NYC Radio: Weather Forecaster Mr. G Leaves WCBS-FM

Irv Gikofsky

After some 37-years of delivering the weather forecasts on WCBS 101.1 FM, Irv Gikofsky has decided to sleep-in.

Mr. G made the retirement announcement this morning on the 'Big Show' with Scott Shannon.  He will continue as forecaster on the Tribune's WPIX-TV11 at 5 and 10pm.

As Shannon pointed-out to listeners Tuesday morning, the 68-year-old Mr. G would be up most nights until midnight or later and then be in-studio at 5:15am for the Shannon In The Morning Show on WCBS-FM.

Mr. G has been delivering the weather in the morning to WCBS-FM listeners since the early ‘80’s.

“He worked on TV while you were going to bed, and was back on the radio before you woke up. And did it for a heck of a long time. That is a work ethic that we may never see again,” said WCBS-FM Program Director Jim Ryan.

“It’s not easy for me, because I don’t leave things… I’m a marathonner,” Mr G said during his last day on the Scott Shannon in the Morning show this morning.

“The way I see it, it’s been 37 years at the station, and being now that I’ve turned 114 – I think it’s time to sleep a little later,” he laughed.

Before he got into weather forecasting, the former Marine was a teacher and, he created the New York City School system’s first computerized weather programs for use by children and their teachers. After teaching in public school for a decade, Mr. G was recruited right out of the classroom to become a TV weatherman for Channel 2 News.

In 1993 Mr. G joined the CW11 News at Ten as the weekday weatherman and has won four Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

As an ardent supporter of education, Mr. G is very involved in working with students. He has visited over 500 schools, usually stopping by a school a week and has participated in New York City’s “Principal For a Day” program since its inception.

At WCBS-FM, Mr. G has bantered with morning personalities Scott Shannon and previously Dan Taylor. For many years, he worked with the now-retired morning host Harry Harrison.

Post by The Dan Taylor Radio Show.