Sunday, January 22, 2006
The rise of winter
Jason Samenow @ 2:30 AM
Forecast
Winter returns today, as a north wind follows yesterday's cold front. Temperatures will be about twenty degrees colder than yesterday (reached 65 at Reagan National and a record 62 at Dulles)...but still a shade above average, as our high approaches 45-49 (the average is 42). Clouds will be few in the morning, but should increase during the afternoon.
Pictured: A gorgeous sunrise yesterday morning on the Mall, by CapitalWeather.com photographer Kevin Ambrose.
Big Tips for Big Wigs?
Todd Gross, a a highly respected and popular TV meteorologist in Boston, was inexpicably fired a couple months ago (from WHDH, the NBC affiliate). Since then, he has started a weather blog for the Boston area, not unlike the one you're reading. But when Mr. Gross added a virtual "tip jar" on his site, seeking donations, he was chided by the Boston Herald. The Herald wrote:
"Are things so bad for ex-Channel 7 weatherman Todd Gross that he has to forecast for spare change?The Radio Equalizer (midway down the page), however, defends Gross:
Apparently so. Because in these stormy times for Todd, his Web site toddgross.com has instituted a "Tip Jar" where fans can brighten his day -- financially. "
"... the Herald must understand that websites are time-consuming and have costs associated with them...I am mixed on this one. I think it's somewhat crass for Gross, a local celebrity who easily made six figures for many years, to be asking for donations. At the same time, he is offering a service and there are expenses for running a website. Furthermore, I sympathize with the fact he's unemployed. Ultimately, I think it would have been a better PR move for him to try to attract advertisers first and then ask his visitors to chip in only as a last resort.
I sure don't think the Herald's reporters work for free, why should those of us on the Internet?
Since Gross was one of the Hub's most experienced weathermen, it's hard enough to understand why he was let go. Why a newspaper would level this attack over his website makes even less sense."
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