Longtime TV Meteorologist Fired

Mark Johnson appears during a newscast describing severe thunderstorms moving through portions of Ohio in this file photograph. Image: WEWS-TV

A longtime television meteorologist in Cleveland has been fired from his job. WEWS-TV, the ABC affiliate on Channel 5 in Cleveland, released a statement about the meteorologist’s departure. Steve Weinstein, Vice President and General Manager of WEWS, issued a brief statement about the staff departure.

“We want our audiences to know that News 5 and its parent company, Scripps, take protecting our audiences’ trust very seriously by requiring our employees to adhere to the highest ethical standards. We cannot provide further details, as this is a personnel matter,” Weinstein said.

The station said it is committed to providing accurate and reliable weather coverage for northeast Ohio and that a search for Johnson’s replacement is already underway. Before removing it from the station website, the television station described the Chief Meteorologist who’d been with the station for 22 years as having “high-energy style” and “keeps viewers informed and prepared for the coming weather.”

The station nor Johnson have shared any additional comments to describe why the job action occurred.