A meteorologist for a Sinclair Broadcasting station could lose his job after he criticized, on the air, last week, new orders from corporate to declare "code red" weather alert days.
Joe Crain has been a meteorologist at WICS-TV in Springfield, Ill., for 15 years, and is trusted by locals as a source for severe weather coverage. He said Sinclair management encouraged meteorologists at his and other affiliates to declare "code red" days as part of weather forecasts, which he believed undermined his credibility, Matthew Cappucci reports for The Washington Post.
He spoke out on Wednesday in response to what he said were "thousands" of negative comments from readers. "I take my job seriously and my responsibility to the public," Crain said during his forecast. "We want you to know it’s not us. This is a corporate initiative: the code red alert. Behind the scenes, many of us have tried to dissuade it for the last few months." He encouraged viewers to continue complaining: "Despite the fact that this facility is owned by a corporation, it’s still licensed under the authority by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. You still have a voice. Keep those cards and letters coming."
Crain did not deliver a forecast Thursday morning, and his bio has been removed from the company site. Thousands of local viewers have commented on social media in support of Crain, some pledging to boycott the station. At least four local businesses have pulled advertising from WICS in response, and meteorologists across the country have spoken out, saying management needs to stay out of news coverage, Cappucci reports.
A Sinclair spokesperson told the Post that the company stands behind its decision to push code red alerts, and says the increase in code red days seen in Springfield was the product of frequent severe weather that had created "significant storm damage in the area." The spokesperson also contradicted Crain's on-air complaint and said that local meteorologists decide whether to issue a red alert, Cappucci reports.
Joe Crain has been a meteorologist at WICS-TV in Springfield, Ill., for 15 years, and is trusted by locals as a source for severe weather coverage. He said Sinclair management encouraged meteorologists at his and other affiliates to declare "code red" days as part of weather forecasts, which he believed undermined his credibility, Matthew Cappucci reports for The Washington Post.
He spoke out on Wednesday in response to what he said were "thousands" of negative comments from readers. "I take my job seriously and my responsibility to the public," Crain said during his forecast. "We want you to know it’s not us. This is a corporate initiative: the code red alert. Behind the scenes, many of us have tried to dissuade it for the last few months." He encouraged viewers to continue complaining: "Despite the fact that this facility is owned by a corporation, it’s still licensed under the authority by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. You still have a voice. Keep those cards and letters coming."
Crain did not deliver a forecast Thursday morning, and his bio has been removed from the company site. Thousands of local viewers have commented on social media in support of Crain, some pledging to boycott the station. At least four local businesses have pulled advertising from WICS in response, and meteorologists across the country have spoken out, saying management needs to stay out of news coverage, Cappucci reports.
A Sinclair spokesperson told the Post that the company stands behind its decision to push code red alerts, and says the increase in code red days seen in Springfield was the product of frequent severe weather that had created "significant storm damage in the area." The spokesperson also contradicted Crain's on-air complaint and said that local meteorologists decide whether to issue a red alert, Cappucci reports.
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