ABC Weatherman Suddenly Fired After 30 Years

A longtime Ohio weatherman is off the air after he was abruptly fired from the ABC affiliate he worked at for over three decades.

Cleveland’s News 5 announced on Friday, May 9, that meteorologist Mark Johnson “is no longer employed at WEWS” after more than 30 years at the station, with his biography quickly being scrubbed from the station’s website.

“We want our audiences to know that News 5 and its parent company, Scripps, take protecting our audiences’ trust very seriously by requiring our employees to adhere to the highest ethical standards. We cannot provide further details, as this is a personnel matter,” Steve Weinstein, WEWS VP and GM, shared.

WEWS did not share the reason for Johnson’s abrupt termination, but stated that “safety and accuracy” are the priority. The station added that it would begin “an immediate search for Johnson’s replacement.” In a statement to Cleveland.com, News Director Jodie Heisner said that the station couldn’t “comment beyond what was posted on our website.”

A graduate of Kent State University, Johnson began working for WEWS in November 1993. He celebrated 30 years with WEWS in November 2023, writing on Facebook that he was “truly honored and blessed to be a part of the News 5 Cleveland Family for 3 decades. Thank you for welcoming me into your home all these years. #grateful.” He is recognized by both the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the National Weather Association (NWA) with their Seals of Approval.

While Johnson has not publicly commented on his termination time aside from telling a viewer who expressed disappointment over the news, “I still love my News5 Family. Some great people,” his attorney called his firing “unfounded and disappointing.”

WEWS Channel 5 meteorologist Mark Johnson’s attorney called his termination “unfounded and disappointing.”“Mark Johnson has built a distinguished reputation over three decades as a trusted and respected meteorologist in the community,” Daniel Levin of Prominent Brand + Talent shared in a statement with Cleveland.com. “His work has earned him the public trust and internal recognition and his performance evaluations have always been exemplary – consistently reflecting his dedication, reliability and value to Scripps and the WEWS family.”

Levin went on to call Johnson “a model professional,” stating, “of conduct that would be deemed inappropriate, there’s none of that.”