The Weather Channel (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Australian Weather Channel with the same name, see The Weather Channel (Australia).
| The Weather Channel | |
 |
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| Type | Cable network (Weather/meteorology) |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | National; affiliated services available internationally |
| Slogan | Bringing Weather to Life |
| Owner | Landmark Communications |
| Key people | Debora J. Wilson — President, The Weather Channel, Inc. |
| Launch date | May 2, 1982 |
| Website | weather.com |
The Weather Channel (TWC) is a cable and satellite television network that broadcasts weather and weather-related news 24 hours a day. The Weather Channel is headquartered in Cumberland, a district of Atlanta. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Landmark Communications. In addition to its cable TV programming, TWC also provides forecasts for terrestrial and satellite radio stations, newspapers, and websites, and maintains an extensive online presence at weather.com. The Weather Channel plans to launch a High Definition simulcast of their current network in September 2007.
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[edit] History
The Weather Channel went on the air on May 2, 1982. The channel reports the weather and other meteorological information for the United States as well as other countries and regions of the world. TWC originally gathered its national region forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and gathered its local forecasts from local National Weather Service offices, but since 2002 has done local forecasting in-house from Atlanta. However, current weather and forecast model data is still provided by the National Weather Service, and the ultraviolet index and air quality reports are from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Weather Channel does not have any local meteorologists outside of the Atlanta area.
The Weather Channel was the brainchild of former WLS-TV Chicago chief meteorologist and Good Morning America forecaster John Coleman, who took his idea to Landmark's then-chief Frank Batten.
[edit] Current
TWC uses special proprietary equipment that inserts local weather forecast and warning information if it is viewed on a cable TV system. The original WeatherStar technology has been upgraded on most cable systems to IntelliStar, including Vocal Local to announce the three-day local forecast. Satellite viewers see a roundup of local TWC forecasts for major cities across the U.S., as well as satellite and radar images, and severe weather watch and warning maps when active.
The Weather Channel produces a service, based on modified versions of WeatherStar technology, called Weatherscan on which a separate channel constantly displays local and regional conditions and forecasts along with The Weather Channel's logo and advertisements.
TWC's sister channel in Canada is The Weather Network in English and MétéoMédia in French, which uses similar technology that is currently in use in the USA. TWC also runs websites in Brazil (Canal do Tempo), the United Kingdom (Weather Channel), France (Meteo 123) and Germany (Wetter 123). Apart from their stake in The Weather Network/MétéoMédia, TWC only runs their US channel, although it does air an international forecast.
A definitive history of the network, The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon, by Frank Batten and Jeffrey L. Cruikshank, was published by Harvard Business Press in May 2002, on TWC's 20th anniversary.
[edit] Overseas versions
Over the years, attempts to broadcast international versions of TWC (apart from Canada's The Weather Network/MétéoMédia and the Australian version of the Weather Channel) have failed. While the Weather Channel still operates websites for online localized forecasts in Brazil, France, Germany, Latin America, and the United Kingdom, these sites appear to have not been developed further since 2003. The Weather Channel also shares radar and forecasts with the Canadian Weather Network, particularly for the Weather Channel's Canadian forecasts.
- A UK version of The Weather Channel ran from 1 September 1996 to 30 January 1998, when it was closed due to low viewing figures.
- TWC also ran The Weather Channel Latin America, which operated in Spanish in Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America, this network ceased operations in December 2002. The service's three original anchors were Paola Elorza, Sal Morales and Mari Carmen Ramos who left the channel within a year of its launch and went on to work for Univision in Miami, Telemundo in Los Angeles and CNN International. At one point, there was also a Portuguese version in Brazil.
- On Time Warner's Oceanic cable system in Hawaii, The Weather Channel aired overnights on a local cable channel, and around the clock on digital [1]. However, its Weather STAR 4000 unit suffered from several technical difficulties during its run (including a persistent "Radar Temporarily Unavailable" notice, showing the Seattle-based radar map), its programming has since been dropped. However, up to 2000, The Weather Channel showed the Weather Star 4000's Travel Cities Forecast off the national feed if there's a problem when tuning in. Hawaii can get The Weather Channel with cable again.
