Arguably the most recognizable current resident of Bowling Green, Chris Allen, can be seen daily on television and heard on multiple radio stations locally forecasting the weather.  He can also be found across the Internet, whether it be communing with his followers on Facebook, Twitter and his blog or having his image or words spread through the blogosphere and entertainment landscape.  In fact just days before our interview, he was once again the object of commentary in the New York Times.

Chris Allen was born and raised in White House, Tennessee.  But his childhood contains memories of his future home from visits with his family to Beech Bend Park.  Other memories are not so positive, like those of hiding in a closet or under a bed when dark clouds began moving in, signaling a storm.  He says, “When I was a kid, I was terrified of storms.  It was the fear of not knowing.  I was afraid of what was going to happen.”

His reaction to the fear was to seek to understand what was happening.  On his own, the young Allen began researching the causes of weather patterns.  The more he studied, the more fascinated he became and as he conquered his fear, he discovered a passion. 

He also discovered his other passion very early in life. Chris’ father, Maxie Allen, was a drummer and Chris developed an interest in drumming.  Maxie Allen played with a number of southern Gospel groups as well as with friends from church.  He introduced Chris to groups like Jake Hess and the Music City Singers, Hovie Lister and the Statesmen and Naomi and the Seagulls.  “I cut my teeth on legendary southern Gospel groups” said Allen as he recalled all night singing conventions at the War Memorial Auditorium in the 70’s.  He heard groups like JD Sumner and the Stamps, The Bill Gaither Trio and the Spear Family.

But as much as he loved Gospel music, it was a disappointment that it was the only music allowed in his home.  In fact, for a time television was banned from the Allen household.  Chris’ parents were very strictly conservative in their religious beliefs.  In high school,  he longed to join the marching band, but that involved attending sporting events.  Chris had not been allowed to play sports because his parents felt it was a distraction from studying the Bible.  He and the band director eventually convinced the Allens to let him join the band.  However, they could not be convinced to allow him to attend the games.  During those days, he recalls, his father became friends with neighbors who were Seventh Day Adventists.  The family began to keep their worship on the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday night instead of on Sundays.  Meat, television, Christmas celebrations and a variety of other indulgences were banned within the Allen household for a time.  Chis was also never able to join a garage band with his peers, so the only experience he gained as a drummer were the moves that his father taught him and what he figured out by playing along with records.

Chris believes that much of his father’s strictness and interpretations of the right way to live were medically based.  Maxie Allen worked at the Dupont factory and was injured on the job when he fell from a ladder.  Following the accident difficulties with motor skills eventually led to being laid off.  Doctors would later discover a brain tumor.  Though they operated, as a teenager, Chris Allen and his family were told by the surgeon that they were unable to remove all of the tumor and his father was not likely to live more than six months.  He lasted eight.

Not yet finished with high school, Chris had already landed jobs at radio stations around Nashville.  He worked at both WSIX and WLAC and was given the opportunity to fill in for Gerry House reading the weather forecast on occasion.

Chris was at WDBL when the call came that his father had fallen into a coma.  He rushed to his side.  He was telling his father how much he loved him, when Maxie’s eyes opened, and then he passed.  Not long before his death, Chris had discussed the future with his father.  According to Chris he said “Son, do what you want to do.  Do it well, do it the best you can.  And don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it.” 

Chris’ first television experience came in the form of voice over work for Nashville’s Channel 30, WCAY.  Shortly afterward, in Campbellsville at WGRB-TV, he helped build a news set where he would serve as anchor and realize his dream of doing TV weather.

In 1986 he was hired by WBKO to work in the creative services department making commercials and station promotions.  After two years he left for a short lived stay at WBGN.  He was rehired by WBKO in 1988 and became their Weekend Weather Anchor.  He went on to become the Morning Weather Anchor and cohost of AM Kentucky, which he says is the #1 rated local morning show in the U.S.

