Ben Pine, WHAS-11 meteorologist, just may be the hardest working broadcaster in the Louisville market. And this is by his own admission.
“I work a 10-hour day, which includes the web, phone, radio, Twitter, Facebook, special events or school talks that I do,” Pine said. “And that is on a ‘good’ weather day. I sometimes think the public thinks we have it easy, but we don’t.”
Pine’s day starts early – real early.
“I get up at 2:30 a.m.,” Pine said. “It’s breakfast while driving, [consisting of] eggs and sausage—no biscuit—and a big coffee. I’m at the station between 3 and 3:30 a.m.”
Pine immediately starts forecasting, which includes emails and faxes to all employees and radio stations. He also does the phone line update, which anyone can call, at 502-585-1212, for the Storm Team forecast.
By 4 a.m., Pine is putting on his makeup, and at 4:30 a.m., the Good Morning Kentuckiana show begins. It’s live until 7 a.m.
From 7 to 9 a.m., Pine does cut-ins for Good Morning America, brief updates of the local weather.
Then, from 9 to 10 a.m., Pine does the weather for Great Day Live, with Terry Meiners and Rachael Platt.
Finally, from 12 to 1 p.m., Pine does the weather for WHAS-11 News at Noon.
By 1:00 p.m., Pine has put in a 6.5 hours of live television. If it’s a 'bad' weather day —one with severe thunderstorms, tornado warnings or significant snowfall, for example—Pine may log quite a few extra hours at the station. But Pine isn’t complaining.
“I love my job,” Pine said. “I get to interact with the community every day, and my job is different every day. Furthermore, I want my job to mean something. I want people to be able to trust me and get lifesaving information from me.”
Pine was born on July 3, in Indianapolis, Ind. At about age 9, he moved to St. Louis, a hometown he grew to love.
