Friday, August 24, 2007

BREAKING NEWS: Kalinowski Exits 19

OMW hears that WOIO/19 "19 Action News" morning weather forecaster/meteorologist Bruce Kalinowski has done his final forecast for the Raycom CBS affiliate in Cleveland.

We're told that Bruce stepped down, quietly, after his final report during the station's noon news on Friday. We're also told that the station did not intend to renew his contract, which expires in just over a month, and that he was given the option to exit the station today.

As far as we know, this is an exclusive, as we are told Mr. Kalinowski did not "say goodbye" on the air, or make a big deal out of it as a TV "pro".

One piece of Bruce Kalinowski trivia, which you may know: Before coming to Channel 19, the Northeast Ohio native - who went to Kent State University - was an 18-year forecaster for the Atlanta-based Weather Channel, using the on-air name Bruce Edwards.

We'd forgotten the length of his tenure at the cable channel, or his official title ("Director of On-Air Meteorology"), until we read his "Action News" bio, which mentions all that.

But we remembered the use of the name Bruce Edwards for the Weather Channel.

Like WJW/8 veteran news anchor and now talk show host Robin Swoboda, Bruce started using his real name when he returned to Cleveland.

Ms. Swoboda was known as "Robin Cole" when she worked in Miami, if we remember right, and was advised by locals that her given name would go over well in a city like Cleveland...

7 comments:

OMWFan said...

Well hopefully, this will break up that weird "tag team" arrangement in the evening between Jeff Tanchek and Markina Brown.

Let Markina do mornings and noon, while Tanchek has evenings.

If not, then they could bring Jon Louffman in to do mornings and noon, and go piecemeal on weekends.

david5258 said...

sorry to hear that bruce is leaving 19. cleveland is losing a true professional in the mold of goddard who actually knows what he is talking about. he helps the average viewer actually understand what is happening weatherwise. louffman has been richochet rabbit in his cleveland tenure. best wishes to bruce. i hope other cleveland outlets are intelligient enough to offer bruce a contract.--david5258

Frumpy Curmudgeon said...

I second david5258's comments. I'll miss Bruce Kalinowski on the air. I thought he got screwed when Jeff Tanchak bumped him off the evening newscasts and he was relegated to mornings. I can't stand Tanchak. He comes off to me on the air as a loud, obnoxious, frat boy.

I don't see Bruce landing anywhere in Cleveland, though; all the stations here seem to be deep enough in terms of on-air weather people. I hope he finds a lead weather gig in another major market.

superjock said...

Good Luck Bruce,your a true pro and a class act that WOIO should've kept.
Hope you stay in town and land at a station that'll treat you with the respect you deserve maybe Fox8 WEWS OR WKYC.
I'll bet it'll be WEWS EVEN IF IT IS TEMPORARY.

Unknown said...

We will certainly miss Bruce on 19 Action News. I think they just lost a great weatherman. They would have been better off letting Tanchak go and keeping Bruce. I do not know what is wrong with 19 Action news..Looks like Alison Alexander will be gone soon!!

Wally1 said...

Bruse is gone now Alison?!!!!
I dont know the behind the scenes happenings, but these 2 were worth tuning into everyday, now what? back to channel 3? The only person worth watching in the morning is Jeff, but Loufman isnt very TV frendly and seems out of place to big of shoes to fill there, And who's gonna fill Alisons seat good luck finding the right person there. Chennel 3 lost out when they lost their hot blond morning anchor. Well good luck hopefully you guys dont SUCK now. Sorta reminds me of the Cleveland Browns or Cleveland in general downward spiral.

Towncrier said...

I have heard through the grapevine that Bruce was the unfortunate victim of age discrimination by the producers at WOIO (who didn't have the professional courtesy to admit that to the viewers).