The Weather Channel to announce new Programming tomorrow

#1 Postby **coriolis** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:04 pm

The Weather Channel is worrying a bit less about the weather than it has in the past.
Going into the upfront, the Weather Channel will tell media buyers at its presentation on Friday that it is about to up the ante on its two-year foray into long-form programs, at the risk of alienating the most hardcore weather watchers.
The network will continue with a strategy launched in 2003 that is meant to lure viewers to primetime, hardly the peak hours for watching weather reports, and to even out the waves of viewer disinterest and interest throughout the day that come with good and bad weather.
Patrick Scott, president of the Weather Channel Networks, says viewers are more likely to tune in to watch personalities and programs like "Storm Stories" than for news readily available on the internet and local television stations.
“You can get weather at a commodity level from numerous sources,” he says.

Full Story: http://69.20.6.242/News2005/mar05/mar07 ... esday.html

In a related move, TWC announced that "Local On the Eights" would be moved up to "the Sevens," in order to bring the local forecasts to the viewers sooner. Scott added: "This move will enhance the weather experience for many viewers, bringing their critical local information to them in a more timely fashion. Many of our viewers are 'on the go' and delivering the local forecasts earlier will allow them to get going sooner."

(OK I made up the last part.)

#2 Postby **streetsoldier** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:21 pm

Just when you thought it COULDN'T get any worse...??? :roll:

Website · #3 Postby **Brent** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:32 pm

Not more taped crap... ugh.

Well, that's more time I have now. :lol:

Miss Mary · #4 Postby **Miss Mary** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:44 pm

Time for....

TWC1 - all weather (as it used to be)

TWC2 - fluff pieces, such as these new ideas

Someone needs to start a petition or letter writing campaign. Best example I can give TWC for what we as once loyal viewers want, are two channels similar to how MTV listened to their fans and accomodated their requests. Or at least it seems as though MTV wanted to please their fan base. That may be the difference. TWC seems to be out of touch with what true wx enthusiasts want these days. Sigh......

Mary

Skywatch_NC · #5 Postby **Skywatch_NC** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:50 pm

And TWC falls even further down the slippery slope. :roll:

Eric

#6 Postby **azskyman** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:24 pm

As a hardcore weather fan who has been captivated more by the commercials done for people like me at "The Front" than any other commercial in my "weather lifetime," I'm disappointed but not surprised.

By our own admission here at S2k...we get our weather details at Storm2k and other sources when we want them. The TWC move seems to be an acknowledgement that people are TRULY using real-time info online as opposed to flipping channels anymore. They are right.

Seems to me that among the others besides the fans who might be discouraged or disenchanted, though, are those longtime OCM's who, like us, remember the days when what was happening around the country weatherwise was a priority for TWC. I would be if I were them.

I'm pretty lousy at predicting the weather, and may be even worse at predicting the future of TWC, but I doubt you can grow a channel around peripheral long-form weather programming from the 88.5 million who have access now. That's especially true if programming becomes as repetitive as Storm Stories is.

In a non-related, but also peripheral bit of information received from fellow weather enthusiast and friend Jesse Ferrell who built a very strong following through the internet, it seems his weathersite (won't mention it here to avoid deletion) which has a membership of over 10,000 will become an extension of AccuWeather in State College, PA, soon.

Hmmmmm... As Toby Keith sings it....

"Man, I love this (S2k) bar!"

The Big Dog · #7 Postby **The Big Dog** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:32 pm

Miss Mary wrote:Time for....

TWC1 - all weather (as it used to be)

TWC2 - fluff pieces, such as these new ideas

Someone needs to start a petition or letter writing campaign. Best example I can give TWC for what we as once loyal viewers want, are two channels similar to how MTV listened to their fans and accomodated their requests. Or at least it seems as though MTV wanted to please their fan base. That may be the difference. TWC seems to be out of touch with what true wx enthusiasts want these days. Sigh......

Mary

Well, first of all, if they do create a TWC1 and TWC2, I'm afraid that the one with the taped programming will be the one you get with your basic cable. TWC2 will be TWC Classic, and it will be on the next level of cable, meaning you pay extra, just like MTV2. Oh yeah, they'll show 5 minutes of actual weather on TWC1, but if you want the good stuff, go to TWC Classic. Call your cable operator for more info.

