'News: "Radio Clyde" Presenter Becomes L.A. Television Weatherman' by Grant Goddard
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News story about a presenter on UK local commercial radio station 'Radio Clyde' who won a contest to be a weatherman on a local television station in Los Angeles, written by Grant Goddard in December 2004 for The Radio Magazine.
![News: Radio Clyde Presenter Becomes L.A. Television Weatherman page 2
©2004 Grant Goddard
Radio Clyde evening presenter Ross King has won a 'Pop Idol'-style contest
on Los Angeles TV station KTLA to become the Warner Brothers affiliate’s new
weather presenter for a reported £500,000 salary. Sixteen contestants were
required to perform live on-air auditions over a four-week period and viewers
voted for their favourite forecaster.
King moved to LA with his wife Charlie after a prolific career in UK
broadcasting, starting as one of Radio Clyde’s youngest DJs, winning a Sony
Radio Award, and moving to TV as the winner of ITV’s talent competition to
present 'Young Krypton'. For five years, King hosted the BBC’s 'Pebble Million
At One' TV show, before leaving to pursue an acting career.
According to Clyde’s marketing manger Richard Muir, King will continue to
present his six-night a week show from the 'Clyde 2 LA Studio' installed in his
Hollywood Hills six-bedroom mansion. In addition to his new 10 p.m.
presenting slot on KTLA, 42-year old King is the Hollywood correspondent for
UK TV show 'This Morning' and the voice of American Express’s TV
commercials.
In a finale worthy of the American electoral system, KTLA viewers had polled
almost 2,000 more votes for King’s competitor, former Miss Kentucky finalist
Beth Sweeney, but the judges in the TV studio overturned the public’s decision
and selected King. KTLA producer Rich Goldner told Ross he was “so unique
being from another country” while station news director Jeff Wald explained
that, because the weather is so predictable in LA, TV forecasting is
“personality driven” and that if any severe conditions ever occur “the weather
news would be turned over to reporters.”
Since arriving in LA, King has launched his own film production company,
Fearless, whose first movie 'Forty' will be shot in Scotland. Between driving his
purple BMW convertible and enjoying the newly built swimming pool at his
mansion, King explained: “The weather people over here are so different from
the Michael Fish-type we grew up with at home. It’s more glamorous and also
a completely different job.”
[First published in 'The Radio Magazine' as 'LA-Based Clyde DJ Wins Weather Idol Contest', #661, 11 December
2004]
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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'News: "Radio Clyde" Presenter Becomes L.A. Television Weatherman' by Grant Goddard
- 1. NEWS: RADIO CLYDE PRESENTER BECOMES L.A. TELEVISION WEATHERMAN by GRANT GODDARD www.grantgoddard.co.uk December 2004
- 2. News: Radio Clyde Presenter Becomes L.A. Television Weatherman page 2 ©2004 Grant Goddard Radio Clyde evening presenter Ross King has won a 'Pop Idol'-style contest on Los Angeles TV station KTLA to become the Warner Brothers affiliate’s new weather presenter for a reported £500,000 salary. Sixteen contestants were required to perform live on-air auditions over a four-week period and viewers voted for their favourite forecaster. King moved to LA with his wife Charlie after a prolific career in UK broadcasting, starting as one of Radio Clyde’s youngest DJs, winning a Sony Radio Award, and moving to TV as the winner of ITV’s talent competition to present 'Young Krypton'. For five years, King hosted the BBC’s 'Pebble Million At One' TV show, before leaving to pursue an acting career. According to Clyde’s marketing manger Richard Muir, King will continue to present his six-night a week show from the 'Clyde 2 LA Studio' installed in his Hollywood Hills six-bedroom mansion. In addition to his new 10 p.m. presenting slot on KTLA, 42-year old King is the Hollywood correspondent for UK TV show 'This Morning' and the voice of American Express’s TV commercials. In a finale worthy of the American electoral system, KTLA viewers had polled almost 2,000 more votes for King’s competitor, former Miss Kentucky finalist Beth Sweeney, but the judges in the TV studio overturned the public’s decision and selected King. KTLA producer Rich Goldner told Ross he was “so unique being from another country” while station news director Jeff Wald explained that, because the weather is so predictable in LA, TV forecasting is “personality driven” and that if any severe conditions ever occur “the weather news would be turned over to reporters.” Since arriving in LA, King has launched his own film production company, Fearless, whose first movie 'Forty' will be shot in Scotland. Between driving his purple BMW convertible and enjoying the newly built swimming pool at his mansion, King explained: “The weather people over here are so different from the Michael Fish-type we grew up with at home. It’s more glamorous and also a completely different job.” [First published in 'The Radio Magazine' as 'LA-Based Clyde DJ Wins Weather Idol Contest', #661, 11 December 2004] Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk