Mike Seidel, Others Out At The Weather Channel

Meteorologist Mike Seidel is out at The Weather Channel with more than a dozen others due to downsizing that has hit the cable network and its parent company, Allen Media Group.

Several producers including Michelle Birnbaum, a 27-year veteran at the network, also lost their jobs this week. “Layoffs are hard as too many of us know these days,” Birnbaum wrote on her public LinkedIn page. “I am also grateful that this is my first one. Still it does not make it any less difficult. I wish only the best for such an iconic brand as The Weather Channel and those still working very hard there every day.” 

Trish Landers Ragdale, another senior producer, also noted her job departure on her public social media. “They say all good things must come to an end,” she wrote in a Reels video. “After 14 years at The Weather Channel, I had to say goodbye. Definitely not by choice and not expected. At its best and at its worst, I was truly proud to wear the TWC logo.”

Allen Media Group, the media company owned by Byron Allen, is currently undergoing strategic changes that involve a reduction-in-force (RIF) initiative. The goal of these changes is to better position the company for growth. According to a company spokesperson, these adjustments will result in expense and workforce reductions across all divisions of the company.

Byron Allen

Let’s delve into the details:

Syndication Group: This unit includes a roster of reality series. TheGrio: An African American-focused offering where the Managing Editor has apparently been dismissed.

Network Group: Includes The Weather Channel and seven specialty offerings with free ad-supported television (FAST) channel deliverability under the Entertainment Studios banner.

Broadcast Group: Operates under the Allen Media Broadcasting banner. Comprised of 27 stations in 22 markets, including cities like Tucson, Honolulu, Madison (Wisconsin), Eugene (Oregon), and Montgomery (Alabama).

Impact on Over-the-Air Television Stations: Reduction-in-force initiatives have already impacted the over-the-air television stations. For example, KADN-15 in Lafayette, Louisiana, bid farewell to five part-time production staff members. At WTHI-10 in Terre Haute, Indiana, a 15-year sports director is among those affected.

Company Performance: Despite the layoffs, Allen Media Group’s brands continue to perform well. In many areas, their revenue growth has greatly outpaced the market.

Reason for Reduction-in-Force: The company spokesperson stated that these changes are aligned to drive future business opportunities and support growth strategies in the rapidly evolving industry.

In March 2018, the cable network was acquired by media mogul Byron Allen  through his Entertainment Studios to acquire the network from its previous owners, The Blackstone Group, Bain Capital and Comcast/NBCUniversal.  While the terms of the deal weren’t made public, the Hollywood Reporter pegs the deal to be around $300 million. The deal does not include The Weather Channel’s digital properties, such as their websites, weather.com and wunderground.com, or their mobile app; those remained the property of IBM at the time and now are held by a private equity firm.