WCBD's Rob Fowler Loves Charleston & Weather
Channel 2 Chief Meteorologist Attracted To Weather & Broadcasting At An Early Age
By Jeff Walker, Entertainment Writer (Posted Aug '09)
WCBD's Rob Fowler
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Twenty two years ago a 27 year old weatherman walked through the doors at WCBD TV in Charleston, and according to Rob Fowler a career was born. “It wasn’t long after I arrived at Channel 2 that I felt like I was where I belonged. This was my first job as the chief meteorologist. Before I came here I spent a few years in Green Bay and Savannah. But that was more along the lines as the fill in person. You know, do the weekend weather and fill in as needed. Coming to Charleston opened the door to the opportunity I was looking for.”
Taking the position at WCBD TV wasn’t Fowler’s first trip to Charleston. “When I was working at the CBS affiliate in Savannah my girlfriend at the time and myself decided to take a trip up to Charleston. And as so often is done we stopped by Channel 5 because they were an affiliate hoping to take a quick tour. I’m not sure if she would remember this now, but lo and behold who comes out to greet us, none other than Debi Chard. Back in the early 80’s Debi was the producer for the news and she was only more than happy to show us around. That’s very typical of Debi, very gracious.”
A native of Chamblee, Georgia (20 miles outside Atlanta), Fowler says he sensed his calling at an early age. “This may sound corny but as a youngster I was intrigued by the weather. Maybe because it’s so unpredictable.” Later Fowler discovered another fascination. “By the time I reached high school I was attracted to broadcasting. When I went off to college it seemed only natural to combine the two.”
A Georgia Southern and Mississippi State graduate, Fowler landed his first weather stint in Savannah. “I spent six months with the ABC affiliate and three years with the CBS affiliate.” His next stop would take him a little further north, all the way to Green Bay. “Growing up in and around Atlanta my whole life I wanted to experience something different. I was a Falcons fan but also a Packers fan at the same time.” Fowler signed on for two years but says he came away with a wonderful lifetime contract. “I met my wife at the station. She was working in the traffic department, so as it turned out Green Bay was one of the best career moves I ever made.”
In 1987 Fowler answered and an industry magazine ad that read, ‘Beautiful coastal city looking for full time meteorologist’. It wasn’t long before WCBD TV offered him the position. “I was ready to move back down south. I enjoyed my time and Savannah, the warmer climate, the beaches, and I imagined Charleston was very similar. And besides I wanted to be closer to my family. After cutting my teeth for five years I felt I was ready to take the next step, to be the main weather man.”
Two years after Fowler came on the air in Charleston, Hurricane Hugo struck the low country. “The irony of reporting the weather is that we sometimes get to shine during the worst weather conditions. Hurricane Hugo was of course a major event for Charleston and a benchmark for me. It made me appreciate what I do and what I have to offer. But more so, what really impressed me was what went on after the storm. For weeks and months to come after Hugo I saw how the low country banded together to help one another recover. I gained a deeper appreciation for the community during that time period.”
Fowler admits that his move to Charleston was supposed to be another stepping stone for him but after Hugo all that changed. “Again I gained a better perspective on weather and our commitment to the viewers. Hurricane Hugo allowed me to use all the tools I had learned in meteorology. It made me better at my craft.” Although he’s humble, Fowler is proud of one thing. “We were the last station on the air during the Hugo. That gave me a great deal of urgency.”
Two other reasons have played major factors in his decision to make Charleston more permanent. “First and foremost it’s the city, not just Charleston but the surrounding low country. What’s not to love about Charleston.” The second reason says more about his commitment to his craft. “Somewhere along the line I decided that to be accepted and be believable as a meteorologist you have to put down roots. Simply stated, you have to understand the lay of the land. If you don’t understand the community and the people, how can you connect with them. Not long after my wife and I moved here we decided Charleston would be a great place to settle down and raise a family.”
Fowler and his wife Cara live in Mt. Pleasant where they continue to raise their three kids. “There are a lot of great communities around Charleston. We looked at houses in Summerville years ago, but the station at the time thought it would be easier access to the station if we lived in Mt. Pleasant. That’s long before the new bridge and Mark Clark, so it was probably the right decision at the time.”
According to Fowler there are no downsides to his job. “The schedule is a little different, but after a while it becomes the norm. My wife and I have always managed to work around it. Even now we usually have lunch together almost every day.” Fowler doesn’t mind the little bit of celebrity that surrounds him from being on local television. “I meet people every day, they come up and say they enjoy seeing me on television and like what I do. That is very humbling.”
His work with various low country charities is the best use of his celebrity says Fowler. “I’m really happy to be involved with the Marines with the Toys For Tots campaign. I think we’ve helped provide over a million toys to low country kids throughout the years. That means a lot to me.” Since his own bout with cancer several years ago Fowler has been active with cancer fund raisers. “It certainly hits home when it happens to you. Thank God I came through it okay and now any chance I have to help others I will do all that I can.”
It was during his own plight that Fowler shaved off his signature mustache. “It was sort of like saying I’m starting over, charting a new course for my life. I didn’t realize how much it had become a part of me. I got mixed reviews after I shaved it off. But it was time. When I was younger I think I kept it because it made me look more mature. And after I shaved it off it made me look younger. Of course I’m 49 now so looking younger is not a bad thing.”
For those of us in the low country who have been around as long as Fowler has been on the air, we can remember a time when he wore the title, ‘The Wizard of Weather’. “That idea was born right here at the station. The general manager at the time thought the weather needed some sort of title. I think it was a marketing idea that was supposed to connect the viewers with me.” Although the promotion has long since faded Fowler says he was proud to hold the title. “Occasionally people will come up to me and say, ’How you doing, Wizard’. Nowadays I take that as a compliment that they’ve been with me on my journey.”
Fowler has seen many changes during his two decades at Channel 2. “By far the biggest change has been the renovation of the station back in early 2000. The station went through a 20 million dollar overhaul and really became state of the art.” State of the art and innovation according to Fowler are the two major changes that surround his industry.
“A lot has changed since I first started in the business. The way we report the weather and the technology we use has changed dramatically since the 1980’s. People are so much more busier today than ever. Ten and fifteen years ago I came in and prepared for a television broadcast. Now my days include updating and maintaining all the social networks that we’re involved in. There’s a whole group of people that follow my weather forecasts online and I want to accommodate them.”
Fowler agrees technology along with personality are the keys to keeping local news station vital in this 24 hour cable television and internet society. “I think, and I hope viewers will always have a desire for local news. That’s why I feel it’s important we put as much of ourselves into all we report on. Local weather forecasters I feel have more in common with the viewing community and that makes our role more viable.”
Lowcountrytoday.com and the greater low country community salute Rob Fowler for being a leader in so many different areas in the low country. His humble approach and soft spoken manner are a few of the many reasons Rob Fowler is so well received in the low country. May Rob, like the legendary Charleston weatherman Charlie Hall serve our community for years to come. |