[edit] The Weather Channel logo
The Weather Channel's most recognized logo started out as a slightly-squished blue rectangular box that debuted on TWC’s first broadcast on May 2, 1982. This logo would later be revised in 1996, with the corners and "Weather Channel" text font less rounded. The URL text weather.com was permanently added underneath the logo in 1999. More recently, in August 2005, the logo was re-overhauled; the blue rectangle’s corners are straight, and "The Weather Channel" text is now in lower-case and left-justified, similar to the Weather Network in Canada.
 The first Weather Channel logo, used from 1982 to 1996. |
 The Weather Channel logo used from 1996 to 2005. Similar to the previous logo, but with its corners more squared off. |
[edit] Local on the 8s
The Local on the 8s (also known as the "Local Forecast" or "LOT8s") is the part of TWC's programming where viewers see the current conditions and local forecast for their respective area at times ending in "8" (e.g., 9:18).
Before this was implemented, the local forecast was seen about 8 times an hour at various times, depending on the time of day (more in the morning, less at night). The concept of Local on the 8s debuted in 1996, although it was initially implemented in mid-1995. TWC's Local on the 8s has confused some New York metro viewers and listeners into thinking it is owned by CBS Corporation because WCBS-TV and WCBS-AM has a similar service on its TV and Radio broadcast called "Traffic and Weather on the 8s."
Any cable company that carries The Weather Channel can install a Weather STAR unit in a cable headend and receive the information, which is then shown to viewers.
The current WeatherSTAR units in use are:
As of 2006, the majority of cable companies use the IntelliStar, the network's newest STAR system. Some cable companies in smaller markets continue to use the XL, 4000, or Jr units because the IntelliStar exceeds their budget. However, the IntelliStar has lower maintenance costs than older systems.
Cable viewers can see current weather conditions for their location and surrounding areas, weather forecasts, doppler radars of the region, almanacs (tidal information for most coastal locations), air quality conditions, and in larger media markets, traffic conditions. Some viewers also see forecasts for popular vacation destinations.
Due to the non-locality of satellite television, things are different for its viewers. During this time, the segment includes hourly forecasts for 20 major cities, three-day forecasts for 40 U.S. cities, satellite loops and Doppler radars of the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, and Southwest, respectively. At :18 and :48 after the hour, the Northwest and Southwest radars are replaced by the a radar showing the entire West.
As of November 8, 2006, Dish Network viewers are now able to view local weather conditions and radar on The Weather Channel, based on their billing zip code, along with access to weather in other cities [2].
Music for the local forecasts comes mostly from commercially available music published with BMI. Tracks from the albums of popular jazz fusion artists such as David Benoit, Trammell Starks, The Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra, St. Germain and the Yellowjackets have been used as local forecast music in the past. Ryan Farish [3], Pat Metheny, Boney James, Charles Mingus, and Nestor Torres are some of the artists whose music is currently used on a regular basis for the local forecasts. The Weather Channel has also played music from the band Phish, The Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd, jazz legend Herbie Hancock and famed guitarist Eric Clapton.
[edit] Radio and newspaper presence
The Weather Channel provides forecasts for both the Sirius and XM satellite radio services in the United States. Both services run regional forecasts on one station and have a block of combined local weather and traffic stations for major metropolitan areas.
TWC also has content partnerships with a number of local radio stations in the USA to provide local forecasts, using announcers separate from the TV service. For some affiliates, TWC actually provides a limited amount of live coverage during local severe weather (with the Georgia-based announcers connected via ISDN). Similarly, TWC also provides weather reports for a number of US newspapers, including a half-page national forecast for USA Today.
[edit] Online services
TWC provides numerous customized forecasts for online users, including home and garden and event planning forecasts. They also provide WAP access for mobile phone users, desktop widgets for quick reference by computer users, and customized weather feeds for individual websites. They follow a two-tiered service model, with the free service bearing advertisements and their pay ("Desktop Max") service lacking ads and having enhanced radar and mapping functions. Cell Phone customers can even have their local forecast sent to their mobile handsets from TWC for a fee via SMS by sending a text message with their zip code to 42278 which spells 4cast. Other services include Yahoo!, in which the weather pages are produced by TWC.
