Mark Johnson Hired by WKYC Parent Company Tegna

Mark Johnson at the desk of his former employer, in April of 2024. Credit: Mark Oprea

Summer storms are back, and so is Mark Johnson.

Though, it turns out, not reporting the weather in Cleveland. As he did for three decades. At least not yet.

This month, after a two-and-a-half month hiatus, Johnson will be talking highs and lows for the parent company of WKYC for other stations owned by Tegna. He’ll be working on a contract basis, not full-time. And the assumption is a non-compete prevents him from working in the Cleveland market, for now.

“I will be doing some summer relief freelance fill-in work for the Tegna Company, for their TV stations outside of Northern Ohio,” Johnson told Scene in a text message on Monday.

He declined to specify which stations, and exactly what work he’ll be doing. A Tegna rep didn’t respond to a request for comment. Neither did WKYC’s general manager, though the hiring was announced to staff last week. Many of those who heard the news internally guessed that Johnson would return to Cleveland airwaves on WKYC after his non-compete runs out.

On May 9, Johnson was abruptly fired by WEWS News 5, the ABC affiliate he’s talked temperatures and storms for since 1996, an exit that was explained only by a vague statement by WEWS general manager Steve Weinstein.

“We want our audiences to know that News 5 and its parent company, Scripps, take protecting our audiences’ trust very seriously by requiring our employees to adhere to the highest ethical standards,” Weinstein said.

“We cannot provide further details,” he added, “as this is a personnel matter.”

Johnson’s agent, Daniel Levin, in a comment sent to media in May, highlighted Johnson’s flawless performance reviews and his clean public reputation as reasons to question Scripps’ decision to let him go.

“I have represented Mark for over 25 years. Mark is a model professional,” Levin said. “Of conduct that would be deemed inappropriate, there’s none of that.”

Levin did not respond to multiple calls for comment.

On May 25, News 5 officially filled Johnson’s slot with Frank Marzullo, a meteorologist from Cincinnati.

WKYC, meanwhile, had its own recent incident with a prominent forecaster in Hollie Strano, whose 2024 Thanksgiving DUI crash led to a suspension, then a return to air, before her position ended in 2025. She later sued the station, Tegna and former WKYC general manater Micki Byrnes. That litigation remains ongoing with no updates on the docket since March 2025.