OK, Dr. Jim Siebert might take me to task for calling him a good friend when I've only met him one time, but I can honestly say we have worked together...although it was just for one weekend.In the last month or so, folks kept telling me to check out the new meteorologist on KRIV Fox 26 but I never got around to it. Finally one fateful day as I was flipping channels, I saw him and realized I actually use to work with this guy! Then quickly figured out he was the weather dude everyone had been telling me about.
Back in the mid 90s, I was a teen punk camera operator at the Central Texas ABC affiliate KXXV Channel 25 (Waco, Temple, Killeen). It was my first weekend to work and I was still learning the ropes. Dr. Jim, who I believe was working on or close to finishing the Dr. part of his name at the time, was the outgoing weekend meteorologist. I can't remember if we actually even talked that day. He was off to a better gig in a larger market while I was just beginning my journey of TV fun.
The one thing I do remember about Dr. Jim is he made a lot of funny videos on the KXXV Blooper tape. He wasn't messing up on tape, he was just saying funny stuff while shooting stand ups. Classic. If you work at KXXV, I highly suggest finding the M-II tape and then trying to locate an M-II machine that still works!
I emailed Dr. Jim and welcomed him to Houston. He assured me that he is indeed the same person I worked with that weekend so long ago. Ray Peters, The Ultimate Anchorman and guest blogger on the mikemcguff blog, pointed out to me that Siebert also worked at KCEN too.
(Image courtesy KRIV)
