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Lawsuit by Veteran Meteorologist Accuses L.A. Station of Ageism and Sexism

Aug 16, 2013  •  Post A Comment

A major TV station in Los Angeles has been sued by a veteran meteorologist who claims that the station didn’t consider him for a job because it was seeking a young, attractive woman, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s Hollywood, Esq.

Meteorologist Kyle Hunter, who filed the lawsuit against KABC-TV Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims he applied for the job in June 2011 but wasn’t interviewed, nor were "multiple qualified persons age 40 and over" who applied but also were not interviewed.

Hunter, who describes himself as having worked at stations in Los Angeles and San Diego and holding a bachelor’s and master’s degree in meteorology, claims that the station’s general manager and news director "had previously decided to hire a young, attractive female for this position — preferably a blonde who physically resembled Indra Petersons," who had previously held the role.

The lawsuit alleges that Bri Winkler, who was hired for the job, didn’t submit a formal application and that she was a recent college grad who had worked on-air for one year in Amarillo, Texas, the story says. Jumping from a small market like Amarillo to Los Angeles is unusual, the suit claims.

KABC didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, the story adds.

This isn’t the first time around for Hunter with a discrimination lawsuit. THR reported separately in March 2012 that Hunter filed a similar suit against CBS Broadcasting and L.A. stations KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV. Hunter was represented by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred at that time.

That earlier THR story reports: "Hunter alleges ‘that within the past few years, KCAL and KCBS decided to hire young attractive women as weathercasters in prime time rather than men in order to induce more men to watch their prime time newscasts,’ according to the suit. That means there was no place for Hunter, an over-40 male meteorologist with impeccable credentials, he says."

5 Comments

  1. It is Hollywood. You hire for the part. Good looking female is the role. That is how it works out there. Move to the Midwest. They still use aging men to do the weather.

  2. You said it, Digital Guy!
    In places like Oklahoma, male, middle-aged meteorologists are kings among men, sometimes the highest paid position in the news department. Mr. Hunter would be do quite well to consider trading Hollywood for tornado alley!

  3. If it’s fairness you’re looking for you won’t find it or an honest person in LA. And since when do you get an interview just because you are qualified? That didn’t happen before submitting resumes electronically and will continue to the end of time. Get over it.

  4. The comments by Digital Guy, hi-fi hippie and Tim all point out the fact that the system is fraught with ageism and sexism and instead of saying its the system live with it they should applaud Mr.Hunter for fighting against it. ageism and sexism like racism or any type of discrimination have no place in the workplace.

  5. Hunter filed a similar suit against CBS Broadcasting and L.A. stations KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV.in 2010, after being passed over for two jobs at KCAL and KCBS in favor of younger women. The trial court ruled in his favor.
    The case bounced around the legal system for a few years before the Court of Appeal finally dismissed Hunter’s claim in January 2016. The court ruled that Hunter had not offered sufficient evidence to counter the station’s argument that he was passed over because he lacked the “talent, skill or on-air presence” to succeed in the L.A. market.

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