As part of his new job as WFLD chief meteorologist, Bill Bellis appears on the Soldier Field jumbotron at Bears home games, giving fans a quick weather update.  So far, it hasn’t been going well.

Bears fans have taken to booing Bellis as he delivers his forecast from the sideline.  According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the jeering has been “vigorous.” Read more

Amy Freeze, who was recently squeezed out as chief meteorologist of Chicago’s WFLD, is set to join New York’s WABC as a weekend weathercaster, effectively replacing the embattled Heidi Jones.

WABC is expected to announce the move this week, according to sources.

WFLD decided not to renew Freeze’s contract in February as the Fox O&O added meteorologist Bill Bellis from Phoenix’s KNXV and Tammie Souza returned to the station after a stint in Tampa.

After leaving WFLD, Freeze said that she was “disappointed” by the station’s “unexpected” decision not renew her deal, saying that she would have liked to stay in Chicago.

As Chicago media reporter Robert Feder points out, though: “Vindication doesn’t get much sweeter than getting hired by the No. 1 station in the No. 1 market.” Read more

Jummy Olabanji joins WJLA-TV in Washington DC as a reporter from WTKR-TV in Norfolk.

Mike Barz expands his morning anchor duties from two hours (5-7am) to four hours (5-9am) at WAWS-TV and WTEV-TV in Jacksonville.

Bridget Blythe joins NECN in Boston as a Monday through Friday AM anchor/reporter from morning anchor at WKBW-TV in Buffalo.

Kathryn Brown is promoted to staff reporter from freelance reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City. Read more

Meteorologist Amy Freeze, who left Chicago’s WFLD last month, says that the Fox-affiliate’s decision not to renew her contract was a surprise.

“I am disappointed and it was unexpected that Fox would release me from my contract,” Freeze told community website OakPark.com recently.

Freeze served as WFLD’s chief meteorologist from 2007 until February of this year, when the station let her contract expire.

The veteran weathercaster was the victim of a shake-up at WFLD.  The station brought in Bill Bellis from Phoenix’s KNXV to be chief meteorologist and welcomed back meteorologist Tammie Souza, who had been working at Tampa’s WTSP for the past two years.

Right now, Freeze is trying to figure out her next career move and she hopes that it will keep her close to home. Read more

Bill Bellis is set to make his on-air debut with Chicago’s WFLD next week.

Bellis replaces Amy Freeze as the Fox-affiliate’s chief meteorologist. He was signed by WFLD last year as the station decided not to renew Freeze’s contract, which expired this month.

“Bill’s dynamic personality, concise delivery and no-nonsense forecasting style will be key assets as we reinvent our weather department,” said GM Mike Renda in making the announcement.

Part of that reinvention occurred last month when meteorologist Tammie Souza returned to the station after spending two years as chief meteorologist for Tampa’s WTSP.

Bellis comes to Chicago from Phoenix’s KNXV, where he served as chief meteorologist for the past eight years. Read more

WFLD has made it official: veteran meteorologist Tammie Souza, who spent the last two years with Tampa’s WTSP, is returning to Chicago.

The Fox-affiliate announced today that Souza has joined the station and is set to start on-air January 29th.  Souza worked in the Chicago market for nearly eight years, first with NBC-affiliate WMAQ and then with WFLD, before departing for Florida.

With the addition of Souza, WFLD has also made a subtraction from its news team.  According to the Chicago Tribune, the station will not be renewing the contract of lead weathercaster Amy Freeze.  WFLD reportedly spoke with Freeze about accepting a non-weather position but those talks have ended.

WFLD now has a completely overhauled weather team.  Bill Bellis, who came to the station in November from Phoenix’s KNXV, is WFLD’s new chief meteorologist while Souza will be a new, yet familiar, face on the station’s weekend newscasts.

Veteran WFLD forecaster Mark Strehl is “deep in conversations” about a new deal at the Fox O&O, Chicago Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal reports.

For those of you keeping score at home, WFLD recently signed Bill Bellis, chief meteorologist at Phoenix’s KNXV-TV since 2003, and continues to talk to Tammie Souza about returning to Channel 32 after two years away as chief meteorologist at WTSP-TV in Tampa, Fla.

Amy Freeze, WFLD’s chief meteorologist for nearly four years, has a contract set to expire next month. It’s tempting to quote Bob Dylan‘s line about not needing a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, but there has been no official word as yet regarding her future.