Micah Johnson, agent for former WPLG meteorologist Michael Smith, tells SFLTV the former member of the Local 10 weather team has landed a gig at the Weather Channel.
In early January we reporter that after 4 years as a weekend meteorologist Michael Smith would leave WPLG as on-air changes were taking place at the station. At the Weather Channel he will continue to be an on-air meteorologist.
Big loss at WPLG. I think he was the best of all of them along with Scott. Betty is a joke in her onscreen presence while knowledgable, looks awkward , Trent was ok. I really think Michael and Scott were the best on the team. What a mistake. But he really got no respect at the station ever. He has an AMS Degree and they would not even give him credit onscreen. Now everyone can see what they lost. PLG is really going down the drain.
RIP WPLG……….mgmt are clueless morons and brainless bimbos!!! It hurts to watch!!!
Knew Mike would land on his feet. Can’t believe channel 10, the “Haitian Station”, traded in experience
for eye candy. I t is so bad you can’t even pronounce the names of some of the reporters over there. Those phony testimonials with viewers to make their news people look good are fooling no one. Some time their news casts look like a high school production of TMZ. Dwight Lauderdale must be gagging.
channel 10 more interested in a beauty pageant then delivering a good product. congrats to smith for his weather channel gig, amazing how things workout, he will probably get the overnight and weekned shift but he is working and you can do alot worse than the weather channel
Michael was great at WPLG. Stop hating on Betty Davis. Besides the glamour she knows weather and her delivery is great. Ch.10 is the only station that promotes blacks who are professional & talented. The other three promotes mainly Hispanics & whites. Yes she is awkward at times but she makes the weather reports more relatable instead of stiff and sometimes boring.
She’s not just awkward “at times”; she’s awkward at MANY times. Nearly every single time I have seen her do a weather tease or segment (and this is pretty often) she trips over a word, can’t get her remote to work (and she usually makes a comment about it) or she has some kind of sharp movement for no reason. On many nights she does a combination of these things.
Unless WPLG just doesn’t care, she can’t possibly stick around in this slot for long.
Good for Michael. Hope it works out for him. NBC leadership is a wild card though….
Betty – I have heard with heels, she is like 6 feet tall….that could contribute to the sharp movements you say you saw (vs a met that is 5 foot 3). Who know’s…
She’s animated for sure but that’s not a bad thing IMHO…and apparently many other south floridians.
If you like your Meteorologist stiff…there are plenty of em out their to soothe your ache.
Who said they wanted a stiff meteorologist?
How about a meteorologist who can smile, give a competent weather forecast and deliver it without a big stumble four out of five nights a week? This combo does not equate to stiff. Our market has many good options… Betty is just not there yet if you ask me. She might get there if she begins to demonstrate more confidence and finesse in her delivery.
You watch PLG more than I do obviously…but every time I have seen Betty or anyone else at that station on air….I see smiles and hear credibility and I certainly hear competency.
The other options in the market you refer to stumble as well. Adam Berg (NBC) stumbled last night on air!!! Where is the lynch mob?? lol
I have seen John Morales stumble….Julie Durda stumble….Vivian stumble….Trent stumble (especially when he first came to PLG).
I have seen countless met’s acknowledge tech difficulties while live on air. If the system crashes or the lil clicker thing does not work on a live show…..seems natural to briefly acknowledge it to the viewing base and keep the show moving.
Anchors stumble often too….and some acknowledge it.
I am not an on-air talent but I would imagine the gig (Met, Reporter or Anchor) is hard. You have a camera in your face, a very brief script or no script at all….but relying on extemporaneous thought…..while still trying to sound credible.
All good and no worries…
We all have opinions and preferences. I get it.
This is supposed to be a celebratory thread bout Mr. Smith…..not Betty, John Morales, Julie, Trent or Vivian. lol
Carry on folks..
I get it, no one’s perfect and everyone’s human. My point is that Betty’s blooper reel would be significantly longer than most. I actually saw Adam Berg stumble yesterday (his throat seemed to go dry and he couldn’t talk, prompting a comment about it)… it happens.
And you’re right — back to the topic. Congratulations to Michael! I liked him at 10… sorry to see him go.
Miami said “Ch.10 is the only station that promotes blacks who are professional & talented. The other three promotes mainly Hispanics & whites”
Really? It seems to me that Jawan Strader, Robbin Simmons, Donovan Campbell, Karlene Chavis, Jennifer Bisram just to name a few at other stations are neither White nor Hispanic and very professional ad talented.
If you’re going to sling garbage, at least have the decency to be truthful about it. WPLG has dug their own grave and you might as well purchase their tombstone.
I don’t think it’s that the major local stations won’t promote non-White or Hispanic talents so much as there’s a dearth of experienced, credentialed Blacks who apply for these jobs in the Miami market–which is a whole ‘nother conversation.
“Jawan Strader, Robbin Simmons, Donovan Campbell, Karlene Chavis, Jennifer Bisram”
Who????
lol