Did Meteorologist Quit Florida Station After Being Passed Over For Chief?

Dave Cocchiarella
(Courtesy: News13)

Meteorologist Dave Cocchiarella, a familiar face in many Orlando households for more than a decade, left Central Florida News 13 last week, according to Florida News Center.

The cable-only station, owned by Bright House Networks, released this short statement:

“Dave Cocchiarella chose to no longer be with News 13. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Speculation about why he left continues, though.

He has not answered that question, nor commented on the matter since leaving the station last Wednesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Cocchiarella said this on his Twitter account, but has not directly referenced the issue since.

https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/563505641268862978

Some industry insiders suggest Cocchiarella left because he didn’t get the chief meteorologist job left when Jeff Day was let go.

Florida News Center says Cocchiarella’s decision could also have been prompted by possible merger rumors between News 13 and Tampa Bay’s News 9.

Cocchiarella had been with News 13 for 16 years.