James Spann
Encyclopedia
James Spann is a television
meteorologist based in Birmingham, Alabama
. He currently works for ABC 33/40
, whose studios are located in Hoover, Alabama
but which has transmitters in Tuscaloosa
and Anniston
. Spann has worked in the field since 1978.
WHHY-FM ("Y102") in Montgomery
. His television career has included stints in Tuscaloosa (at 33/40 predecessor WCFT, the "33" in 33/40), Montgomery, Alabama
(WSFA
), Dallas
(KDFW
), at two other Birmingham stations, WBRC
and WVTM. His 1996 departure from WBRC made local headlines when he left the station, which had just been purchased by News Corporation
and was switching its network affiliation to News Corp.-owned Fox. Spann was unhappy with Fox's then-steady diet of reality shows and other programming that he considered to be offensive and in opposition to his evangelical Christian views. Spann ended up at the newly-formed ABC 33/40, which had merged WCFT with WJSU Channel 40 in Anniston
and a new low-power repeater in Birmingham, and had taken over the ABC
network affiliation that WBRC held before the switch.
He is the founder of The Weather Company, http://www.theweathercompany.com which provides broadcast weather forecasts for a number of radio stations and weather data for industrial and business clients. Spann was the 33rd person in America
to receive the AMS distinction as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist. There was a tornado warning for western Jefferson County
on April 8, 1998. Spann remained on television for ten hours. An F5 tornado struck Hueytown
's Oak Grove High School before eight o' clock that evening. The next day, he spoke through a helicopter about the warning and the high school's damage.
He is well-known to viewers for his encyclopedic knowledge of Alabama geography. In severe weather coverage, he often locates storm system features by reference to tiny communities,obscure country roads, gas stations, and barbecue restaurants.
Beginning in 2007, Spann could be heard by listeners of the Rick and Bubba Show
, a popular syndicated radio show based in Birmingham but heard throughout the country, mainly in the Southeast. Spann's tenure began when the show switched flagship stations in Birmingham to WZZK-FM
, where Spann's forecasts had been heard for some time beforehand.
He is also the chairman and one of the founders of AllWorship.com, a non-profit organization webcasting three streaming radio stations which feature worship music
in English
and Spanish
. The organization grew out of WRRS/Reailty Radio
, a commercial FM radio station
that broadcast Contemporary Christian music in the Birmingham market from 2000 to 2001.
In 2004, Spann hosted a television special about severe weather safety. He interviewed Goshen United Methodist Church's F4 tornado survivors of March 27, 1994 including the former pastor, Kelly Clem and her husband, Dale. Later, he spoke about the tragedy and safety instructions to Brian E. Peters, Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Calera
's Shelby County Airport
.
to receive the AMS distinction as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist.
He won an Emmy Award
with John Oldshue
from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
for live coverage of a deadly tornado in Tuscaloosa on December 16, 2000. (A camera mounted on the transmitter tower of the former Channel 33 captured live images of the tornado as it moved through the community.) The station won an Edward R. Murrow Award for this coverage.
Spann has been named the state's best weather anchor nine times (as of 2007) by the Associated Press
, and best weather anchor in Dallas-Fort Worth by the Dallas Press Club.
Spann is also an alumnus member of Theta Tau
- Mu Chapter.
, observed in the 1930s and since the 1970s were man-made. Instead, he asserts that they are naturally caused, as part of the Earth's climate's cyclical nature.
He asserts that it is money from research grants rather than genuine science that fuels support for the global warming hypothesis:
Spann was countering a statement made by Heidi Cullen
, a staff meteorologist with The Weather Channel
, who had written that those who disagreed with the view that global warming was caused by man-made events should not be given the Seal of Approval by the American Meteorological Society
. Spann's remarks in his station's weather blog
were linked to by the Drudge Report
, which thrust Spann — a well-known personality in north and central Alabama
, but little known outside that area — into the larger spotlight. As of 2011, Spann has the most followers on Twitter
and the most fans on Facebook
of any local television meteorologist.
Spann is a signatory of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
's "An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming".
