Familiar face surfaces at WTTV-TV after another weather personality departs

A familiar face has surfaced at WTTV-TV Channel 4 this week.

Former WISH-TV Channel 8 lead meteorologist Robb Ellis is now doing the weather on WTTV, the city’s CBS affiliate.

Lindsay Riley

Ellis said on his Facebook page Tuesday that he would be appearing weekdays on WTTV for a few weeks.

WTTV officials did not return calls seeking comment.

Ellis enters after the recent departure of WTTV meteorologist Lindsay Riley, who took a job with Phoenix, Arizona’s NBC affiliate. Her last day at WTTV was Dec. 15, and she was introduced on-air in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Riley had been with WTTV, primarily appearing weekday mornings, since the station snagged the city’s CBS affiliation from WISH and launched its own newscasts in January 2015.

Before joining WTTV, Riley, a Penn State University graduate, worked for the NBC affiliate in Dallas. Before that, she worked for stations in Lexington, Kentucky and Buffalo, New York.

Ellis was a popular on-air personality while he worked at WISH from 2013 to 2016. He primarily worked weekday evenings at WISH, but he has been appearing on WTTV’s morning news this week.

Ellis is keeping his current gig and will continue to handle weekend weathercasting duties for Chicago’s CBS affiliate, WBBM-TV. “Happy to keep it in the CBS family,” Ellis tweeted upon his arrival at WTTV.

He departed WISH in early 2016 to become chief meteorologist for the NBC affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina. Ellis departed South Carolina last year to begin working as a freelance meteorologist, which took him to Chicago and now to WTTV.

Ellis came to WISH from WECT-TV/WSFX-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina. Before working in television, Ellis was a scientist and researcher for the State Climate Offices in North Carolina and South Carolina.

WTTV is becoming a popular landing spot for WISH alums. Ellis joins former WISH anchor Debbie Knox, reporter and anchor Jessica Hayes and sportscaster Chris Widlic at WTTV.