Stormy Rottman

Last updated
Leon "Stormy" Rottman
Born1918
Chicago, Illinois
DiedJanuary 15, 1993
Denver, Colorado
Occupation Television meteorologist
Years active1950s – 1988

Leon "Stormy" Rottman (1918 - January 15, 1993) was an American weather forecaster and television host. After his experience with reporting weather conditions for the U.S. Air Force during World War II and the Korean War, Rottman began a civilian career as a weather presenter on both television and radio. He was the primary evening weatherman for many years at Channel 9 in Denver, Colorado.

Contents

Beginnings and military service

Leon Rottman was born in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. [1] After enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, he was stationed in Kunming, China as a briefing officer. It was here that Rottman began forecasting weather conditions in the area, gaining the nickname "Stormy" that he would keep for the remainder of his career. [2] During the Korean War, Rottman was stationed at Chennault Air Force Base in Lake Charles, Louisiana. While still a forecaster for the Air Force, Rottman also worked part-time at a local television station in the vicinity. [3]

In the mid-1950s, Rottman could be heard presenting weather conditions and forecasts on Armed Forces Radio in Tokyo, Japan. [3] He was transferred to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, near Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1957. [3] In addition to serving as weatherman for Baker Crew at NORAD, [4] Rottman also worked as a part-time forecaster for KRDO-TV, Channel 13 in Colorado Springs. He had another stint with Armed Forces Radio in the early 1960s, this time based in Germany. [3]

Full-time television career

After his assignment in Germany had ended, Rottman retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 1968. He then pursued a career as a weather forecaster, working at various radio and television stations across the United States throughout the 1960s.

In 1969, Rottman began working for KBTV (now KUSA) in Denver, Colorado, where he remained for almost 20 years. [3] For much of his stay at Channel 9, Rottman was the "Chief Meteorologist", generally delivering the primary weather segments during the 5PM and 10PM weekday newscasts. His quirky nickname and style of presenting weather forecasts made him a well-known local personality. When Channel 9 hired Rob Roseman as a daytime meteorologist in the 1980s, the station dubbed Roseman "Sunny" and created an advertising campaign featuring the two men with the tagline, "Sunny days and Stormy nights". [5] Rottman continued working at KUSA until his retirement at age 70 in 1988. [1]

Other work and death

While in Denver, Rottman also became the host of Senior Showcase, a program focusing on issues relevant to elderly Coloradans. This show aired on KRMA, one of two Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public television stations serving Denver. [3]

Rottman died January 15, 1993, in Denver. [6]

Legacy and awards

Rottman was awarded a Broadcaster of the Year award by the Colorado Broadcasters Association. [1] In 2003, he was also inducted posthumously into the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame. [3] Metropolitan State University of Denver (formerly Metropolitan State College of Denver) awards a Stormy Rottman Endowed Memorial Scholarship annually to a student majoring in meteorology. [7]

Related Research Articles

The Weather Channel American cable TV channel

The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news and analysis, along with documentaries and entertainment programming related to weather. A sister network, Weatherscan, is a digital cable and satellite service that offers 24-hour automated local forecasts and radar imagery. The Weather Channel also produces outsourced weathercasts, notably for RFD-TV.

KMGH-TV ABC affiliate in Denver

KMGH-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Denver, Colorado, United States. Owned by the Cincinnati-based E. W. Scripps Company, it is part of a duopoly with Sterling-licensed independent station KCDO-TV, channel 3. Both stations share studios on East Speer Boulevard in Denver's Congress Park neighborhood, while KMGH-TV's transmitter is located atop Lookout Mountain, near Golden.

KUSA (TV) NBC affiliate in Denver

KUSA, virtual and VHF digital channel 9, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Denver, Colorado, United States. Owned by McLean, Virginia-based Tegna Inc., it is part of a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate KTVD. Both stations share studios on East Speer Boulevard in Denver's Speer neighborhood, while KUSA's transmitter is located atop Lookout Mountain, near Golden. In addition to its main studios, the station also operates a secondary studio and news bureau on Riverside Avenue in Fort Collins.

Weather presenter

A weather presenter is a person who presents the weather forecast daily on radio, television or internet news broadcasts. Using diverse tools, such as projected weather maps, they inform the viewers of the current and future weather conditions, explain the reasons underlying this evolution, and relaying to the public any weather hazards and warnings issued for their region, country or larger areas. There are no basic qualifications to become a weather presenter; depending on the country and the media, it can range from an introduction to meteorology for a television host to a diploma in meteorology from a recognized university. Therefore a weather presenter is not to be confused with a meteorologist, or weather forecaster, the holder of a diploma in meteorology.

Dick Fletcher American broadcast meteorologist

Richard R. Fletcher was a broadcast meteorologist. He was Chief Meteorologist for WTSP in St. Petersburg, Florida, for 28 years. He was a holder of the American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval, having received it in 1978.

