Laura Hartman Leaving WZZM

[Localnewsisdead]

WZZM morning meteorologist Laura Hartman has announced that she is leaving the station.

Here is her fb post:

Life Update

After nearly seven years with WZZM 13, tomorrow will be my last day. It's time to start a new chapter in life (and one that comes with a more "normal" sleep schedule!).

I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for my time at this station and the experiences I had or the lifelong friendships I've gained. This job was a childhood dream fulfilled and I am especially fortunate to have worked in my hometown market, always close to family and friends.

I'm also extremely grateful for you, for tuning in over the years and trusting me with your forecast. From snow storms to severe weather, I have loved communicating the forecast to you each day. Thank you for waking up early with me and welcoming me into your home time after time.

I'll still be around West Michigan, so say hi if we cross paths! I'll also be keeping this page and occasionally posting because I want to stay connected

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." ~ A.A. Milne

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[MasterB]

All the best Laura Hartman even know I hardly ever saw her since I don't watch morning news as I'm not a morning person. Only saw Laura doing the forecast on WZZM OnTarget Weather Network even know that was pre-recorded.

[Sholmes]

What is up with this station? Since November 2020 they have now lost every member of the team except for George!!

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[Localnewsisdead]

Folks in the business have known this for years but no one seems to offer it up publically. So, I will. George is a pompous ass and extremely hard to work with/for. I've seen his tantrums first hand. So, that combined with piss poor leadership/management leads to massive turnover in the WZZM weather and news department. I don't ever see this changing.

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[whitebalance]

13 looks like a public access channel. They have never been the same since Price Communications bought them years ago and gutted the place.
13 on your side? Doubtful. Revolving door and a lawsuit is not a good look.

[48125er]

Folks in the business have known this for years but no one seems to offer it up publically. So, I will. George is a pompous ass and extremely hard to work with/for. I've seen his tantrums first hand. So, that combined with piss poor leadership/management leads to massive turnover in the WZZM weather and news department. I don't ever see this changing.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

Wasn’t one of the former GMs a really nasty person who people like George kissed up to, I suspect others are like him There over on 3 Mile.

13 hasn’t looked decent in almost 10 years.

[Bull Shannon]

Folks in the business have known this for years but no one seems to offer it up publically. So, I will. George is a pompous ass and extremely hard to work with/for. I've seen his tantrums first hand. So, that combined with piss poor leadership/management leads to massive turnover in the WZZM weather and news department. I don't ever see this changing.

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It'll be interesting to see what they do when George retires. There won't be anyone there with the experience to take over as Chief.

Also, George being a pompous ass doesn't surprise me. It always struck me as odd that the station made it a point to celebrate the exact moment George's tenure at WZZM exceeded Bill's, promoting him as the "longest tenured meteorologist at one station in West Michigan."

[Jason Kragt]

"longest tenured meteorologist at one station in West Michigan."

Translation: couldn't find a job anywhere else.

[48125er]

Folks in the business have known this for years but no one seems to offer it up publically. So, I will. George is a pompous ass and extremely hard to work with/for. I've seen his tantrums first hand. So, that combined with piss poor leadership/management leads to massive turnover in the WZZM weather and news department. I don't ever see this changing.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

It'll be interesting to see what they do when George retires. There won't be anyone there with the experience to take over as Chief.

Also, George being a pompous ass doesn't surprise me. It always struck me as odd that the station made it a point to celebrate the exact moment George's tenure at WZZM exceeded Bill's, promoting him as the "longest tenured meteorologist at one station in West Michigan."

Bill is a way better meteorologist, ZZM didn’t deserve him

[gotigers]

In the 5 years I've lived in Kalamazoo, I'm not sure that I've ever watched her on WZZM, but I do follow her on social media from when I did watch her on WILX and Fox 47 when I lived in Jackson. I always thought she did a good job in Lansing and enjoyed her posts from West Michigan on social media. Good luck to her!

[inmyopinion]

"longest tenured meteorologist at one station in West Michigan."

Translation: couldn't find a job anywhere else.

Correct, he was the only Chief there never to be tempted/stolen by another station. Craig James, Steffen and Kopecek all had takers in the market that got them away from 13.

[Bull Shannon]

Bill is a way better meteorologist, ZZM didn’t deserve him

ZZM *was* the top-tier weather station in the market for most of the '80s and '90s. It was when they started getting gimmicky with the target and weatherball that they went downhill.

And the fun part of Bill leaving WZZM was that he didn't have a non-compete, so WOOD announced his joining the station within like a week and there wasn't anything 13 could do about it.

Correct, he was the only Chief there never to be tempted/stolen by another station. Craig James, Steffen and Kopecek all had takers in the market that got them away from 13.

Either that, or WZZM really sweetened the pot on George's contract to keep him from looking elsewhere.

[inmyopinion]

Bill is a way better meteorologist, ZZM didn’t deserve him

ZZM *was* the top-tier weather station in the market for most of the '80s and '90s. It was when they started getting gimmicky with the target and weatherball that they went downhill.

And the fun part of Bill leaving WZZM was that he didn't have a non-compete, so WOOD announced his joining the station within like a week and there wasn't anything 13 could do about it.

Correct, he was the only Chief there never to be tempted/stolen by another station. Craig James, Steffen and Kopecek all had takers in the market that got them away from 13.

Either that, or WZZM really sweetened the pot on George's contract to keep him from looking elsewhere.

13 doesn't sweeten pots to keep people, which is exactly why the most popular Met in town walked out the door in Steffen. And even if they did, honest Q, if you were running a newsroom, even in the good old days of TV News, would you try and steal GL?