Did you notice this picture?
It’s a question mark shaped cloud over Portland. I found this shot in my image archives and it seemed appropriate!
The short answer to the question about why I’m off off air is simple: news anchors and meteorologists sign contracts for a set number of years so that both sides can count on some stability and know how long that stability will last. This time my contract ran out and the station decided not to renew it.
The station’s new owners and managers are going in a different direction and are bringing someone in from another part of the country.
I want to tell you I am very thankful for those of you that have taken time to reach out and for your kind comments on social media and Oregon Live. I really appreciate them and have read each and every one.
Even though it was not my choice to leave, I feel blessed that I’ve had non-stop TV jobs for 25 years until now. All of this has been in the beautiful northwest and I’ve worked alongside a lot of great people.
I’m enjoying extra time with our two elementary school aged boys and my wife–nice timing on those 70 degree days, right? I hope to be back on the air soon in the Portland TV market but sometimes a new job means a new city.
In the meantime, I’ll be posting to this weather blog and Facebook and Twitter and Google+ and Instagram. Not because I’m getting paid to do it–but because I love talking about the weather with you!
So, if someone asks you, “Did weatherman Bruce Sussman leave KOIN?” – now you know the answer.
And thanks again for all your support!
Growing up, we were a Jim Boseley family when it came to meteorologists/weathermen. I learned from a young age that a good weatherman was one to always keep track of. You’re one of the best Portland has had in long time, Mr. Sussman. Hopefully, we’ll see you on the PDX airwaves soon…but wherever you end up, they will be lucky to have such an intelligent, passionate and accurate meteorologist.
We thought you were on a well earned vacation. My wife won’t watch 6 again.
A really stupid move by the dopes at the top.
We came to depend on your excellent weather forecast.
Best of luck in the future and know your going to be missed.
Ditto. We thought he was on a spring vacation or something too. Bruce was the one big reason we watched KOIN News. He worked his way up to the best Portland weatherman on TV, and only new-to-the-marketplace ignorant owners would make such a bungling change. Nothing against the new girl, but she just isn’t a valid replacement for Bruce. His energetic and joyful personality together with his accurate forecasting, the best in town literally, can’t be matched.
The wife just commented precisely what I was thinking as I revealed the news to her, “Well, I guess Channel 6 news won’t be getting our attention anymore”. I know the advertisers won’t be leaving KOIN 6 news in droves, but this is one family they will no longer have exposure to.
Please join us in our sincere hope one of the other local stations is smarter than KOIN’s owners and scarfs him up.
Guess your no more immune to being laid off or told your not wanted anymore. I too grew up with Jim Bosly on channel 2. We sometimes ran into him in our local Albertson’s store in NE Portland. There have been many changes to the Portland area news stations and some that haven’t changed except for the news guys that quit and went to local radio stations like KEX. I wish you well in whatever your future holds for you Bruce. Enjoy the quality time you are having with those kids of yours this summer.
Keri:
Thanks for your message. I am enjoying the summer like weather with the family…for sure!
Bruce
Our family has been a huge fan of you when you were at channel 8 at first , to when you switched over to channel 6 .
We are very disappointed to hear you are no longer at Koin 6. A huge mistake on their part. We will NEVER watch channel 6 again and the only reason we watched it was because of you. You made it fun to watch the weather report.
We hope you stay in Portland and we look forward to seeing you again with another network.
You are truly the best meteorologist around..
Thank you Bruce for your excellent work….
My husband and I quit watching KOIN when they ‘unceremoniously’ dumped Shirley Hancock. We recently had started viewing KOIN 6 again, because my brother-in-law said it was his favorite station, and really, the only good thing about the newscasts were Bruce. We won’t bother going back. We enjoyed watching Bruce when he was at KGW, and I hope that he finds a “new weather home” here in Portland!
Dear Bruce: I have watched you for many years. I have learned from you, and have enjoyed every minute. You brought not only your expertise, but you brought all of us your smiling personality and always explained things so we could understand. I will pray you stay in Portland, but if you don’t, please let us know where you are going.
The new owners of KOIN just don’t realize how important you are or that you are the favorite of all and belong in Portland….maybe they will if they pay attention….
No one from anywhere can ever replace you. You are the best of the best. I will miss you so very much.
God bless you and your family.
Kathy Hansen
Salem OR
Am so sad to hear we won’t be seeing your always friendly, welcoming self on air. Blessings to your and yours. You will be greatly missed! What were they thinking????
I am not a happy camper about koins decision.they will have to accept all the views decisions not to watch the koin news anymore!
Your answer to everyone’s question makes you a class act! Thank you for no sugar coating. My wife and I hope you stay in Portland.
Regards, Rick
Dang it, you were one of the few weather guys I like, always seemed cheery and approachable, unlike many. Stupid move KOIN. Best of luck to you!
Hi Bruce, just wanted to add my name to all of the well wishers for you. You will be missed. Bob & Cis
So sorry. You were so good and cute also. What a shame.
Hi Bruce I have been watching 6 for a long time but NO more how can they
let you go. I am sorry you will not be there
any more but we will not be watching 6 any more please let us know where you go so we can watch that station you can send this to koin station if you want I am so mad that they let you go GOOD LUCK
Well, darn it. This is a huge bummer. Wishing all the best to you and your family, Sussy Sussman!!
~Hayley Platt
Aw, Bruce, I know how you feel! My ex husband was a dj with KKPL in Spokane and he was a great dj until the station decided to ‘go in a different direction’ and fired all of their on-air staff. I will miss you, Bruce! I do believe that the owners/managers of the station you were let go from made a huge mistake. We viewers get attached to our news/weather/sports people. We like consistency. We like watching them grow into their jobs, and then we like hearing about their families and watching the families grow along with ours.
