*Save Rob McElwee!*

[TonyH]

Three of them to go? Thats sad news, i liked Tomasz Schafernaker and Philip Avery. I was never a big fan of Rob McElwee, he just presents the weather in a boring way.. and really you either love him or hate him. He has the sort of voice that puts you to sleep! I'm glad Daniel Corbett isn't going, hes one of my favourite.

I also like Dan Corbett, very evocative at putting meteorology over to the public and entertaining.

Shame if Robs going but he has been around a long time.

[Harry]

I've set up a facebook group as a result of this outrage (how emphatic lol)

I thought that might get more objections

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_161476193870140

Please everyone on here who agrees it is yet another stroke of BBC genius (please note the sarcasm), please sign up!

[Paul Sherman]

Sorry, Rob is working for me at worcestershireweather!!

Haha

Ian you keep your hands off.

We are going to try and get Sir Rob to come Storm Chasing next year now the Beeb have disgracefully thrown him out.

Watch this space

Paul S

[GreyCrag]

If the Beeb keep it up, they'll end up with Ollie Williams off Family Guy "Its gonna Rain."

[cheeky_monkey]

And Laura Tobin may look good.

after 20 pints of lager maybe..as for the rest welcome to the real world ...no one is indispensible

[Eugene]

What an abolsute disgrace, Rob McElwee is the only BBC forecaster who knows what he is talking about and tells it like it is with no horrible mild ramping the others do, i don't like any of the other pressenters at all.

Rob McElwee correctly said it wasnt an indian summer on the main BBC 1 10 35 pm forecast last week like others said, i wonder if that statement got him in trouble because it doesnt toe the UK going to boil in the next 100 hundred years rhetoric of the BBC and UKMO :wallbash: :wallbash:

I am really an angry this is shocking news indeed and the guy is very funny too, the poster who said he wasnt hasnt a clue what he's talking about thomas schmacher or whatever his name is is a disgrace and after all his nasty cry baby behaviour if someone dares makes a harmless joke at his expense should of gone long ago.

[vortex_liam]

Lets put who ever made the disigion in the bin The Beeb are more like beeps they need to keep the good and throw out the trash !!!

[NorthantsSnow]

Wow. What an absolutely LUDICROUS decision by the BBC. Rob is by far the best forecaster on the box. His take is always on the money and delivery second to none. I am absolutely furious to learn that they are shunting him to a back room role. What an unbelievable waste of his talents!

Dan Corbett better? Not a chance. He relies on silly catchphrases to make the weather interesting, whereas with Rob it just is.

[MarcB]

I agree! Rob is the best of the lot and has been for a while.

If they should dump anybody "to the back room" it should be Liam "middle of the day" Dutton and STOP POINTING AT ME!!! Dan Corbett!!

Rant over.

[Somerset Squall]

Don't mind Tomasz Schafernaker going, I have never liked his tantrums. Philip Avery delivers his forecasts perfectly and really knows what he's talking about, and the same goes for Rob McElwee- I really like his presenting style; it feels like a has a real passion for the weather. For the latter two to be axed makes no sense whatsoever! Especially when you've got the likes of Liam Dutton, Matt Taylor, Susan Powell, and Simon King avoiding the chop. The articles say that the decision was due to a re-interview not public popularity- well they can say that again!!

[andy_leics22]

Is there any way we can lure Rob to joining the N-W forums?

I would love to see him posting on here, we have another Weatherman from the Beeb who posts here, Ian Ferguson I think? Maybe he can try and have a word with Rob

If we could have Rob McElwee, Michael Fish and John Holmes all making forecasts, it would be an epic mixture! Keep Michael Fish doing the video forecasts, have Rob McElwee getting involved in making forecasts for certain Weather events and taking part in the forum along with John Holmes.

Maybe it's too many forecasters to have but it would be nice.

[Cookie]

Can't bealive they are getting rid of him, he's fantastic at his job, stupid beeb.

[PB22]

It is a great shame about this as all three are highly respected and knowledgable meteorologists. Personally I haven't watched the BBC national forecasts since they changed to those awful, awful graphics in 2005, because it was clear then where the future for television weather forecasts on the BBC was headed IMO. I am not sure how it will save the BBC money if the men in question are moved into backroom "management roles" though? But then what do I know!

When you look back at archive weather forecasts, it is so sad to see the sorry state of affairs today: http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/weather/bbc.html

[Thundery wintry showers]

I don't think it has anything to do with the BBC having an AGW agenda, but it's entirely possible that his lack of use of "snow is awful" and "at least it will be mild" type value judgements could have contributed to his downfall. Having looked at some of his recent broadcasts on Youtube, it appears that the recent forecast I saw was quite representative- his forecasts do seem to include more use of synoptic charts and detail than most others (which again goes against recent BBC policy and could have contributed to his downfall). I thought some of Rob's recent forecasts were as good as the ones we were used to in the 1990s.

I haven't seen many of Philip Avery's broadcasts so can't really comment on those. Thomasz did some good Countryfile forecasts a while back, but I'm aware that the frequent gaffes won't have gone down well.

