Former WEWS meteorologist Mark Johnson finds employment with WKYC parent company TEGNA
Johnson will now make his weather predictions for TEGNA, the parent company of WKYC, on a contract basis, according to a report from Cleveland Scene. He will not forecast in the Cleveland market due to contract conflicts, the report added.
'I will be doing some summer relief freelance fill-in work for the Tegna Company, for their TV stations outside of Northern Ohio," Johnson told the Scene in a text message July 28.
Johnson did not note to the Scene which stations he would be forecasting for.
The Beacon Journal has reached out to Johnson and WKYC for comment.
Hollie Strano: Former WKYC meteorologist, to give forecast for Southern radio stations
Why was Mark John fired from Channel 5?
Channel 5 reported Johnson was no longer a WEWS meteorologist on the afternoon of May 9.
"News 5 wants to share with our viewers a change to our on-air staffing," the station wrote in a news post on its website. "Meteorologist Mark Johnson is no longer employed at WEWS."
The brief news story did not include a reason for the separation or the nature of it, but included a statement from WEWS Vice President and General Manager Steve Weinstein:
"We want our audiences to know that News 5 and its parent company, Scripps, take protecting our audiences' trust very seriously by requiring our employees to adhere to the highest ethical standards. We cannot provide further details, as this is a personnel matter."
An attorney representing Mark Johnson called Johnson's firing "unfounded and disappointing," according to a statement obtained by Cleveland.com.
'Mark Johnson has built a distinguished reputation over three decades as a trusted and respected meteorologist in the community,' Daniel Levin of Prominent Brand + Talent said in the statement. 'His work has earned him the public trust and internal recognition and his performance evaluations have always been exemplary – consistently reflecting his dedication, reliability and value to Scripps and the WEWS family."
'I have represented [him] for over 25 years. Mark is a model professional. Of conduct that would be deemed inappropriate, there's none of that,' Levin added.
Who replaced Mark Johnson at Channel 5?
Channel 5 hired Frank Marzullo to take over Johnson's spot a few weeks after his firing.
How long was Mark Johnson at Channel 5?
Johnson joined News 5 Cleveland in 1993 where he received Emmy Awards for his work in weather forecasting. He graduated from Kent State University in 1988, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Jennifer Pignolet and Dan Kadar contributed to this report.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mark Johnson hired by WKYC parent company TEGNA to forecast weather
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