Fox2News weatherman, Ben Bailey, abruptly leaves station.

**eno** · July-22-13, 01:58 PM

Ben Bailey announced he is leaving Fox2News in an emotional farewell Saturday morning, July 20th, on very short notice. He was a low key reporter on the weather and shared other duties as a staff member. He worked at the Detroit/Southfield station for nine years. He didn't really give any specific reason for leaving except to take on a new adventure. Any insights into Ben's leaving?

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/22...ing-wjbk-fox-2

**ct_alum** · July-22-13, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by eno

Ben Bailey announced he is leaving Fox2News in an emotional farewell Saturday morning, July 20th, on very short notice. He was a low key reporter on the weather and shared other duties as a staff member. He worked at the Detroit/Southfield station for nine years. He didn't really give any specific reason for leaving except to take on a new adventure. Any insights into Ben's leaving?

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/22...ing-wjbk-fox-2

Who cares? Probably got fired because he wouldn't blame the bad weather on Obama - Faux 2 has become more obvious with the anti-Obama agenda recently.

**marshamusic** · July-22-13, 03:04 PM

I don't know about Bailey, but I noticed the new weatherman this morning; blond guy, I'm calling him Detroit's first local news hipster.

**dtowncitylover** · July-22-13, 03:55 PM

If anyone watched Let It Rip this past Sunday morning, there's a reason any self-respecting reporter/TV worker would and should never work at Fox 2 and why a local TV news watcher wouldn't and shouldn't watch it. It's unfortunate it's Detroit's only all-morning local news station. We need a WGN-esque station that's not Fox 2.

**black gold man** · July-22-13, 04:52 PM

He will be standing in 60 MPH wind on the weather Ch.

**Downriviera** · July-22-13, 06:14 PM

Ben Bailey announced he is leaving Fox2News in an emotional farewell

Emotional farewell is putting it mildly. He was really choked up, could barely talk and was tearing up. Hopefully his future will be warm and mostly sunny.

**mtburb** · July-22-13, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

We need a WGN-esque station that's not Fox 2.

Off-topic, but somewhat related: Our region also needs a CTA-esque transit system that's not DDOT or SMART. In fact, Detroit needs to become more Chicago-esque instead of taking six decades to turn into Berlin post-WWII. In fact, that has already started, check out the "Transformers 4" filming set downtown to see it.

**313WX** · July-22-13, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by mtburb

Off-topic, but somewhat related: Our region also needs a CTA-esque transit system that's not DDOT or SMART. In fact, Detroit needs to become more Chicago-esque instead of taking six decades to turn into Berlin post-WWII. In fact, that has already started, check out the "Transformers 4" filming set downtown to see it.

^^^Yes, this post right here.

Granted, I'll be thrilled if Detroit just had its own Tom Skilling.

**mtburb** · July-22-13, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

^^^Yes, this post right here.

Granted, I'll be thrilled if Detroit just had its own Tom Skilling.

Does this still mean that Wolverine can move back here? I bet he watches that man every day.

In fact, at least one person in all 50 states might be watching him. And while we're on a related topic, does Cleveland have their own version of Tom Skilling yet? Or perhaps Flint or Toledo?

**detroitsgwenivere** · July-22-13, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

Emotional farewell is putting it mildly. He was really choked up, could barely talk and was tearing up. Hopefully his future will be warm and mostly sunny.

You can say that again. Ben had me feeling bad as hell for him about halfway through his signoff.

He was IMO the cutest anchor on local news by far. I dunno if me and this new weatherguy are going to work out.

**313WX** · July-22-13, 09:15 PM

The managers at Fox 2 clearly have a thing against weather forecasting.

Whenever you have a chief meteorologist that labels any type of thunderstorm a "thundershower", it's pretty clear how serious you take meteorology.

Ben Bailey easily had the most "thorough" weather forecasts of any of the so-called meteorologists at that place.

**Downriviera** · July-22-13, 10:16 PM

For clouds we have Cumulus, Cumulunimbus, Cirrus, and your not so Cirrus.

**dtowncitylover** · July-22-13, 11:46 PM

I would like to say too that Mr. Bailey was one of the few reasons why I watched Fox 2 Mornings, him and Al Allen and the traffic reports. And the fact it was local. Sometimes an anchor or another reporter would send it over to him after saying something really stupid or awkward and he wouldn't know what to do with it and it was just hilarious his expressions or his body language.

