That was quick. Weekend morning meteorologist Ashley Brown has left WLWT-TV after only 15 months.
WLWT-TV has posted two openings: One for a meteorologist, and another for an anchor-reporter, even though Channel 5 hired anchor-reporter Ashley Kirklen last month.
Brown, who started July 2, 2017, vanished from the station's on-air promotions this week, even though she had not appeared on a newscast for two weeks. (Steve Norris has filled in.)
This week, the station aired new promos without Brown for having the certified "most accurate weather forecast in Cincinnati" for seven straight years.
Branden Frantz, Channel 5 general manager, confirmed that Brown "is no longer with WLWT." He did not explain why she left after 15 months. "As a matter of policy, we do not comment on specific employee matters, as you are aware," Frantz says.
Brown did not respond to my Facebook message. She has deleted her second Facebook page, Ashley Brown-WLWT. The Indiana native and Ball State University grad replaced Jennifer Schack, who left TV to work for the Catholic Church. She's the media relations director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Brown came to Cincinnati after working at two Indianapolis TV stations. "Her dynamic presentation and commitment to accuracy makes her a perfect fit for WLWT," said Jeff Denscoter, WLWT-TV news director, in the release announcing Brown's hiring on June 30, 2017.
Kirklen joined WLWT-TV from Macon, Ga., in August to anchor the weekday noon news and report in the evenings. The Gary, Ind., native previously worked for a TV station in Marquette, Mich., in the Upper Peninsula, and taught English in South Korea.
The anchor-reporter vacancy "is a Monday-Friday evening role across various newscasts, including the 10 p.m. (news)," Frantz says. Main evening anchors Sheree Paolello and Mike Dardis have alternated as solo anchors for the 10 p.m. news on MeTV (Channel 5.2) since Mark Hayes was let go in August 2017.