Look for another change in the weather in December, as Cincinnati and Indianapolis swap meteorologists.
Brad Maushart, the East Central High School graduate who subbed during Jennifer Ketchmark's maternity leave on WCPO-TV, returns home to WKRC-TV, where he interned in 2009. He replaces Brandon Orr, who left Channel 12 in August for Miami, Fla.
Maushart (pronounced "Mouse-hart") comes from WISH-TV in Indianapolis, which just named former WLWT-TV weekend forecaster Ashley Brown chief meteorologist. Brown, an Indianapolis native, abruptly vanished from Channel 5 in late September after only 15 months. WISH-TV also has hired Tara Hastings from Dayton's WDTN-TV.
Why would Maushart leave a bigger TV market (No. 28) for Cincinnati (No. 35)?
"It's home for me. I love Cincinnati, the people, the sports teams (as much as they kill me sometimes), the hills and whatnot," he tells me. "I'll be close to family, most importantly … I have family in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky and they're thrilled to have me back. I have worked in Alaska and Mississippi before this, so even working in Indy has been convenient. But this is home."
Technically Maushart was born in Indianapolis, but he grew up in Guilford, Ind., just west of Cincinnati, and went to high school in St. Leon.
"I grew up watching 12. Tim Hedrick was always on the TV and thanks to (former anchor) Dayna Eubanks introducing us, I got to meet him at a young age," says Maushart, whose two-year deal at WISH-TV ends next month.
"I interned (in 2009) mostly with John Gumm, but did spend a little bit of time with Tim and attended a Grillin' With Tim segment in Cleves ... I learned to be a decent human being more than anything from being around Tim. He was the best."
He graduated in 2012 from Ball State University, where he was the Charlie Cardinal mascot while earning a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and climatology and a minor in emergency management and homeland security.
Through college, Mauhsart "was a co-owner of a storm chasing company that provided footage of severe storms, tornadoes and hurricanes to several Midwest television stations, CNN and other national television outlets," says his WISH-TV bio. "In 2011, he intercepted Hurricane Irene in Beaufort, North Carolina ... and he has chased storms in nearly every state east of the Rockies."
He's also an avid Cincinnati sports fan, "though it will likely take several years off his life," his bio says.