**rb336** · July-23-13, 10:35 AM

oddly enough, if you google "ben bailey meteorologist" the first thing that comes up is Orlando's Fox affiliate, but going to that site refers you to Fox 2

**mtburb** · July-23-13, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

oddly enough, if you google "ben bailey meteorologist" the first thing that comes up is Orlando's Fox affiliate, but going to that site refers you to Fox 2

Are there any other anomalies like that where you Google the names of any current local news personality on Detroit TV and the first result is of an affiliate in another city, but once you click on that site, you get redirected to the website of one of the Detroit stations? Note: this could happen on any search engine site, not just Google.

**courtney** · July-23-13, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by marshamusic

I don't know about Bailey, but I noticed the new weatherman this morning; blond guy, I'm calling him Detroit's first local news hipster.

You mean Alan Longstreet? He's been filling in since at least early 2012. He's gotten better since he started, when he was just awful, but he's still far from great.

Ben Bailey was about the only person on local news that I really actively liked more than just tolerated. Hope wherever he ends up next he'll get better hours.

**gnome** · July-23-13, 04:25 PM

Captain Ben Bailey was Schwartzkopf's lead weather guru in the First Gulf War. In fact, Captain Bailey had to make the invasion call based on his predictions.

**marshamusic** · July-23-13, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by courtney

You mean Alan Longstreet? He's been filling in since at least early 2012. He's gotten better since he started, when he was just awful, but he's still far from great.

Yes, that's him; he seems like a guy just hangin' out, but I liked him.

**eno** · July-24-13, 10:14 AM

A friend of mine came across Dan Miller, Fox2News sportscaster, and asked him what he knew about Ben's leave taking. He said nobody really knows why Ben is leaving the station, that his reasons are personal. Perhaps he just wants to do something else with his life. It could be that simple. More power to him.

**lpg** · July-24-13, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Captain Ben Bailey was Schwartzkopf's lead weather guru in the First Gulf War. In fact, Captain Bailey had to make the invasion call based on his predictions.

Wasn't that Rich Luterman from Fox2 ??

**eno** · July-24-13, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by lpg

Wasn't that Rich Luterman from Fox2 ??

I think you're right about that. Luterman is often called Captain by Huel Perkins. Here's Luterman's profile of himself for the Fox2News web page.

By Rich Luterman - email

Email Rich Luterman
Follow Fox 2 on Facebook
Follow Rich Luterman on Twitter: @RLutermanFox2

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. [[WJBK) -My mom and my wife, Deanne, call me Richard, but everyone else calls me Rich. You can see me during the 5, 6, 10, and 11 p.m. newscasts, Monday through Friday.
I'm originally from Pittsburgh and graduated in 1988 from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology. I was commissioned a second lieutenant through the U.S. Air Force ROTC and served four-and-a-half years on active duty as a weather officer. I was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, from 1989 to 1993. For six months in 1991, I was a weather detachment commander in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm. While I was in the service, I earned a master's degree in business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
When I left the Air Force, I took a job at WKTV in Utica, New York, where I was chief meteorologist for four years. I obtained the American Meteorological Society [[AMS) Seal of Approval in 1994. In 1997, I left central New York to make Detroit my home as the weekend meteorologist here at Fox 2.
My wife and I, along with our twin daughters, love Southeast Michigan, where we enjoy all the great things there are to do. We especially like camping with our pop-up camper. We spend a lot of time in our backyard and often fire up the barbecue. When the house is quiet, I like to read. But since joining Fox 2, I have really enjoyed sharing my knowledge and experiences with young students who are interested in weather.

Read more: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/17...#ixzz2a1XE2E4W

**gnome** · July-25-13, 06:22 AM

Goodness, I stand corrected. Thank you for setting me straight.

does anyone else think Rich Luterman looks like Jimmy Fallon's nerdy brother?

**Downriviera** · July-25-13, 07:03 AM

Schwartzkopf had a weather guru, but didn't Patton bring in a priest to pray for better weather for air support?

**rb336** · July-25-13, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

Goodness, I stand corrected. Thank you for setting me straight.

does anyone else think Rich Luterman looks like Jimmy Fallon's nerdy brother?

I'm not a fan of Luterman at all. To me he comes off as a jerk. Ben bailey seems like a very likable guy.

Jimmy Fallon? he's okay, but he reminds me of people I used to know who did copious amounts of speed and he can't interview worth a damn. say what you will about Letterman, when he has a serious guest on the show, he conducts better interviews than most serious news shows. and as much of a goof Ferguson is, he is capable of doing excellent interviews as well. Can't imagine Fallon getting a Peabody for interviewing Desmond Tutu.