After over three decades on the air, The Weather Channel has lost one of its most familiar faces. The Weather Channel laid off meteorologist Mike Seidel on May 1, according to multiple published reports. Some staff members at the station were laid off in a downsizing move at the network.
Seidel had been with The Weather Channel since 1992. He frequently covered severe weather, such as snowstorms and tornadoes. According to his Instagram bio, he completed 25,379 live shots.
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The weatherman addressed the firing in a May 17 post on X, writing, “After an incredible 32+ years at TWC, I’m embarking on a new journey due to company restructuring. I’m immensely grateful to all of you who’ve been part of this amazing ride! As hurricane season approaches, I can’t wait to reconnect on another network. Stay tuned!” In addition, Seidel updated his Instagram biography to reflect his departure from The Weather Channel. The new text reads TWC 1992-2024.
Other cuts were reported at the Weather Channel. Initially, it appeared to be producers and other off-air employees. As far as this round of cuts is concerned, Seidel is the only on-camera meteorologist mentioned.
Media mogul Byron Allen acquired the cable network in March 2018 from its previous owners, The Blackstone Group, Bain Capital, and Comcast/NBCUniversal, through his Entertainment Studios. Although the terms of the deal have not been disclosed, the Hollywood Reporter estimates that it will be worth around $300 million. Neither the digital properties of The Weather Channel, such as weather.com and wunderground.com, nor their mobile app are included in the deal; those remained with IBM at the time and are now in private equity hands.
“Allen Media Group is making strategic changes to better position the company for growth that will result in expense and workforce reductions across all divisions of the company,” a spokesperson said in a statement sent to the media this week. “Allen Media Group’s brands continue to perform well and in many areas our revenue growth has greatly outpaced the market. We are aligning these changes to drive future business opportunities and support our growth strategies in our rapidly evolving industry.”
The downsizing extends beyond the Weather Channel to other networks and TV stations owned by the company. The New York Post reports that 300 employees, representing 12% of the company’s 2,500-person workforce, are being affected by the layoffs.
Allen Media, which owns the Weather Channel and 12 cable networks, as well as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC television stations in 21 markets, had not seen a major round of job cuts in its 31-year history, sources told the outlet. The media advertising market, where Allen Media generates more than 60 percent of its revenue, has declined at the same time that Allen Media’s interest rates on some of its $1 billion in debt are rising, sources told the Post.
Moody’s August 2023 forecast for Allen Media for the coming year indicated a loss of $37 million last year and a profit of $60 million this year. The amount of money the company will make in 2024 will now be significantly higher, sources tell the Post, perhaps hundreds of millions, which will allow it to breathe easier. Reaching nearly 72 million US households, Allen Media’s Weather Channel is its largest, most valuable and most widely distributed cable network, Moody’s said in the August 2023 report.