The other thing -- most of their viewers are not hardcore. They watch the local forecast, tropical update, then switch back to whatever they were watching before. I suspect that we are a very, very small percentage of their viewership. All of this has been put through the focus groups, I'm sure, and this is what they think will get them the most bang for their buck.

Skywatch_NC · #8 Postby **Skywatch_NC** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:38 pm

azskyman wrote:As a hardcore weather fan who has been captivated more by the commercials done for people like me at "The Front" than any other commercial in my "weather lifetime," I'm disappointed but not surprised.

By our own admission here at S2k...we get our weather details at Storm2k and other sources when we want them. The TWC move seems to be an acknowledgement that people are TRULY using real-time info online as opposed to flipping channels anymore. They are right.

Seems to me that among the others besides the fans who might be discouraged or disenchanted, though, are those longtime OCM's who, like us, remember the days when what was happening around the country weatherwise was a priority for TWC. I would be if I were them.

I'm pretty lousy at predicting the weather, and may be even worse at predicting the future of TWC, but I doubt you can grow a channel around peripheral long-form weather programming from the 88.5 million who have access now. That's especially true if programming becomes as repetitive as Storm Stories is.

In a non-related, but also peripheral bit of information received from fellow weather enthusiast and friend Jesse Ferrell who built a very strong following through the internet, it seems his weathersite (won't mention it here to avoid deletion) which has a membership of over 10,000 will become an extension of AccuWeather in State College, PA, soon.

Hmmmmm... As Toby Keith sings it....

"Man, I love this (S2k) bar!"

Sorry, couldn't resist, Wxbuddy :wink:

#9 Postby **pojo** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:53 pm

first off they need to rethink the situation..... change (and not show) some of the OCMs... I think we all know who they are. Its really hard to watch TWC when all they do is concentrate on the 16 largest cities around the US. It seems to them that the whole entire US population lives around those particular metros (when that is false) it seems money has the upper hand here, not anything else... its that all might dollar speaking again.

Swimdude · #10 Postby **Swimdude** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:50 pm

Local... On the... SEVENS?! What in the blazing h@#$ are they thinking?! All of us are accustomed to the 8's. Obviously, that's not the most irritating part. They actually think moving it back ONE SINGLE FREAKIN MINUTE will make any sort of difference?! OOHHHH I'm ANGRY. And OH BOY! Non-weather-related stuff...

ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL.

:firedevil:

Meso · #11 Postby **Meso** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 3:35 am

It seems ratings are more important than saving lives and giving awareness!

rainstorm · #12 Postby **rainstorm** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:53 am

local on the 7's make no sense

kevin · #13 Postby **kevin** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:58 am

The last part was a joke. hehe

#14 Postby **Jack8631** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:07 am

kevin wrote:The last part was a joke. hehe

And a very good one! I'm rolling over here.. :jump:

Miss Mary · #15 Postby **Miss Mary** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:56 am

Well, Ed! Good way to get us all worked up here, since wx is at a lull today.....LOL

Actually it is pretty funny how we all missed that, "that last part is a joke." But Kevin!

I think you've been attending Chad and j's school lately!

Mary

Website · #16 Postby **Brent** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:28 am

That link is from March... their upfront was March 9th. LOL

I was waiting on someone to pick that up. :lol:

#17 Postby **wx247** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:16 am

Look at this link:

:roll:

http://press.weather.com/index.php/pres ... es/74.html

This is also from March, but it is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. :roll:

TexasStooge · #18 Postby **TexasStooge** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:13 am

I guess that's the time they're changing logos, right? :roll:

Refer to "TWC Gets New Logo" topic.

Website · #19 Postby **Brent** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:36 am

wx247 wrote:Look at this link:

http://press.weather.com/index.php/pres ... es/74.html

This is also from March, but it is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of.

What on earth??? This isn't American Idol.

:roflmao:

#20 Postby **coriolis** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 2:17 pm

March, Huh? The joke's on ME.

The Weather Channel to announce new Programming tomorrow

The Weather Channel to announce new Programming tomorrow

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