Gary England

Gary England is the chief meteorologist for KWTV Channel 9, the CBS affiliate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. England was possibly the first "on-air" meteorologist to alert its viewers of a possible tornado using a commercial Doppler weather radar . He is also known for contributing to the invention of the "First Warning" map graphic commonly used to show ongoing weather alerts without interrupting regular programming.

Early career

England was born on October 3, 1939, in Seiling, Oklahoma. After graduating high school, England joined the U.S. Navy at age 17, where he first began to study weather seriously. He attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1965 with a mathematics degree with a meteorology option. Gary then spent four years as a consulting meteorologist and oceanographer with A.H. Glenn and Associates in New Orleans.

Broadcasting career

England's first broadcasting job was a short stint at KTOK, an Oklahoma City talk radio station. England began working at KWTV in the fall of 1972.Barnett, Michelle. [http://www.rose.edu/EOCRHC/Oral-England,G.htm Gary England's Life and Interests in Meteorology and Oklahoma] . "Eastern Oklahoma County Regional History Center". 28 March 2003. URL accessed 00:17, 20 February 2006. (UTC)] A few months later, KWTV introduced the first radar system specifically designed for television and during a live cut-in by England on May 24, 1973 for a tornado warning in Canadian County. Channel 9 viewers saw the radar image of a damaging F4 tornado near Union City in Canadian County which resulted in extensive damage to that small town. The Union City tornado was also the first documented chase ever on a tornado. The National Severe Storms Laboratory out of Norman placed numerous storm chasers around it to capture the life cycle on film, which was also a first.

An original video of England's live cut-in of the Union City tornado in 1973 is often still used today in Channel 9's promos of England and its severe weather coverage.

England is recognized, along with the firm Enterprise Electronics, as initiating development of the first commercial Doppler weather radar. While the National Weather Service is the only one legally responsible for issuing warnings in the United States, England is credited with issuing the first televised Doppler weather radar bulletin for a tornado, in March 1982. There is a dispute by some sources, as there was an earlier radar bulletin issued by Gil Whitney of WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio during the April 3, 1974 Xenia Tornado [http://youtube.com/watch?v=kGCi95ZrcHU] However, the radar used by WHIO during the Xenia Tornado was a conventional weather radar, not a Dopplerized radar.

In 1990 he helped create First Warning, a state map which appeared in the corner of the television screen, with counties colored in to indicate storm watches and warnings. In 1991 Gary also helped create Storm Tracker, a computer program that provided the audience with the time of arrival of severe weather. [National Television Academy, Heartland Chapter. [http://www.natascolo.org/silver_circle/gary_england.php Gary England] . URL accessed 00:35, 20 February 2006 (UTC).] First Warning And Storm Tracker are used nationwide. He also helped create I-News, a computer program that allows PC users to receive both severe weather and breaking news alerts on their computer.

Other work

England had a cameo appearance (via KWTV's archives) during the opening scene and served as one of three 'weather announcers' in the 1996 movie "Twister".

After the 3 May, 1999 tornado outbreak, he appeared in over fifty national and international weather specials. He also served as a consultant for the film. In 2007 Gary wrote and recorded part of the sound track for a weather oriented episode of the cable show "Saving Grace". Gary has written several books on Oklahoma weather, including his 1996 autobiography, "Weathering The Storm". A new biography of Gary by Bob Burke was published in December 2006 titled, "Friday Night in the Big Town". [ [http://www.newsok.com/article/903060/?template=home/main Gary England] . "NewsOK.com". URL accessed 00:10, 20 February 2006 (UTC)]

England is a believer in global warming but is a skeptic when it comes to the notion that its cause is totally human. A KWTV promo was featured in a "Daily Show" piece regarding global warming and scaring people on July 5, 2007. The piece starts with comments by global warming skeptic and Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe regarding The Weather Channel's chief meteorologist's statement that the American Meteorological Society should not certify anyone who does not believe in global warming. Inhofe argued that The Weather Channel needs global warming in order to scare viewers and boost ratings. "The Daily Show" followed up Inhofe's comments by playing the Gary England KWTV scary promo where a family is running from a massive tornado, cowering in the basement, the family hears England's voice on the television and the mother says to her son (clutched in her hands) "It's OK baby, listen to Gary England, he's going to tell us what's going on". "The Daily Show" connects England and Inhofe as both being from Oklahoma.

England is interviewed in an episode of Monster Quest entitled "Unidentified Flying Creatures" where he comments on tornado footage that captured a Rod flying through the sky. In the interview, he comments on the phenomena without going into any supposition regarding it's cause.

References

External links

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* [http://static.newsok.biz/oldimages/images/news9_england_200x150.jpgPicture of Gary England]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6cKPtcKcqs KWTV promo - Gary England "Calm During The Storm"]

Persondata
NAME=England, Gary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Meteorologist
DATE OF BIRTH=October 3, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH=Seiling, Oklahoma
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=