Colleagues at an Indiana news station choked back tears during their final broadcast together amid changes that will see weather forecasters around the country laid off or reassigned. Patrece Dayton, a news anchor at WTHI in Terre Haute, and Kevin Orpurt, the TV station's chief meteorologist, had a box of tissues at the ready when they revealed to loyal viewers they were both losing their jobs.
The station's parent company, Allen Media Group, recently announced the sweeping cuts that will affect local meteorologists at its nearly two dozen stations nationwide.
Dayton kept her cool for the majority of the heartbreaking sendoff, but near the end, she grabbed Orpurt's hand for comfort as she choked up.
Patrece Dayton left tears up as longtime colleague and weather man Kevin Orpurt holds her hand for their final broadcast. Both of them were let go in the Allen Media Group layoffs.
At least three meteorologists affected by the staffing cuts or who are familiar with them said around people are getting laid off due to the decision by Allen Media, a company owned by TV mogul Byron Allen. A source familiar with the process offered CNN a more conservative number of at least 50 people getting the ax.
