Steve, We Hardly Knew Ye…

By
dubymcd
-
37
2061
Steve_20110128150403_JPGSo we accepted the fact that WTNH threw over Geoff Fox  as chief meteorologist…..and we remained open-minded to his replacement Steve MacLaughlin. Now everyone was happy; Geoff is at FoxCT, Steve has been doing a nice job on the WTNH evening newscasts. But word reaches The Laurel that Steve has been sent to weekends and will be replaced by Erika Martin,hired in May of this year. That’s a lot of change for we land of steady habit folks to handle…

erika martin_20120524154804_JPG

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37 COMMENTS

  2. I was really mad when then got rid of
    Geoff but I would watch 8 every now
    and then, I thought Steve did a good job
    especially with the shoes he was trying to
    fill. Erika is ok but I don’t know what Mr.
    Higgins is thinking .Time to fire Higgins.
    The weather dept at 8 is now down to
    3 people.

  4. I have to agree with “Anonymous”. Nothing personal, she may be a very nice person, but Erika is not a comfortable watch on-air. Steve is okay. Erica Grow was the best of the bunch but she has gone to DC. (Gil is always solid and can work well at any hour.) This change may very well lead to a switch at 11PM to NBC30. NEWS8 should keep an eye out for when Ryan Hanrohan’s contract comes up at NBC30. He is from the Shoreline and would be a perfect fit on State Street.

  5. I never thought “News” 8 could sink any lower than they have, but this, indeed, is. A real degreed meteorologist–with the tall order of replacing the late Dr. Mel and Geoff Fox– who has worked in major markets and won or been nominated for Emmys–Steve MacLaughlin–is now demoted for a fashion consultant who looks pretty on TV, has *just* completed her 2-yr distance-learning “certificate” in “broadcast meteorology” from–guess who–Mississippi State, who also happens to be ethnically “PC” — renders this “news” show a JOKE in the market, with NO credibility. Knowledge, education and experience in this science is NOT a qualification to do TV weather anymore. Trust me–MR. Higgins will LOSE–not GAIN–audience share. And I would urge meteorologists now in college to AVOID a career in TV news–leave that to the pretty boys and girls whose bios say they have degrees in broadcast journalism but “always loved weather” and got their “certification” from MS State. Go into private, industrial, or energy sector forecasting instead, where your skills and knowledge are really needed.
    This is the same station that announced a few months ago that a former Miss CT was being brought in to “learn the ropes” of forecasting the weather. Sheesh.
    Channel 8 “news”?? A sad, sad, joke. Steve and Gil — get out while you can!
    Duby–please don’t censor my post this time. There’s no reason to.

  6. DubyMCD-you have never, ever, censored any post of mine. I apologize, my error. You rock!!!

    My other (strong) sentiments remain. People, viewers: YOU decide. You no longer have an experienced, authoritative weather team at Channel 8. You have a wardrobe consultant who just completed a 2-yr distance-learning program in “broadcast meteorology” as your new “chief meteo– meteor–…..” (I can’t bring myself to write it.) Switch stations!!!!

  8. I’ll stay with Penn State grad and SUPER weather friend Rachel Frank at FOX61 and her quality partners in crime –Joe Furey Dan Amarante and the of course Geoff.. for a casual, upbeat accurate forecast with just the amount of needed technical goodies for us techies.. Honesty goes far with this viewer/insider.. soap box off:)

  9. So its this new woman who just finished her weather classes gets promoted over their new experienced meteorologist vs. Geff Fox, Bruce Depriest and Brad Field?
    Goodbye Channel 8 weather…I wont’ be missing you.

  12. Thanks for the link, “OnHerWay.” Miss Decker’s recent hiring @ ABC40 up in Springfield is a classic illustration of my point. Those with, or pursuing, full 4-year degrees in atmospheric science with the intention of going into TV are going to find themselves in competition w/the likes of the former Miss CT. She is going on the air–where have we seen this before–“while pursuing” her “degree” (no, it’s a 2-yr “certificate,” else she’d be down there on campus like all f/t students) in meteorology from MS State following her degree in mass media. She doesn’t have to first 1. complete her studies, 2. take all her exams, 3. get an internship while studying, 4. *then* send out a student tape to the smallest markets, before doing this job which carries a presumably high public trust. She gets to forecast the weather, for the public, somehow, without the experience, knowledge, or education.
    I repeat–if you have or or completing yr. 4-yr degree in the atmospheric sciences–AVOID TV. The comp. is just too crazy from those w/pretty faces and no creds.

