I began my broadcast career in news, not weather, and was actually hired by Channel 6 as a news reporter. Several years later, I was asked to fill-in a few times as a weathercaster, did well, and was eventually offered a full-time position in the weather department. This transition was made easier by the station's relationship with AccuWeather, which allowed me to initially report the forecast without much meteorological background. However, in the late 1990s, I pitched the idea of formal weather training to my managers who not only agreed to it, but paid for it, too. I earned my Certificate in Broadcast Meteorology in 2004.
Nowadays, my path to weathercasting at Channel 6 would not be possible, as we only place certified meteorologists into new weather positions. On the other hand, my insertion into the weather mix proved to be good timing for WPVI. My training in areas like radar operation and severe weather forecasting coincided with the introduction of our Doppler radar and other sophisticated forecasting tools, allowing me to aid in the roll-out of these technologies.
---David Murphy
