In a year marked by high-profile departures from Jacksonville’s television news airwaves, another broadcast legend is set to leave the evening news.
Tim Deegan, chief meteorologist at First Coast News, announced Friday his plans to retire after 42 years with the NBC and ABC affiliate in Jacksonville.
Deegan’s departure, however, is months away. His last day on air will be May 30, 2025, First Coast News reported, allowing the longtime meteorologist to assist in the search for his successor.
“For generations, Tim has been a trusted voice for First Coast families, known for his accuracy in forecasting major storms as well as everyday weather conditions,” said First Coast News President and General Manager Tim Thomas . “I am grateful for Tim’s many years of dedicated service to our station. His expertise and experience will be invaluable in helping select the next chief meteorologist, ensuring First Coast News continues to provide the most accurate forecasts. »
News of Deegan’s planned retirement comes six months after News4Jax anchor Tom Wills retired after nearly 50 years at the independent station and three months after Action News Jax anchor John Bachman left the city’s CBS and FOX affiliate after 10 years.
“I always took my predictions seriously,” said Deegan, who celebrated her 65th birthday.th birthday a week ago. “Friends have joked that sometimes I take it ‘too seriously,’ but weather forecasts often play an important role in critical decisions. My forecasts help our viewers plan everything from weddings to games to marathons. Every forecast, every day, they all matter to me.
Deegan, also an avid surfer, is married to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, herself a former news anchor at First Coast News who left the station 12 years ago after 24 years there. Donna Deegan was elected the city’s first female mayor in May 2023.
More high-profile TV news departures: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart”: Mary Baer and John Gaughan step down from News4Jax
Deegan’s four decades at First Coast News are the longest of any on-air personality in this region. When he retires, anchor Jeannie Blaylock will take on this role. Blaylock started at the station in 1985, three years after Deegan.
But Deegan isn’t the longest-tenured TV meteorologist in Jacksonville. That distinction belongs to George Winterling, who spent 47 years at News4Jax before retiring in 2009 at age 77. (Winterling died in June 2023 at age 91.)
Before joining First Coast News, Deegan worked at Texas stations KRIS in Corpus Christi and KBTX in Bryan. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and a certified member of the American Mogenic Society.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tim Deegan announces retirement from Jacksonville’s First Coast News
