Winds of change at Channel 5 Katie Horner promoted to chief meteorologist.

The forecast for KCTV, Channel 5, calls for a sudden change in the weather. In a move station officials hope will reverse the sagging ratings of its 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts, Katie Horner was named KCTV's chief meteorologist Thursday. She replaces Gary Amble, who will assume Horner's duties on morning and noon newscasts. The switch will take place Monday, three days before the start of the first Nielsen ratings sweep of the 1998-99 television season. In the last year, KCTV has seen portions of its news audience decline steeply. At 10 p.m. it fell from second to fifth place among women viewers ages 18 to 34, and ratings dropped significantly among adults ages 25 to 54 - two demographic groups cherished by advertisers. Channel 5 news director Don North said Thursday that the move had been planned for some time. North was quick to add that persuading Amble to remain on staff was always part of the plan. "He's a terrific guy, which is precisely why we wanted him to stay," said North, who cited Amble's expertise with the station's digital radar system and his good working relationship with Horner. Although Horner and Amble are about the same age, the promotion of Horner is expected to inject lifeblood into Channel 5's evening newscasts. In focus testing, Horner reportedly scores high with Channel 5 viewers in terms of name recognition and likability. Horner and Amble were both hired by Channel 5 in mid-1994. At the time, Amble, a University of Kansas graduate who arrived from WHO-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, was a certified meteorologist. Horner, hired from WEAR-TV in her native Pensacola, Fla., was not yet certified. She has since obtained her meteorology degree. Horner nearly left Kansas City two years ago when she and her husband, Dan, were both offered positions at CBS-owned WBBM-TV in Chicago. But after KCTV made a strong counteroffer, the couple changed their minds. Both are now employed full time at KCTV. Meanwhile, Channel 5's parent company, Meredith Corp. of Des Moines, Iowa, has named three group general managers to oversee its 11 television stations. Frank DeTillio, general manager at WSMV in Nashville, Tenn., will oversee KCTV in Kansas City and WHNS in Greenville, S.C. He and the two other group general managers will report to John Loughlin, who replaced Phil Jones last year as president of Meredith Corp.'s broadcast group.