The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / CTV T.O.'s Painful Anchor-Only Weather Shows Why They Shouldn't Do It

**Posted by RadioActive** May 30, 2025 12:47 pm

I'm not sure where Lyndsay Morrison or Jessica Smith was on CFTO's main noon weather forecast, but it was very uncomfortable to watch. As many here know, the station is the only one in the market that often tries to go without an actual weather presenter, leaving anchors to struggle through an ad lib of graphics they've apparently never seen in advance.

Which brings us to the Friday noon show. Poor co-anchor Sean Leathong was hung out to dry (and not just because of all of our non-stop rain) when whoever was controlling the advancement of the weather map failed to lead him into the next graphic.

Time and time again, he finished reading one board, only to completely stop talking altogether, and being forced to say "moving forward...", followed by an agonizing silence, while he waited for the thing to change in what felt like super slow motion. It happened at least twice in less than a minute and it was very noticeable and uncomfortable, as he waited to see the next map.

If they're going to do this, why not just give the chosen anchor the weather clicker and let him or her advance things as they go? This was really hard to watch. And why would you let both of your weather people take Friday off when the weekend forecast is arguably the most important one people really want to know about?

"Moving forward," I hope they don't do this again. But the forecast is that they probably will.

**Posted by paterson1** May 30, 2025 1:51 pm

Odd how CTV Toronto sometimes has no weather person at noon and often on weekends. CTV Kitchener and London always seems have someone doing weather, even for the 11:30 which I am assuming would be taped, but on occasion seems to be live.

**Posted by mikew** May 30, 2025 2:39 pm

This might be a stupid observation, but.
The news anchors read a scripted newscast. Would it make sense to prepare a scripted weather forecast?
Just asking.

**Posted by Dicky Doo** May 30, 2025 2:57 pm

You don't have to be a weather-person to know which way the wind is blowin'

D.D.

**Posted by RadioActive** May 30, 2025 3:04 pm

Dicky Doo wrote:
You don't have to be a weather-person to know which way the wind is blowin'

D.D.

If you watched the presentation in question, you wouldn't!

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** May 30, 2025 3:24 pm

paterson1 wrote:
Odd how CTV Toronto sometimes has no weather person at noon and often on weekends. CTV Kitchener and London always seems have someone doing weather, even for the 11:30 which I am assuming would be taped, but on occasion seems to be live.

At 11 and 11:30PM on CTV London and CTV Kitchener they always pre-tape the weather segments. I don’t know why they would do that.

**Posted by mace** June 2, 2025 10:56 am

RadioActive wrote:
I'm not sure where Lyndsay Morrison or Jessica Smith was on CFTO's main noon weather forecast, but it was very uncomfortable to watch. As many here know, the station is the only one in the market that often tries to go without an actual weather presenter, leaving anchors to struggle through an ad lib of graphics they've apparently never seen in advance.

Which brings us to the Friday noon show. Poor co-anchor Sean Leathong was hung out to dry (and not just because of all of our non-stop rain) when whoever was controlling the advancement of the weather map failed to lead him into the next graphic.

Time and time again, he finished reading one board, only to completely stop talking altogether, and being forced to say "moving forward...", followed by an agonizing silence, while he waited for the thing to change in what felt like super slow motion. It happened at least twice in less than a minute and it was very noticeable and uncomfortable, as he waited to see the next map.

If they're going to do this, why not just give the chosen anchor the weather clicker and let him or her advance things as they go? This was really hard to watch. And why would you let both of your weather people take Friday off when the weekend forecast is arguably the most important one people really want to know about?

"Moving forward," I hope they don't do this again. But the forecast is that they probably will.

Does this happen at the CTV stations in Montreal and Vancouver?

**Posted by ED1** June 2, 2025 4:48 pm

mace wrote:
Does this happen at the CTV stations in Montreal and Vancouver?

This definitely doesn’t happen at CTV Calgary. Smaller market station but they have fill-ins available for weather.

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** June 2, 2025 5:54 pm

ED1 wrote:
mace wrote:
Does this happen at the CTV stations in Montreal and Vancouver?
This definitely doesn’t happen at CTV Calgary. Smaller market station but they have fill-ins available for weather.

Same with CTV Windsor, CTV London and CTV Kitchener. They always have someone available for the weather segments.