Anymore, I know quite a few people who are more or less in the same boat in that regard. As recently as a few years ago, I was more or less a "freak" in terms of how little television I watched. I don't have anything against television - I just fell out of the habit of watching it years ago and I already have more neat and interesting things to keep me busy and entertained than I have the time to keep up with. I did watch returns from the 2004 election - and since then I am pretty sure I had it on for alerts when there were potential tornadoes in the area. Personally, I cannot even remember the last time I had my television on for any other purpose besides watching a DVD. For example, I have heard that the average age for the viewership of the network evening newscasts these days is VERY much higher than what it used to be. The core audience for such programing is going to increasingly be those who continue to watch out of long time habit. That's why I would think that it is risky getting rid of established personalities. So their days are numbered and so may be television, at least broadcast news TV.
But I wish I could have had a chance to say goodbye to the viewers and thank them for watching all of these years."Īll the meteorologists on TV are up against the "lightning" speed of the internet weather portals ala and countless others. "That really kills me," she says, "because there are a lot of people out there that would e-mail me every day, some people that I've never met before that would e-mail me all the time, and just the fact that I didn't get to tell them what happened - I would never say anything terrible, because I had really, really great times at NBC-5, and I'm forever going to be grateful for all the opportunities that I had there. Her biggest regret about the way things happened is that she didn't get to say goodbye to the viewers. Miller says she'll miss her morning colleagues, such as anchors Brendan Higgins and Deborah Ferguson and traffic reporter Tammy Dombeck, but she sees them outside of work anyway. I just figured, 'I have a degree in meteorology, I have experience in the media, and maybe if I have a little bit of background with homeland security, and the certification with A&M, I could combine all three." "We all know what happened with Katrina and FEMA and the government and everything. "Well, I'm from New Orleans," Miller says. They have an online program for homeland security." so I started grad school this past year at A&M. I knew that my days over at NBC-5 were probably numbered. "I've thought a little bit about it," she says. "Their philosophy is, even if there's nothing happening, people want to know that, too," Miller says.Īside from chief meterologist David Finfrock, whom I believe will be with the station for a long time, Miller was the last remaining element of the legacy of Harold Taft, the legendary weatherman who was with the station from its 1948 sign-on till his death in 1991, the same year that Miller was hired. "On snow forecasts, they like to make you really push it, and make people realize just how terrible it is, and sometimes it's not so terrible." Miller backed up a theory I (and no doubt many others) have about local-weather forecasting anywhere: Some forecasters give you a worst-case scenario, so that if things are bad, you're prepared, and if they're not, you're grateful. "I am so thankful to not be there when it's snowing," she says. Isn't that something a meteorologist would love to sink her teeth into? Actually, it turns out that Miller is glad she missed it. Today, naturally, it's nasty, with rain and ice around us, and as I look up at another TV station, I see snow as well. The day Miller left NBC-5, the weather was pleasant. That's been going on for a while, so I knew something was up." (Tully declined to comment, citing a station policy against commenting on personnel matters.) 'I just don't understand what the forecast is going to be when I watch you'. For a long time has criticized my work, and she says things like.
"But I wasn't completely surprised, to be honest with you. "I think a lot of people at Channel 5 were surprised, too," Miller says. Comments on this blog and on Ed Bark's Uncle Barky blog indicate that viewers were surprised by Miller's dismissal. Just got off the phone will Rebeca Miller, who as you may know by now was let go from KXAS/Channel 5 on Wednesday after nearly 17 years with the station as a meteorologist.