Aaron Tuttle

[toggery]

Does anyone know what the circumstances were regarding meteorologist Tuttle's departure from KOCO? I saw somewhere that he's with the FAA now...

[atutt]

Hey gang,

I came across this site today and figured why not answer the question...

Like many in television, we leave at some point to either get out of the business or move to another city. In my case, after 11+ years, I decided to retire from television. Often you don't hear when an anchor/reporter leaves, there is no announcement, they are just gone. That's the way television works. It is actually rare to see a goodbye on a grand scale. I worked 7 years at KOCO and all I got was "delete". I feel for the viewer in that situation because it's you guys that changed your viewing habits for me. Maybe you watched another station until I came along or maybe you stopped watching 5 because I came along! ;-) The point is that you deserve to know what happened and it's a disservice to you by the station for not telling you.

Fortunately, in today’s world of blogs, internet chatter, talk forums, wiki, etc, it's much easier to get that answer you desire. Case in point, here's mine.

Although I enjoyed what I did, I grew tired of the job and wanted a change. You have to remember that a TV personality is working 24/7. For example, when you leave your office, you don't have to take your work home with you. With us, we are like a salesman without a day off, always representing the station, we're always "so and so from channel X". There is no privacy and you are not allowed to have a "bad day". Sometimes you just don't want to be bothered. You probably get a feel from that by watching all of the Hollywood gossip and seeing the actors dealings w/the "paparazzi". Again, for them it comes down to privacy and wanting to leave work at work. How many of you have people call/email your boss on a daily basis and tell him what they saw you do or heard you do, or maybe just lie about what you did? Then have that boss grill you over something you were innocent about just because that's the way it is. Welcome to life in television.

It's not all bad of course, otherwise people wouldn't be in it. I can tell you that outside of a few, no one makes the kind of money you think we make. I would guess that the average range for reporters in this market is $35-$45K a year. Anchors $45-65K depending on how long they've worked here. Sure the top dogs, all 10 of them in this market could make anywhere from $70-$100+, but that's where trouble lies. The more you make, the more you are likely to be let go. Local television news stations were a hugely profitable business in the early years up through the early 90s. Now, with all of the competition from cable, satellite, iPods, internet, etc, the formula has changed. The new formula is cheap labor, overworked, fired/released, back to cheap labor, etc. This is typically why you see so many new faces at each station every couple of years. Out with the old, in with the new. But I digress...

Back to my particular case, I just couldn't see myself doing the same thing 5 years from now and had a great opportunity to work for the federal government. I'm part of a team of meteorologists and engineers that work at the FAA next door to Will Rogers Airport. We maintain the TDWR, Terminal Doppler Weather Radar. These radars are deployed at 45 of the major airports across the country and are used by Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots to prevent plane crashes due to hazardous weather. So in essence, I'm still saving lives but on a grander scale. This job is completely different from television, normal working hours, holidays/weekends off. More time to spend with my family, church, etc.

Anyway, I just wanted to chime in here to let you know a little about the business and my particular situation. Thanks for inquiring; that shows that I made an impact in your daily lives, and hopefully it was a positive one.

Aaron Tuttle
Former Met KOCO-TV
TDWR & Meteorological Support FAA

[drumsncode]

Aaron,

Thanks for posting. It's rare that anyone actually comes on here as themselves and gives us a complete insight into what happened. So many people on so many boards have asked what happened to you. Glad you landed on your feet and are doing well.

[Karried]

Ditto.

Thank you for posting and filling us all in on what actually occurred.

Glad you landed on your feet and are doing well.

Again, I feel the same.

Welcome to the board.

[toggery]

Aaron,

WOW! Thanks for the personal reply! I, for one really miss your weathercasts. I'm sure there are many many more that feel the same.

Congrats on the new endeavor. Sounds like a much better deal.

Again, thanks and best of luck!

[atutt]

No problem, I appreciate the kind words.

Just remember, if you find yourself irrated at 10 hours of non stop wall to wall storm coverage by the local stations, just stop watching. The only reason they do this is because the ratings show that people watch. Turn the channel and whammo, no more interruptions of your favorite shows! ;-)

The only thing that is life threatening is a tornado, outside of that, it's all for show...

AT

[tpiper44]

AT,

I remember when you first came on board at KTUL - I'm sure you don't remember, but I use to email you and harass you about being an A&M grad! I'm glad to hear you are still in OKC, I wish the best for you. Everything you mentioned about tv meteorologists is exactly why I changed majors while at OU! Good luck to you and your family - we will miss you!

TP

[Andrew4OU]

Good to hear you're doing what you want, Aaron. Congrats and good luck on your new job!

Do you happen to know if anyone's been hired to take your spot? They've got shoes to fill.

[cindyl57]

Thanks Aaron for filling us in.
We are more apt to watch channel 4, but when the weather became the news, we watched all 3 going back and forth.
You were my favorite on KOCO..When I was at the website a few days ago...I was thinking "What happened to Aaron?"

