WCCO forecaster Paul Douglas falls to corporate cost cuts

WCCO has really made one bad decision. This will hurt their weather department big time. Who is going to take his place. Mike Fairbourne who is around Shelby's age. What makes no sense is CCO never tried to negotiate a lowery paying contract. Now, that is realy a slap in the face. I hate to see him go. He was a class act and is considered one of the Twin Cities top Meterolighsts...One thing I can predict for certain--after his non-compte clause is up (most of the time one year) One of CCO's competors will snatch him up. He's too talented of a presentator to let sit with out doing what made him so succesful. He could easily move to another market(larger). The real trouble in this market and many others, is there is too many stations in the news business. I mean come on, how many channels do you need doing news at the same time? KMSP just added to the fragmentation for less viewers. Kstp is lucky to have a pulse in their ratings. The Hubbard's have never recoverd from the loss of Ron Magers (not Paul) and then the loss of the Stan Turner, Cyndy Brucato, Denis Feltgen, and Bob Bruce. They listen to their consultants and not run a station based on the rich history of the market. The revolving door hurt KARE with the lose of Paul Magers (they did not want to pay his price)! The glory days of high price anchors is over. People in front of the camera have always been over paid for the amount of work they do. With on exception, Don Shelby. Like him or not! He is a work horse who also does AM radio. Paul Douglas is also a great bussines man. He can afford not working. However, he won't sit out long and that station who is bold will hire him. I knew when CCO was owned by a private family, that things would change when the station was sold to corporate CBS. CCO's news loooks generic. The dull news sets, they lack any graphical sex appeal, and their news coverage is hit and miss. This is not the CCO that are parents grew up with. Not to mention, all the money they paid to remodel the news room and knock holes in the walls to show us the outside. It just does not work. They should take a look how the networks use their windows. Because, their lighting, red paint, ugly oak slats on the front of the news desk is just palin ugly...This is now more than a tough business, with too many news channels in this market to compete for less and less viewers. Someone needs to drop out of the news business. CCO might be the one because decisions like these have a large impact on a viewrs trust and habits. We are regarded around the country as one of the most interesting cities that delivers so much high quality local news braodcasting. And, because we are so unique of a market this will impact CCO for years to come. People don't watch cheap looking and cheap stations skimpping on quality. You will be missed indeed Paul. But, I can wait a year for you to pop again and be treated more fairly.

If chanel four hurrys they be as crappy as chanel 5 Paul Is a nice guy but worries to much about the bald spot on the back of his head.

I quite watching Paul Douglas after his third broadcast.
He is the only local weather clown that can make a quarter inch rain accompanied by a 20 mile hour wind sound like Armageddon has arrived.

Today's Guardian, in the U.K.(in Europe, you know) reports that "European governments have been told to plan for an era of conflict over energy resources, with global warming likely to trigger a dangerous contest between Russia and the west for the vast mineral riches of the Arctic."

I hope that our much wiser local experts on global warming and punctuation will take the time to correct the staff at the Guardian and also to tell Russia and Canada to stop wasting their time.

Maybe I don't get it, but I do not need 8 minutes for weather. Tell me in 1-2 minutes what happened and what will be happening. You can then flash up the forecast 2-3 times before going on break.

One back-up weather personfor a local station makes enough to have a big golf course home on TPG-Blaine. Tell me that is not being overpaid.

Give more localized news, more sports. Maybe even flash up what road construction projects are taking place.

Paul was the BEST "on-air" personality in the twin cities! WCCO lost a viewer in me.

paul will look pretty spiffy wprking for channel 9

Yes, weather can be over-hyped. WCCO radiio used to be accused of saying, "The Sky is falling!" But, here in Minnesota the weather is a big deal. I never understood when the weather does not change why we still 5 or 6 minutes of it to show off blank radar screens. When the weather merits extra time, bring it on! When it does not, don't waste my time. Ait a couple more stories that would not fit into the tight time constraints of a half-hour broadcast. However, Tv stations a long time ago figured out that the banter between the weather guy (who we hate when the weather is bad and love when it was good) could create chemistry with the anchors toss the show his direction. Dave Moore once told me he was credited nation wide of teasing, joking, and wasting time with chit-chat as one of his biggest mistakes. He was natural being Minnesotan. But, most others were fake, wasted too much time with being chummy, and trying to tell us that the weather is our common thread as human beings. You can't argue when a weather man tells you it was just so cold. We all know. Don't waste news time to tell me what we would not argue about.

I'll miss Paul. He's funny, smart and honest.

If CBS and the other declining broadcast networks want to improve their local and national "news" programming, they should cut back on the entertainment and fluff content. This includes promotions for that evening's mindless programming.

How about some hard hitting editorials for those viewers who can still think for themselves?

Welcome to Corporate America at it's finest. I personally did not watch or care for "the goof on the roof". With all the technology available it is funny that they still can not get the forecast right. Did anyone predict showers for Friday????

Two words " Belinda Jensen"

"Times are tough. Many people are losing their jobs, and I am not exempt from this troubling trend," he wrote. "The simple truth: Like many other CBS employees, I was a target at a time when there are systemic, long-term challenges. No attempt was made to negotiate a lower salary; it was pretty cut and dry. It's just business, dollars and cents — I get it."

