Meteorologist Sam Champion is leaving ABC News.
The network announced Champion’s departure in a memo to affiliates Monday, December 2, 2013.
Champion was with ABC for 25 years. He began working at WABC in 1988 and joined Good Morning America in 2006. He has traveled to major weather events across the United States, and his coverage of Superstorm Sandy helped ABC earn a Peabody Award for its coverage of that event.
“While there is no replacing Sam, We are in excellent hands with his storm chasing partner of the last few years, meteorologist Ginger Zee, who will take over his weather responsibilities at GMA and across ABC News,” said Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News.
Sam Champion departs ABC after he accepted an offer from the Weather Channel to be the on-air face of their network as a host and as their managing editor.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to do what I love most at a network that lives and breathes the weather,” Champion said.
GMA was set to celebrate Champion’s last day Wednesday, December 4.
