by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Bob Alan, the first meteorologist at Ch. 30 when the station debuted in Jacksonville in November 1996, will give his last forecast Friday night.
“The 11 to 11:30 show will be my last and I’m sad,” said Alan. “I’m sad because, No. 1, I didn’t fully understand it. Their [management’s] reasoning is they wanted to go another direction. Everybody knows what ‘another direction’ means. Everybody in the news room is saying, ‘Why are they letting you go? They can make all these changes, but they should keep you because you’re the most recognized.’
“I think they want to make a move where they have a serious weather guy and I have a reputation of wanting to have fun.”
Although his last contract with the station expired last December, Alan has remained at Ch. 30 without the safety net or job security a contract provides. For the last eight months, Alan has gone to work knowing any day could be his last.
For Alan, the end will be bittersweet. When Ch. 47 — which is affiliated with his station — became the new CBS affiliate on July 9, Alan knew changes were in store. He figured the changes would bode well for him. New faces, new money and a new attitude. What he didn’t know was he was part of the change.
Although he suspects a personality conflict has contributed to his dismissal, Alan also believes management never appreciated his colloquial style. Jacksonville weather, especially this time of year, can get repetitive and Alan refuses to hype up meteorological circumstances that don’t exist. That explains why when it’s going to be 95 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain for three months, Alan is just as likely to talk about everything but the weather. And, he’s quick to point out his delivery works.
“I’ve never had a complaint, not one,” said Alan, who will say hello to friends and promote events during his weather cast.
Alan says he’s not sure what he’ll do after he leaves Ch. 30. At this point, he’s pondering a few things, but weather, locally, isn’t one. There simply aren’t any openings. He could leave Jacksonville, but his parents live a couple hours south and he’s grown to really appreciate the area and the people. The Mandarin resident is even contemplating a run at his district’s City Council seat.
“I love the people in the community where I work,” said Alan. “They are so nice to me. I have people come up to me in Publix and they just want to talk. I want to stay in Jacksonville. This is not a publicity stunt. I just want the people to read what really happened.
“Politics may be in my future, who knows? I’d love to work for the mayor or the Chamber of Commerce.”