Former HLN forecaster lands at Fox Weather

By Michael P. Hill Article may include affiliate links

Fox Weather has picked up meteorologist Bob Van Dillen, who was laid off by Warner Bros. Discovery’s HLN when parent network CNN canceled “Morning Express.”

Van Dillen joined CNN in 2002 from WCNC in Charlotte, North Carolina. He served as the primary weather anchor for “Morning Express with Robin Meade” but lost his job, like many other staffers working on the show, when CNN canceled the broadcast in December 2022.

Fox Weather, a free digital 24-hour weather network, announced his hire July 6, 2023, and is slated to start July 10, 2023.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bob and his experience in the field, combined with his years as co-host on a national show. His relatability and conversation-focused style is a perfect fit for Fox Weather and the Fox Weather team,” said Fox Weather president Sharri Berg in a statement.

“I’ve been watching Fox Weather since its launch in 2021, and I’m excited to join the talented group of meteorologists that work on air and behind the scenes,” Van Dillen said in the same statement. “I’m honored for the opportunity to work for a news organization I’ve watched for decades. To be a part of the Fox family in New York is a dream come true. I can’t wait to say, ‘I’ve got your forecast, right here!’” he added.

Van Dillen had been based in Atlanta, which is home to CNN’s world headquarters. “Morning Express” was one of the last remaining shows to be produced from the city, with the majority of production having been located to New York and Washington, D.C.

“Express” was the last remaining live news broadcast on HLN, which was once known as CNN Headline News and offered a “news wheel” that included weather segments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

HLN’s schedule is now filled with unscripted programming, including true crime selections.

The network recently unveiled a new logo and tagline, “We play favorites.”

Industry watchers have noted that the network appears to be continuing the direction of moving away from news.

HLN does, however, still carry a live simulcast of  “CNN This Morning” in the “Morning Express” timeslot in order to fulfill agreements with pay TV providers that it provide live news content during at least part of its schedule.

Fox Weather launched in 2021. It produces its own unique feed 24 hours a day and is available on digital and streaming platforms. A full simulcast is carried on digital subchannels from Fox-owned stations across the country. Some Fox stations also carry select blocks of the network on their primary signal.

The network is also available on streaming TV platforms such as YouTube TV.

Fox has faced criticism for launching the network given its sister network’s conservative slant that largely rejects many elements of climate change, which has become a key part of weather coverage on many networks in the U.S.