The fallout at Sinclair’s WICS (Springfield, IL) continues and shows no sign of letting up.

The station fired Meteorologist Joe Crain after he called out Sinclair and their mandate to use the term “Code Red” for days that bad weather is in the forecast.

“So we want you to know it’s not us,” Crain said during the newscast. “This is a corporate initiative, the Code Red alert. And behind the scenes, many of us have tried to dissuade it for the last few months, to try something else that’s less controversial to the viewers.”

Sinclair seemed to agree with Crain and that have since dropped the term “Code Red” from their forecasts.

They also dropped Joe Crain from the station. He has been fired and his job is now posted online.

It has been a PR nightmare for the station and Sinclair, even Stephen Colbert is weighing on on the firing of Crain.

Yesterday, viewers showed up in force at the Farmers’ Market at the Illinois State Fairgrounds to show their support for Crain.

Most of the protesters on Thursday afternoon were wearing red shirts with messages like “I Support Joe Crain” and #coderedisdead, mocking the station’s controversy. “

WICS News Director Michael Truett also showed up at the fairgrounds to try field questions from the crowd.

It did not go well.

Many were left unimpressed with Truett’s answers and chants of “Sinclair puppets” rose up from the crowd.

Somewhere, Joe Crain is smiling.

How another station in the market has not yet picked up Joe Crain is quite baffling.

It seems like a no brainer.

H/T State Journal