KMIZ TO SHUTTER WEATHER STATION? Popular Stormtrack team out by Jan. 1, former weatherman Tweets

A popular weathercast may be given the New Year's boot 

COLUMBIA, 12/18/11  (Beat Byte) --  The popular KMIZ ABC17 Stormtrack 24/7 weathercast will be shuttered January 1, former KMIZ meteorologist Jeff Huffman has Tweeted, also starting a Facebook conversation that at last count had 39 comments.

"It's true!  ABC17Stormtrack 24/7 will be replaced by MeTV on Jan 1," Huffman wrote, urging followers to email station manager Gene Steinberg to oppose the move.  "If you're as offended as me, reTweet and email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.."  

MeTV offers retro programming from the sixties and seventies, including shows such as Columbo, Hogans Heroes, and Love, American Style. 

Huffman explained that he and former KMIZ general manager Randy Wright -- both of whom ultimately departed Columbia for the University of Florida -- helped build the weather team in 2003.  Noted for its pleasant, professional delivery, the team includes chief meteorologist Sharon Ray, named a Best Weathercaster in a 2010 issue of Inside Columbia Magazine. 

Arguing on Facebook with Kansas City-based private investigator Ron Rugen, who said the move is in line with other trends in news delivery given the rise of online formats, Huffman insisted that the loss of protection 24/7 weathercasting provides will ultimately sully the shuttering. 

Station representatives have yet to officially announce or confirm the move.

6 comments:

    Anonymous December 20, 2011 at 1:13 PM

    Are they out of work, or is it that StormTrack 24/7 will no longer be on?
 
    Anonymous December 20, 2011 at 2:00 PM

    Hmm...Unless they get royalties from a nostalgia TV show and travel the nation doing Star Trek conferences, it's probably a safe bet that one or all are out of work.
 
    Anonymous December 20, 2011 at 7:08 PM

    ABC 17 and Fox 22 will still have newscasts. It just seems that there will no longer be a 24 hour weather outlet.
    I doubt that they will let their complete weather staff go.
 
    Anonymous December 20, 2011 at 9:28 PM

    Paul Pepper redux?
  
    Anonymous December 26, 2011 at 8:31 PM

    There wasn't much of a heads-up on this.

    Michael March 15, 2012 at 12:40 PM

    Sharon Ray is wonderful- hands down, the best weather anchor in mid-MO. But you know, the KMIZ team is very proactive with weather coverage when severe weather is in the area. Also, I get the basic forecast on the website and look there for 99% of my weather info anyway. I don't miss the 24 hour channel, frankly.

    I hadn't seen Daniel Boone since I was a little kid. I can't pretend I wasn't excited to see this was on MeTV's lineup. I don't subscribe to cable because for every channel I like there are 100 that are unwatchable or at the very least a total waste of time. Netflix and over the air channels are all I really need. A bonus channel of great old sitcoms and dramas is perfectly fine with me. I can't pretend I wasn't excited to see Daniel Boone for the first time since I was a kid. Maybe I'm the target demographic.