In 2006 Chris Allen led the WBKO team in embracing the internet revolution, opening the station’s first blog.  Though, he doesn’t make posts as often, he continues the blog today.  On several occasions, his posts have raised eyebrows throughout the blogosphere, most recently being referenced in the April 10, 2009 edition of the New York Times, where he makes their list of global warming deniers. Indeed, his entries on the subject can be found throughout his blog archives and in the past have prompted fellow bloggers’ reactions, including calls for his dismissal.  At the heart of most commentary discrediting Allen’s position are his references to God’s plan.  The recent Times article for example, describes his argument saying “Mr. Allen has written that his major objection to the idea of human-influenced climate change is that ‘it completely takes God out of the picture.’”  He does indeed write extensively about God’s role, such as his remark “Do you honestly believe God would allow humans to destroy the earth He created? … I think in many ways that’s what this movement is ultimately out to do – rid the mere mention of God in any context.”

He criticized the article saying he ignored their call because it was just part of a “witch hunt to discredit global warning deniers”, citing past allegations that he is not qualified to speak on the matter.  “I never claimed to be.  They pick on a country boy on a TV station in Bowling Green KY.”  Chris has often been referred to as a meteorologist followed by a debunking of the claim.  However nowhere in his profiles and biographies does he claim to be one.  The position he has attained was a result of his own research and experience rather than the higher education required for many such positions.  Though he could read forecasts from others, he does actually make his own forecasts going in to work at 3am each day to study the raw data.  He also regularly attends workshops to hone his skills and has been awarded the Seal from the National Weather Association for his certification through the orgianization.

While Chris does maintain the position that man cannot destroy the earth, because it is not part of God’s plan, it is not his sole argument for dismissing man made global warming.  He in fact, argues that patterns of warming and cooling have always been a normal part of nature.  In a June 5, 2007 entry he concludes, “If there is a consensus among scientists about man-made global warming, then at what temperature would they all agree the earth should be before they say global warming no longer exists? The answer – there is not a scientific consensus and will never be. And if there were one, they would not agree as to what temperature the earth needs to be ‘normal’ again,”

But what gets Allen’s goat most is what he says are the movement’s emotional arguments aimed at guilt tripping the public.  In an entry on March 14, 2007 he writes, “It’s about control, too. By convincing us the world’s atmosphere and climate is out of control, we grow weak at the knees and feel the sweat rolling down our faces in terror as we reach for our checkbook in hopes it will somehow make a difference. February across the United States was one of the coldest on record while in Kentucky, we survived the 11th coldest February in history. Maybe those poor little polar bears you saw on the internet and on TV being stranded by melting ice (which turned out to be a hoax by the way) maybe should have vacationed in Kentucky last month.”  He has also pointed out that extinction is often a necessary part of life, saying “What if there were activists before the ice age saying ‘all the dinosaurs will die.  Where would we be right now if they had saved them? … It will be over when God says it’s over.”

But despite his outrage with many environmentalists, Chris Allen claims to be a conservationist and in favor of recycling.  On February 7, 2007 he says, “I do my best to tell viewers to keep their thermostats set to 68 degrees to save energy year round. I’ve spent years helping clean up over 90 miles of shoreline trash from Barren River Lake. I am doing my part as everyone should – but with a measure of common sense and not wild hysteria. This earth is bigger than all of us and is in much bigger hands than ours.”  The lamps in his studio contain florescent bulbs, purchased to save both electricity and money.  He is however against any interference from government that “attempts to dictate how we are suppose to live.”  He continues “I’m not extremist, I’m just a regular guy that wants to be left alone.”  Recently he and his wife purchased bicycles.  She inquired as to his plans regarding helmets. “No, I’m not getting a helmet”, he exclaimed, explaining,  “Come on!  That’s how off track we’ve gotten.  We’re so afraid of everything we can’t live anymore.  Laws and regulations prevent people from enjoying life.”

From blogs to articles, to Senate reports, as a quick Google search will reveal, Allen’s statements appear across cyberspace, quoted by supporters on both sides of the fence.  One can also find the ever present remnants of another controversy that launched him into celebrity status in the pop culture world.

