For the first seven years, weather forecasts were presented by John Coleman, former chief meteorologist for ABC owned-and-operated station WLS-TV in Chicago, who left "GMA" in 1982 to start The Weather Channel with Landmark Communications CEO Frank Batten. Dave Murray (now chief meteorologist at KTVI in St. Louis) provided the forecasts for both "Good Morning America" and ABC's early morning news program "ABC News This Morning" from 1983 to 1986. In August 1986, he was replaced by Spencer Christian, who worked at WABC-TV in New York City and served as fill-in meteorologist for both Coleman and Murray whenever they were away on vacation or assignment.