Originally posted Tuesday, August 6, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Glenn Burns, Channel 2 Action News' veteran chief meteorologist, has stepped away from the 11 p.m. newscast, ceding the spot to Brad Nitz.
Burns will continue to forecast weather during the 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts. Nitz will still handle the 5 p.m.
In an interview, Burns said he signed a new three-year extension but only if he could get 11 p.m. off. He said it may be his final contract before retiring.
Burns is 67 and has been with the station for nearly 38 years. He became chief meteorologist in 1986, replacing Russ Minshew.
“I love what I do,” he said. “I have the best team in the country. Couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”
But now that Burns no longer has to stick around during most of the evening, he plans to do more science reporting during the day.
“Working nights,” he added, “is not actually conducive to a normal family life either.”
He said he will cover for Nitz at 11 when Nitz is on vacation and will, of course, be around for severe weather situations at any hour of the day as has been the case for decades.
Burns is the last of what was often dubbed the "Fab Four" news team from the 1990s and 2000s, which included John Pruitt, Monica Pearson and Chuck Dowdle, all whom have since retired from the station.
The award-winning meteorologist grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and earned a journalism degree at the University of Florida and a master's degree in astrophysics from the University of Minnesota. He moved to Cobb County with his family during the infamous snow jam of 1982.
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