Allen’s biggest brush with international exposure was most unwelcome and one of the most trying times of his life.  “We’ve all had our indiscretions.  I guess that was mine.  It was the strangest, weirdest, scariest time.  Some found it funny and others didn’t” he says of the incident.  But in the end, it would also serve as a reaffirmation of all he holds dear.

The controversy erupted while Allen was on vacation.  He recalls opening the first of many emails.  It read, “You disgust me”.  At first confused, he soon learned the sender had watched a video that had been leaked onto YouTube by a former station employee.  Allen has always been known for his playful antics both on screen and off.  At times, other staff have encouraged it while awaiting air time.  On this occasion one of the production crew imposed a giant graphic of a woman’s breast used in a mammagram story on the screen as Chris awaited his cue, enticing a reaction.  Allen’s resulting gestures, giggles, and sound effects were captured.  “Honk, honk” became the sound byte for the incident and before it was over “honk, honk if you love Chris Allen” could be found on bumper stickers.

The video made the rounds in the fall of 2007 and received coverage on a wide variety of newscasts, entertainment programs and websites including MSNBC Live, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, TMZ, YouTube, Google Video, TinyPic/TinyVideo, MySpace, Facebook, MetroMojo, the Oxygen network, the Oprah Winfrey Show and VH1’s Best Week Ever.  According to a Daily News article September 20, 2007, “The clip made its rounds, from several thousand views on YouTube to having more than 200,000 views on Google video and more than 6,000 instances of people embedding the clip online to Web sites.”  The fervor culminated after the clip made the cut for VH1’s Best Year Ever.

Forums and blogs were covered with commentary ranging from calls for dismissal and sexual discrimination charges to accolades of his comic genius to calls for ignoring and forgiving an indiscretion.  As the video and commentary spread, GrayTV was unsure how to deal with the situation.  No immediate action was taken, but as public relations concerns grew a statement was released on television and their website which included an apology from Allen.  Their position was that the release of the material was a violation of their copyright and take down notices were sent out.

Both the statement and the notices further fueled the fire and new discussion erupted involving fair use of the material and privacy.  The requests to remove the video were posted on several sites including one on pageonekentucky.com entitled “WBKO Freaks Out, Damage Control Galore”.  In it, the writer points out that the site was not actually hosting the video, but embedding from one of the 100’s of copies they found on YouTube alone.  In a later post, the publication argued, “WBKO botched the situation by trying to cover things up, perpetuating the desire of millions to view the questionable video footage.” and made reference to “their outrageous cease & desist demands.”

As the controversy gained momentum, attention turned to the possibility of Allen’s termination.  “I wasn’t sure for a couple of weeks”, he said. “I thought if I can’t go back and do what I do at WBKO, it’s going to hurt.  Plus I hated that I had disappointed a lot of people.  The support from church was incredible.  If it hadn’t been for that I probably would have left town.”

Unbeknownst to Chris, one of his daughters posted a petition to save his job which gained thousands of signatures and comments of support in just a few days.  When advertisers also began expressing their support for Allen, his fate was sealed.  “I was so blown away by the support of the people in this community”, said Allen.  “They said ‘you made a mistake, go on and do your job.’ … I truly believe God used that ridiculous episode and turned it into something really profound.”

He bares no ill will towards his company, saying “Management had to make some dicey decisions I wouldn’t have wanted to make.  It’s going to live in cyberspace forever. 

I don’t like it, I don’t like it for my family, especially my wife.” In the end, the episode seemed to cause more of a connection with Allen for viewers than anything.  He then decided to put himself out there even more and began The Allen Challenge.  A mini reality show, it involved the overweight weatherman getting in shape by losing 42lbs in twelve weeks.  He did weigh ins on AM Kentucky and listed all his food and excercise in his blog as well as appeared on film sweating it out while weight lifting, doing aerobics and swimming.  “The outcome was fantastic  This year I wanted for others to have that advantage and train 10 people.  I had the limelight, now I’d like to help others have something, be a catalyst”

Though Chris Allen states that the video debacle caused him to become guarded, even when he thinks the cameras are off, he continues to put himself out there.  Most recently he has become an active presence on both Facebook and Twitter. 

