Paul Horton Promoted at Ch 19
From the posts on the "Cheers" blog, it's clear folks want to talk about Ch 19 naming Paul Horton chief meteorologist. So I'll start a new string.
Ch 19's four-month search to replace Rich Apuzzo ended with an in-house move. Horton, hired for the Fox 19 morning news in August 2003, officially begins his prime-time duties with Jack Atherton and Tricia Macke tonight (although he has filled in plenty on the Big Show since Apuzzo was fired Oct. 9).
However, the move still leaves Ch. 19 short a weather staffer.... and another won't be hired until after February sweeps. Sweeps run the entire 28 days of February.
So here's a new string to comment on the move. Sounds like some folks don't like the decision. You'd rather have Pat Barry on the 10 p.m. news?
Have at it....
51 Comments:
Congratulations to Paul, it couldn't happen to a harder working guy! Kudos to Fox 19. I was worried Pat B, or one of the others would get the job.
Horton was perfect in the morning, we'll see if he fits in the evenings. But, I guess it is Fox.
Congratulations Paul hopefully you will take fox19s weather to new heights. i was going to make a comment about the one comment on another post but all i will say is since that incident he has been on the straight and narrow. now to start trouble, of all of the temporary people that they have had frank, pat, and i cant remember her name at the moment but who would everyone else like to see permanently or who would you bring in and from where?
Paul seems young for the job but young meteorologists seems to be the trend. I'm sure he'll be great.
Can we be expecting any more changes from the other channels or is everybody locked down? The men anchors haven't changed in a LONG time!
I think it was a good move to promote paul.
I personally would have liked to see jim obrien get a shot.
OFF TOPIC TANGEANT POST
i have been trying to come up with a list of in chronological order of what weather people who are currently on air have been here
Anonymous said...
Paul seems young for the job but young meteorologists seems to be the trend. I'm sure he'll be great.
Can we be expecting any more changes from the other channels or is everybody locked down? The men anchors haven't changed in a LONG time!
the only men who havent changed are horstmeyer,hedrick and handley otherwise there has been a complete turnover of everybody else
He seems young? So he's the head weather reader. I can go to weather.com and get the forecast and have my 4th grader do the graphics for me...which would make me far better than Steve Norris
The tangent was interesting. How close is this list. Remember Norris was at 19 before 9.
Steve Horstmeyer
Tim Hedrick
Steve Norris
Larry Handley
Michelle Boutillette
Cyndee O'Quinn.
Paul Horton
John Bateman
Valerie Abati
Steve Raleigh
Derek Beasley
Jeff Creighton
John Gumm
The New Guy At 5
As a "weather enthusiast" I've not watched Fox19 at 10pm (and in general) since Apuzzo was sent packing. I don't want another regurgitated weather forecast from a weather company 1000 miles away. If I wanted that, I'd watch the Weather Channel.
Weather should be 3 mins max. Give me the current temp, the high/low for 5-7 days and that's it. I could care less if there is a high pressure system sitting over Iowa that might give us a chance for an inch of snow next week.
Steve Horstmeyer
Tim Hedrick
Steve Norris
Larry Handley
Michelle Boutillette
Cyndee O'Quinn.
Paul Horton
John Bateman
Valerie Abati
Steve Raleigh
Derek Beasley
Jeff Creighton
John Gumm
The New Guy At 5 (Eric Green)
let us not forget:
Pat Barry - temp WXIX
Tracey Hale Brown - temp WXIX
Frank Field - temp WXIX
Robert Hocks - temp on WCPO
Keisha Kirkland - temp on WLWT
Steve Norris also worked at channel 5
For those technical people, Ira Joe on CBS Early Show Saturdays
I miss the gongless days, non-animated weather maps (including the stencils backlit by colored light bulbs and maps drawn with magic markers). I'm glad the "flyby's" have been eliminated.