The declaration states:
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
meteorologist based in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. He currently works for ABC 33/40
WBMA-LP
WBMA-LD, channel 58, is the ABC television affiliate for Birmingham and central Alabama. Its transmitter is located in Birmingham, while its studio is in Hoover, a suburb of Birmingham....
, whose studios are located in Hoover, Alabama
Hoover, Alabama
Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. The largest suburb of Birmingham, the population of the city was 62,742 as of the 2000 census and 81,619 in the 2010 census. Hoover is part of the Birmingham-Hoover, AL MSA and is also included in the...
but which has transmitters in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
and Anniston
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
. Spann has worked in the field since 1978.
Career
Spann began his broadcast career in Tuscaloosa, his hometown, in 1973 at WTBC-AM radio. He later was the afternoon-drive announcer at Top 40 stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
WHHY-FM ("Y102") in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. His television career has included stints in Tuscaloosa (at 33/40 predecessor WCFT, the "33" in 33/40), Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
(WSFA
WSFA
WSFA is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Alabama's Black Belt region licensed to Montgomery. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter in Grady along the Montgomery and Pike County line. The station can also be seen on Knology and Charter...
), Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(KDFW
KDFW
KDFW, virtual channel 4 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex designated market area....
), at two other Birmingham stations, WBRC
WBRC
WBRC, virtual channel 6, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Birmingham, Alabama designated market area. The station is owned by Raycom Media, and its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham...
and WVTM. His 1996 departure from WBRC made local headlines when he left the station, which had just been purchased by News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
and was switching its network affiliation to News Corp.-owned Fox. Spann was unhappy with Fox's then-steady diet of reality shows and other programming that he considered to be offensive and in opposition to his evangelical Christian views. Spann ended up at the newly-formed ABC 33/40, which had merged WCFT with WJSU Channel 40 in Anniston
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...
and a new low-power repeater in Birmingham, and had taken over the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
network affiliation that WBRC held before the switch.
He is the founder of The Weather Company, http://www.theweathercompany.com which provides broadcast weather forecasts for a number of radio stations and weather data for industrial and business clients. Spann was the 33rd person in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to receive the AMS distinction as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist. There was a tornado warning for western Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, with its county seat being located in Birmingham.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 658,466...
on April 8, 1998. Spann remained on television for ten hours. An F5 tornado struck Hueytown
Hueytown, Alabama
Hueytown is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 16,105.It was the home of the legendary NASCAR Alabama Gang...
's Oak Grove High School before eight o' clock that evening. The next day, he spoke through a helicopter about the warning and the high school's damage.
He is well-known to viewers for his encyclopedic knowledge of Alabama geography. In severe weather coverage, he often locates storm system features by reference to tiny communities,obscure country roads, gas stations, and barbecue restaurants.
Beginning in 2007, Spann could be heard by listeners of the Rick and Bubba Show
Rick and Bubba
Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey are cohosts of The Rick & Bubba Show—a syndicated comedic radio program based in Birmingham, Alabama...
, a popular syndicated radio show based in Birmingham but heard throughout the country, mainly in the Southeast. Spann's tenure began when the show switched flagship stations in Birmingham to WZZK-FM
WZZK-FM
WZZK-FM is a country music formatted radio station licensed to Birmingham that serves northern and central Alabama. As of January 3, 2007, WZZK-FM is the flagship station of the Rick and Bubba radio network. It was the first FM station in Birmingham to switch to country music, and throughout much...
, where Spann's forecasts had been heard for some time beforehand.
He is also the chairman and one of the founders of AllWorship.com, a non-profit organization webcasting three streaming radio stations which feature worship music
Worship Music
Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature original singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. The organization grew out of WRRS/Reailty Radio
WYDE-FM
WYDE-FM is a radio station that serves Birmingham and nearly all of north-central Alabama. The station is licensed to Cullman, Alabama. Because of the location of the station's broadcast tower and its strong signal, WYDE serves the Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden and Florence markets as well. ...
, a commercial FM radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
that broadcast Contemporary Christian music in the Birmingham market from 2000 to 2001.