Though he primarily uses the sites to provide weather information, he is also known to post personal, often controversial opinions.  “I think everyone understands my page is not WBKO’s.  I’m going to be opinionated and let people see who I really am.” he says of the sites.  Nonetheless, he has garnered complaints about feeling free to post his opinions. 

But that hasn’t stopped him from relaying his opinions.  He strongly feels that “things are going way off, with traditional values eroding on a daily basis.” and he’s not afraid to grab a soapbox.  “I’m just a news junkie and I feel that that’s important… Today’s media look for the emotional side to get to the heart of the viewer.  I’m more of a substance guy.  On the AM show I have fun and interject news stories.  I’m the curious type so when I do interject, I know.  I’m often accused of spinning it but I am not.  I’m all for the truth.”  He went on to explain that often at the station staff members have noticed mistakes in stories off the wire, saying “I don’t think anyone should assume what they are hearing are the facts.”

In some cases, like a recent tweet relating a rise in gas prices to Obama’s stimulus package, he claims an affinity for putting out nonsensical information to provoke thought, saying “Of course I know gas prices are market driven”.  He likens the technique to those used by other commentators he follows such as Rush Limbaugh.  “I know that puts me in a category” he says of admitting he enjoys commentary by Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck.  “I don’t agree with everything they say, but I’m a realist, a traditionalist.  I’m a conservative.  I’m not telling people how to think or live, I’m trying to get them to think.”

By continuing to embrace the internet and new technologies, Allen feels like he is in some ways insulating himself from future negative experiences.  “If you pull punches then someone’s gonna get a punch in on you.” he surmises.  “I’m pretty direct.  People deserve to know who I am and how I feel.  Either like me or don’t like me.”  He added, “One of the things I like about BKO is its aggressive, progressive attitude towards new technology.  Considering it’s a small market, we’ve never acted like one.”  While at a recent Weather Service meeting in Nashville, he found himself the center of questions when it came out that he was the only one in the group utilizing social networking sites to provide weather information.  “We are no longer a TV station, we are so much more, more of a media center.”

Whether they agree with Chris Allen’s views or not and whether they were offended by the video fiasco or not, the result of his internet appearances in general seem to have been to create a connection to him and his audiences and provided the sense of a person for which “what you see is what you get”.  The same holds true for some of his mannerisms in reporting the weather which include gestures like thumbs up for Friday, a yawn for Monday or using his arm to simulate a hump for his Wednesday “hump day” reports.  In an effort to appear more professional, Allen once eliminated his gesturing.  It prompted calls and letters from viewers who wanted them back!  While he’s sometimes accused of being too light, he finds humor in the workplace an necessity because of the serious nature of the job, saying, “We see enough blood and gore and bad news, there comes a point you’ve got to be able to have a release valve.”

Allen’s release is often in the comfort of fellowship with like minded people at church.  A member of Hillvue Heights, he highly values his worship time and participates in programs provided by the church such as changing oil for single mothers and marriage counseling.

“I’ve never done alcohol or drugs, but just as bad was feeling like I was in some kind of bondage by not being able to worship in particular ways.  I was not free to be a regular teen.”  In some sense he feels grateful for his upbringing as it kept him out of trouble.  However he did rebel and have years of what he calls “misconceptions about what being religious was like and what worshiping God was”.  It was a time in which he resented church and prayer.  He later realized that his rebellion was in fact a search for freedom to worship in a more intimate way.  “I don’t think I have to be a member of a church.  My commitment is to God not to man.  I am a Jesus follower”. 

Nonetheless, he feels at home at Hillvue Heights.  He mans the sound booth each Sunday for three different services and records everything in its entirety and mixes the audio, burning it to CD or DVD.  They are then broadcast to Hillvue.tv which is available to people anywhere in the world.  “It’s an incredible outreach” he says, noting they have visitors from as far away as Switzerland, Newfoundland and Greece.  “I’m off the charts and that church is off the charts.  They get my sense of humor.”  He recently completed a year long project, putting together a Choir CD from mixes of live worship services.