I wish more station owners/managers would not mess with things that are working fine in the first place!
Gonna miss you, Bruce!
Bruce you and Mike rank up there at the top of my list of best guys to work with. We miss you every day and hope some station will recognize your talents and give you back to us every night. Until then, enjoy the time with your family and know that if friends are the measure of a man, you are the richest man in the world. Best wishes – Tim
Tim couldn’t have said it better. As a former fellow co-worker, I hope we’ll have the opportunity to work together again Bruce. Sincerely, Jennifer
thank you for such a great presentation of the weather and your sincerity.
Even though I live in La Pine, was able to get KOIN channel six…hopefully you will be able to stay in the Pacific Northwest for your family…and Mom too! In our prayer.
I mentioned this in Tuesdays column this week in The Columbian. Also have you best wishes. Hope you can hang around Bruce. Blessings.
Sad to hear. We’re glad to have you around at church, your family is a joy and I hope that you guys stay in portland. Keep your head up and enjoy your time with the family. Prayers for good luck and a speedy resolution.
Bruce, We have been watching you on KOIN for many years and frankly, part of the reason we watch KOIN is to see you and Sally report the weather. You are a fantastic meteorologist and broadcaster who we always look forward to listening to. I am so sorry that you are leaving…shows low awareness on the part of whomever is in charge at KOIN.
We wish you the best and hopefully will see you soon in your new post.
You are the best!
Julie and Laszlo Regos
My husband and I have enjoyed your weather forecasts over the years. You always came across as genuine, sincere and just a heck of a nice guy. You made even the rainiest forecasts easier to take and enjoyable to watch.
We hope you are able to stay in Portland, but if not we are sure a very lucky and deserving station will snatch you up quickly. Best of luck to you and your family.
Well. Dang. This is bad news, we always enjoy your forecasts and how you keep us up to date on your website and FB page. It’s so nice to watch someone who is not only knowledgeable, but excited about his job.
I wish you the best of luck, and hope we’ll see you on a new PDX station very soon.
Thanks for everything!
Cyn
Bruce My husband and I miss you so much!! We really enjoyed watching you, loved your energy and you could really tell how much you loved your job by how excited you were every night to report the weather. We alwasy loved hearing about your family. And you were so involved in the community. You just came across as a very sincere, warrm, very nice man.
I am so incredibly sad that you are gone, I feel the new owners made a huge mistake and we will no longer watch channel 6 EVER!!!!!!!
We both wish you the best Bruce and hope you can stay in the Portland area. We wish you the VERY best in what ever you decide to do.
Karen
Karen:
I just want to say thanks for your nice post. I do love talking about the weather and I’m glad you noticed that!
Please tell your husband thank you as well. And I’ll let you know when I land somewhere else.
Bruce
Big mistake on their part. I will never understand local media except that everything is governed by ratings. If they can squeeze another point out of some out of state import who doesn’t know our area, they will.
Best of luck to you Bruce and I hope you can stay in this market. I would definitely recommend taking all the KOIN 6 stuff off your web page.
Rick while it sucks, ratings are the name of the game. And it’s just not our local media – it’s in every market, every town.
Higher ratings means more advertising dollars. It’s the name of the game, and Bruce has been in this game long enough to know it’s a hazard that comes with the job. It’s happened to me in more than one market. The bright side he’s great on air, has an impressive CV and will land some where. Might in be in PDX, but he’ll be on TV before you know it.
It’s the circle of life in the media. From the moment we get into the business – we know this is the name of the game.
I have watched you for year Bruce. I hope you enjoy the time with your family and land somewhere soon!
– Andrew
Shucks, we keep going back to 6 because we like your reports but now we will go for the other guys.
Dear Bruce,
Very disappointed with KOIN’s decision to let you go.
I will be sending a letter on your behalf to the manager.
I hope the best is yet to come for you and your family!
Ron
I have the pleasure of being personal friends with Bruce and his family. Bruce is a very honorable person. He has extremely high standards, both professionally and personally. He is a man of strong faith and the highest integrity. KOIN 6 got it wrong on this one. Bruce simply cannot be replaced. My best to Bruce and his family in the future.
Jamie and Teresa
You will be missed! I wish you the best and sure you will rebound quickly. It’s been a pleasure working with you as a member of the weather family.
What the what! Sorry to hear about the changes that came your way. No worries us LMHS ’88 alums always land on our feet. Hears to better days.
Bruce,
You are an amazing leader in your expertise, with kind charisma and presence that are irreplaceable. Whichever station signs you will greatly benefit from increased ratings and more viewers. Your additional skills as guest, gifted emcee for organizations’ special events are tremendous, value added contributions to our community. Hoping you will be able to remain in Portland!
Bruce.
So sorry to see you go…but you are good at what you do and I know where ever you end up it will be a great move for you…. we do not always like the changes but they can be good for us….have fun with whatever you do….
Diannia
Very sorry to see you go, Bruce, and I hope the station realizes that they’re making a mistake. Viewers like familiar faces, as we’ll miss seeing yours on KOIN. I guess it’s time to give one of the other local stations a try…
Hi Bruce: Sorry to read the bad news! I enjoyed reading your blogs, and even though they didn’t pertain to my area much, they were still of intrest to me. Hopefully, you’ll find another place soon: Maybe it will be a little closer to where I am? Best wishes, anyway!
