This honor Phillips for “outstanding efforts to educate and inform the public about hurricanes and hurricane preparedness, response, recovery in the state of Florida.”
Phillips has been forecasting weather for the Tampa Bay area for over two decades. He has guided viewers and followers through many storms, including the destructive year of 2004 when Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne impacted central Florida. During times of hurricane coverage, people often comment on his calm guidance, quoting his Rule #7; “Stop freaking out…until I tell you to. We’re fine.” “All of us at ABC Action News are proud of Denis and his accomplishments,” said Matt Brown director of news at WFTS. “While he has earned many awards, including consistently being named the most accurate meteorologist in Florida, this award has special meaning. The high level of respect Dick Fletcher earned in the Tampa Bay area is indisputable and we are pleased that other professionals see that quality represented and honor it in Denis’ work in the same market.” “It is extremely fitting Denis would receive an award focused on educating and informing the public,” said WFTS vice president and general manager Nick Nicholson. “With over two decades of guiding people across the Tampa Bay area through dangerous thunderstorms, tropical storms and hurricanes, he is always on the forefront of new technology, using all of our platforms to get the lifesaving information to our audiences where and when they need it. That is his mission. ABC Action News is proud to have Denis Phillips as our chief meteorologist and applaud him for this recognition.” The Governor’s Hurricane Conference is the nation’s largest and best-attended conference focusing on hurricane planning. The award is named after Dick Fletcher, a well-known, 30-year forecasting veteran of the Tampa Bay Area. This is the first time a bay area meteorologist has won the award since its creation.
About WFTS/ABC Action News WFTS-TV is the primary ABC network affiliate for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota television market, programming a strong schedule of news, sports and entertainment. ABC Action News has been named the Associated Press’ Best Overall News Operation for six years in a row and has won numerous national awards for investigative journalism and community service.WFTS-ABC Action News was the first broadcast station newscast in the Tampa Bay area to broadcast in high definition. ABC Action News leads the way providing local news and weather coverage on-air, on the web and on mobile phones. WFTS-TV is a Scripps Media station. For additional information, visit the WFTS-TV website at www.abcactionnews.com.
About Scripps The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, radio and digital media brands. Scripps is one of the nation’s largest independent TV station owners, with 33 television stations in 24 markets and a reach of nearly one in five U.S. households. It also owns 34 radio stations in eight markets. Scripps also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses, including multi-platform satire and humor brand Cracked, podcast industry leader Midroll Media and over-the-top video news service Newsy. Scripps also produces television shows including “The List” and ”The Now,” runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the long-time steward of the nation’s largest, most successful and longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, “Give light and the people will find their own way.”
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