Hey Massachusetts People: Todd Gross was Fired?

[Virgo10]

Todd Gross from Channel 7's weather department was fired? My brother said the news just broke on this. I haven't been able to find anything online yet.

Anyone here know what this is about?

 

[CapeCodTenor]

WHAT?! This is the first I heard of it. I'll try and find something online about this.

 

[chris1gill]

HUH??? You've got to be KIDDING!!?? Although, knowing Channel 7, it's because he's above age 40!

Just wanted to say, it must be true, they took him off the staff web page already! Hey, Harvey Leonard is gone too!!!

Yikes, that's what they do on TV when you are past your prime!

 

[Virgo10]

I couldn't find any mention of him on the Channel 7 website which is really odd. One of the best things about moving to Florida was that I'd never have to listen to Chikage Windler again. Yuck, she was sooo annoying. It's nice to be a happy person but she could have been telling you about the end of the world and she'd still be giggling.

I liked Todd. Hey, maybe he'll come to Florida and do the weather down here.

 

[poohbear1029]

I couldn't find any mention of him on the Channel 7 website which is really odd. One of the best things about moving to Florida was that I'd never have to listen to Chikage Windler again. Yuck, she was sooo annoying. It's nice to be a happy person but she could have been telling you about the end of the world and she'd still be giggling.

I liked Todd. Hey, maybe he'll come to Florida and do the weather down here.

Thank you! At least I am not the only one who finds her painful!!! I dont have to listen to her anymore either in SC!

 

[zippeedee]

HUH??? You've got to be KIDDING!!?? Although, knowing Channel 7, it's because he's above age 40!

Just wanted to say, it must be true, they took him off the staff web page already! Hey, Harvey Leonard is gone too!!!

Yikes, that's what they do on TV when you are past your prime!

Harvey moved over to channel 5 awhile ago to work with Dick Albert after Dick returned from his medical leave.

You can tell how miserable our weather is by the way we care WAY too much about our weather forcasters!

 

[Virgo10]

You can tell how miserable our weather is by the way we care WAY too much about our weather forcasters!

ROFLMBO! Ain't that the truth. I'm 1300 miles away and today this was still the biggest news story as far as I'm concerned.

Let's hear it for Don Kent! He actually use to look out the window before telling us it was sunny and it was really pouring!

Bring back Shelby Scott. Poor woman always got the disaster stories. She was the Jim Cantori of her time.

 

[zippeedee]

ROFLMBO! Ain't that the truth. I'm 1300 miles away and today this was still the biggest news story as far as I'm concerned.

Let's hear it for Don Kent! He actually use to look out the window before telling us it was sunny and it was really pouring!

Bring back Shelby Scott. Poor woman always got the disaster stories. She was the Jim Cantori of her time.

My mom used to yell at the tv to tell poor Shelby to out on a hat or get inside!

Wow, I haven't thought about Don Kent for years, he was THE weather guy for so long. I miss him!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Channel 7 really likes to fire people.

 

[phorsenuf]

They actually announced he was fired? Usually they just fade away into the night.....

 

[chris1gill]

I loved Shelby Scott!!! For a couple of years past her retirement, she came back for the really big storms... she had a great sense of humor!!!

I agree with the person who said Channel 7 really likes to fire people!! That's why I stopped watching them in the first place... that & Mish Michael's went to Channel four!!!

I still liked Todd Gross though

 

[debster812]

Bring back Shelby Scott. Poor woman always got the disaster stories. She was the Jim Cantori of her time.

SO SO True! I grew up on the South Shore, on the water, and Shelby would ALWAYS be in our neck of the woods. Virgo is right, if Shelby came around, you knew it would be bad, a la Jim Cantore.

I can remember there was some storm, she was down in Scituate and was literally in danger of blowing off the rocks into the ocean!!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

ROFLMBO! Ain't that the truth. I'm 1300 miles away and today this was still the biggest news story as far as I'm concerned.

Let's hear it for Don Kent! He actually use to look out the window before telling us it was sunny and it was really pouring!

Bring back Shelby Scott. Poor woman always got the disaster stories. She was the Jim Cantori of her time.

This is really funny!! I don't remember Don Kent as a weatherman (although my parents watched him every night), but he's my neighbor! I never have to wonder about the weather any more - I can just ask!

