especially in states with diverse weather patterns like Colorado.

Alex O’Brien, KOAA News 5’s weekday evening meteorologist in Colorado Springs, underscored the unique value of local expertise in an email to Inside The News in Colorado.

“With my Colorado-centric education and experience, I am well attuned to mountain/terrain influences on storm systems,” O’Brien explained. “If I were asked to create a forecast for a city in a state I have never been to, it would be basic and without much detail. Local weather has value.”

Chris Bianchi, a meteorologist at Denver’s 9NEWS, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how geography and meteorology differ by region.

“Having a 14,000-foot rock just to our west makes forecasting here a fun but difficult challenge,” Bianchi said, referring to the Rocky Mountains. “A national voice can’t lend to those big and small influences that can drastically alter a forecast.”

While AMB’s plans to centralize weather operations have been halted for now, the company defended the potential benefits of its strategy.

It claimed the initiative would “dramatically improve reporting capabilities, especially in high-stakes weather situations.” Carl Parker of The Weather Channel had been tapped to lead the project.

Allen Media, which owns more than 20 stations, has already implemented newsroom centralization in smaller markets and cut low-performing newscasts. This trend reflects broader struggles in the broadcasting industry, leading some experts to anticipate more consolidation in the future.

“It seems that the broadcast industry is in challenging times,” Bianchi noted. “And centralization may be something that we see more of in the future.”