Paul Douglas is the stage name of Douglas Paul Kruhoeffer, a meteorologist, author, entrepreneur, and software expert in Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minnesota. He has over 30 years of broadcast television and radio experience.

Geoff Fox is an American television broadcast meteorologist with a career spanning nearly 4 decades. For 27 years he was at the television station WTNH in New Haven, Connecticut, where he started in 1984 and was senior meteorologist until 2011, and later with WTIC-TV in Hartford, Connecticut, where he was the weeknight 5:00 and 11:00 p.m. meteorologist, reported science and technology stories for the 4:00 p.m. newscast and was host for a garden segment titled "Geoff's Garden".

Derek Brockway is a Welsh meteorologist. After 30 years of being employed by the Met Office he joined the BBC in October 2016. Brockway is based at BBC Wales in Cardiff, Wales and presents weather forecasts on radio, television and online as well as appearing in other programmes. He is a keen walker and Welsh language learner.

Herbert Jon Antoine Jr., known professionally as Tex Antoine, was an American weatherman on New York City television for nearly three decades.

Dave Devall

David Devall is a Canadian retired broadcaster and meteorologist. He served as the chief forecaster at CFTO-TV in Toronto for more than 48 years beginning in 1961, and was recognized as having had the "longest career as a weather forecaster" by Guinness World Records and the World Records Academy upon his retirement on April 3, 2009. Devall was also a recipient of the RTNDA's lifetime achievement award in 2009.

Joseph William DeNardo was an American meteorologist best known for his work at WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. He was known for his 1994 campaign, "Joe Said It Would." DeNardo resided in Moon Township, Pennsylvania with his wife of almost 60 years. When he retired in 2005, after 45 years on the air, he enjoyed "iconic" status among Pittsburghers.

Bill Kuster was an American television meteorologist. He was a weather forecaster at KYW-TV in Philadelphia from 1963 to 1979 and KUSA in Denver from 1979 to 1996.

Jerry Taft was an American meteorologist and weather presenter who served as chief meteorologist for WLS-TV in Chicago. He worked for 34 years with WLS, and for 42 years as a broadcast meteorologist in the Chicago media market.

Elliott David "Storm" Field is a retired American television meteorologist, most noted for his time in the New York media market. Storm Field followed his father, longtime New York weatherman Dr. Frank Field, into the business.

Tony Laubach is an American storm chaser and meteorologist. He has participated in several field research projects and is one of the surviving members of TWISTEX. He has been contracted as a severe weather photojournalist for various major television networks, and has starred in several television shows, including Seasons 3 through 5 of Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel.

George Alfred Winterling is a retired television weatherman. He was the creator of the "heat index". Chief Meteorologist for television station WJXT in Jacksonville, Florida for almost fifty years, Winterling helped develop modern forecasting.

Mark Mathis is an American TV personality and meteorologist known for his unorthodox, eclectic, and high-energy approach to weather forecasting, as well as for his rousing public speaking appearances. Mathis gained notoriety at WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina, but was let go a few times from prior news stations earlier in career due to substance abuse issues, one incident was in Charlotte NC after a brief stint in rehab. Additionally, Mathis was formerly the Chief Meteorologist for KREX in Grand Junction, Colorado, on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains.

WeatherNation TV American television network

WeatherNation TV is an American broadcast, digital streaming, cable, and satellite television network owned by WeatherNation, Inc, a subsidiary of Performance One Media. The network broadcasts live and pre-recorded local, regional, and national weather forecasts and weather-related news, including periodic coverage of severe and tropical weather events. The network's studio facilities, along with its headquarters and master control facilities are located in the Denver suburb of Centennial, Colorado.

Peter Coade

Peter Coade is a Canadian broadcast weather presenter. In 2013, he was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as having had the longest career of any weather broadcaster. He held this record until 2016, when American meteorologist Dick Goddard broke it.

John Bolaris is an American television meteorologist and realtor. He has worked as the Chief Meteorologist for Weekend Today, NBC 10, WCBS and Fox 29. Bolaris currently works as the President of BlackLabel Luxury Real Estate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bolaris is a four time Emmy Award winner.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Leon "Stormy" M. Rottman (1918-1993)" FAQs.org. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  2. ↑ "Sister City Parks" Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Denver Parks and Recreation website. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame, 2003 Inductees Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine BroadcastProfessionals.net. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  4. ↑ "Tracking the birth of NORAD's Santa tradition" Article by Lou Gonzales, Colorado Springs Gazette , 4 December 2000. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  5. ↑ Best of Denver 2007 Awards Westword . Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  6. ↑ "Expect a 'Stormy' Honors Night". Article by Dusty Saunders, Rocky Mountain News , 29 April 2003.
  7. ↑ "Careers: Matching Coursework and Career Paths" Metro State College website. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.