  13. If..IF..Mr. Higgins @ Channel 8 snooze has any sense of propriety and integrity left, he will allow Steve to retain the title, and responsibilities, of Chief Meteorologist even as he is demoted to weekends in favor of his far, far less qualified colleague.

  14. Mr. Higgins does not care about the viewers. I
    feel bad for Steve he took over file Geoff
    everyone was mad they were short a weather person and Dr. Mel passed away. They other
    Steve left and the other Erica left also. How do we get a copy of the ratings?

  17. Stopped watching News 8 when Geoff Fox was axed after a GREAT run…but with the same news storys that repeat on ALL of the news 8 cast…my choice has been Fox Ct….Could not ask for a better weather team!!! Rachael, Dan, Joe and Fan fav Geoff!!! Fox CT is my choice..Just hope oneday they can bring us a 5pm or 6pm newscast!

  18. I know a lot of people said they were going to boycott WTNH after they let Geoff go but probably didn’t… well I actually did and don’t miss it at all. I get all my news from the newspaper now minus all that “personality” the local stations force down our throat. The newspapers update their stories all day and night online, you don’t even have to wait for the once-a-day print edition anymore. If I want network programming, again, I go online or watch the New York stations. Those stations are serious and professional, they don’t sensationalize things… they don’t break into their programming over a thunderstorm or 2″ of snow, or (even worse) because some basketball coach is going into retirement… I mean really, what a joke? If I want weather, I also go online. If I want the commentary and local expertise to go with it, then I go to NBC30 and FOX61 depending on who’s on at the time. Brad Field, Bob Maxon, Darren Sweeny, Jared Argianas, Ryan Hanrahan, Joe Furey, Geoff Fox, and Sam Sampieri are the best in CT (and NY markets). Channel 8 lost all credibility when they got rid of Geoff and Matt during one of the worst winters in Connecticut history. And look who they replaced them with? According to this site, two of them (Steve Villanueva and Erica Grow) aren’t even there anymore and this guy looks like he’s on his way out too. I feel bad for them. ABC should come in and fire the management, take over and run channel 8 like a real station along the lines of Channel WABC in New York.

  19. Wow, what is the deal at Channel 8? Have the powers that be become so clueless that they feel that viewers will only watch the news if we have either 1) someone who looks like they have the potential to work at the Gold Club or 2) someone who has been reading us the news since we were children. These borderline-talented women are no more than eye candy, let’s be honest. There are no true jounrlaistic skills or passion. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, Al Terzi is as clownish as ever and Don Lark’s charisma makes Dan Rather look like Rip Taylor. How do these station executives keep their jobs?

  21. Appalled, you clearly missed the point I was making that TV executives don’t think we can handle watching the news if it is being presented by people they think we will see as unattractive or those with whom we are unfamiliar. I think it’s disgusting that there are no doubt some truly talenteted journalists out there missing out because we need to make room for either the hotties or the old men. Why are Al Terzi and Don Lark still around? Because they’ve aged gracefully. Where are Susan Christensen, Ann Baldwin, Janet Peckinpaugh, Joanne Nesti? They all left because they saw the writing on the wall. And that’s shameful.

