Vince_Condella's Blog

It's always nice when good people get rewarded.  I was pleased to read that meteorologist Tammie Souza of FOX 32 Weather in Chicago will soon be taking over as chief meteorologist at WTSP-TV in Tampa, Florida.  Some of you may remember Tammie from her days at Channel 58 weather in Milwaukee.  She has been at FOX 32 in Chicago for two years and for 6 years prior to that she worked at WMAQ (Channel 5) in Chicago.

Tammie Souza

Some are calling this a bold move for WTSP-TV because Tammie will become the first female chief meteorologist in the Tampa-St. Petersburg television market.  I just call it a smart move.  She is a talented broadcaster who can handle the challenges of Florida's weather very well.  And besides that, she is a very nice person.  In the TV business, that's a bonus.

Born in Pittsburgh and raised in San Diego, Tammie is a pilot and has always had a keen interest in the weather.  It must run in the family.    Her sister Patty is a meteorologist for a television station in Sacramento, CA.  Like me, Tammie has served on the Broadcast Board of the American Meteorological Society and is a multiple Emmy winner.

I spent two days with Tammie and the other FOX 32 weather crew members in March 2007 when I was training to use a new weather graphics computer.  FOX 32 had the same type of computer that we would be getting, so my news director sent me to our Chicago sister station to learn the system. 

FOX 32's chief meteorologist is Amy Freeze, also terrifically talented.  Meteorologist Steve Baron was a huge help as well.  They were wonderful hosts and really taught me a lot about the new computer weather system.  I spent the evening shift looking over Amy's shoulder and using the weather system off the air.  Amy had just arrived in Chicago as the new chief meteorologist after working in Philadelphia.  The next morning I worked alongside Tammie during her Wake-Up News morning shift learning more about the new weather system.

                     

  Amy Freeze                  Steve Baron

Amy and Tammie are part of a growing number of women who are broadcast meteorologists.  According to a recent survey from the Radio-Television News Directors Association, 21% of weather staff members at TV stations in the U.S. are women.  The day of the "weather girl" or "weather bunny" from the 1960s is long, long gone.

Tammie's challenge in Tampa will be learning more about tropical weather systems.  Her other challenge will be replacing a legend.  Dick Fletcher was WTSP-TV's main weather person for nearly 30 years.  He died last February.  I don't think Tammie will have any problems winning over the viewers.

Television viewers can have very short memories.  Three months after somebody goes off the air, people may have a hard time remembering.  I often joke that soon after I leave the airwaves, most viewers may say, "Yeah, wasn't he the guy with the moustache who wore those hats on the weather deck?"  No false modesty here, just facts.  Out of sight, out of mind.

When I came to WITI-TV in February 1982, I replaced Albert the Alley Cat.  Talk about following a legend!  By the time I arrived, Albert had moved over to doing sports with Earl Gillespie.  Hey, now there is another legend.  After a few months of hearing "You're no Albert!", I was accepted by the viewers of Milwaukee.  Tammie will have no trouble in Tampa.