Bruce, Thank you for taking the time to explain about losing another TV news family member. I will not be watching Koin news myself, changing channels. Will Miss you and Sally. Changing people every few months/years is hard to stay loyal . You are the best at your craft and they will come to realize this . Please Lord let you and family stay in Portland.
Enjoy your time off.
Good Luck, Leslie
What!?! No! We love Bruce and watch him regularly!! Terrible decision to let go of this man who exudes charm and optimism with every broadcast, even with our sometimes depressing Portland weather he definitely brings an upbeat vibe that is often lacking on TV. KOIN should honor such employees with continued support and employment for jobs very well done!
You couldn’t have said it better Marilyn!
they always let the better man/woman go. Enjoy, hopefully for a short time, your full time with family. And all the best, good luck.
Thank you for all those years you have shared with and for us.
Bruce, I was wondering what happened when i didn’t see you forecasting the weather for the past week. I had to goggle and found that your contract wasn’t renewed. I started watching KOIN a year ago just to hear your weather report. You were spot on when forecasting, I used your forecast to plan trips to the coast. You are the best of the best when it comes to weather. I learned something from you every time I watched. Now that you are not on KOIN I will not be watching. I am looking forward to reading your blog to get my weather info. Bless you and your family and I hope to see you on the airwaves soon.
I will change channel. I will not watch Chanel 6 again.
Dear Bruce,
I have been watching you for all years you have been with KOIN, they are making a huge mistake! You ARE the best! I will miss the chocolate donut jokes. I loved your forecasts and will miss you very much hope you stay in Portland!
K.spain
KOIN has made a big mistake not renewing Bruce’s contract. He is one of the better weather men…Hope one of the others will pick him up in Portland. Don’t care for the ladies much at all. Sorry ladies. Just my opinion. I like Bruce and Rod in the evening along with Matt.
I always liked Bruce Sussman’s weather reports, he was always so cheerful to watch, even on all these rainy cloudy days, he always made a cloudy day ,sunny by his smile and jokes. Jeff Gianola and Kelly Day seemed to love this guy too. I won’t watch KOIN hardly ever now that he is not on. Jeff and Kelly will miss him too I’m sure. I will still watch Matt Zaffino on channel 8. Bad move for KOIN!!
I too am DONE with channel 6 KOIN. Good luck Bruce.
I’m embarrassed to say I thought you’d taken a well-earned vacation, but learning that you won’t be there really disappoints me. I hope to see you on another channel SOON, and wish you the very best. Know that you’ll be missed. As unpredictable as Portland’s weather may be, I wanted to learn of it from you. I believe this was a poor decision. God bless, and I hope this causes you no hardship.
Bruce, come to Eugene. That’s where I’m going. That way we won’t miss each other!
That stinks. Sorry to hear it Cousin; their loss! Will be praying the right job comes soon 🙂
Hello Bruce,
We have never met, but you worked for the station my Dad, Ted Bryant worked for , for many years.You may have seen me yesterday, I am shooting video for the Pet fair.
I know exactly how the news business runs, and know that there are people like you with integrity, and values that get replaced all the time. It is sad that this business has become just and all about money.. Thank you for being the man and father you are.. Your “job” does not define you.. you character does !!
Kyle Bryant
Cinesational Video Productions
a class act
Well, that just stinks, Bruce!
We’ll be praying that you find a perfect job…here in Oregon!
I can,t believe it. Bruce has been in my life for years and telling our Oregon weather. I would like to see Bruce back. Maybe koin is spending to much on their remodel????
sorry they let you go. I think kgw should never of let you go, too begin with! in fact they should of kept you and david at all costs. kgw weather is not the same with out you two.
Rachel: thank you. Dave and I both left KGW to be the ‘main guy’ at each station. We’ll see what happens next!
That is the worst! You are the only weatherman I’ve ever specifically remembered and wanted to tune in to. Whenever something weird weather wise happened our family was always like “Bruce Sussman must be totally pumped right now, we need to watch!”
Their loss. I have no idea what they were thinking.
Bruce:
You truly are the best.. Been watching you from KGW days and so happy you landed at Koin to stay here..Loved to watch you, Jeff and Kelley keep the news fun to watch..At 73 i have seen a lot of weather men and Will miss you and your work……it is the best… Hope to see you at another station soon
this sucks.. but i know where your comming from. new companies do this all the time today, my husband’s job was the same way, it changed hands 3 times .Lucky we got to stick with the other companies, and now he will retire in december this year. hes had a wonderful 48 years in the same place just new owners. Not many can do that in todays world. i wish you all the best in your new adventure,and may it keep you here in our wonderful state of OREGON.. we shall miss your weather report , always enjoyed it.
God Bless you and your family.
Gonna miss you Bruce, we counted on you for the accurate account of our weather…I wish channel 6 realized whar a good thing they had going…you also taught us along the way pf just what those clouds meant….wish you well….we were attached channel 6 tp Bruce….
Hi Bruce, I, like everyone, was wondering what happened. I moved to Oregon from NH in 2010, and I have faithfully followed you and watched your weather forecasts ever since. I am very disappointed in Koin for what they have done, and in my opinion, it was a big mistake. I hope that you are able to remain in Portland, because this is where you belong. Looking forward to seeing you on any one of the other local stations.
I do miss you – I started watching you eons ago on kgw then tracked you down to koin…just let us know where you are going to pop up next and we’ll all be there!!!
And thank-you for all the good weather forecasts. We could tell you liked your job – and you had fun presenting the weather to us – it made it fun for us too…
p.s. and I will not be watching KOIN – mostly because you are not there but also because providing only Bend’s forecast and calling it Central Oregon’s forecast just does not cut it when you don’t live in Bend!
