John Coughlin (weatherman)
Encyclopedia
John Coughlin was a longtime meteorologist for WBBM-TV
in Chicago
, during the station's No. 1 position in the television news market in Chicago in the 1970s.
. He then earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Northwestern University
in 1952.
, where he lived in a dingy boarding house with the station's other disc jockeys. After about a year in Alton, Coughlin worked for a variety of radio stations in Chicago. He joined WBBM-TV in 1953, working mostly on children's programs.
In 1969, Coughlin was pressed into service as a weatherman after one of the station's meteorologists, Roy Allred, took ill just before a broadcast. Later, after Allred quit, Coughlin was asked to become the station's interim meteorologist, even though by his own admission, he knew nothing about the subject. No replacement ever was found, however, and after eight months of filling in, Coughlin was given the job on a full-time basis. Coughlin then began studying meteorology -- even hiring a tutor from the University of Chicago
.
In July 1976, WBBM demoted Coughlin, who by that point was the station's top weather forecaster, to be a staff announcer and replaced him with part-time actor Tom Alderman, who also had been a public relations professional for then-Illinois Gov. Dan Walker
. The station received more than 10,000 letters of protest from viewers, and eventually restored Coughlin in February 1977 to his previous job and apologized on the air.
Coughlin retired from WBBM-TV in August 1989. "I cannot think of a thing that I would have done differently," Coughlin told the Chicago Tribune at the time of his retirement. "I've been so lucky. I was at the right place at the right time several times in my life. I had no idea I'd be the weatherman when I started out."
on February 17, 2001.
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, during the station's No. 1 position in the television news market in Chicago in the 1970s.
Early life and education
Born and raised in Chicago, Coughlin served two years of combat during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He then earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1952.
Professional career
Coughlin's first job was working for a small radio station in Alton, IllinoisAlton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
, where he lived in a dingy boarding house with the station's other disc jockeys. After about a year in Alton, Coughlin worked for a variety of radio stations in Chicago. He joined WBBM-TV in 1953, working mostly on children's programs.
In 1969, Coughlin was pressed into service as a weatherman after one of the station's meteorologists, Roy Allred, took ill just before a broadcast. Later, after Allred quit, Coughlin was asked to become the station's interim meteorologist, even though by his own admission, he knew nothing about the subject. No replacement ever was found, however, and after eight months of filling in, Coughlin was given the job on a full-time basis. Coughlin then began studying meteorology -- even hiring a tutor from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
In July 1976, WBBM demoted Coughlin, who by that point was the station's top weather forecaster, to be a staff announcer and replaced him with part-time actor Tom Alderman, who also had been a public relations professional for then-Illinois Gov. Dan Walker
Daniel Walker
Daniel Walker was the 36th Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1973 to 1977.-Early life and career:He was born in Washington, D.C. and raised near San Diego, California. He was the second Governor of Illinois to graduate from the United States Naval Academy. He served as a naval officer in...
. The station received more than 10,000 letters of protest from viewers, and eventually restored Coughlin in February 1977 to his previous job and apologized on the air.
Coughlin retired from WBBM-TV in August 1989. "I cannot think of a thing that I would have done differently," Coughlin told the Chicago Tribune at the time of his retirement. "I've been so lucky. I was at the right place at the right time several times in my life. I had no idea I'd be the weatherman when I started out."
Death
Coughlin collapsed and died at his retirement home in Evanston, IllinoisEvanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
on February 17, 2001.