It is good to hear that you have moved on and are happy with your decision.
Cindy

[teffertoes]

No problem, I appreciate the kind words.

Just remember, if you find yourself irrated at 10 hours of non stop wall to wall storm coverage by the local stations, just stop watching. The only reason they do this is because the ratings show that people watch. Turn the channel and whammo, no more interruptions of your favorite shows! ;-)

The only thing that is life threatening is a tornado, outside of that, it's all for show...

AT

I always knew I liked you for some reason and that post just proved to me why! HA!

I was just wondering myself where you were and googled your name, and your response came up. Congrats on the new job and glad to hear your still in OKC!

[bbqxwman]

Have been a weather enthusiasist since I was little, and a storm chaser since 1977. So weather is an every-day event for me. Just wanted to say I enjoyed your weather forecasts--you stayed away from reciting temperatures and try to get the public to actually understand why it can be difficult to predict in OK. I sent enquiries to Channel 5 on your whereabouts and never received a reply. Your doppler work was always the best--especially the night of the "tropical storm" last summer. That was good TV. Good luck to you and your family, sound like you made the best move for you.

[solitude]

I've never seen a thread sign-up so many new members.

At any rate, glad you all are here!

[atutt]

Good to hear you're doing what you want, Aaron. Congrats and good luck on your new job!

Do you happen to know if anyone's been hired to take your spot? They've got shoes to fill.

Thanks Andrew. I think Andy Wallace will get it. He's currently filling in and could get the gig full time. He was a Chief in Lawton and in Waco. If so, I wish him the best.

Looking from the outside in, where all of you sit, for a change, gives me a whole new perspective, namely how silly it is to stay on the air for 12 hours solid telling me that it's cold and icy or it's snowing. Like looking outside my own window doesn't tell me that. lol!

[drumsncode]

Aaron, I thought of you yesterday through all of this coverage, especially the coverage on KOCO. I figured you were either laughing at it all or shaking your head.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Aaron, I thought of you yesterday through all of this coverage, especially the coverage on KOCO. I figured you were either laughing at it all or shaking your head.

Or sitting at home thinking "boy, I'm glad I don't have to drive to work in this crap today".

[atutt]

Or sitting at home thinking "boy, I'm glad I don't have to drive to work in this crap today".

I chose C. All of the above. =)

[rmayhue]

Aaron,
Kudos to you man! Our family enjoyed watching you on KOCO. Keep it real. Enjoy your new adventure. And as always you and yours are in our thoughts.
Thanks,
rmayhue @ hesaro65@yahoo.com

[rmayhue]

Hey gang,

I came across this site today and figured why not answer the question...

Like many in television, we leave at some point to either get out of the business or move to another city. In my case, after 11+ years, I decided to retire from television. Often you don't hear when an anchor/reporter leaves, there is no announcement, they are just gone. That's the way television works. It is actually rare to see a goodbye on a grand scale. I worked 7 years at KOCO and all I got was "delete". I feel for the viewer in that situation because it's you guys that changed your viewing habits for me. Maybe you watched another station until I came along or maybe you stopped watching 5 because I came along! ;-) The point is that you deserve to know what happened and it's a disservice to you by the station for not telling you.

Fortunately, in today’s world of blogs, internet chatter, talk forums, wiki, etc, it's much easier to get that answer you desire. Case in point, here's mine.

Although I enjoyed what I did, I grew tired of the job and wanted a change. You have to remember that a TV personality is working 24/7. For example, when you leave your office, you don't have to take your work home with you. With us, we are like a salesman without a day off, always representing the station, we're always "so and so from channel X". There is no privacy and you are not allowed to have a "bad day". Sometimes you just don't want to be bothered. You probably get a feel from that by watching all of the Hollywood gossip and seeing the actors dealings w/the "paparazzi". Again, for them it comes down to privacy and wanting to leave work at work. How many of you have people call/email your boss on a daily basis and tell him what they saw you do or heard you do, or maybe just lie about what you did? Then have that boss grill you over something you were innocent about just because that's the way it is. Welcome to life in television.

It's not all bad of course, otherwise people wouldn't be in it. I can tell you that outside of a few, no one makes the kind of money you think we make. I would guess that the average range for reporters in this market is $35-$45K a year. Anchors $45-65K depending on how long they've worked here. Sure the top dogs, all 10 of them in this market could make anywhere from $70-$100+, but that's where trouble lies. The more you make, the more you are likely to be let go. Local television news stations were a hugely profitable business in the early years up through the early 90s. Now, with all of the competition from cable, satellite, iPods, internet, etc, the formula has changed. The new formula is cheap labor, overworked, fired/released, back to cheap labor, etc. This is typically why you see so many new faces at each station every couple of years. Out with the old, in with the new. But I digress...