Bruce, you’re gonna be missed!
Bruce – they’ll be sorry. Why bring in someone from another part of the country who doesn’t know or appreciate Northwest weather? Is this person a bosses relative? The new owners are making a BIG mistake and will be sorry to have let you go as you are the best weatherman in the whole darn Northwest! I will miss your fun and informative bits of information along with the forecasts. Will be looking for you on another Portland station – you are too valuable to let out of the Northwest – of course there might be another part of the country that could use you too! See you later…
I live on the coast but watched your video forecasts online often- At first I thought you were just on vacation but then I saw your blog. Thanks for all of the animated, well-explained forecasts! You should start your own Pacific Northwest weather channel!
I’m watching the 11:00 news on 6 for several nights like I normally do and I start to wonder, “what’s wrong with this picture? Where’s Bruce with the weather?” So KOIN refused to renew his contract in order to bring in some other generic weather guy in a new suit? Like others have said already, biiiiiig mistake! I guess I’m switching over to 8 instead. A sad day indeed. 🙁
The ‘air’ on the news has changed. They all seem solum. The new people don’t have a thing on Sussman. I’ve stopped watching not only the weather but the news too.
I MISS you on KOIN 6 darn it! They blew it.. although of course in the meantime we get to see Sally a bunch and she is doing her best magic… but she misses you also 🙁
I am on the other hand happy you got to have a little vacation with family during good weather, and that you are still putting out your awesome information and good spirits. I will let Sis Nora know where you went… she misses you too.
I will probably stop sharing Lennies with KOIN except directly with Sally. They just won’t appreciate the fine things in life the way you did 😀
Can’t believe this bad news. I kept asking my husband, “where is my favorite weather guy?” I agree with many others that I won’t be watching KOIN 6 much anymore. You were by FAR my favorite weather person. Liked your positive attitude and family slant. Could tell you were a good guy by the way you presented yourself on camera. Sure hope you can stay in the area. Will be looking for you on the other channels.
Bruce, I want to give my support for you & your weather style. I’ve been signing into KOIN weather for years. YOUR news was the reason. I’m sorry to hear the managers were shortsighted on their decisions. Wish you & your family the best… Shame on KOIN management…
Bruce, best wishes to you and your family. I have always enjoyed your upbeat personality and class through the years on KGW & KOIN. Hoping you will stay in Portland, but wherever you end up, you will be an asset for sure.
My wife and I miss you very much, Bruce. When we moved from SoCal to Portland, you were so obviously the superior meteorologist, your style, skill and personality absolutely the best in town.
If this is the “new direction” the owners of the station are going, we’ll be going too, over to another channel for our local news. We like Sally, but instead of promoting, they hired from outside, a mistake in our opinion. Damn. We’re really sad about this.
Dear Bruce, You are greatly missed. I plan on going back to channel 2. I will watch for you. God Bless.
Miss seeing you. Enjoyed your broadcasts. Wish you and your family well. You seem like a great guy.
I also began watching you, Bruce when I moved here from VT when you were at KGW and followed you to KOIN. You have always been the most accurate in forecasts and your concerned integrity has always come through your broadcasts. Executives are wrong in believing that viewers are not loyal so I encourage them to WATCH how many of us are moving to another station – and, wherever you land, Bruce we will return to you!
Experience has taught me that these things always work out for the best and that is what I wish for you, also.
I’m very sad to have learned tonight that you are gone from KOIN. One thing that I really enjoyed is how you would really try to engage children in learning about the weather, as well as really making meteorology sound simple enough for the regular person to understand. KOIN lost a great weatherman when they choose to hire someone else. I just might have to keep track of where you move to if you stay here in the NW and start watching whatever newscast you end up at. If you move…well just know you have many fans out here in the Greater NW! Fans of ALL ages!
Bruce just found out that you are no longer with KOIN that is so sad.I enjoyed your broadcasts and your great since of humor. Wish you the best and know that where ever you go to they are getting some one great
I watched KOIN News daily. You were a majot reason I did, I truly hope you are employed in our area. I would change stations to view you. They made a huge mistake in not renewing your contract. All my best to you and your family. Thank you!
We were sad to see that you weren’t giving us the weather tonight. My father in-law was let go from Koin last year and we continued to watch only because you and Jeff were still there. We are no longer watching that station and hope to see you again with your enthusiastic manor of presenting the weather. Best wishes!
Bruce
We once met on a plane flying East. I enjoyed your company and felt that I had met a Super Great Guy.
Sorry to about the poor decision made by KOIN.
There loss and we pay the price.
I wish you all the BEST this world can bring you and yours.
Respectfully
Mark
Change may be hard but its not necessarily a bad thing. I wish Bruce and KOIN all the best as they both move forward and continue to grow.
Bruce:
It was always a pleasure to watch you do your job so well, and with such enthusiasm and good humor. Those qualities will make you someone else’s meteorologist soon. Meanwhile, I pray this time off will be a time to enjoy your family and catch your breath. Blessings upon you. Don
Bruce,
Obviously I do not watch that much TV, but when I did you were one of the go to weather guys. Always knowledgeable and positive on air. Wishing you the best wherever you land and we all hope it is here in PDX.
Hi Bruce,
Just a note that my family and I have always enjoyed the way you were so into the weather and after my son Ryan became apart of the web site for channel 6 news, his first comments about the job was can you believe that Bruce Sussman came by and welcomed me aboard. As you probably know he also was a victim of the short sited Easterners that don’t understand the Northwest feel for our own. I will not be a Koin 6 watcher from here on out. Their name is now Coin 6 as far as I am concerned. Ryan has moved to Ohio and is now working with a company building their web site. I really hope that you are able to stay in the Northwest and believe me when I say if you are picked up by one of the other local stations, they will become our News and Weather Station. The only way to look at this is You are still Bruce Sussman Weather man and Coin 6 is just another station I click through at 6:30.
