Per a social media post, KING 5 weather anchor Leah Pezzetti enters into that high pressure area this weekend. We wish her warm winds.
Her goodbye post below! After an almost five-year stint, FOX 13 meteorologist and part-time news anchor Abby Acone ends her run there with a final show on this Sunday morning. Married earlier this month, she left no word on what's next. Not sure if it is fully her decision, but I'm told she had 'favored nation' status with news management. Before joining 13 in December of 2021, she worked three years at KOMO and also did a stint in Tri-Cities. Fittingly, this last shot on IG is studio appropriate. I've been frequently critical of her on this site for using the station's studio to post questionable videos (IMO), but for now, good luck. Here's Abby's goodbye post: My heart is so full as I reflect on my final week at FOX 13 ❤️ 🥹 I’m incredibly grateful for my time here and for the remarkable people who made this place feel like home. I’ve had the joy of working alongside some of the most talented, hardworking, and genuinely wonderful people in th...
Seconded. Congrats to Leah!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Leah on her wedding this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI was watching the news/weather report when Leah announced she was engaged. Congratulations on the upcoming wedding. Looks like you picked a very good weekend. Always enjoy Leah and feel she should be the new Chief Meteorologist after Mike left. Anyone out there know why that didn't happen? Do they even have one?
DeleteNo Chief. Marriott Senior Met.
ReplyDeleteRich may be Senior Met, but Parella Lewis is currently the one in charge of the weather department. Rich was offered the Chief job after Jeff [Renner] retired, but Rich was happy to keep his morning gig and not get involved in the to management matters (scheduling, hire/fire, budgeting, etc ) that a Chief Met would have to handle which is why you saw folks like Jordan Steele and Mike Everett come and go. I think KING management is going to wait til Rich retires to "officially" give the Chief Met title to Parella. Leah perhaps requested the weekend PM job so she can have a balance to spend time with the hubby and work at the station. Still, much congrats to Leah and Buddy!
ReplyDeleteGood take, yes.
ReplyDeleteWould Parella really be Chief Meteorologist as a weather anchor?
ReplyDeleteShe has worked previously in the market and does have more experience than everyone but Rich, so would be considered to manage schedules, problems etc al. Jeff Renner did it at King for a long time.
DeleteI spoke with an insider at KING and told me that Parella is really the Chief Met at the station, but they don't use the title during the newscast or on the scripts. You don't hear Jake or Mimi on the morning newscast introduce Rich: "Senior Metrologist Rich Marriott has more...", "here's Senior Meteorologist Rich Marriott...", etc. Unless you're working the network level, titles rarely carry anything considering when more and more of today's journalists are calling themselves "storytellers". Better yet, you can visit KING's bio page and instead of being listed first, Susannah Frame is not credited "News Director", but as Chief Investigative Correspondent and "Head of Journalism Development" and she is listed bottom last.
ReplyDeleteI've lived here 50 years so I am familiar with the comings and goings of the news people as a civilian only. That being said, how can Parella be a Chief Meteorologist when she isn't one. She is a weather reader. Shouldn't the person who holds that title BE a meteorologist?
DeleteI appreciate the input to my question regarding Leah. I had no idea the senior met had such a large responsibility. Is this the case elsewhere or just with King 5?
I also want to say I do enjoy reading this blog. I get so much inside info from all of you. Thanks for that!
Thanks for your kind words. Meanwhile, I don't know who does weather scheduling and admin stuff for the other Seattle stations, but I would not be surprised if that has shifted to an assistant news director these days Also Lewis might have something in her contract about extra duties without the title. No way of knowing. Back when I was at NWCN Jeff Renner worked with my EP to streamline schedules to cover us and King.
ReplyDeleteShannon does it at KOMO, Morgan at KIRO and Brian at FOX13. Any other management issues falls in line with the Exec Producers, who tell the Asst News Director who then tells the News Director.
ReplyDeleteSteve Pool did not do schedules when I worked at KOMO a couple of decades ago. Maybe duties have changed.
DeleteIt was coordinated between Steve and the EP as far as I know. Either way, Steve had the final say when it came to hiring/firing, scripting, etc.
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