Doug Allen | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | Jones College |
| Occupation | TV Meteorologist (formerly) |
| Years active | 1982–2013 |
| Employer(s) | WGAL (Lancaster, PA) |
| Spouse | Jackie Allen |
Doug Allen (b. 1957) is a retired TV meteorologist. He was known for his 28 years at WGAL in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a co-host of "PM Magazine" with Kim Lemon, and then as a meteorologist of WGAL's News 8 Storm Team along with his "Backyard Weather" segments until his retirement in 2013.
Allen grew up in Bethel, Connecticut and started a radio show in high school with Junior Achievement. Attending Jones College in Jacksonville, Florida, he was still in radio the entire time and graduated with a degree in broadcast management and then went on the air in Boston's radio stations. He then became a radio program director in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
After exceeding his goals in radio and needing to set new ones, his next target was TV broadcasting. Allen joined WNEV in Boston, where he hosted a music video show. In 1985, Allen joined WGAL in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where he co-hosted WGAL's edition of PM Magazine with Nancy Byrne and Kim Lemon for more than 4 four years. [1]
Doug moved on up through the ranks of WGAL in April 1989 when he was named meteorologist on WGAL's News 8 Storm Team and forecasted the weather on News 8 at 5, 5:30, 6, 10, and 11. [2] During that time, he also launched a segment called Backyard Weather in 1991, where Allen (known for his engaging personality) also forecasted the weather from viewers' backyards whenever he was outside. [3] The segments would become popular for more than 15 years; viewers would get a sense of enjoyment when the segments were on their TV screens. It also allowed WGAL to move throughout central Pennsylvania, where Allen saw how people wanted to share something about themselves and why they enjoy being outdoors often. Doug also co-hosted in many of WGAL's live charities and communities, such as their annual Children's Miracle Network Telethon. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
On September 26, 2013, WGAL announced Allen would retire from the station in November after 28 years to start his own business in the fishing and boating industry near Charleston, South Carolina. [9] After an interview conversation with his old friend and colleague Kim Lemon in his last week on WGAL, Allen also said he would miss the people the most that he got to know around the Susquehanna Valley that watched him forecast the weather. [10] He retired on November 1, 2013 after ending his final forecast, and received on-air congratulatory cheers from his colleagues and his wife Jackie at the end of the newscast. [11]
When Chief Meteorologist Joe Calhoun was retiring on January 19, 2024, Doug made a surprise appearance on the set of "News 8 at 6" surprising everyone and congratulating Joe on his retirement and how Joe was a leader, teacher, mentor, and dear friend on the field of broadcast meteorology. [12]
In 1997, when WGAL received 11 nominations, Allen was selected WGAL's winner for "individual achievement" in weather forecasting. He also won an Emmy Award for Best Weathercaster. Roughly 5 years after his retirement in 2018, Doug was inducted into the WGAL Hall of Fame for his 28 years at the station.
Allen is married to his wife Jackie and have been living in South Carolina doing fishing, boating, and claims in the marine survey business after Doug's retirement.