George Fischbeck
Encyclopedia
Dr. George Fischbeck was a popular elementary school science teacher and television weatherman on KOB-TV
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
from the early 1960s to early 1970s. In 1972 he moved to KABC-TV
in Los Angeles, California
, replacing Alan Sloane, where he became a staple on the station's Eyewitness News
broadcasts. He would retire from KABC-TV
in 1990, but returned to television with a brief stint at KCBS-TV
from 1994 to 1997. His on-air presentation was honed from a previous career as a school teacher. His unique, sometimes humorous forecasts were unscripted and often turned into an opportunity to educate his viewers on the subject of weather. He started his television career at KNME-TV in Albuquerque as a host of a children's science program. He graduated from the University of New Mexico
in 1955 with an MA
. In 1979 he was awarded the Silver Beaver by the Boy Scouts of America for his service to youth. In 2003, he was awarded the LA Area Governors Award for lifetime achievement by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for special and unique contributions to Los Angeles area television.
operator, and carries the call sign KE6SBY.
He is currently a volunteer with the Los Angeles Zoo
.
At the end of Tom Waits
comic song "Emotional Weather Report" (from his 1975 album Nighthawks at the Diner
), he quips, "Dr. George Fischbeck ain't got nothin' on me!"
KOB-TV
KOB, virtual channel 4 , is an NBC-affiliate television station based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. Its transmitter is located on Sandia Crest, east of Albuquerque...
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
from the early 1960s to early 1970s. In 1972 he moved to KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, replacing Alan Sloane, where he became a staple on the station's Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
broadcasts. He would retire from KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
in 1990, but returned to television with a brief stint at KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
from 1994 to 1997. His on-air presentation was honed from a previous career as a school teacher. His unique, sometimes humorous forecasts were unscripted and often turned into an opportunity to educate his viewers on the subject of weather. He started his television career at KNME-TV in Albuquerque as a host of a children's science program. He graduated from the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
in 1955 with an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
. In 1979 he was awarded the Silver Beaver by the Boy Scouts of America for his service to youth. In 2003, he was awarded the LA Area Governors Award for lifetime achievement by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for special and unique contributions to Los Angeles area television.
Trivia
Dr. Fischbeck is an amateur radioAmateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operator, and carries the call sign KE6SBY.
He is currently a volunteer with the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
.
At the end of Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
comic song "Emotional Weather Report" (from his 1975 album Nighthawks at the Diner
Nighthawks at the Diner
Nighthawks at the Diner is a 1975 album by Tom Waits, released on Asylum Records. The title was inspired by Edward Hopper's 1942 painting Nighthawks....
), he quips, "Dr. George Fischbeck ain't got nothin' on me!"