Chris Ewing leaving Channel 5

A fixture of local television will leave Maine airwaves Friday night.

Chris Ewing, chief meteorologist at WABI-TV, Channel 5, for almost a decade, will depart to pursue new opportunities in his field. Jeff Matthews, who has been the morning and substitute meteorologist for four years, will take over for Ewing on the 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.

“Both my wife’s parents and my parents are getting older, and we’d like to move closer to them,” Ewing explained. “We’re both looking for some new challenges. We both thought that this would be a good time.”

Last year, Ewing signed a one-year contract, so that he could look at other positions. His dream job would be in a slightly larger market in a warmer climate, which has “interesting weather.”

“I’ve turned down a couple of offers because the logistics weren’t right,” he said. “I’m on the short list for a couple of opportunities, so I anticipate making the decision in the next several weeks.”

Don Colson, WABI’s news director, said he hates to see his friend go.

“Certainly, it’s hard to replace someone like Chris that’s been here for that long,” he said. “We’re fortunate that Jeff has been here for four years, and that he understands and likes Maine.”

As a veteran of broadcast journalism, Colson realizes that the tendency is to move on and up.

“I can’t stand in their way when I see Diana Olick, who got her start here, once or twice a week on the CBS news,” he said. “I’d bet we have more people in big jobs in this country than any other similar-sized stations.”

Ewing said he will miss being in Bangor.

“WABI has been a very stable environment, and I have a good working relationship with the people here,” he said. “I really enjoy coming to work. Also the people of central and eastern Maine have been very nice to me, very cordial.”

Matthews realized that he has a tough act to follow.

“I look at this as a transition,” he said. “There’s no point in trying to do anything that Chris does, or to be anything that he is. I’m just going to be me, and bring what I bring to the table.”

Matthews is a graduate of Rutgers University, where he majored in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, and he has more than 10 years’ experience. Before arriving at WABI, he was a forecaster for Compu-Weather in Flushing, N.Y., which provided forecasts for WABC-TV in New York and several radio stations in the Northeast. He also has been a TV meteorologist at WNEP in Scranton, Pa., and KCAU in Sioux City, Iowa. He is a certified member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.

Joining Matthews on the WABI weather team will be Williams Karins. He comes from WCTI-TV in New Bern, N.C., and is a meteorology graduate of the State University of New York. Karins, who starts Monday, will do the morning forecasts and fill in for Matthews.

In addition, Colson announced that anchors Mindi Hegeman, Lanie Witt and Craig Colson all have signed new contracts with WABI.

Colson said that such stability is but one factor in WABI’s staying No. 1 in the Bangor market.