A TV weatherman joked about being fired in a bizarre video years before he was mysteriously taken off air.
Mark Johnson has raised questions and sparked boycott threats with his abrupt departure from WEWS-TV.
The clip, posted in 2015, shows Johnson asking if he’s been fired, and then pretending he got a raise.
The skit happened at the Cleveland, Ohio-based ABC affiliate where Johnson had worked since 1993.
In the video, Johnson looks to Jeff Harris, then-news director, and says, “Can you confirm that I have not been fired, Mr. Harris?”
He follows up by pulling out cash and joking, “Wait, I have got some cash.”
“Can you confirm that I have not been fired and have been held in the highest regard here?”
Harris dryly responds, “Highest.”
Johnson beams and says, “And that I got a raise.”
Harris shoots back, “No raise. But you keep working hard.”
Johnson ends the video saying, “Guess I have been dismissed,” as he walks off.
The clip, which has since gone viral again, has more than 29,000 views and nearly 1,000 likes.
“He should have got a raise for that!!!!” one viewer wrote at the time.
“Mark you are #1, we only watch Channel 5 news and weather, great job Mark,” another added.
JOHNSON EXIT
But nearly a decade later, Johnson is now actually off-air, and fans are furious.
The station confirmed on May 9 that Johnson was “no longer employed” at WEWS.
News 5 Statement
News 5 wants to share with our viewers a change to our on-air staffing. Meteorologist Mark Johnson is no longer employed at WEWS.
“We want our audiences to understand that News 5, along with its parent company, Scripps, place a high priority on safeguarding our viewers’ trust by ensuring our staff stick to the most stringent ethical guidelines. We are unable to provide further details, as this involves personnel,” stated Steve Weinstein, WEWS Vice President and General Manager.
Our dedication to being the dependable weather team that Northeast Ohio relies on for both safety and precision remains unchanged. WEWS will promptly initiate the search for Johnson’s successor.
“We want our viewers to know that News 5 and its parent company, Scripps, are deeply committed to maintaining our audience’s trust by mandating that all employees follow the strictest ethical standards,” said Steve Weinstein, the network’s Vice President.
“We cannot provide further details, as this is a personnel matter.”
Johnson broke his silence on the departure with a comment on the post, writing, “I still love my News5 Family. Some great people.”
FURIOUS FANS
The news sent shockwaves through Northeast Ohio.
“Well no reason for me to ever watch WEWS 5 every again. Not without Mark Johnson!” one person raged on Facebook.
“I am in complete and utter shock!!! This is unreal,” another viewer said.
“Hi Mark Johnson I am very so sorry that you’re not working on news channel 5 anymore and I’m sorry to hear about that. I really miss you my friend. Take care of yourself,” said one fan.
A fan called him “a breath of fresh air” and praised him for making the news interesting.
Many fans called for a boycott of the station over the longtime forecaster’s exit.
“ABC is nothing without you,” one person wrote to Johnson.
“Your stellar reputation cannot be tarnished and we celebrate your decades of loyalty to our community,” another fan added.
“Not watching News 5 anymore after you let Mark Johnson go that’s just ended you guys for me,” one enraged fan wrote on News 5 Facebook post.
“I’m not sure what is going on but you are a great meteorologist. You have always been professional and courteous. I will not watch channel 5 again. I have been watching channel 19 and you should move there.”
“Not to be dramatic, but I kind of need to know why my lifelong meteorologist idol, Mark Johnson, was let go from @WEWS after 30 years. He is the only reason I watch Channel 5,” said another fan.
“That’s my local weatherman. He’s very popular. I really want to know what happened.”
JOHNSON’S LEGACY
Johnson joined News 5 in 1993 and marked 30 years with the station last November.
“Truly honored and blessed to be part of the News 5 Cleveland family for 3 decades,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
His biography has since been removed from the station’s website, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
He earned Emmy Awards and was the first Cleveland-area forecaster to hold seals from both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.
Despite the shake-up, Johnson has remained active on social media.