Jen

 

[bicker]

Hingham Weather is reporting that Todd Gross was fired by WHDH on Friday afternoon (12/2) just before the afternoon news. There were some unconfirmed reports he was escorted out of the building. There is a small mention of it on the Boston Phoenix' web site: http://www.bostonphoenix.com/medialog_2/2005/12/7-mostly-mum-on-gross.asp. It mentions that Pete Bouchard will be filling Todd Gross' slots.

 

[JESW]

Wow, hasn't he been around for forever? Years and years ago my Mom & I saw Dick Albert at a store and my Mom called out - "Hi Dickie!" I wanted to die! And poor Shelby Scott! That woman was out in every disaster possible!

Yes, we must live in New England if we actually know the name of weather personalities on the air now and from the past.

Jill

P.S. I sent a baby card to Chet & Natalie when their daughter was born and got a birth announcment back...way cool!

 

[Steamboat Girlie]

I guess I will officially stop watching channel 7 now! I really love Todd Gross and the way he really gets into the weather. He seemed to really love his job. I recall that Mich Michaels said that when she worked for 7 news, she didn't have a life. Who knows what happened, but it is their loss. I will go to channel 5 now.

 

[bicker]

I find all the weather folks around here pretty much the same; I don't believe any of them ever projected the information available in a more effective manner, nor did I note that any specific weather person or station was more accurate than the others. As such, I'll continue to get my weather information from whichever newscast has the news reporters I find easiest to understand. That does happen to be Channel 7.

 

[chrissyk]

Why have none of you mentioned my darling Kevin Lemanowicz?! I had a little weatherman crush when we lived in MA DH knew all about it so he wasn't so keen on my watching FoxNews, LOL!

BTW, why was Todd Gross fired He seems like one innocuous guy for sure...

 

[Virgo10]

This is the Herald's take on it.

Gross blows out of Ch. 7 on an ill wind
By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - Updated: 12:10 AM EST

Todd Gross is off the 7News radar screen and his 21-year gig at the Weather Station has blown away in a Perfect Storm of bad news for the longtime TV weatherman.

“My official statement is that I am surprised, but I appreciate the nearly 22 years that I worked at Channel 7,” Gross said, directing his fans to his Web site www.toddgross.com for updates. “I was told they were moving in a different direction. I have no idea what that is.”

On Friday, WHDH-TV’s chief meteorologist was called up to human resources after he went on the air to tease the 4 p.m. weathercast. There, Gross got his walking papers and station suits loomed over him as he packed his belongings in a box.

Sources told us Todd was escorted from the building in tears and watched in anguish while his security pass was destroyed. Oh, that’s harsh!

But Gross, who has been vaporized from the station’s Web site, denies the scenario. “I was stone-faced and very classy,” he told the Track.

There’s much speculation about the brooming of Gross, because, of course, the station “doesn’t comment on personnel issues,” said WHDH spokesgal Ginny Lund. (Yawn.)

“He was Ed Carrolled,” said one TV wag referring to the former CBS4 chief meteorologist who was told last August his contract with the sometimes fourth-ranked news station wouldn’t be renewed.

While there are numerous and varied reports of “personal issues,” the prevailing theory is that Mike Carson & Co. tanked Todd in favor of Pete Bouchard, the viewer-friendly weatherguy who works the morning and noon shifts. (See “moving in a different direction” above.)

“He’s been the rising star over there for a while,” said Someone Who Knows. “They’ve gotten good viewer feedback on him. Pete’s more popular and ‘regular guy,’ while Todd was extremely arrogant.”

In other words, Pete is 7News’ answer to Harvey Leonard, who toiled in ’HDH’s Weather Station for almost 25 years before blowing off to rival Channel 5 in 2002. Two years earlier, Mish Michaels, another viewer fave, left for the Weather Channel and ended up at WBZ-TV a year later. That was a slow-moving storm from which the station never recovered.

And speaking of storms, friends of Leonard have always contended that it was a Gross injustice that Todd took credit for calling the deadly 1991 nor’easter, “The Perfect Storm.” Harvey, they say, was the originator and therefore should have gotten the Hollywood treatment in the George Clooney-Mark Wahlberg fishing flick. But Harv sat back and let Gross get the glory.

Of course, we will never forget how Gross glommed onto the “Entertainment Tonight” red-carpet cameras when the made-in-Gloucester flick premiered on the North Shore. Or how he got between us and Clooney. Guess who we wanted to quote??

This is a developing story, so do stay tuned.

 

[Snowysmom]

Channel 7 seems to be going for the younger look now. I really don't care for the changes they have made and Todd Gross is definately better than Chickage! But, I still miss Don Kent. I watched him as a child.