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Brad Perry: Is KPHO wanting someone like me?
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The search is on for KPHO's Chief Meteorologist
When KPHO (Channel 5) posted a job opening for Chief Meteorologist on Monday, the rumor mill got crankin’. Then when this column confirmed that anchorman Kent Dana will leave the station in the Fall and be replaced by weatherman Sean McLaughlin, the talk went wild.
McLaughlin currently holds chief weathercasting duties at Phoenix's CBS affiliate and is the primary substitute when Dana is unavailable. But the question remains: who will take over for McLaughlin? Paul Horton? Steve Garry? Remember Bill Kelly? Even Brad Perry’s name has come up.
KPHO General Manager Ed Munson indicated this is a good time to search for a replacement. “We will be looking both internally here at the station and within the Meredith Corporation, as well as nationally,” he said.
The previous 12 months have been notoriously bad for the media business. According to job consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 2008 brought pink slips to more than 24,000 people in print and broadcast—the most in seven years. 2009 numbers are on a similar track. The losses mean more job seekers are available, a bonus for companies like KPHO which has six openings currently posted.
When it comes to Chief Meteorologist, Munson said he’s looking for “a scientist”. Garry and Horton are likely top candidates. Both are trained meteorologists and already established at KPHO. Horton handles weather for the station’s morning and noon newscasts. Garry forecasts weekend weather and some weekdays. He also holds the top certification from the American Meteorological Society (AMS).
Readers on the industry web site www.tvspy.com have thrown out some other familiar names in television weathercasting:
- Jeff Kelly, formerly at KPHO until 2006; now at KPAX in Missoula, MT
- Bill Kelly, formerly at KPNX until 2008; current location unknown
- Brad Perry, formerly at KTVK until 2009; seeking employment in Phoenix
Perry is smart enough to know his brand of television weather does not work at every station. His 11-year run in Phoenix media ended abruptly this Spring when KTVK included him and 15 others in a round of layoffs. Thursday morning, he reacted cautiously to the KPHO job posting. “I'm not a meteorologist but would take the a.m. if they move Paul. But is KPHO wanting someone like me?”
As they say in TV, stay tuned…..
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