information - Anytime, Anywhere,” said David Bennallack, Senior News and Programming
Leader at WHIO-TV. “Adding McCall to our Meteorology team is further evidence of our dedication to keep our viewers safe, whether they’re connected with us on TV, on-line or by their smartphone.”
Vrydaghs (VRY’-dags) comes to Dayton from Verizon’s FiOS1 news channel in metropolitan New York City. Previously she was a Meteorologist at CNN Headline News Radio in Newburgh, NY.
"I've covered everything from tornadoes to Nor'easters," says Vrydaghs. "But my most challenging was Hurricane Irene." Irene moved up the Atlantic Coast in August 2011, making final landfall just east of New York City. With more than $15 Billion in damage, it became the 5th costliest Hurricane in U.S. history. "The hardest part was staying sharp on-air for almost 24 straight hours," says Vrydaghs. "The best part was knowing that I was helping viewers stay safe."
Storm Center 7 Chief Meteorologist Jamie Simpson says Vrydaghs’ forecasting skills are not just limited to hurricanes and tornadoes. “McCall earned her degree in Meteorology from SUNY Oswego, which is one of the top Universities for winter weather forecasting,” says Simpson. “At SUNY Oswego, they study snow like the University of Oklahoma studies tornadoes.”
Vrydaghs will team with Meteorologist Erica Collura on weekends, giving Storm Center 7 two meteorologists on duty each day. Both will work three additional weekdays with Simpson and Morning Meteorologist Rich Wirdzek. Simpson says “The addition of McCall will increase our ability to keep Miami Valley viewers up-to-date on the changing weather conditions in the area, as well as providing timely and important information on-air and online when severe weather strikes.”
“Dayton and Storm Center 7 have a lot to offer,” says Vrydaghs. “I’m excited to be joining such an excellent weather team, and look forward to meeting our viewers.”
Follow McCall on twitter at: @mccallvrydaghs
Or like her on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/meteorologist.mccall
McCall's biography can be found at: http://www.whiotv.com/staff/mccall-vrydaghs/
About WHIO-TV: Channel 7 is part of Cox Media Group Ohio and remains the top ranked station in the United States for news, as well as the #1 ranked CBS affiliate in the country (HH share, metered markets).
About Cox Media Group Ohio
Cox Media Group Ohio (CMG Ohio) is a fully integrated media enterprise that includes print and online products for the Dayton Daily News, Hamilton JournalNews, Springfield News-Sun, and the Middletown Journal daily newspapers, and The Western Star, Fairfield Echo, The Oxford Press and The Pulse-Journal weekly newspapers; targeted print and online products such as ActiveDayton.com, Skywrighter, DaytonB2B, SpringfieldB2B and CinDayB2B; and broadcast properties that include WHIO-TV, a CBS affiliate, and News Talk Radio WHIO 95.7FM and AM 1290, K99.1FM and 95.3 The Eagle. For more information about Cox Media Group Ohio, please check us out online at www.cmgohio.com.
About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. Additionally, CMG owns and operates Valpak, one of North America's leading direct marketing companies. With $1.7 billion in revenue, the company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. CMG operates in more than 30 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including 30 million TV viewers, more than 4 million print and online newspaper readers, and 18 million radio listeners. For more information about Cox Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.