Thanks
Frank
Bruce, you are missed already. I have watched you for many years and your enthusiasm and love of what you do shines through. You won’t be looking long and I hope it is local. The very best to you.
Phil
Bruce, you are already missed. I had to dig around online to find out what happened over there, not a fan of this change at all. The only reason I’ve ever tuned is was for your forecasts, time to jump to another station. Hopefully we’ll catch you eventually on another station around here, you are one of the most genuine people on TV news that I’ve ever seen, it’s not only a loss for them, but for the viewing public as well.
So sorry to hear you are leaving…you and Sally are my favorites!!!
Bruce : We just returned from several months of travel and were disappointed to discover that you are no longer reporting the weather with so much knowledge and spirit. We fully expect to see you on CNN or the Weather Channel. Of course you would have to leave the PNW, but you are much too classy and professional to stay around here. Best of luck to you in the future and thanks for your great contributions to the citizens of SW Washington and Oregon.
My husband and I have enjoyed your weather reports since we started watching you on Channel 8. When you moved to KOIN we followed you there, and we haven’t budged from that station. We truly appreciated your sunny and positive style, not to mention accurate forecasts! We love you, Bruce! Your presence kept us watching KOIN every night. Now, we are very disappointed and we are fishing around for another station to watch the evening news. We will truly miss you–as you were a welcomed and daily visitor in our home! May God bless you and your family as you move on to your next post.
Bruce;
So disappointed in Koin 6. We thought you were on vacation and it seems slightly underhanded that they didn’t mention that you were gone permanently. We considered you “our” weather man, and you were the ONLY reason we watched C6. Honestly, you were the most knowledgeable AND the most enthusiastic weather man we have ever had the pleasure to watch. Even when you discussed the rain, you made us smile!
Before I found your blog, I had already notified Koin 6 that we would be moving to another station for our news. If you land at another Ptld station, there we will be also.
Best of luck to you and God bless you and yours!
Bruce,
I am truly disappointed that you were let go by KOIN. I agree with all of the messages above, and will also change my weather viewing to another station. My husband and I watched you every evening for as long as I can remember. I couldn’t care less about a fancy new setting for the new, it is the quality of the people I am listening to that matters and in my opinion, the quality has dropped dramatically. I hope to see you soon on one of the other channels. Best wishes and prayers to you and your family.
We’re long time fans since your days at KGW and then at Ch.6. We use to have a small business in the basement of KGW for 18 yrs., VTC, & then moved across the street. We were shocked when we had heard of your departure this week cuz you and Sally were the main reasons we watched Ch. 6 news. Your upbeat personalities and enthusiasm were contagious and made viewing the weather a pleasant experience. Needless to say, the higher ups at Ch. 6 really made a horrible blunder and we left a message with them saying so. We wish you and your family the best and know that even better job opportunites will await you in the future.
Bruce, we have wondered why we hadn’t seen your great personality on the 11 O’clock news on Channel 6. Now we know. We have been such a fan of yours. We used to watch your brother Brian on the Channel 2 news in Oakland before moving to Portland six years ago. What a pleasant surprise when we found you here! Do keep us posted as to when we will see you back on the air. In the mean time, enjoy your family to the utmost! We will sincerely miss you. (Channel 6 News isn’t what it used to be.)
We also watched Brian in the bay area. We were so glad to find another Sussman when we moved back to Oregon!
Bruce sad to see you go never seen anyone more excited about the weather you really made it fun and exciting for us too! Good luck.
Never in my life, have I seen so many positive comments! This is almost non existent in our world of ‘social media’. This speaks to how much Bruce is admired and respected in our community. I for one, always felt he is just a really sweet, caring, sincere person. It shone through on all his days on KOIN. I am sure the new gal is o.k., but nobody will come close to our Bruce Sussman…. :o(
Your upbeat and “boy next door” persona has been a real pleasure to view over the years. When you moved Portland stations, I moved with you. Hope you stay in Portland so I can change stations again! Best wishes on whatever you do next!
I have watched your weather commentary and forecasts since I moved to Portland four years ago. I was impressed with you enthusiasm and love of the weather. Since Koin made a bad decision, you will surely make it into a good decision by you. Best to you and your family. They can rain..but you are still the parade.
I will no longer watch channel 6 weather. I enjoyed Bruce Sussman and think the management did him wrong. Is she going to explain things like he did. I have watched her this week and she does nothing but the weather. I guess you think a pretty young face will bring more people in. Sorry to see Bruce leave. I guess I will watch other channels for the weather. I still like Jeff and Kelly. Are they next since they are getting older. Bring in younger people!!!!
If it weren’t for your candid, entertaining and informational approach to the weather, plus the ability to fend off the anchors remarks with a smile we would not be watching KOIN news. Now that someone at KOIN has decided that you’re not a valuable asset (they must live in the dark) two things will happen:
1. You will be scooped up by a better and smarter TV broadcasting station.
2. KOIN will lose some viewers down here in Yachats. We have watched KATU for the news except when you are on. KOIN is the only PDX station that seems to verbatim repeat a news item over and over without anything fresh attached or added. A new set behind isn’t going to help if the programming isn’t improved. Just frosting, no cake.
