BY DAVE DAHL
SPRINGFIELD (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Wherever downstate meteorologist Joe Crain is now, he probably feels like Tom Sawyer at his own funeral.
Dozens of people protested in Springfield Thursday evening demanding WICS-TV return Crain to the airwaves.
On June 5, during one of Crain’s morning broadcasts, he criticized his station’s parent company, Sinclair Broadcasting, for imposing “Code Red” weather alerts, which Crain said do not conform to the National Weather Service system.
The “Code Red” brand had been derided on social media and the community as a combination of Chicken Little and the Boy Who Cried Wolf.
Fans said Crain was more than a veteran weatherman; he has been a tireless community icon. Some advertisers have said they are suspending or cancelling their commercials.
WICS news director Michael Truett showed up at the protest to take questions from the protesters, telling them Crain’s criticism and mention of the FCC were out of line.
As for "Code Red," a WICS statement said the alerts will stay, but the name will be changed to "Weather Warn."