[edit] 2007 Global warming controversy
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This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. |
The web site Capital Weather published an interview with WJLA meteorologist Brian van de Graaff. In this interview, Mr. van de Graaff stated:
“The subject of global warming definitely makes headlines in the media and is a topic of much debate. I try to read up on the subject to have a better understanding, but it is complex. Often, it is so politicized and those on both sides don't always appear to have their facts straight. History has taught us that weather patterns are cyclical and although we have noticed a warming pattern in recent time, I don't know what generalizations came be made from this with the lack of long-term scientific data. That's all I will say about this.”
On December 21, 2006, Dr. Heidi Cullen reacted to this by posting "Junk Controversy not Junk Science" in a blog on The Weather Channel's web site. In her blog, Dr. Cullen reacted by stating:
“If a meteorologist has an American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval which is used to confer legitimacy to TV meteorologists, then meteorologists have a responsibility to truly educate themselves on the science of global warming . . . . If a meteorologist can’t speak to the fundamental science of climate change, then maybe the AMS shouldn’t give them a Seal of Approval. Clearly, the AMS doesn’t agree that global warming can be blamed on cyclical weather patterns. It’s like allowing a meteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise . . . It’s not a political statement . . . it’s just an incorrect statement.”
While the anthropogenic view of global warming is aligned with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the position of decertifying or censuring dissenting meteorologists was perceived as a call to marginalize or silence opposing opinions. Cullen's position was derided by a large portion of her blog's responders as politically motivated. Responders included AMS meteorologists who also attacked her position, in particular James Spann a TV meteorologist in Alabama who also runs a weather/climate blog on his site and disagreed with Dr. Cullen's position. In a follow up blog entry "A VERY POLITICAL CLIMATE" Dr. Cullen and The Weather Channel denied any political motivation.
[edit] Programming
[edit] Current programs
- Abrams & Bettes: Beyond The Forecast
- Day Planner
- Epic Conditions
- Evening Edition
- First Outlook
- Forecast Earth
- It Could Happen Tomorrow
- PM Edition
- Storm Stories
- The Climate Code
- The Weather Classroom
- Weather Center
- Weekend Now
- Weekend Outlook
- Weekend View
- Your Weather Today
[edit] Future Programs
- 100 Biggest Weather Moments (April 15, 2007)
- When Weather Makes History (Q1 2008)
[edit] Programming Schedule
Source: The Weather Channel.
| Time (Eastern Time) | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00 AM | First Outlook | The Weather Classroom | |||||
| 4:30 AM | Weekend Outlook | ||||||
| 5:00 AM | |||||||
| 5:30 AM | |||||||
| 6:00 AM | |||||||
| 6:30 AM | |||||||
| 7:00 AM | Your Weather Today | Weekend View | |||||
| 7:30 AM | |||||||
| 8:00 AM | |||||||
| 8:30 AM | |||||||
| 9:00 AM | |||||||
| 9:30 AM | |||||||
| 10:00 AM | Day Planner | ||||||
| 10:30 AM | |||||||
| 11:00 AM | Weekend Now | ||||||
| 11:30 AM | |||||||
| 12:00 PM | |||||||
| 12:30 PM | |||||||
| 1:00 PM | Weather Center | ||||||
| 1:30 PM | |||||||
| 2:00 PM | Epic Conditions | ||||||
| 2:30 PM | It Could Happen Tomorrow | ||||||
| 3:00 PM | Weather Center | ||||||
| 3:30 PM | |||||||
| 4:00 PM | PM Edition | ||||||
| 4:30 PM | |||||||
| 5:00 PM | PM Edition | ||||||
| 5:30 PM | |||||||
| 6:00 PM | |||||||
| 6:30 PM | |||||||
| 7:00 PM | Storm Stories | 100 Biggest Weather Moments | |||||
| 7:30 PM | Storm Stories | ||||||
| 8:00 PM | Abrams And Bettes: Beyond The Forecast | PM Edition | |||||