Bruce,
Since I left television my life has improved ten fold. The people who run the TV stations here and around the country are very cold uncaring lot. Don’t look at this as a failure. I told you a long time ago, you will do well at whatever you do.
I hope your family is doing well.
Joe Sottile
Bruce we will also miss you and I know your school children will miss you. I hope you took all your tricks , graphics and goodies with you.
Good Luck to you and your family.
Bruce, wondered where you were on 6 newscasts. Sorry to hear that your contract wasn’t renewed. You have been my favorite source for weather forecasts. Hope to see you on another station soon.
We’ll miss you Bruce. Think I’m going to watch KGW from now on. I hope we can see you back on the air in Portland in the future.
KOIN has a rather nasty history of dumping its better weather forecasters!!
You were my favorite weather man and your enthusiasm and charm was infectious. Best of luck as you pursue your next career move. We will miss you.
Bruce,
Hope to see you soon on another Portland station. You are the best, not just with the forecasts, but with explaining what’s going on and why.
Best of luck to you and your family.
BIG mistake KOIN…. BIG mistake!!
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” ~ everyone loses in this situation (employer, employee, viewer). Channel 2 is looking very good right now ~ my new choice for the news. Your response is honorable and admirable. Unfortunate for management ~ no one can say the same for them.
Dear Bruce: Your kind face and gentle mannerism plus your accurate wonderful presentation has been missed greatly at this household. We have been watching with dissatisfaction your replacemant, without knowing, if you were on vacation or sick. Now that we know the truth, we are very happy to know you are well! God Bless you! There is always a reason for the unpleasant circumstances. We believe great things awaits you. KOIN has lost these housed as viewers.
Darn it. We’ll miss you Bruce. You were the only reason I watched Koin 6 and waited for your forecast. I do hope you land on another Portland station….. One that has credibility with their news team…. (not Faux News)…
enjoy your time with your family….. and keep that great smile and attitude.
btw, I don’t believe that you’ve been on the air for 25 years,…. you’re not old enough!!!
Dear Bruce:
Your sense of humor, amazing laugh, and meteorological knowledge were unique in the PNW.
Maybe it’s time to ignore the networks and do your own thing online every day!
Anyway, I’ve stopped watching KOIN.
Bruce,
You will be missed. Hope the future brings wonderful things for you and your family.
KOIN is the loser in this deal.
Best to you,
Harry and Vickey Boen
We certainly noticed your absence. Hope we see you back on somewhere after your time off.
We are not happy with your replacement. I wish your replacement luck, but she is going to have a hard time replacing you. We agree with everyone else…forget channel 6, we have moved on to another station. Your professionalism is missed! Your absence from Channel 6 is their loss! We are very disappointed in the management that they to did not renew your contract. Speaking from experience your life will be filled with new changes, but they will be all you hoped for. What a great time you must be having with your family. We wish you the best of everything and we hope you stay in the Portland area!
Just WOW and just wrong, always liked your humor (when there was some added) and forecasting. Best of luck, Bruce.
– William
Bruce, Our family has watched you on KGW and Koin since moving to Portland in the 90’s. You have a wonderful way of explaining the weather event in the pacific northwest in very clear terms. Also your personality is always uplifting and professional. We will miss you and hope to see you in Portland. The new replacement for KOIN weather is not nearly as clear and precise. Kind of an attitude, while you’re like the smart weather guy next door!
I do not like the new change and feel that this was not a very wise decision on the part of the Station. They need to get a feel for what the viewers like and want before they make such changes! I do not like the change!
Thank you for posting why you are not around. We were concerned and now we are just saddened by KOIN 6’s decision. You are an amazing meteorologist and could never be replaced! The new person has some big shoes to fill. We have always enjoyed your forecast and would always say ” Suss knows “. You will be missed. Enjoy your family and we wish you the best!
We are terribly disappointed. My husband and I watched you every evening for as long as I can remember. Like others, we could care less about the fancy new digs. We value your honesty and especially have enjoyed your teachings. We hope to see you on the air again. Sooner is better!
Jack & Sally:
Thank you for your nice note.
I am trying to land right here in Portland, so we’ll see. In the meantime I am actually out enjoying the weather for once!
I’ll let you know what happens.
Bruce
I finally realized you were not on vacation …thanks for the explanation of what happened. And many thanks for the years of very enjoyable weather reporting. You were always an upbeat part of the evening news even when you said, “More rain is in the forecast!” God bless you and your family in the future!
Bruce, at my home you are missed. You lived and breathed weather and it showed. I enjoyed the weather facts you would share. I know names for unusual cloud formations and mood phases and tons of other weather related facts, thanks to you. I hope the best for you and your family, and hope you do make it back on in our area TV for weather. It is hard to put in words, but you made weather come alive, I have never seen that with weather reporting in times past except from you. Now I need to do some news channel shopping. and reprogram my cable box. Hope to see and hear you soon!
Steven:
Thanks so much for your kind post. I really appreciate it.
I love sharing about all the exciting things in earth science & weather and hope I’ll land on another station here at home!
Have a great weekend,
Bruce
“Here at home” says it all, Bruce. When I saw the “chief meteorologist” I ran to the computer. Appreciate your blog letting your viewers know you didn’t just disappear off the face of the earth. You really were an integral part of the news team & I always enjoyed your weather forecasts. They were fresh, informative, entertaining, and “down home”. You belong in the Great Pacific Northwest! Oh, I understand corporate buyouts well enough. Well enough to know that the decisions for change are often misguided. Rule #1: people don’t like change! I too, will be looking for you. KOIN 6, however is no longer on my radar. 🙂
I just moved to Oregon last year and you quickly became my favorite of all the local meteorologists. We’ve lived all over the country and you’re among the best out there. So sad we didn’t get to watch you longer, but hope you’ll be back on the air here soon. I wrote to KOIN and let them know my feelings as well. Even if you have to leave the area, believe in yourself and don’t change anything because you’re great at your job!
