Lang
1/22/25
KWWL television in Waterloo issued conflicting statements about the loss of its local meteorologists on Tuesday.
Last Friday KCJJ first reported that Allen Media Group, which owns the NBC affiliate as well as 27 other television stations nationwide, would be laying off its local television meteorologists in favor of using forecasters from the Atlanta-based Weather Channel, which the company also owns.
Tuesday morning the station posted a news story from CNN with the headline, “Local TV meteorologists deliver tearful farewell as stations replace staff with The Weather Channel feed”. The story included a photo of Allen Media owner Byron Allen, and featured information about the change with quotes from local meteorologists who are being let go. The story garnered over 100 comments in less than an hour, but it was soon deleted and replaced with a news release from Allen Media touting, “The Power of The Weather Channel is coming to your local television station”. The TV station turned off comments under the Facebook link for the news release.
KWWL weekend anchor Emma’le Moss shared the Allen Media news release on her company Facebook page and added, “As many of you know, it’s been a sad and difficult week here. I do want to thank everyone though who has reached out, your support is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.”
Iowa’s News Now meteorologist Rebecca Kopelman and former KWWL anchor Abby Turpin were among those blasting the move away from local meteorologists on their Facebook pages as well.