A national media company announced its plan to centralize weather operations, laying off local meteorologists across the country. After a public backlash, the company changed its mind.
Mid-Michigan's ABC 12 in Flint is one of the stations impacted.
Diana Krzemien, a meteorology student at Central Michigan University, said the news of the layoffs shocked her and her peers.
“I know I’ve been wanting to go into the broadcast industry so it’s just something I’m going to have to keep in the back of my mind that it could happen,” Krzemien said.
This past month, Allen Media Group announced they would be laying off meteorologists from 36 local news stations across the country, including one in Flint.
In 2018, Allen Media purchased the Weather Channel, headquartered in Georgia.
The group's original plan was to centralize weather forecasting to a 'hub' in Atlanta.
“Allen Media Broadcasting is going to do a disservice to the community by removing these local meteorologists, some with you know decades of experience,” said Brad Sugden, a former meteorologist at ABC12 who left the station in 2022.
Sugden said the consolidation of weather forecasting was not unexpected, but he disagreed with the initial decision.
Some communities served by the stations affected were vocal about their disapproval. This public response led Allen Media Group to walk back their plan.
But the initial move raises questions about the future of local meteorology on TV.
Mike Potter is a professor of media at Central Michigan University. He said at 42, he's on the younger end of people who still tune in to the nightly news.
Data from Nielsen, a media research firm, shows the median age of live TV viewers is roughly 65 years old and rising each year.
Potter said media companies are trying to rein in costs as viewers move to digital platforms.
“The real fear is that this was designed to be a cost-cutting measure, an opportunity to extend the lives of these small market TV stations,” said Potter. “But I think it may have inadvertently sped up their downfall,” Potter said.
According to Potter, there will still be a need for TV forecasters in the future, just likely at a lesser capacity.
Marty Baxter is a professor of Meteorology at CMU. He agrees.
“This could be something of a trend in the industry—does every market need three to four stations each with four to five meteorologists?” Baxter said.
He said the decision reflects a change in the industry, as more people get their weather forecasts online.
But Potter said viewers of local stations are still loyal.
“People reacted horribly to this news,” he said. “The people who still tune in are creatures of habit and they want their people on TV telling them information,” Potter said.
And as extreme weather events become more common, Potter says TV forecasters will still be a lifeline to communities.
"When severe weather happens especially, I’m going to be turning to the meteorologists that I know understand the vulnerability of different communities when it relates to severe weather,” he said.
It's still unclear if ABC 12 will keep its team of meteorologists.
Allen Media Group did not respond to our request for comment.
