In his heyday, he made $400,000--more than most anchors. Of course he was on KGO's "NewsScene", one of the most successful news franchises in Bay Area history.Pete Giddings: Circle 7 Weatherman, supreme meteorologist and a pro...with elements, good and bad.
He was brash, arrogant, loyal and intelligent. Some people loved him. A few detested him. He didn't particularly like the guy who eventually replaced him, Lloyd Lindsay Young, but the irony is that LLY went from rags to riches in NY television and earned millions.
Giddings was good to kids and charity. Liked to ski and was famous for his "letter from home." If he liked you, you were in. If he didn't like you, gone. That's how much influence he had.
He's still working --doing weather consulting and occasional fill-in work, mostly on radio in Reno.
And he certainly left a mark on Bay Area TV.
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Bittersweet, he was probably the best weatherman, but his go do it weekends normally meant that it would rain.
ReplyDeleteStill remember ad for great combo: Van 'the kid' Amberg, Pete 'Doc' Giddings, 'Big' Jerry Jensen.
ReplyDelete> Some people loved him. A few detested him.
ReplyDeleteYou got it backwards.
One meteorologist told me when she started the first piece of advice her colleagues gave her was "Don't become another Pete Giddings."
There's a reason he's doing fill-in in purgatory now....
How is it "ironic" that LLY was successful in New York? I remember LLY and the various pointers he would use on TV. I also remember him later on KGO where his shtick got old very quickly. Homer Simpson mispronouncing spaghetti as pasghetti once may be funny. Hearing a broadcaster deliberately mispronounce words constantly is definitely not.
ReplyDeletePart of me thinks he is the reason Kristine Hansen got the boot.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Kristine Hansen, name a station in SF and Sacto where she hasn't done the weather? She even did weather and special events coverage for KFTY, Santa Rosa in the '90s!
DeleteKristine Hansen was rumored to have had an affair with then-49ers head coach Bill Walsh. But I don't think that was the reason why she departed KGO. And I am not surprised that Giddings had her fired, or at least had a hand in her being shown the door. Giddings could be difficult among most of his colleagues. If you don't believe me, ask Cheryl Jennings.
DeleteCheryl Jennings presided over the marriage of Pete's son last year. I was there to witness the event. This seems to conflict with your account of the relationship. Did you join Pete, and Cheryl along with other close friends at that wedding?
DeleteHis brashness mellowed in the last years that he was at 7. He became very likeable.
ReplyDeleteColleagues, in both TV and Radio, said that he never turned down a request to speak to their kids' class/school.
Anyone remember the Joel Bartlett/ Giddings story... can't quite remember what, when and who ?
ReplyDeleteGiddings usually wore a polka-dot tie. When he did, no one else on the set could wear one, or else.
ReplyDeletePete Giddings respected Joel Bartlett. It didn't bother him when Joel was at PIX and PIX was beating them in the ratings for a minute, because Joel was a real meteorologist and not just a weatherman. Pete did not respect weather people who were not trained meteorologists.
ReplyDeleteKristine Hansen now does real estate in the Roseville area.
ReplyDeleteand she also a fill in weather people at Fox 40 in Sacramento
I still remember the triangle shaped board that Pete used (this was way before the green screen). One side was the US map, one side the California map, and one side the Bay Area map. He would show the map, go full screen on some graphics, at which time the map would roll to the next side, etc. I remember watching the night the map got stuck half way through a change... oops. Pete handled it lots of humor.
ReplyDeleteGood weather man but too big an ego for me. I couldn't stand watching him because he acted as if his own farts didn't smell! And 400 grand for a weatherman back in those days? What's wrong with TV stations?
ReplyDeleteWorked with guy. Couldn't control his weather pointer. Banged every Kino gal in Tahoe. The other 7 weather guys Joel, Lloyd, and Hackney couldn't stand him. Funny how, Giddings blew everything on alimony and those guys turned out OK. Also like Spencer still can't stay off the tables. Sometimes the Good Guys win.
ReplyDeleteYou can still play golf with him at The Villages in San Jose....really early on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
ReplyDeleteThe boys and girls club of rodeo got an invite in 1995 to go deep sea fishing with Pete Guidings and it was filmed for a 30 second spot on the news that night. On the broadcast you would think Pete was the nicest Guy to us! Well that wasn't the case. It was just an excuse to go fishing with his buddy on kgos dime! He smoked the whole time! He cursed like a sailor. He could care less about us kids! He even chastised a poor seasick kid who threw up. Made the kid cry when the weatherman rained an f bomb at him for not feeling good.
ReplyDeleteSame thing happened on another trip with children of special needs. I was there with my daughter and that douche went ballistic on some poor kid getting sick. He spent the whole time reading a book and never said a kind word to the kids.
DeleteWeather was an entirely different ball game during Pete's tenure at KGO. No internet, no supercomputer models, satellites we new etc, etc. He was worth the money. We unwashed masses tuned in for those forecasts. Anyone else remember Leon Hunsaker? Boring. Pete made the weather interesting. He also knew what he was talking about.
ReplyDeleteI thought Spencer Christian replaced Mr Giddings...
ReplyDeletePete got rid of LLY, and continued on at KGO, until he was pushed out.
ReplyDeleteHe was an arrogant jerk from everything I've heard from people who worked around him and I even heard from someone that knew his ex-wife who said that he was a very strange man I'm glad that we don't have to see him anymore and I'm glad he's been demoted
ReplyDeleteHe was my neighbour in Walnut Creek. I loved him as a weather man on TV. So smart. I hope he is still enjoying life. A great teacher of the weather, wish more are like him!
ReplyDeleteThe guy was a total dick. Went with my daughter and several other special needs kids on a fishing trip. Never said a word to the kids except to chastise on child for getting seasick.
ReplyDelete