  24. Wow when I stumbled across this article I could not believe it. Have they been promoting this new weather person via commercials yet? It is not difficult to see what they’re doing. As one commenter put it, this is all just “eye-candy”, and frankly I believe that this is an insult to all viewers who still watch News 8. This is all assuming that Steve Maclaughlin didn’t voluntarily give up his position to be moved on the weekends. Now I was absolutely no fan of Mr. Maclaughlin and his excessive use of the words “beautiful” and “gorgeous”, but one would think that his work and educational background would keep him during the week days. No hard feelings on the new lady, but how is it that she gets seniority with from what I understand and read, very little educational and work background in this field?
    News 8 lost all its credibility when the whole Geoff Fox turmoil started. Prior to that, News Channel 8 was a station you could actually count on. Their weather department seems to be delivering the lowest blows to its viewers. They seem to have this new quota where 90% of their weather report is centered around the next sunny and warm day, even if it is 4-6 days OUT. Especially Gil Simmons who is quick to blow kisses at a sunny forecast and makes cloudy days, much less cloudy days with perception seem borderline apocalyptical. It’s been very difficult to find a decent news station with a non-biased weather team. With all that being said, management at News 8 needs to get its stuff together.

  25. From the station that brought you Gail Janus, this is nothing new, I thought there was some stability there but it started anew with Theresa when they got her from CH 3 and the G Fox debacle. Now a respected and talented meteorologist is getting shoved to the side in CH 8’s relentless pursuit of becoming the new TMZ. No disrespect to Erika as she seems very committed to her job (If she would just stop trying to star in a Colgate commercial she’d be a bit more palatable) but this just isn’t ethical….or wise. Bring Steve back to weekdays and let the new gal earn her stripes as others had to do.

  30. They’ve been doing this forever…back in the early 80s they hired former Ms. CT Jeanne Caruso to do the weather…although they did require she take meteorology classes — from Dr. Mel at CCSU…just sayin.

  31. Bring Steve McLaughlin back to the week day news cast. We need a real trained person not some girl with a long distance certificate. I have always been a channel 8 news watcher, but if Steve does not come back on a regular basis I am done. No confidence in the girl.

  33. On last night’s 11pm news cast, Erika reported that the current temperature in Hartford was 92F. Not a mistake because it was reported twice. A quick jog to the NWS weather.gov site should temps in the low 70s. Also, reported that there were “showers” that went through the state on an afternoon that saw multiple Severe Thunderstorm warnings issued by the NWS.

  34. Ms. Martin,
    You are delivering the weather forecast….you are neither an actress nor are you on stage; so why prance aound? I do not like watching you because you parade yourself and really stress your “r’s” way too much. Did you, at one point, take speech lessons for some reason? Your speech sounds forced…please be natural , be yourself. Who do you think you are? You also dress inappropriately…you are not at some night club….c’mon, now. Channel 8 news has made a big mistake hiring you. I just won’t watch when I know you are on…sorry, just saying. You are too full of yourself ….so transparent!

  35. I have to agree with Bohemian Rhapsody. While I didn’t particularly care for Erika Martin in the beginning, I got to the point where I could at least tolerate her. But those “Hard R’s” have been getting to me lately. It seems that she fell in love with an old tool that she dubbed the “Hour By Hour” forecast. Ouch, that’s hard to listen to when she says it! She can’t get through a forecast without saying “hour by hour” at least 4 times. And then she uses the word “hour” excessively — “The hour by hour shows showers in the evening hours.” Ouch! Erika is as painful to watch as she is to listen to. Way too intense, and the way she moves around the screen while staring at the camera makes me feel like I’m her prey being stalked. And for forecast accuracy, I don’t think she has enough experience to be able to use “art” to over-ride the “science” of her models. She seems to get sucked into every nuance of the myriad of models she sees, with the result being a forecast that attempt to cover every possibility of every cloudburst that appears on her hour by hour tool. Chill out, Erika, and learn to blend the art with the science. Oh yeah, and try to be more efficient in your communication. Way too many words for what’s needed to convey your message. I now dodge for the remote when she comes on, it’s too painful to see and hear!

  36. yes, I too have switched to channel 6 fox, to watch Rachel Frank..she is the best, and from clinton ct. and has been on fox 6 for yrs. Erika Martin, thinks she is modeling on channel 8…Steve Mclaughlin deserves better, and s hould leave channel 8…

  37. Erika Martin should change her wardr Her dresses are too tight and definitely not the right ones for tv. She should wear feminine, but professional outfits. Maybe watching Diane Sawyer or other women journalists could inspire her