It's Official: Derek Beasley chief meteorologist

The worst-kept secret in town is finally official: Ch 5 morning meteorologist Derek Beasley will replace Jim O'Brien as Channel 5's chief meteorologist on Jan. 15. As I noted in a September blog, O'Brien was told his three-year contract would not be renewed at the end of the year. Soon after that, Beasley began working a split shift, coming back after the morning show to do weather at 5 p.m. with main anchors Sandra Ali and Sheree Paolello. He'll do the late news this week and next, then switch back to mornings to train new hire Eric Green, weekend meteorologist at CBS affiliate WOWK-TV in Charlestown-Huntington, WV. He returns to the late shift by the end of January.
O'Brien, 34, wouldn'’t say much today about what went south at Channel 5: "The station and I decided to go in different directions." That's all he 'd say.
O'Brien still hasn’t found another job. He told me that his next gig will be filling in next week at WTHR-TV (Channel 13 in Indianapolis), where he had worked before. And he says he could do some fill-in work here, although he won't say what station. My best guess is that he could show up on WXIX-TV (Channel 19), which has been short a forecaster since firing Rich Apuzzo in early October. Ch. 19 news director Steve Ackermann confirms he has spoken to O’Brien, but won’t comment further.
Remember when Channel 5 fired chief meteorologist Dave Fraser 5 in 1999, and he ended up over at Channel 19? He did morning weather for two years, until landing a chief meteorologist job in Denver. Could the same thing happend with O'Brien?
O'Brien says he has turned down two offers to stay in the Midwest (his wife is from Louisville). "I want to take my time making a decision," he says. Being chief again "is not necessarily important," he says.
Expect to see more changes in the weather at Channel 5. The station continues to search for a replacement for Marina Jurica, the weekend morning forecaster who abruptly left the station in mid-December. Channel 5 sub Keisha Kirkland, wife of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Levon Kirkland, had done weather in Lexington, as had Jurica. Levon Kirkland is an administrator at Clemson University, his alma mater.
So if you were running Channel 5, would you have dumped O'Brien and promoted Beasley?

Some Channel 19 news
Meteorologist Frank Field, who subbed on Channel 19 last month, is no relation to legendary New York weatherman Frank Field, says Steve Ackermann, Channel 19 news director. The younger Field is a former Boston-area TV meteorologist whose wife transferred from New England to Cincinnati when P&G bought Gillette.