An on-air fixture at ABC will champion The Weather Channel’s new morning show.
The Weather Channel announced today that Sam Champion, weather reporter for Good Morning America and weather editor for ABC News, will lead its upcoming multi-hour morning weather program that is slated to debut early in 2014. Based at The Weather Channel’s Atlanta headquarters, Champion also will assume managing editor responsibilities at the network.
Capitalizing on its position of having its strongest viewership occur during the mornings, The Weather Channel’s new show will leverage the network’s advancements in local content delivery, as well as its content partnerships, to help Americans get off ready for any weather condition they may encounter. Last month, The Weather Channel debuted a network relaunch, showcasing new branding, new Local on the 8s, new graphics and sonic IDs, always-on local weather information, and a new set for live programming.
Champion has been in the ABC News family since 1988, initially serving as the weatherman for WABC New York. He has been the weather reporter for Good Morning America since 2006 and frequently traveled to cover weather-related stories around the country. His coverage included Super Storm Sandy, for which, under Champion’s editorial guidance, ABC News won a Peabody Award; the devastating tornado in Joplin, Mo.; wildfires in California; hurricanes in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and the Carolinas; and winter storm systems in Colorado, Denver, Chicago and Boston, among many others.
Champion has also been on the forefront of ABC's reporting on the environment and climate change and will continue this work at The Weather Channel.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to do what I love most at a network that lives and breathes the weather. The Weather Channel is currently undergoing an incredible renaissance, having recently rebranded its look and feel and transformed the way it presents the weather,” said Champion. “While it is an extremely difficult decision for me to leave ABC and my ‘GMA’ family, I look forward to combining my interest in weather reporting and decades of experience to continue making The Weather Channel the premier destination for the more than 46 million weather enthusiasts and beyond. My ABC family could not have been more supportive and gracious during this transition."
Noted The Weather Channel president David Clark: “Sam is already one of the top names in morning television, as well as one of the country's most respected and trusted weather reporters. He will add a great deal to our network and be a great addition to our already proven and stellar team of talented weather professionals. With his commitment to understanding, predicting, and explaining the power of weather in our lives, Sam perfectly embodies The Weather Channel's brand philosophy, ‘It’s Amazing Out There.’”
