WKBW-TV (Channel 7) has filled one of its two openings in the weather department with a meteorologist familiar with Western New York.
Josh Nichols, a veteran meteorologist at two different TV stations and several radio stations in Rochester, will be on the air at WKBW starting next week.
According to News Director Aaron Mason, Nichols will work part time through June because he still has freelance commitments to WBZ in Boston. He will work full time starting in July.
Nichols graduated from a high school in North Easton, Mass., and has a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Lyndon State College in Vermont. That’s the same college where WIVB-TV (Channel 4) meteorologist Mike Cejka received his meteorology degree.
According to an old biography of Nichols when he worked for a Rochester radio station, “he began his career at age 12, when his father gave him a weather radio for his birthday and Josh became a weather spotter for some of the local Boston TV stations.”
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Nichols is filling one of the two weather openings at WKBW made available by the recent departures of meteorologists Andy Parker and Michelle McLeod. Parker left the station in February with speculation he might return to WGRZ-TV (Channel 2) where he previously worked. That hasn’t happened. McLeod's last day was Tuesday.
Over the weekend, freelancer Jessica McLaughlin, who has filled in on the weather for WKBW before, did so again.
Mason hopes to announce the hiring of a fourth meteorologist shortly.
There are several openings in front of and behind the camera in local television.
• WKBW is looking for a new anchor to replace Ashley Rowe, who has announced she is leaving June 10. It also is looking for a new co-host of “AM Buffalo” with the recent exit of Melanie Camp.
• WIVB is looking for a new morning co-anchor after last week’s announcement by Mel Orlins that she is leaving at the end of this week after five years at the station. She also hasn’t said where she is going. The station also has posted a job opening for chief meteorologist after Todd Santos recently said he wanted to reduce his schedule for a better work-life balance.
• WGRZ is looking for a news director with the exit of Jeff Woodard this month. It also hasn’t replaced meteorologist Heather Waldman since she left months ago.
• WIVB also is looking for a news director since the abrupt recent firing of Lisa Polizzi earlier this month.