In 2004, Spann hosted a television special about severe weather safety. He interviewed Goshen United Methodist Church's F4 tornado survivors of March 27, 1994 including the former pastor, Kelly Clem and her husband, Dale. Later, he spoke about the tragedy and safety instructions to Brian E. Peters, Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Calera
Calera, Alabama
Calera is a city in Chilton and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the location of Birmingham's Shelby County Airport. Its population was 3,158 at the 2000 census, but as of 2010 the population had nearly quadrupled to 11,620 making it the fastest growing city in...
's Shelby County Airport
Shelby County Airport (Alabama)
Shelby County Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Alabaster, a city in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. It is owned by the Shelby County Commission...
.
Awards
Spann was the 33rd person in AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to receive the AMS distinction as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist.
He won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
with John Oldshue
John Oldshue
John Oldshue was the weekend meteorologist and storm chaser for ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, Alabama from 1997 to 2007 when he retired to run a small business. He won an Emmy award for coverage of the Tuscaloosa tornado on December 16, 2000 with meteorologist James Spann...
from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or NATAS was created in 1955 to advance the arts and sciences of television. Headquartered in New York, NATAS's membership is national and the organization has local chapters around the country....
for live coverage of a deadly tornado in Tuscaloosa on December 16, 2000. (A camera mounted on the transmitter tower of the former Channel 33 captured live images of the tornado as it moved through the community.) The station won an Edward R. Murrow Award for this coverage.
Spann has been named the state's best weather anchor nine times (as of 2007) by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, and best weather anchor in Dallas-Fort Worth by the Dallas Press Club.
Spann is also an alumnus member of Theta Tau
Theta Tau
ΘΤ Fraternity was founded in 1904 by four engineering students at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. As defined by the fraternity, the purpose of Theta Tau is to develop and maintain a high standard of professional interest among its members, and to unite them in a strong bond of...
- Mu Chapter.
Global warming
In January 2007, Spann attracted worldwide publicity by disputing the theory that atmospheric temperature increases, better known as global warmingGlobal warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, observed in the 1930s and since the 1970s were man-made. Instead, he asserts that they are naturally caused, as part of the Earth's climate's cyclical nature.
He asserts that it is money from research grants rather than genuine science that fuels support for the global warming hypothesis:
Billions of dollars of grant money is flowing into the pockets of those on the man-made global warming bandwagon. No man-made global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, the money dries up. This is big money, make no mistake about it. Always follow the money trail and it tells a story. Even the lady at “The Weather Channel” probably gets paid good money for a prime time show on climate change. No man-made global warming, no show, and no salary. Nothing wrong with making money at all, but when money becomes the motivation for a scientific conclusion, then we have a problem. For many, global warming is a big cash grab.
Spann was countering a statement made by Heidi Cullen
Heidi Cullen
Heidi Cullen is interim CEO and lead correspondent for Climate Central. Prior to that, she was the climate expert and correspondent for The Weather Channel where she helped start Forecast Earth, the first weekly program on climate change and the environment. Before joining The Weather Channel she...
, a staff meteorologist with The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...
, who had written that those who disagreed with the view that global warming was caused by man-made events should not be given the Seal of Approval by the American Meteorological Society
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
. Spann's remarks in his station's weather blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
were linked to by the Drudge Report
Drudge Report
The Drudge Report is a news aggregation website. Run by Matt Drudge with the help of Joseph Curl and Charles Hurt, the site consists mainly of links to stories from the United States and international mainstream media about politics, entertainment, and current events as well as links to many...
, which thrust Spann — a well-known personality in north and central Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, but little known outside that area — into the larger spotlight. As of 2011, Spann has the most followers on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and the most fans on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
of any local television meteorologist.
Spann is a signatory of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation
Cornwall Alliance
The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation is a conservative Christian public policy group that promotes a free-market approach to care for the environment that is critical of much of the current environmental movement...
's "An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming".
The declaration states:
"We believe Earth and its ecosystems — created by God’s intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence — are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory. Earth's climate system is no exception."
See also
- The Weather Channel: 2007 global warming controversy
External links
- Spann's official web site
- Spann's bio at ABC 33/40
- James Spann article at BhamWiki.com