Not all of my favourites of the current bunch are gone- I think Peter Gibbs in particular is still very good, and he doesn't look like getting the chop. However, as time goes on BBC's national forecasts seem to continue inching in the direction of those of ITV, and I continue to hold the Beeb responsible for this rather than the forecasters or the MetO.

[NorthantsSnow]

You get the sense there is more at stake here. Not just the legend that is McElwee remaining on our screens, but also the continuation of quality in-vision forecasts with weather professionals. Sky have all but ditched these apart from breakfast, ITV weather is a blink and you'll miss it affair and now the BBC is moving in a similar direction with these cuts.

Not a good year for TV forecasts. Weather as far as I'm concerned is in the same category as news and as such should be the last department to be affected by any BBC cost cutting.

[West Sussex Kate]

Please everyone join the facebook group if you can!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_161476193870140

[NorthantsSnow]

Please everyone join the facebook group if you can!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_161476193870140

How many members? I can't view.

I'm worried it won't have as much impact as previous campaigns. How many did the successful 6Music one get?

[Cookie]

Please everyone join the facebook group if you can!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_161476193870140

make it public

[NorthantsSnow]

A lot of love for Rob on the Daily Mail comments section. And that's saying something because they are a notoriously miserable bunch generally! I've just spent a good few minutes giving the "thumbs up" to all the pro-Rob messages.

Someone hit the nail on the head when they spoke about how passionate he is about the weather. That's what sets him apart from the rest and makes him so brilliant to watch. He's like one of us, only a million times more knowledgable. (pro forecasters on here excluded)

I really hope something can be done to keep Rob on our screens but I fear the BBC have already made their minds up on this WITHOUT consulting the viewers!

[blitzen]

Oh gawd! wish it had been Dan Corbett! I feel exhausted after his forecasts because he speaks so fast. As for this "grab an extra duvet from the back of the cupboard" or "I think you better remember to take your brolly" - If it's going to be cold or if it's going to rain, just tell me........ I'LL UNDERSTAND!

[Gavin P]

The fact is Rob is the last of the true greats. The era of Bill Giles, Michael Fish etc... Is about to end. At least he got one final very cold winter to forecast, which admidst all the moaning about the cold and snow in the media, Rob actually rather enjoyed.

Remember a forecast he did back in December where he ended saying "And for a proper winter, I think you'll agree, this one isn't too bad?" with that witty little glint in his eye. The end of an era.

[Evening thunder]

I don't think it has anything to do with the BBC having an AGW agenda, but it's entirely possible that his lack of use of "snow is awful" and "at least it will be mild" type value judgements could have contributed to his downfall. Having looked at some of his recent broadcasts on Youtube, it appears that the recent forecast I saw was quite representative- his forecasts do seem to include more use of synoptic charts and detail than most others (which again goes against recent BBC policy and could have contributed to his downfall). I thought some of Rob's recent forecasts were as good as the ones we were used to in the 1990s.

I haven't seen many of Philip Avery's broadcasts so can't really comment on those. Thomasz did some good Countryfile forecasts a while back, but I'm aware that the frequent gaffes won't have gone down well.

Not all of my favourites of the current bunch are gone- I think Peter Gibbs in particular is still very good, and he doesn't look like getting the chop. However, as time goes on BBC's national forecasts seem to continue inching in the direction of those of ITV, and I continue to hold the Beeb responsible for this rather than the forecasters or the MetO.

That pretty much sums up my opinion on this too.

I do think that the BBC could have made better choices with who to cut. Pretty bad decision IMO.

For example Spotlight (SW local news) has at least 3 forecasters I think, 2 of which don't seem to know much about weather and just read out general brief forecast.

[Osbourne One-Nil]

My father in law works for the BBC and told me that he once had to hand P45s out to some office staff before going to to find Jim Bacon and give him one.

Doesn't sound a very nice job to me.

[NorthantsSnow]

My father in law works for the BBC and told me that he once had to hand P45s out to some office staff before going to to find Jim Bacon and give him one.

Doesn't sound a very nice job to me.

How long ago was that? Jim gave the local forecast on Radio Northampton just the other morning and he often pops up on Look East.

[Terminal Moraine]

The most telling sentence in the Daily Mail article is that the 3 forecasters are getting the chop because 'they failed in the team leadership interview'.

And what exactly, BBC, has that got to do with being a good weather forecaster?

If I have to hear any more corporate bolleaux-speak incorporating such phrases as team leadership, team player, thinking outside the box etc etc, I sear I'll have an apoplectic fit and will not be responsible for my actions.

The BBC weather forecast is already sold short on both radio and t.v by the ludicrously short time allocation and to lose three excellent forecasters is yet another nail in the coffin. There is a whole mountain of crap that could be excised from the BBC in order to save money without even thinking about the weather forecast team and this seems to be another step in a direction which will eventually take the BBC weather forecasts to the level of those on the commercial channels.

I hope whoever took this decision suffers frozen pipes this winter as they holiday in the Maldives.