Back to my particular case, I just couldn't see myself doing the same thing 5 years from now and had a great opportunity to work for the federal government. I'm part of a team of meteorologists and engineers that work at the FAA next door to Will Rogers Airport. We maintain the TDWR, Terminal Doppler Weather Radar. These radars are deployed at 45 of the major airports across the country and are used by Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots to prevent plane crashes due to hazardous weather. So in essence, I'm still saving lives but on a grander scale. This job is completely different from television, normal working hours, holidays/weekends off. More time to spend with my family, church, etc.

Anyway, I just wanted to chime in here to let you know a little about the business and my particular situation. Thanks for inquiring; that shows that I made an impact in your daily lives, and hopefully it was a positive one.

Aaron Tuttle
Former Met KOCO-TV
TDWR & Meteorological Support FAA

Aaron
You were/are the BEST!
Our family will miss A.T.
rmayhue

[Detta]

Aaron you were the reason I watched channel 5. Rick Mitchell does this growl thing with his voice all the time that my husband and I sit and laugh at, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about... I am thrilled that you have moved on to greener pastures, I always enjoy seeing people who work hard grow in their field of choice. KOCO evidentally dosen't care about those who work for them, you were there all the time yet when you left they just acted as if you never existed. Why would I be foolish enough to believe they care about me? They care about one thing and one thing only, ratings. Well, they just lost this family's support. Best of luck and happy holiday season, enjoy it at home with your family.

[drumsncode]

I wouldn't be so harsh on KOCO about ratings. Every station cares about ratings...no ratings...no money...no station.

I just watch the station that I enjoy the most, and KOCO is that station. I like the people and the presentation better than their competitors. Besides, I don't have to hear "Friday Night in the Big Town". That got kinda old at the 10-year mark.

[kmf563]

LOL. Who knew Aaron was such a celebrity! You should take advantage of this....I see Tuttle bobble heads and talking action figures in the future.

Good for you. Thanks for joining the board and commenting.

[revdtabbs]

AT,

We loved watching you when we lived in Tulsa and we were so happy to find you again when we moved down here. We miss you on CH5, but we completely understand your decision and are very happy you have found a good niche. Enjoy the new-found freedom! We still watch KOCO, but the endless drone of "severe weather" coverage everytime it rains is getting on our nerves. Whenever it starts, we tune to Food Network! God bless you and your family. Merry Christmas!

[atutt]

Wow, it's great to see such support on here! I appreciate all of the good will and well wishes.

Detta, Drumsncode has a valid point. That's just the nature of the beast. Ratings are the blood line for TV news and puts $$$ in the corporate pockets. The news of today is not like news of yore. Today it is known as "info-tainment". Most of it is either geared towards people who don't know common sense nor how to take care of themselves or some topic that will hook you to get you to watch and talk about at work the next day.

All stations are pretty much the same w/KOCO being the closest to a "big city style/feel". For example, I haven't watched a newscast since I left in mid October and I don't feel naked. If anything truly important happens, it will show up on my yahoo when I log in to check email. Now, if you do need that fix of local events/politics, the news "can" be a source, but so can "google". The newspaper has become a dying industry, in the world of instant messaging/news, no one wants to read today about yesterdays stuff. Even local radio is suffering. In the next 10 years technology is going to force more and more new formulas in these industries to try and retain the dollar and keep your attention. Many will fail.

Wow, didn't mean to stray there....what I wanted to say was Merry Christmas to everyone! =)

AT

[Blairman]

AT

Welcome to the darkside- working for the feds, make sure and pour tons into your TSP.

I do have one question, and now that your longer in the "biz" hopefully I will not get the company line.

But why do TV stations, especially weather staff have the "sky is falling" attitude when bad weather approaches. I often scratch my head in the winter time, when TV stations say "do not drive in these conditions" but yet they drove to get to work, the live shots from the news side are not done from a green screen. What gives with the doomsday attitude.

Thanks you in advance for making air travel safer for everyone.

Blair

[atutt]

Ah, such a simple question, but not a simple answer.

The bottom line is that hype and hysteria have taken over to where a certain performance level has been reached and there's no going back. Each station has to "out do" the other. Again, it goes back to what I said above, if everyone turns the tv off, then when the ratings come in, management would see that and start to cut back on the drama...um, I mean information. Bottom line, people watch, so the show goes on. The minute one station goes off, then viewers will flip to the other, so each tries to be the very last to go off the air. This applies in any weather situation. The news basically prays on the fears of people a lot of the time.

In that particular case you mentioned, it's a "do as we say, not as we do". There is no option of "I can't come into work today". You'll lose your job that way.

If you have to go out during a storm like that, then just hope you have 4wheel drive and so does everyone else on the road around you and that you are all taking it slow. The problem is, that is never the case and that's when fatalities occur.

If you are going to live in Oklahoma City, just get used to the excessive weather coverage. Some people dig it, others get turned off by it. Again, common sense would tell me not to go out on the roads when it's icy unless I absolutely had to. When it comes to tornadoes, definitely tell me where and when. When it comes to rain, lightning, hail, don't bother me. But those are my preferences, each person is different so it's better to cover them all and stay on the air until the particular threat is over.