College Graduate Fired from Local News Station
A recent college graduate from Indiana, who secured a position as a meteorologist at a local TV station, announced that she was terminated by her parent company, Nexstar, and that her Facebook account had been deleted afterward.
Alex Kerkhove, who joined WTWO in Terre Haute after graduating from Purdue University last June, shared her resignation on social media earlier this week.
Her post quickly went viral, prompting a wave of reactions from viewers. One user expressed her surprise, saying, “Shocked by this!” Another commented that the station “clearly took the wrong action.”
The news of Kerkhove’s departure was initially reported by FTVLive Newsletter.
“This is a very difficult post. Since they deleted my FB, I am posting on my personal weather page,” Kerkhof wrote on Monday.
She explained that she was informed that day would be her last at the station and expressed disappointment that management “didn’t see a future” for her there.
“To be honest, I cannot go into what happened behind the scenes,” she noted, indicating that there are limitations to what she can share regarding her exit.
Despite the job loss, Kerkhof emphasized her commitment to the field of meteorology. “This is clearly not goodbye,” she stated, assuring her audience that she would continue to provide weather updates, gardening posts, festival insights, and interesting weather facts.
Kerkhof expressed gratitude toward her viewers, stating that many had shown her “so much love” as a local personality.
The response on Facebook was largely supportive, with hundreds sharing their shock, disappointment, and frustration over her exit.
While many praised her on-air skills and rapport with veteran meteorologist Jesse Walker, others questioned the decision to let go of someone they viewed as promising talent.
Numerous commenters described Kerkhof as “brilliant,” “talented,” and “a ray of sunshine,” suggesting the station might regret this decision.
The Post has attempted to contact both Kerkhof and Nexstar for further comments.