Yeah I bet he does, since he has enough money to BUY 'cco, outright. Frankly, this is a day I have been waiting for, for a long time. These local "weatherguessers" are ALL overpaid, and at best give us a 50-50 forecast. Now if they could just CAN Belinda Jensen over at Kare11...? That would really be a good start.

Bring Back Barry Zevan!!!(He wasn't very much of a weatherguesser, but he was funnier than Pee-Wee Douglas.

A dash of spring has returned; my advice is to soak up a little tentative sunlight Saturday as the mercury rises through the 50s to near 60 late, a lone crack of thunder possible late in the day.

He is not gone so stop the crying.

Paul Douglas was the best weatherman on TV...I'm sure one of the other networks will snap him up to replace some of their mediocre weather reporters.

Dan wrote:

Welcome to Corporate America at it's finest. I personally did not watch or care for "the goof on the roof". With all the technology available it is funny that they still can not get the forecast right. Did anyone predict showers for Friday????

I like Paul's hair, if that's what it can be called. I missed him when he went to Chicago(where he earned the well-deserved moniker "The Goof on the Roof"). And I was happy to see him back. But he always struck me as jazzing up the weather for ratings. However, it's clear this move is a big mistake for WCCO. As far as forecasting is concerned, I think the truth is NOBODY can get the forecast right. And all the climate "experts" commenting here would do well to pull their heads out of the dark rectum of "garage logic" and study the phenomenon known as global warming. Nobody understands completely what is going on, but with Greenland's icecap melting, Alaskan glaciers shrinking, permafrost melting, sea levels rising, and Antarctica calving ice-islands that rival states in size, it seems there is ample evidence to study even for those whose brains are in neutral before they make all encompassing, idiotic statements that parrot some kind of Limbaugh line on the environment. At least Paul has the guts to look at the climate and comment in an intelligent way. Oh yeah, that's what some of you geniuses object to...intelligence.

Guess what?

Reporting on the weather is in and of itself a mediocre endeavor, at BEST.

*He is not gone so stop the crying.*

Who's crying?

I am celebrating.

If Paul Douglas went to channel 9, it sure would give them another reason to contine growing their ratings. Channel 9 saw a tremendous amount of growth in viewership. American Idol on their station has had a big impact on them. But, to keep those new viewers and prevent them from using the remote is the key to success. Paul Douglas could do just that. Keep in mind KMSP could never make Jannie Peterson likeable when you stack her up against the others in this market. They cut her loose when no mater what they did, they could not get viewers to watch for just her and her alone. To be honest, Trish Van Pillsum came from WCCO to be a FOX 9 investigator. This was because, she watched how CBS decided to pull away from great and exspensive investigative reporting to just air recalls, lead paint in kids toys ("They have beaten that story to death)", to even reporting other stations investigative reports. Please folks, understand that the loss of Douglas is a small part of WCCO. It's all the other parts that are bleeding. And, CBS has no band-aids to fix what they have broken. All of this is "Suicidal!" If I have one hope, a strong financial player here in Minnesota who knows how to run a businees, will come and buy this locally historic station, and run it in way to preserve for Minnesotan's a good product that still allows for profitability. Pohlad bought the Twins. He has had his problems with the Twins. But, he is really the only one who provided us with division and world series wins. What have the Vikings given us? The North Stars are gone, the Wild is on a roll but, for how long, and let's not talk about the Timberwolves. The general manager at WCCO has to find the right ballance between making money with out pissing off your viewer base. She apparently did not make it clear (stick her neck out) to tell the main offce that doing this is going to hurt worse then the gains. In the end, she will be fired and have the blame forced on her for a negative impact on the stations ratings and the communities rejection of their news product. This is not your parents WCCO. CBS has destroyed WCCO AM. AM is a dying breed. But, they just don't have the names, a format, the personalities, and most importantly, the vision to adapt. They lost their relavancy. CCO AM no longer is home to all our sports teams, there news operation has become a rip it off the wire and read it, and who stands out as someone who people tune in to. If Stanley Hubbard could of purchased WCCO and sold off KSTP, he would off. Unless you were so dumb, you purchased a set of properties that if run right, you could not lose. CBS does not get it and never will. The executives are in New York and California. They really don't have a clue what WCCO is and what it was. And, that is just the sign of the times. We really need a whole lot of new politicans that make laws to prserve what is good and right, instead of telling companies to do what they want. The FCC has really made a mess of an industry that used to be forced to operate in the public interest!!

I to am sorry to see Paul Douglas leave WCCO. Times are a changing and we will all have to adjust to them.(like 'em or not) I just want to Wish Paul Douglas, Good Luck on his new advantures in life. I wish him well and good and healthy life.
Paul, you will be missed! Good luck dear friend!

If WDFL would just report the news and quit with their golbal warming agenda people might watch them again. I don't need a putz like DFL-Don telling me I am a jerk because I have the T.V. on watching his lectures.

Start reporting the news again and quit promoting the DFL agenda.