Bill Read joins KPRC!

[jasons2k]

Former hurricane center director joins Channel 2 news
In its continued search for ratings – and, perhaps, a little hurricane insurance — KPRC (Channel 2) said Friday it has hired Bill Read, the former director of the National Hurricane Center, as an on-air contributor.

Read, who retired from the federal agency earlier this year after serving as its director since January 2008, will appear on Channel 2 during periods of “significant weather” activity, said Deborah Collura, managing director for Post Newsweek television stations.

Max Mayfield, another former director of the hurricane center in Miami, holds a similar position with WPLG, Post Newsweek’s station in Miami.

In Houston, Read will be following in the broadcast footsteps of former hurricane center director Neil Frank, who was KHOU’s (Channel 11) chief meteorologist from 1987 through May 2008.

Houston avoided a major hurricane during Frank’s run at Channel 11; Hurricane Ike hit the area in September 2008, 3 ½ months after Frank retired.

Unlike Frank, Read will not be Channel 2’s lead on-air weather presence. Frank Billingsley will remain the station’s chief meteorologist.

Read, a graduate of Texas A&M, was in charge of the Houston-Galveston office of the National Weather Service from 1992 through 2007. He also worked in Fort Worth and San Antonio.

“He will be our hurricane expert and analyst when hurricanes or severe weather threaten the area,” Collura said. “He’s on the boards and agencies that help with evacuation plans and things like that, so he will supplement our weather team.”

[srainhoutx]

It will good to have Bill 'on air' as well as Doc during Tropical Troubles. I know he and his wife are glad to be back home in Houston and settling into retirement.

[djjordan]

That's awesome to see that. We can never have enough Hurricane Experts in our market during Hurricane Season. Glad he's back home.