NBC Weather Plus
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| Type | Digital television network Cable television network (Weather/meteorology) |
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| Country | United States |
| Availability | National (in select areas) |
| Owner | NBC Universal |
| Launch date | November 15, 2004 |
| Website Plus.com/ www.nbcWeather Plus.com/ |
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NBC Weather Plus is a 24-hour, commercially-sponsored, weather-oriented broadcast/cable television network jointly owned by NBC Universal and its broadcast affiliates of NBC. It debuted on November 15, 2004 and is the first-ever 24/7, all-digital national-local broadcast network. NBC Weather Plus was headquartered at MSNBC former World Headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey. NBC Weather Plus moved to CNBC Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on November 27, 2007. The service is broadcast on digital subchannels of certain NBC affiliates in the United States and is available on digital cable systems. NBC Weather Plus' main competitor is The Weather Channel and AccuWeather's The Local AccuWeather Channel.
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[edit] About NBC Weather Plus
As a joint venture between NBC and its affiliates, NBC Weather Plus features a balance of national and local coverage. Live broadcasts are aired throughout the day from national and NBC-affiliated local meteorologists, along with a mix of real-time video, meteorological reports and dynamic graphics. When severe weather breaks, affiliate stations may decide to forego the national forecast to continue with their local reporting; this local reporting, in turn, may be picked up by the national channel to show breaking severe weather news and images across the country.
The channel's staff also provides weather updates for fellow NBC Universal cable channels CNBC and MSNBC, and MSNBC airs 'sample' hours of the channel in holiday periods during the morning hours. In addition, Weather Plus is promoted during Football Night in America, and is used to provide gametime temperature and conditions for the later NBC Sunday Night Football game. Increasingly during times of significant national weather events (such as a major winter storm system), Weather Plus meteorologists will appear live on NBC Nightly News to provide analysis.
[edit] Local forecasts
[edit] Programming
The local forecasts are the part of NBC Weather Plus' programming schedule which viewers see the current conditions and local forecast for their respective area. These forecasts are usually shown after most national forecast segments. Pre-recorded weather segments featuring local weather information from meteorologists of local NBC affiliates are shown proceeding weather information.
Viewers can see current weather conditions for their location and surrounding areas, weather forecasts, doppler radars of the region, and the day's actual high and low temperatures.
WNBC in New York was the test station for NBC Weather Plus. Internet viewers who see the national feed, including those areas which Weather Plus.com and nbcWeather Plus.com does not supply a certain city's Weather Plus feed, things are different for its viewers. During this time, the segment includes daily forecasts for each region of the United States and satellite loops and Doppler radars of the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, and Southwest, respectively.
Music for the local forecasts comes mostly from commercially available music, including those composed by 615 Music, who composed the music package used by NBC Weather Plus.
[edit] The "L" Bar
NBC Weather Plus uses an "L-Bar" across the left side third and bottom third of the screen to continuously air local weather information, even during commercial breaks, national weather, and Weather Plus U.
The left side of the bar is reserved for sponsorship of Weather Plus programming on the top left (sponsors of NBC Weather Plus' programming is more often seen on local feeds), the middle left displays the sky condition, temperature, wind speed/direction and humidity for each city and the bottom left is reserved for station identification (on local feeds, featuring the NBC affiliate's logo augmented above the Weather Plus portion of the logo) and current time is on the lower left.
The cycle for each city's weather information display are as follows:
- The current condition display cycle for one city runs for 30 seconds.
- The 24-hour forecast cycle runs 15 seconds.
- The five-day forecast cycle runs 15 seconds.
However, the above does not hold true for the left side of the L-Bar on Sacramento NBC affiliate KCRA. Instead, the current conditions cycle continuously and the time is on the right-hand side in the lower-third.
The bottom of the bar to the right of the time and station ID displays the forecast for the next 24 hours featuring sky condition, temperature and estimated precipitation, followed by the five day forecast showing sky condition and predicted high and low temperatures. Occasionally, the current conditions display shows the icons telling the sky condition with the icon displaying sun despite it being nighttime. This also occurs on The Weather Channel but usually only in the hour following sunset. Not all cities where the current conditions are displayed on the left side of the "L" bar feature that city's forecast and may instead use the conditions of the closest reporting station to that community. Example: Dallas NBC affiliate KXAS' Weather Plus feed displays the current conditions for Alliance Airport but shows the forecast for Dallas-Fort Worth.
Digital television and cable viewers can see current weather conditions and weather forecasts for their location and surrounding areas, while internet viewers who see the national feed instead of a local feed, the bar displays current conditions and daily forecasts for 50 U.S. cities.
To fulfill FCC E/I requirements, NBC Weather Plus shows Weather Plus U, continuing to show the L-Bar on air during educational programming.
[edit] Online services
In early 2006, NBC Weather Plus launched its online component, www.nbcWeather Plus.com and www.Weather Plus.com both of which highlight on-air content, provide up-to-the-minute local forecasting, and cover additional weather-related stories. Many NBC affiliates carrying NBC Weather Plus also broadcast their local feeds on their respective websites and at nbcWeather Plus.com and Weather Plus.com
[edit] Personalities
[edit] Current on-camera meteorologists
- Gary Archibald
- Samantha Davies
- Bill Karins
- Raphael Miranda
- Jackie Meretsky
- Britta Merwin
- Jim Nichols
- Jeff Ranieri
- Todd Santos
[edit] Former on-camera meteorologists
- Ibby Carothers
- Kristen Cornett
- Elise Finch
- Michelle Grossman
- Sean McLaughlin
- Byron Miranda
[edit] Programming schedule
Source: Plus.com/weathernews/9146846/detail.html NBC Weather Plus.
The following list is the current programming lineup provided by NBC Weather Plus (as of September 2007).
| Time | Show |
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| Top of hour-:04 past the half-hour | Local Weather |
| :04-:06 past the half-hour | National Forecast |
| :07.30-:09.30 past the half-hour | Local Weather |
| :09.30-:13.30 past the half-hour | Seasonal Outlook |
| :15-:19 past the half-hour | Local Weather |
| :19-:21 past the half-hour | Extended Forecast |
| :22.30-:24.30: past the half-hour | Local Weather |
[edit] Affiliates
All Verizon FiOS subscribers can watch NBC Weather Plus on channel 860.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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