KIMT owner's plan to layoff local weather team seems to have melted away
Jan. 29—ROCHESTER — Just as the temperatures have warmed up, the leaked plan of KIMT-TV's owner to lay off meteorologists and consolidate all national weather forecasting in Atlanta seems to have mostly melted away.
This stormy situation started on Jan. 17, when the news broke that Los Angeles-based Allen Media Group was planning to consolidate the local weather forecasting from its 27 local stations, including KIMT, and shift the duties to the Weather Channel. AMG paid $300 million to acquire the Weather Channel in 2018.
KIMT-TV News 3, which is a CBS affiliate based in Mason City, Iowa, has operated a Rochester news bureau and broadcast studio at 1751 U.S. Highway 52 North since 2017.
Viewers across the country loudly criticized the plan as meteorologists at some of the AMG stations offered up prematurely tearful goodbyes on air. While there were no local goodbyes, many in the area voiced concern about the future of the KIMT's StormTeam 3 meteorologists.
KIMT has four people on its weather team, led by Chief Meteorologist Aaron White. The other members are Sara Knox, Travis Clark-Smith and Hunter Donahoe, who has been at the station for just six months.
The tidal wave of negative feedback about the plan reportedly caused AMG to reverse course. While there are still no details or official statements from AMG, that seems to be generally accurate.
KIMT News Director Dan Clouse answered some questions about the situation this week.
"I can confirm that everything here at KIMT remains without change when it comes to our weather team staffing," said Clouse. "All four of our meteorologists are still working here. None of them have been laid off. And there is no immediate plan in place to let any of them go at any particular time."
Rumors of possible layoffs were rampant in the wake of AMG's plan being leaked. Some stations claimed that meteorologists were notified of the dates of their last days.
AMG is reportedly working on an announcement about what changes, if any, will now happen.
"Allen Media is considering ways to incorporate more Weather Channel content at its local stations. But specifics of how that might work are still being determined. It will likely work differently at each Allen Media station across the country," said KIMT's Clouse.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
National Weather Service confirms 7 tornadoes touched down in River Valley on June 6
WATCH ABOVE: Drone footage of the damage in Van Buren. (COURTESY: Charles Peek and the Weather Channel) TULSA, Okla. (KNWA/KFTA) — The National Weather Service confirmed June 10 that seven tornadoes touched down in Sequoyah County and Van Buren on June 6. The NWS says a line of severe thunderstorms moved across Sequoyah County and into west-central Arkansas. Damaging winds occurred along virtually the length of Sequoyah County. According to the NWS, an EF1 tornado formed near Mc Key in Sequoyah County and moved southeast before turning to the northeast and dissipating northwest of Sallisaw. Wind speeds hit 95 mph. The NWS says damage appeared to be confined to trees. An EF1 tornado hit Sallisaw with wind speeds up to 95 mph. It formed between North Wheeler Avenue and South Road 4640, north of East Road 1060. It headed east-southeast, crossing East Road 1060 near South Road 4650. The tornado traveled to South Road 4670 where it dissipated. Damage was primarily done to trees. An EF1 tornado with wind speeds of up to 90 mph formed near Liberty in Sequoyah County. It formed in the western sections of the community. The tornado traveled near and just south of East Road 1060. Minor damage was done to the roof of the community's school, and a power pole was damaged. Many trees were damaged. Some trees were uprooted. Van Buren tornado from June 6 rated EF-1, 2 other brief tornadoes reported Van Buren was hit by three tornadoes. An EF0 tornado hit the city with wind speeds of 85 mph. The tornado developed just west of the Arkansas River south of Interstate 540 in an open area and traveled across the Arkansas River to the Port of Van Buren. The tornado damaged a fabric and metal storage shelter and the roof of a nearby building. It dissipated as it left the port area. An EF1 tornado with wind speeds between 95 mph and 105 mph touched down in southeast Van Buren near South 4th Street and Wood Street. The tornado moved rapidly northeast into the area just south of the Baptist Health-Van Buren complex. A commercial building was damaged, along with multiple homes on Ozier Street, Mulberry Street and South 19th Street. Winds blew in the walls that contained windows of two homes. One home lost its entire roof and the other lost a large portion of its roof. The tornado quickly dissipated, lasting a little more than one minute. Another EF0 tornado hit Van Buren with 85 mph wind speeds. It traveled near the Union Pacific Railroad line north of Kibler Road and west of Shibley Road. The tornado damaged trees and passed over homes. The NWS says damage to structures appeared to be limited. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Evacuation orders issued due to brush fire burning in Los Angeles County
A brush fire burning near homes in Los Angeles County has prompted evacuation orders, authorities said Tuesday. The Burbank Fire Department said Tuesday afternoon it was responding to the Bethany Fire, which is burning near a residential area in Burbank, California. Evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Burbank due to the eight-acre fire. All hiking trails above Burbank, including Wildwood Canyon and Stough Nature Center areas, are closed due to the fire, police said. "If you are on or near the hiking trails or in these recreation areas in the Burbank hills, please leave the area immediately," the Burbank Police Department said. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
A preliminary 3.4-magnitude earthquake strikes in Los Angeles' South Bay
A preliminary 3.4-magnitude earthquake struck near Manhattan Beach in the South Bay of Los Angeles on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake's epicenter was recorded nearly 9 miles from Manhattan Beach. The quake was reported at about 12:15 p.m. A USGS It is not yet known if there are reports of injuries or damage. This is a developing story.
