Meteorologist departing WISH-TV for Orlando station

After two years with WISH-TV Channel 8, meteorologist Eboni Deon plans to depart to take a job as weekend morning meteorologist WFTV-TV in Orlando, Florida.

Her last day with WISH will be Dec. 18, station officials confirmed Monday. 

Deon, a North Central High School graduate, has been working as WISH’s weekend and night-time meteorologist. She was hired by WISH in late 2014 to help replace Pamela Gardner, who left to take a job with WBZ-TV in Boston.

Eboni Deon

Deon’s new job will be her second stint at WFTV, Orlando’s ABC affiliate. She spent about three years at WFTV and sister station WRDQ-TV in Orlando before joining Al Jazeera America in New York City in 2013.

Deon’s departure comes as Texas-based Nexstar Broadcasting Group is finalizing its acquisition of WISH parent, Virginia-based Media General Inc.

WISH TV has lost several of its on-air personalities since it lost its CBS affiliation to WTTV-TV Channel 4 in January 2015. In addition to Deon, the station is still searching for a replacement for popular weekday evening meteorologist Robb Ellis, who left WISH early this year to return home to South Carolina. He went to work for the NBC affiliate in Columbia.

Deon's departure also comes on the heels of the exit of long-time political reporter Jim Shella, who retired last month.

In August, WISH's general manager, Les Vann, departed. His permanent replacement likely won't be named until after Nexstar's acquisition of the station is finalized.

There were fears that WISH’s ratings would crater after losing its CBS affiliation, and the station has lost some ground. But WISH’s expanded newscasts have remained competitive, ranking third of five stations during several newscasts and snagging an occasional No. 2 spot in the rankings, according to national rating service ComScore.

Deon studied meteorology at Jackson State University and worked for the National Weather Network in Jackson, Mississippi, where she provided weather broadcasts for TV stations in Atlanta, Denver, Miami, and New Orleans.

She later worked as a meteorologist for the Weather Channel while she completed her master's degree in geosciences at Mississippi State University. After graduating, she anchored the Weather Channel’s “Weekend Outlook” and worked as a meteorologist for CNN International.