TV Weatherman can't work the fancy schmancy "Doppler Radar" gizmo

[Ian David]

Radar picks up cold front for new CBS4 forecaster
By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Thursday, January 19, 2006 - Updated: 12:38 AM EST




Don’t say we told you. Because nobody’s supposed to know. But these are stormy times inside Channel 4’s weather center.

Word is, longtime CBS4 meteorologists Barry Burbank and Mish Michaels haven’t exactly warmed up to new guy Ken Barlow. In fact, we hear, relations are about as frosty as an Alberta Clipper!

The principal bone of contention, it seems, is that Barlow — the new guy hired to replace longtime weatherdude Ed Carroll — didn’t know how to work the equipment. Specifically, Ken couldn’t run that fancy-schmancy Doppler Radar the Channel 4 folks are always bragging about!

<snip>

But Ken was unable to make any forecasts during his debut, because he didn’t do Doppler! (Doppler, named for the Austrian scientist Christian Doppler, is more complicated than traditional weather radar, producing extremely complex images that are very difficult to understand.)

Station spokesgal Ro Dooley said the plan always was for Barlow to start work this week — after a week of training on Channel 4’s equipment. And, in fact, Barlow did start forecasting on Monday.


<snip>

Complicating the chilly reception for Ken was an in-house memo advising news staffers that CBS4 will no longer be ponying up the estimated $15K to submit entries to the New England Emmy Awards. So newsies who want to be considered in the contest have to pay their own way.

“And yet, they can pay a weatherman who can’t run the Doppler a half million dollars and pay Josh Binswanger to sit on his butt for the rest of his contract,” said one disgruntled grunt.



More:
http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=121959

[LisaM]

1. It's a funny story, but it does piss me off how weather is now NEWS

meanwhile, the real news and the sports are minimized. Our local weather is often 7 minutes long. Sports has been squished into 2 minutes. They give no non-local scores.

[uncle ray]

6. sports?

you call sports scores news over the weather? what parallel universe do you live in? just about any DUer can sit here for hours on any given day and not get fully informed on what is happening in the world, and you're bitchin that you can't get enough sports coverage?

:crazy:

[LisaM]

10. If it's real weather news, of course.

But it's not. It's stuff like showing the same video of a pothole over and over and over. They are consistently alloted this huge slot of time, while hard news, and yes, sports, gets ignored. I like sports! So sue me. I also think it's the function of a LOCAL news station to give all the LOCAL high school sports scores, as well as local college scores. It's one of their functions as a member of the community.

[davidwparker]

2. But, he has nice teeth, hair, and a tan.

[FSogol]

4. and he's white!

:sarcasm:

[kikiek]

3. Ken came from MN. He has been an excellent weatherman, and read

the dopplers at his station just fine. If the Boston folk don't like him send him back. He was very popular here. Kind and classy. Too bad he landed in a city like that he deserves much better. http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=101137 Sounds like sour grapes in that station.

[Beausoir]

7. Barry Burbank and Mish Michaels??? You stay classy, San Diego!

Jesus. Those are the names of the news talent? BAHA!

Keny got $500K for jumping to Boston? Amazing.
He was teh hawt and I can't believe he bailed to go to Boston. I think his mom is out there or something.

And the story about him not knowing how to work Doppler? Bullshit. The guy spent years forecasting Minnesota weather....I'm pretty sure he can handle Boston. Hee-hee. Weatherman wars! I love it.

[kikiek]

13. Sounds like he will need that much just to buy a home there!

[no name no slogan]

12. Yeah, I liked Ken Barlow

I was actually sad to see him leave the Twin Cities. Now I have to suffer through Paul Douglas, AGAIN.

[Deja Q]

14. And you personally saw him do it?

And could the article be spinning the context?

Or is he talking what's been given to him, which is often the case for most local news people?

[SushiFan]

5. At least your tooty froot weatherman is mildly attractive.

Here in St. Louis they have a weather guy on one station who is not only severely obese but is also missing a front tooth.


I think if someone lands a nice job on tv in a major market they could at least get their teeth fixed!


But then I remember, this IS MISSOURI, the capital of all American INBREEDS as well as home to both John Ashcroft and Roy Blunt.


Missing teeth and inbreeding fit very well with those 2 ReTHUGS, I guess.

[Beausoir]

8. No shit? Missing a tooth? ROFL.

[Ian David]

9. I like Al

My Weather - Al's Forecast
Admit it, you can't watch Al Kaprielian without smiling. He's just "that kind of guy!" Sure he's a meteorologist who knows how to predict the forecast, but more importantly, he's a fun guy. He gives you the weather and a smile!

Al Kaprielian

Meteorologist Al Kaprielian brings you the weather on My TV. His forecasts have won recognition for their accuracy! Al has been an integral part of the station's identity since 1983. His opening line of "Good Eeeevening!" and unique on-air antics have made him one of the most recognized media personalities in New England. Al is one of New England's most experienced meteorologists and has won numerous accolades for his accuracy. Most recently, Al was awarded "Best Weather Forecaster" in the Nashua Telegraph's 2004 Reader's Choice Awards.

Al has also been voted Best Media Personality and Best Weatherperson in New Hampshire Magazine's The Very Best of New Hampshire Reader Choice Awards and Al has been interviewed by both WCVB Channel 5's "Chronicle" (Boston) and WKXL radio in Concord, NH for his outgoing personality.

Al is a native of Natick, Massachusetts, and graduated from Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, VT.

When he's not forecasting the weather on My TV, you can meet him at local community events such as the American Heart Walk, where he was the top fundraiser in 2005, the Lowell Folk Festival, and the Derry News Cookie Eating Contest.


http://www.mytvstation.tv/story.asp?id=85

[AngryAmish]

11. Tom Skilling

Brother of Enron's own Jeff Skilling.

Anyway, Tom Skilling is WGN Channel 9's weatherman. In Chicago he is the king of weather. He does not predict the weather-he creates the weather. If you want a sunny day for the company picnic you better give him a check.