He is also impressed with the talent in the congregation. saying, Marc Owens (Foster and Lloyd, George Strait) is a genius with audio.  He could be anywhere playing drums or doing audio but he’s here at Hillvue.  It just blows me away. It’s just a thrill,”

Though he looks forward to every Sunday in the sound booth, he also enjoys playing in his home studio.  He has recently begun uploading clips of himself playing drums along with his favorite CDs, which include just about anything from the 1970s, from classic rock to disco.  Several of his musician friends have encouraged him, but Chris says he doesn’t take their requests to jam too seriously.  “I’ll be the first to bow to all drummers out there.  I just pick at it.  I can keep time but I’d be dead after the second or third song!” 

In addition to his television and internet presences, Chris’ voice can be heard on various radio stations giving weather reports.  One show in particular that capitalizes on his stature as a local pop culture icon is the Tony Rose Morning Show on SAM 100.7.  “We love Tony to death.” exclaimed Chris.  “He understands us and we understand him.  We’re probably the only ones that do.  He has creative license as long as it’s kept clean.  Not everybody gets me but Tony understands from whence I come.”  Rose agrees, stating “We started a working relationship with WBKO and the weather team about three years ago. It has been a great relationship and Chris is a huge part of that. His daily forecasts on the Tony Rose Morning Show on 100.7 SAM FM have become a thing of legend! He lets me have fun with them and he always is quick with a witty jab back as well on AM Kentucky. Chris is a class act and his sense of humor is great!”

Rose makes use of his freedom to the hilt, utilizing sound bytes like “I like the way you jiggle weatherman” before each forecast.  And voice overs by Chris Allen can be heard throughout his broadcast, even in segments unrelated to the weather.  Some of his favorites include Allen saying “O-M-G”, “Chilly”, “Frosty”, “Oh no, you didn’t!”, and “Oh yes, I did!”.

Chris Allen does admit that public scrutiny can be trying at times.  “There is that part of me that does worry about what people think.”  He explains that on some days when he receives a message saying “You’re the worst weatherman” he says “God bless you” and moves on and then another day the same message “digs to my soul”.  He says sites like Topix can be particularly viscious, explaining how the members often rate physical appearances of local news teams and other such personal commentary.

As for his relationship with the company, he concludes “I’ve had my hand slapped many times on many subjects.  They understand how I feel but I know when to ‘not go there’ or I wouldn’t have lasted 21 years.  They’ve allowed me to live my dreams!”  Another recent high point happened in 2006 when he hosted a live red carpet show on the CM Awards with Whitney Ray.  He talked with Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, Montgomery Generty, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood and others.  He has also had occasion to interview Drew Carey, Kelsey Grammar and Dick Clark.

But if something were to happen that caused them to part ways, Allen says “You should look at any job as an opportunity, even a Walmart greeter or flipping burgers.”  This is a point he often shares with the many student groups he speaks to.  “I tell them, I started working at the drive through at McDonald’s and people would say I had such a nice voice, that it was pleasant.  That led me to believe I could do it”.  He also shares his early experiences fearing the weather, saying that hundreds of parents have written him telling him that explaining the weather in the way he does helped calm their child’s fears.  “If you’re afraid”, he believes, “learn all you can and you’ll get over it.”

In addition to working directly with school children, he is the chairman of the Kentucky Weather Preparedness program.  They set the date and time of tornado drills for schools and recently purchased many weather radios so each school would have one.  He is also active with the Crusade for Children, St. Judes Dream Home and enjoys traveling with his wife of 26 years, Sheila.  Though he stays busy in his spare time, Allen says he’s always itching to get back to work.  “Anybody can work a job but passion goes over and above and it becomes and adventure that shapes you into a better person. It’s not just a job, it’s a real extension of who I am.”  It is that connection that draws viewers to Allen and makes very diverse people relate to him.  … When God is on your side, when mistakes happen, he’s going to carry you through it and he’s going to get the glory.  I’ve told God if I ever get above my raising to take this away from me.  I’m  not better than anyone, I’m a regular guy who’s lucky and fortunate,”