I want to give a shout out to a good friend of mine, Bob Turk who is retiring as an on air weather personality after 49 1/2 years at Ch 13 WJZ-TV in Baltimore. Bob and I grew up in the same neighborhood in the NW suburb of Baltimore. He is 9 years older than me. Like me he is a geography major. Back around 1972 he answered a newspaper ad in the Baltimore Sun as Ch 13 was looking for an on air weather personality. He got the job and has been a staple of Baltimore TV since then. In the days before radar I would frequently call him before going on air to let him know if any thunderstorms were popping up. I would go down to the station frequently and hang out. Bob is not a meteorologist but has enough knowledge to forecast pretty accurately. Growing up and living in the same city also helps. He has a passion for weather and that is what is important in the business (in my opinion). When I graduated collage I decided to relocate to new England. My friends threw me a going away get together and Bob was there. We have maintained a friendship and frequently converse during weather events. Bob is probably the longest on air weather personality and possibly the longest on air personality in the country. (Harvey was probably pretty close)
I wish him the best in retirement. He deserves it at 75 years old and being on TV every night.