I don't agree with the Horton hire. He fits in with the generic morning show. I would hire Pat Barry for two reasons: past history and he has the ability to ad-lib with people his own age. While I like Valerie (and what's not to like), her age difference does come off odd.
Let me clarify; my earlier posting about the male anchors was referencing the NEWS anchors (not weather). I was just curious as to why they stay for so long when people in other jobs come and go, or if we can expect to see any changes soon.
Sorry for the confusion!
I am going to miss Paul in the mornings, but I think he will be a great mix between Trisha and Jack. Who will get the morning job? Valerie or Pat?
in the morning weather is only 3mins max each segment.
Will Val the Weather gal still do weekends at 19?
Let's not forget that Pat Barry, Steve Raleigh and Steve Horsteyer are also former Channel 5, while Robert Hocks filled in at 5 awhile back.
Come to think of it, Clyde Gray also anchored at 5 and Betsy Ross was at Channel 9 News Watch (remember Mike Binkley?)then at 5 on two separate occasions. Dennis Jansen at 12 then 9, Ken Brew at 5 then 12 then DC then 5.
News, weather, sports...who am I missing that has changed stations locally?
I know that this is not about the weatherman change at Fox, but did anyone notice that Wendy Walker is back at WEBN??? This is a VERY big move since she was fired from there just a few months ago. Anyone know anything?
Personally I haven't watched Fox19 since they got rid of Rich. (I actually signed up for Rich's e-mail "Wild World Of Weather" and that's probably been the best forecasts i've seen across any of the stations. Paul Horton doesn't cut it, Valerie is more worried about what you wear outside, she is a horrible weather person. Cincinnati really needs someone that takes deep looks into what will show up in the next few days, and that's why I'd like to see Rich back on tv here.
Horton is great! Channel 5 is amazing, what was wrong with Jim Obrien anyway?
To BMurdock: I doubt Horton will give up the Q gig. That's only one night a week(Saturday) and 4-5 hours.
Nothing was wrong with Jim O'brien. It's just the same old self destructing 5. Let's make changes to make changes. I mean what can you expect when the news director has an attention span of a flea.
How long do you think News 5 is going to keep the wonder twins together? You can tell they don't even like each other. That is going to be the next move.
More names from the past:
Layne Mason
Mitzi Oxford
Mike Buresch
Gil(I cant think of his last name)
Tony Mann
News folks
Gene Randall
Edie Magnus
Wait! How could we ever forget the worst temp hire WLWT has ever made:
DENIS JON BAILEY!
Jon James who I believe is now doing inarticulate weather forecasts in Lexington. Clueless...
Dont forget Dan Royal
great to see you keeping the blog under control, kiese. no one's lashing out or saying anything inappropriate or mean-spirited. nice work making sure your forum doesn't get used by people who work at different stations. it's the good natured exchange of ideas that i love best. good journalism.
Don't forget Eric "firestarter" Warren on 12...
dont forget the guy who worked at 5 for a short period he was highly "attractive and revolting" at the same time,mainly because he was struck by lightning twice hehe! his name was mike nichols
i am sorry about the puns but i cant help myself one last one and a ? he was a highly "charged" individual and whatever became of him
I still miss Pete Delkus. Steve Raleigh is o.k, but I just really liked Pete and the way he delivered the weather.
First, I agree with the above poster about Steve Raleigh - he is just "OK" at best.
As far as Paul Horton - terrible mistake. I will not watch 19 now, because he has terrible credibility for me and seems to lack the ability needed to be a chief. I could see the 10 O'Clock News ratings being reduced further with this move. Horrible, in my opinion.
As far as weather enthusiasts, they are people that have a passion for the weather and watching/tracking it, much like some people watch cars circle a track (NASCAR) or sports, etc. Enthusiasts in general think the Horton move is a bad one.
no one ever mentioned weather man bob alan...i think he was on during the days of pat minarcin on ch. 9
No offense but I don't find Paul Horton "TV Friendly". It would be like Fred Gwynne delivering the weather.