| 8:30 PM | |||||||
| 9:00 PM | Evening Edition | Forecast Earth | Epic Conditions | ||||
| 9:30 PM | The Climate Code | It Could Happen Tomorrow | |||||
| 10:00 PM | Evening Edition | ||||||
| 10:30 PM | |||||||
| 11:00 PM | Storm Stories | 100 Biggest Weather Moments | |||||
| 11:30 PM | Storm Stories | ||||||
| 12:00 AM | Evening Edition | Evening Edition | |||||
| 12:30 AM | |||||||
| 1:00 AM | Forecast Earth | Epic Conditions | |||||
| 1:30 AM | The Climate Code | It Could Happen Tomorrow | |||||
| 2:00 AM | Evening Edition | Evening Edition | |||||
| 2:30 AM | |||||||
| 3:00 AM | Forecast Earth | Epic Conditions | |||||
| 3:30 AM | The CLimate Code | It Could Happen Tomorrow | |||||
[edit] Personalities
[edit] On-Camera Meteorologists
- Kristina Abernathy
- Stephanie Abrams
- Adam Berg
- Mike Bettes
- Vivian Brown
- Jim Cantore
- Jennifer Carfagno
- Kelly Cass
- Betty Davis
- Eboni Deon
- Kristin Dodd
- Paul Goodloe
- Rich Johnson
- Jeanetta Jones
- Bill Keneely
- Jennifer Lopez
- Mark Mancuso
- Nicole Mitchell
- Jeff Morrow
- Carl Parker
- Kim Perez
- Sharon Resultan
- Kevin Robinson
- Dave Schwartz
- Marshall Seese
- Mike Seidel
- Alexandra Steele
- Bob Stokes
- Heather Tesch
- Nick Walker
[edit] Other Personalities
- Tetiana Anderson
- Dr. Heidi Cullen
- Jorma Duran
- Dr. Greg Forbes
- Danny Lipford
- Dr. Steve Lyons
- Julie Martin
- Jeff Mielcarz
- Dao Vu
[edit] Former On-Camera Meteorologists
- Cheryl Lemke (1987-2007)
- Sarah Libby (2005-2007)
- Warren Madden (1996-2007)
[edit] Slogans
- "We Take The Weather Seriously, But Not Ourselves" (1982–1984)
- "Weatherproofing America" (1984–1986)
- "You Need Us, The Weather Channel, For Everything You Do" (1986–March 1991)
- "Weather You Can Always Turn To" (March 1991–1995)
- "No Place on Earth Has Better Weather" (1996–1998)
- "Keeping You Ahead Of The Storm" (1998 – 2001)
- "Live By It" (2001–2005)
- "Bringing Weather to Life" (2005–present)
[edit] Hurricane coverage slogans
- "Hurricane Central" (August–October 2005)
- "Your Hurricane Authority" (October 2005-January 2006)
- "The Hurricane Authority" (May 31, 2006- present)
[edit] Winter coverage slogans
- "The Winter Weather Authority" (December 2006-present)
[edit] Trivia
- During the commercial slogan of "Bringing Weather To Life" in 2005, the Guster song "Window" from the album Parachute was played.
- Nick Walker, Host of First Outlook, is referred to as the "Weather Dude".
- Stephen Arnold Music did all of the 2003-2005 show music.
- Comedian Lewis Black, and John Salley (host of Fox Sports Net's The Best Damn Sports Show Period) have done The Weather Channel's "Celebrity Forecast"
- Jeanetta Jones is currently the only non-certified weather anchor at TWC. However, there are reporters who are also not meteorologists, and Dao Vu, host of Weekend View, is also not a meteorologist.
- In the 2004 movie, The Day After Tomorrow, a brief broadcast from The Weather Channel of radar images of the three super-cyclones tearing Los Angeles apart was shown on a resident's television.
- Nicole Mitchell is a Hurricane Hunter.
- Heather Tesch tells Marshall Seese what color clothing she is wearing the next day, and Marshall tries to wear a tie of a matching color.
- As of December 12, 2006, weather icons that had been in use since 1998, were replaced by more realistic icons.
- Rick & Vicki Griffin were the first and only married TV meteorologist co-anchors in the country in 1983. They both held AMS & NWA Broadcast Seals of Approval by the mid '80's.
- Warren Madden left TWC in 2007, to work full time with the Hurricane Hunters
[edit] See also
- List of Firefox extensions
- The Weather Network - (the Canadian counterpart to TWC)
- List of DirecTV channels
- List of Dish Network channels
- John Hope
[edit] External links
- Weather.com - Official Website
- The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon
- The Weather Channel at TV Ark
