A huge loss for Chicago TV. Tom Skilling was a fixture on WGN 9 for 45 years. He was the Gold standard in Chicago's ever changing weather situation. He was so good, WGN turned the Skilling forecasts into station promos. I remember when he hosted an annual Severe Weather seminar at Fermilab, along with broadcasting several WGN News' specials from Alaska & even the tarp at White Sox park was sponsored.
I'm not sure who WGN will name as Tom's successor. Before he died last year at age 69, I was under the impression that longtime weekend weatherman Jim Ramsey would be Skilling's heir apparent. They could stay in house, sort of speak, promoting afternoon meteorologist Demetrius Ivory, morning guy Paul Konrad or current weekend weatherman Mike Janssen to the lead job. They could move up Morgan Kolkmeyer or Alyssa Donovan, too. We shall soon find out.
This seems hard to believe. Once Skilling signs off February 28 next year, onetime former Top 40 DJ Brant Miller will be this city's new dean of meteorologists. Miller has been at NBC 5 since 1991, while morning meteorologist Tracy Butler has been at ABC 7 since 1994.
Yeah, I'm old enough to remember when Brant spun tunes before making the transition to weather.