Like many others, I thought Bruce was on a long, well deserved vacation. I can’t believe KOIN let him go. He was the best weather person Portland has had in a very long time. I really loved the enthusiasm he had for making the weather report interesting. You could tell he loved his job. I was kind of disappointed in KOIN a while back when they screwed up their news app. Dumping Bruce was just too much. I will not be watching KOIN news/weather anymore. Good luck, Bruce. I hope you will be able to stay in Portland.
We just got home from “snowbirding” in the Southwest and had been discussing having Bruce back to give us good weather reports. When you weren’t on air, we went online and were shocked by KOIN’s decision. We followed you from KGW, and hope to follow you again in this area. We will no longer watching Channel 6. Best wishes, Kathy & Lou Porter
We’re relatively new to Salem area(5yrs). Have watched the other stations, but you, Bruce, seemed to get it right more often that the others. Will miss seeing you. Best of Luck. Maybe one other ot the Portland stations will realize what a great guy KOIN lost!!
Just back home took 2 days to figure out you were not with 6 anymore. So sad. Always tried to get home by 6:17 for your weather report. Miss you and your warm personality.
Dumb move on the part of KOIN Management!!! I hope you print off all these remarks and send it to KOIN so they can see how the average viewer deals with this very stupid change…..switch to another channel til we see where the best weatherman around (Bruce Sussman) will land.
Bruc is truly a Class Act!!! I have watched his replacement…except for being female and younger…I do not see what she brings to the table. Just reads off some temperatures…nothing special. We miss the always cheerful, exuberant, VERY knowledgable weatherman we had!!!! Nobody can fill his shoes!!
GOOD LUCK BRUCE!!!!!
Hello Bruce,
We miss you on Koin 6 weather. Hoping you were just on vacation. Looking forward to seeing you soon on another Portland channel. Much success to you & your family.
All our best,
Bonnie & Jim
Bruce, You were the best weather man in town.I am in central Oregon now and don’t get local news but when you were at koin 6 I could count on great weather news for my area you will be missed by my wife and myself. Thanks for great reporting. Koin will be at a loss without you. Some folks don’t know when they are well off. Must be politics.
Are you kidding? Trash the best weatherman in the Northwest? The replacement you hired probably really improved your bottom line but, our family will be watching someone else’s TV station from now on.
HEY BRUCE!
YOU’RE THE BOMB! I CAN’T BELIEVE CHANNEL 6 DIDN’T RENEW YOUR
CONTRACT . . . . BIG MISTAKE! BIG BIG MISTAKE! SERIOUSLY?! I CAN’T
BELIEVE IT! OK – ENOUGH OF THAT – I SURE HOPE YOU GET SIGNED ON
HERE IN PORTLAND AGAIN – YOU ARE THE MAIN REASON I WATCHED CH 6!
NO DOUBT YOU WILL BE MISSED – YOU’RE THE BEST IN PORTLAND AS FAR
AS I’M CONCERNED AND COUNTLESS OF #’S THINK SO ALSO. I THOUGHT
YOU WERE ON AN EXTENDED VACATION – I WISH YOU THE BEST (AGAIN, HOPE
IT’S HERE IN PORTLAND) YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE A BLESSED TIME TOGETHER!
AND YOUR LOVED ONES ENJOY THIS GREAT WEATHER, OK? OK!!!!
Boy-Howdee
I sure am at a loss as to KOIN’s thinking here… I think they have shot themselves in the foot here.. Only reason we watched is for Bruce’s weather reporting…,.
GOOD-BYE… KOIN
I am from Illinois and my family still lives there. When ever I go back there I comment on how fake and dull looking their news is, especially the weather. I always brag about how out Koin 6 news was always over the top especially with you Bruce. Now I have to and take it all because the owners at Koin did this. You will be greatly missed Bruce and the new weather girl has nothing on you. Keep in touch and let us know where you go and what you are doing.
I’m glad I finally found out what happened to you at KOIN. They did you a major disservice and I’m not happy with their new setup either. I feel you were one Weatherman I could trust to tell the correct weather, no one else seems to know how. Hope you remain in Portland and find another job, but good luck on where ever the Clouds take you!
Pam,
I appreciate your note. And great line about ‘where ever the clouds take you.’ Very clever!
Bruce
Oh Bruce. When I saw your tweets were still coming with KOIN labeling, I so hoped this wasn’t the situation. Silly silly management and really poor decisions on their part, IMHO. Have hope though; did you see that Mike and Amy are coming back on air in July to do the morning show with 99.5 The Wolf? One moment to management to make a mistake and two years to fix it!!!
Wherever your career takes you next, we wish you the very best of fortunes and fair skies for a reasonable amount of the time. 😉 Personally, we can’t even watch evening weather on KOIN any longer, there’s simply no comparison. We hope you get ‘snapped up’ in the Portland area market but we do understand there is only a limited number of jobs available.
Our best to you, Eric and Sue
I have missed your weather reports. Also your quirky laugh. It is infectious. Hope to see you soon locally in Portland area. If not we wish you the best of luck in what life brings you next.
Sandi:
Thank you for your kind note! I’ve always loved doing the weather.