Steve Raleigh: I can't take him seriously. After the bogus tornado sighting and on-air postulating while dragging his mouse across the radar map, just to apparently fill time, I say give me Steve Norris instead. Raleigh is the only blip on 9's weather radar that is bad. The rest of them are excellent.
By the way, who IS Michelle Boutilette engaged to? I understand it's someone from another station but its secret has been as tight as Clear Channel commenting on dismissals.
Paul is really suprising me...as far as his credentials...I'm not sure, but now that he has the primetime viewers, he's really pulling out his degree and sounding like a real chief. He was a Chief Meteorologist before in like WA or someplace...he's really suprising me...maybe this was a good move by 19...
Michelle is engaged? :-O
foox19 is still according to their website looking for a chief meteorologist and a reporter and a sports anchor, why cant they get someone for a full time sports gig?
i am betting that fox19 promoted horton to chief because they didnt want to go through a second sweeps without a chief meteorologist.
P.S. Hire pat Barry for Weekends
Dan Hoard should be rehired as their sports director.
They should hire his wife Peg as a reporter, which she did great job when she worked at 12.
I can't take 19's sports seriously right now. Their one reporter (Joe?) looks like a junior or senior in high school, especially when he's interviewing a junior or senior in high school!
Paul Horton's personality comes off as somewhat contrived. I hope that we will be pleasantly surprised by his on-camera presence in this new role.
As for Val Abati, I really don't see her "talent" as a weather person. Several people I know cannot stand her, because she seems fake and fidgety when on-camera.
I guess all-in-all, I prefer watching weather on the other stations. And, from the WXIX ratings, it seems that most of Cincinnati does as well.
I agree with many of the other bloggers, Paul Horton's personality is somehwat contrived. Let's hope that we see improvement in his new role.
As for Val Abati, I just don't see what all the hype is about. She doesn't do a bad job delivering the weather, but put her in a situation that requires cross-talk and she bombs. She look so uncomfortable and fake.
Let's be honest, Fox (local and national) likes to dress their girls up in cute little outfits and parade them on camera. It hardly allows you to take them seriously.
I have to admit that I am not a Fox fan. And from their ratings, it doesn't seem like the rest on Cincinnati is either.
Abati could call for 2 feet of snow on July 17th and I could care less.
Horton kind of creeps me out though, when they show on ther Westher promos(where he is just standing outside) he has this kind of pained look on his face.
I am happy the 19 has promoted Paul but I will definitely miss his personality on the morning news. Good luck Paul!!
I hope that one of our Cincinnati stations gives Jim O'Brien a home. I can't believe that 5 news didn't renew his contract. He is a great weather forecaster and great TV personality......
Let it snow Let it snow!!!!
I think that Paul will do well, but PLEASE GOD don't promote Abati. She is weekend caliber ONLY!
Agreed regarding Valerie Abati. Saw her this morning and she rushes to the point of mumbling. I keep hoping she would improve in that area with more experience. Her pacing is a distraction for me.
I agree with the last several bloggers. I watch Fox every morning and have switched to a different station for these past few snow days. Ms. Abati is flighty to the point that I don't trust her ability to give me an accurate weather forcast.
If they do promote her to mornings, I will continue to watch another station.
Abati has a meteorology degree from Penn State so unless she cheated her way through school, I'm sure she knows what she is talking about. She may not come across as credible on air, but she has the education.
Abati may have the education, but in any profession there are those who excel and those who just do not.
We have seen many mets come through this city and I think that it is safe to say that some are more credible than others.
I don't believe that the previous blogger was questioning her ability to forecast, but rather her ability to deliver it in an understandable way on-camera.
Val Abati is a hottie. I wouldn't even watch channel 19 if it wasn't for her. She does the weather just fine and is always smiling. I got your back Val! :)
I have to agree with earlier comments. Although Abati is upbeat, she isn't very good.
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