For WKYT Chief Meteorologist T.G. Shuck, weather has been a lifelong passion. Born and raised right here in Lexington, his interest in weather took on a whole new perspective when the "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes occurred on April 3-4, 1974. As a frightened five-year-old child just days short of my sixth birthday, this event fueled my desire to learn more about the atmosphere and how it works, he said.
T.G. interned at the National Weather Service at Blue Grass Airport and right here in the 27 First Alert Weather Center while attending Lafayette High School. After those internships I knew exactly what I wanted to do for a career, even though it took a while for me to get there, Shuck said. A football scholarship led T.G. to Georgetown College where he graduated with a bachelor s in communication arts in 1991. His time on the gridiron at Georgetown was record setting and T.G. was inducted into the Georgetown College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
His television career started here at WKYT in 1990 when he was hired as a videographer. T.G. served in that position both at WKYT (1990-1993, 1994-1996) and at WCNC in Charlotte (1993-94). He returned to Lexington from his short stint in North Carolina with the intention of making his childhood dream of being a meteorologist come true. While completing his education in meteorology, he started on-air as weekend meteorologist in May 1996. T.G. received his Broadcast Meteorology Certificate from Mississippi State University in 1997 and became morning and noon meteorologist in November 1998. He was promoted to his current position, Chief Meteorologist in September 2001 and has served the Lexington television market for 15 years, longer than any other on-air meteorologist in the market.
When he was named chief meteorologist, it was definitely a thrilling moment for him. WKYT has always been a part of my family. My sister and brother-in-law met here at the station while they were employees back in the late 60s, I did internships here through high school and college, and have been an employee for nearly 2 decades so it is a wonderful to be part of the team at WKYT, Shuck said. You can catch his forecasts weekday evenings.
T.G. has won a number of state, regional, and national awards for his on-air work, making him one of the most honored television personalities in the Lexington market. He is a four-time Emmy Award winner from the Ohio Valley chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and has received numerous Emmy nominations over the last several years. His biggest achievement was in 2007 when he received three Emmy Awards in one night for best weather anchor, best weathercast and best news anchor for his part in WKYT s coverage of The Crash of Comair Flight 5191. It was quite humbling to say the least to receive three awards in the same year, and definitely a huge honor. It is a credit to everyone at WKYT and a testament to the quality of newscasts that we produce on a daily basis, he said. T.G. also has the distinction of being named best television weather anchor in the state of Kentucky by the Associated Press an unprecedented consecutive five years from 2006 through 2010.
One of my fondest memories here at WKYT came in April 1999 when I produced and hosted a 25th anniversary special about the "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes, the very event that captured my attention as a young boy, Shuck said. His story about the F-5 tornado that devastated Brandenburg, Ky., received The Communicator Award, a distinguished national award that recognizes outstanding television reporting. In 2005, he also wrote the foreword for the book Kentucky Weather authored by Jerry Hill. I was greatly honored to be asked to participate in this wonderful publication about Kentucky's weather and climate, he said.
As a full member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, T.G. was the first television meteorologist in Lexington to earn the "Certified Broadcast Meteorologist" (CBM) designation from the American Meteorological Society in 2005. He also holds the Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association, and is a member of the International Association of Broadcast Meteorology (IABM).
Public safety is such an important part of what we do and a great passion of mine is spreading the word about the use of the NOAA Digital All Hazards Weather Radio, he said. These affordable devices can potentially make the difference between life and death when severe weather strikes, especially in the middle of the night. Every home, business and school needs one and we ve really tried to get the word out over the last few years. T.G. was one of only 19 people selected in the United States to receive the National Weather Service Mark Trail Award in 2007. The ceremony was on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and this award is given annually to groups or individuals who promoted the use of and increase the awareness of the NOAA Digital All Hazards Weather Radio.
When he s not in the 27 First Alert Weather Center, T.G. loves staying active with all kinds of sports. He enjoys running several times per week and tries to compete in a road race or two each year. T.G. and his wife Angie are the proud parents of three beautiful little girls (Sydney, Brooklyn and Raleigh) and believe spending quality time with them is one of the greatest joys in his life.
I have deep roots here in the commonwealth. My mother is from Hazard, and my wife is from Pike County. Even though I was raised right here in the Bluegrass Region, the mountains of Eastern Kentucky hold a special place in my heart, T.G. said. It s a pleasure to bring the most accurate, up to date forecast to folks all across Central and Eastern Kentucky each weekday. Thanks for watching!
