I was stunned – as were a number of other people I spoke with in Dallas – to see WFAA running the finale of “Dancing With The Stars” while tornado warnings were coming fast and furious across the Metroplex, softball-sized hail was ripping up roofs and smashing car and house windows, and 30,000 people were being evacuated from the stadium at the Texas Rangers game as a storm bore down on them.  The competition was providing wall-to-wall coverage for most of the night – telling people in various parts of the sprawling DFW market to “go to your safe place right now” – as tornado warnings keep occuring up – and on Channel 8 the stars danced on.

Now, WFAA meteorologist Pete Delkus popped up during most of the commercial breaks as the mayhem swirled around the Metroplex – but was that enough?   Was that enough from WFAA’s main weathercaster – who has been on the air for every storm – wall-to-wall – non-stop for hours – since he came on the scene 5 years ago?   Was that enough for the legion of WFAA fans who have come to rely on Delkus to keep them safe during storms – by always being on the air – day or night – 7 days a week – when storms have threatened?

It was a muggy August night in 1985 that WFAA forged the reputation of being THE breaking news station in the DFW market.   It was a Friday night – Delta flight 191 clipped a storage tank during a deadly microburst while trying to land in a nasty thunderstorm at DFW airport.  WFAA was first on the air with word of the tragedy – and the only local station to stay on the air non-stop covering the breaking news story.   That night – WFAA became the “go to” station for DFW TV viewers.  They have worked hard for the last 26 years to keep that all-important title.  The question is – did they give up a piece of their legacy by running the DWTS finale during a wild weather night in Dallas-Ft. Worth?

I say yes they did.  Think about it.  Fans of Pete Delkus – who have all become accustomed to seeing him live on the air from the beginning of dangerous storms – until the danger has passed – were forced to go to some other meteorologist during the DWTS finale.  For many – they most likely sampled the competition for the first time.  They needed – and wanted – the information right now – not just during a break in the DWTS program.  WFAA left those people hanging for many minutes at a time – minutes that many viewers felt they did not have to waste – as deadly storms broke out seemingly everywhere in the Metroplex.  WFAA forced their loyal fans who wanted continuous weather updates to go somewhere else.  How much did that diminish all those hours – and all those storms – that Delkus diligently covered as he built their trust in him?   WFAA did win the ratings last night – and the DWTS lead-in gave them their highest 10 p.m. news audience in months.  But at what long term cost did they get a one night pop?

Troy Dungan was the dean of DFW weathercasters during three decades at WFAA until he retired in 2006 – replaced by Delkus.  It was always very reassuring to me as a viewer when storms were nearby or possible – that at the end of the 10 p.m. newscast Troy would say – “Now I’ll be here all night, and if I need to come back on to let you know about dangerous weather, I’ll be back.”  I spoke with Troy about the importance of being on the air continuously during tornado warnings.  By the way, Troy made it very clear in our conversation that he would not have any comment directly about WFAA’s decision on the storm coverage.

Troy told me that he believes things have changed a bit at DFW TV stations since he was the lead weathercaster.  He says that it was strictly his decision back in the day when to go on the air with severe weather coverage – and when to go off.  Dungan says today he thinks TV station managers get more involved in making that call.  He says “weather people are not the final authority anymore.”

Troy also said he thinks that sometimes the weathercasters go on for too long when there are only thunderstorms threatening.  But, Dungan says, “you must be on the air continuously during tornado warnings.”  And that is my beef with Troy’s former station – there were a number of tornado warnings issued while WFAA was showing uninterrupted segments of DWTS.  Seeing Delkus during an ABC-dictated commercial break may have put some viewers in harms way.

When it comes to severe weather coverage – it is all about experience and trust.  Troy Dungan said it best, “Marty Haag (the late, legendary news director at WFAA) always told me, “When you say I’m going to bed, that’s when I would go to bed – not before.”

During the “Dancing With The Stars” finale – WFAA forced viewers to get those reassuring words from a meteorologist that may not even have sampled before.  I believe – forcing that viewing of the competition – puts a chink in your loyalty armor.  How big a chink remains to be seen.

Jim

Troy

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