I’ll let you know where that happens next. In the meantime, it’s fun being off work when it’s 70s & sunny…
Bruce
We are shocked. kept asking what happened to you, thought you were on Vacation. Well goodbye
Koin #6 , not watching that station. Going to #8 for Matt Zaffino. I was very happy with you, you were on the mark majority of the time. Well, good luck and best to you.
Victor Unkow
PS We will miss you but the Channel 6.
Victor & Anne:
Thanks for taking time to post on my blog.
I appreciate you watching over the years!
Bruce
You’re the best weather reporter ever! You made the news fun, upbeat, and made KOIN 6 news worth watching! Because of your passion for meteorology, I’ve since become excited for learning more of the topic myself. You’ve been a breath of fresh air for many and will be missed. I hope you’re able to continue working in the Portland area since you love it so much. I know many hope the same. But for now, I hope you’re enjoying the time off and extra time with your children! Thank you for sharing your knowledge over the years. Take care and best of luck in your endeavors!
Hi Chris:
A big thank you for your nice message. I’m glad you caught my enthusiasm for all things weather!
For now, I’ll be sharing info here on my blog and on my Facebook weather page & Twitter – @forecastupdates.
Have a great rest of your week.
Bruce
Bruce so sorry you arent on koin anymore. even emailed them asked where did bruce go. no reply. do not like this new weather lady. you will be missed. hope you get a job in one of portlands other stations. when you do thats the channel we will watch for our weather info. thanks bruce. good luck
Sandie:
Thanks for your nice message. I’m glad you found your way here for the answer.
We’ll see what happens next. I will be sure and let you know what that is. In the meantime, enjoy the afternoon sunshine!
Bruce
This is very sad news. I always got my weather from you, being sure that you weren’t hired for how you look in a skirt. But on your actual skill.
It’s clear that you have the skill and education to provide the viewers with an accurate forecast. The new owners have just lost one more viewer.
Best wishes to you and your family. You are missed.
Bill:
Thanks for your message & your support. I really appreciate it!
Bruce
Not only are you the best at informing us and teaching us about the weather, but your kindness and humanity is admirable. I was watching the news with my son who had recently returned from college and his immediate comment was, “Wait, where’s Bruce Sussman?” After explaining your situation I was reminded of an incident that occurred during the winter months this past year. My husband and I had stopped to get gas late in the evening. While my husband had gone in to pay for the gas, a gentleman had started a conversation with the gas attendant at the rear of my car. The discussion involved asking attendant about his day, his family and kids, and how they played in the snow. The conversation piqued my interest because the voice sounded very familiar, but I was not able to see either of the men. What struck me was the genuine interest this person expressed towards the gas attendant. When their conversation concluded with voices that were smiling, I saw the gentleman walk to his car. That familiar enthusiastic, smiling voice was yours. You were the gentleman at the rear of my car taking the time to engage in a conversation with this person. I will never forget that evening; getting a chance to see another side of you through your selflessness and kind gesture. You are a class act. I hope this community gets to keep you and your family and you can continue to call this home. We hope to see you soon on the air.
Shelley:
Thanks for your very kind message. You made my day!
And next time, be sure to say hi.
Thanks again,
Bruce
Oh, I am so sorry to hear about this! I, too, thought you were on vacation until I heard from a friend that your contract was not renewed. Last year you were kind enough to reply to a photograph of a weird cloud I had seen, and educated me about microbursts – a term I had never heard before. You were the best meteorologist in the Portland area, the most accurate, the most articulate, and the most personable. You are already missed terribly.
Hi Meghan:
Thank you for your nice message–I really appreciate it!
I was glad to answer your cloud question and if you see any more strange ones be sure to message me on my Facebook weather page.
Have a great 4th of July!
Bruce
I think we all need to send our opinion to Koin also. I don’t like the new weather person either.
Bruce,
Glad I found this blog! I thought perhaps you left town, but I see you are still here, thank goodness!
I don’t pretend to understand the media or the decisions of the owners of the stations. I just hope we see you on the air in this market again soon. I miss you and your delivery of the weather story each day! Not impressed with the current KOIN weather people. Forced to watch Matt. He’s OK but you are the best!
Mary Lou:
Thanks so much for your nice note, I really appreciate it!
I can understand your confusion about the news business. It operates a little differently than most, for sure.
Have a great weekend and thanks again.
Bruce
You are only one of two meteorologists in the Portland area who can accurately predict the weather here in the pacific northwest. I have missed your expertise in predicting the weather. I hope you will be picked up by another station locally. You were only reason why I watched KOIN. Take care.
Rosemary:
Thank you so much for the kind post.
I’ve always loved forecasting our northwest weather!
Thanks again,
Bruce
what a bummer always enjoyed watching you I believe that you are one of the better ones in Portland. Being a mail carrier for the post office I really liked your accurate forecast. hang in I hope you and your family can stay in Portland you will be missed
I am truly shocked that Koin 6 has decided not to renew your contract. I always picked koin local 6 over all the other new channels because of you. I enjoyed your professionalism and passion for the work you did. It is truly a shame that they did not understand your value to their team. I have stopped watching koin local 6 because of this. May God bless you in your journey. When one door is closed, he opens an even better one. You and your family truly deserve it. It is their loss.
Although it is very sad to see you go, and very weird hearing someone else voice when listening in on the forecast, maybe this is a blessing in disguise. I know that if I were a man with your credentials and knowledge, I would want to go all over the world and do all kinds of science in amazing places. That is the great thing about being a scientist; things will never get boring. I hope that, wherever you go and whatever you do, you succeed and most importantly be happy. Business sucks, Science rules. 🙂
Lucky ABC to have Bruce Sussman on Channel 2 ! He is a solid journalist and class act. Let’s see MORE of him.