WRAL-TV Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel is the 1st official Certified Broadcast Meteorologist in the country. |
WRAL-TV Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel has become the first certified broadcast meteorologist in America.
For the past two years, Fishel headed a Test Committee to develop an exam for the American Meteorologist Society’s new certification program, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM). The CBM classification will be an upgrade to the AMS Seal.
Currently, no exam or continuing education is required for the AMS program. Fishel explained, “The AMS felt they needed to raise the bar a bit, so that viewers would be assured that someone holding the CBM would not only be a good communicator, but would also have a solid science background.”
The committee had to create 600 questions to be used in developing 100 question exams. The large questions pool insures that no two exams will be exactly the same.
So, how did Fishel end up as the first CBM? The AMS approached him, asking if he would accept the designation of CBM #1.
“I did not feel like I could say ‘no’,” said Fishel, “but I also know that many other committee members are equally deserving of this designation. In fact, I was thinking that anything in the top ten would have been very cool!”
The CBM exam is now available to all AMS Seal holders and members of the AMS that are new to broadcasting. The AMS Seal is not required to receive the CBM, and current AMS Seal holders are not required to upgrade to CBM.
Beginning in 2009, no new AMS Seal applicants will be accepted and all CBM applicants will have to have at least a B.S. in Meteorology.
Fishel received his AMS in July of 1982. All WRAL-TV Meteorologists will be applying for the CBM before the end of the year.
