NBC Weather Plus

NBC Weather Plus
Type Defunct Digital broadcast television network (weather/meteorology)
Country United States
Slogan Local Weather Forecasts
Owner NBC Universal and NBC affiliates (exact share unknown)
Launch date
November 15, 2004 (2004-11-15)
Picture format
480i (SDTV)
Official website
www.nbcweatherplus.com (redirects to www.weather.com)

NBC Weather Plus was an American weather-oriented digital broadcast and cable television network that was owned as a joint venture between NBC Universal and the local affiliates of the NBC television network. [1] The service, which was broadcast in standard definition, was carried on the digital subchannels of many NBC affiliates and on the digital tiers of cable providers (through a local affiliate).

Overview

NBC Weather Plus debuted on November 15, 2004, with NBC's New York City owned-and-operated station WNBC serving as the test station for the network. It was originally headquartered in the office facility that also served as the headquarters of sister cable news channel MSNBC in Secaucus, New Jersey. NBC Weather Plus primarily competed with cable network The Weather Channel, as well as a similar digital multicast network, The Local AccuWeather Channel.

The network also provides forecast content for both NBC News and MSNBC's news programs; Weather Plus staff also appeared on most of the programs (although Today mainly used certain meteorologists from the network as substitutes for the program's separate weather anchors). In 2006, after MSNBC moved its operations to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City's Midtown Manhattan district (integrating its operations with NBC News), Weather Plus moved into fellow sister network CNBC's Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

In addition to the network, Weather Plus staff provided weather updates for CNBC and MSNBC; MSNBC also aired "sample" hours of the network during the morning hours on certain major holidays. In addition, Weather Plus was promoted during NBC's NFL pre-game show Football Night in America, and was used to provide the temperature and weather conditions at gametime for each week's NBC Sunday Night Football game during the NFL season. During significant national weather events (such as a major winter storm), Weather Plus meteorologists conducted live reports for NBC Nightly News to provide analysis (all of these services are now provided by The Weather Channel).

Closure

Former logo for NBC Plus.

In September 2008, Landmark Media Enterprises sold The Weather Channel to a consortium of NBC Universal, and private equity firms Blackstone Group and Bain Capital. Shortly afterward, on October 7, 2008, NBC Universal announced that it would phase out Weather Plus by December 31, after the NBC affiliates expressed a desire to shut the service down.[2] Though NBC cited its purchase of The Weather Channel as a factor in the shutdown,[3] it was stated that the network's closure would have occurred even if the acquisition had not happened.[2]

Segments featuring on-camera personalities were discontinued on October 24, 2008. Afterwards until the network formally ceased operations, it ran only a loop of various national satellite, radar and temperature maps accompanied by music, local weather maps inserted by the network's affiliates, and Weather Plus University. With this, the remaining on-camera meteorologists from Weather Plus were referred to on other NBC News and MSNBC programs as only "NBC meteorologists," before eventually being mentioned as being part of the Weather Channel's staff. The Weather Channel's main Atlanta staff also began appearing on NBC News programs, either from the cable channel's Atlanta headquarters, NBC's New York City operations or via satellite on-location during weather events. In early December 2008, the website of Weather Plus was redirected to The Weather Channel's website.

The service formally shut down operations on December 31, 2008. While some of its affiliates switched to other networks, the remaining affiliates received a computer-updated loop of satellite/radar images, current weather conditions and temperatures, and daily forecasts for major regions of the country – operating under the unofficial brand, "NBC Plus". This option allowed the equipment that had been used to insert local content onto the former national feed of NBC Weather Plus to remain in use. The network's forecast system and maps continued to be used until 2010 for studio segments on CNBC and MSNBC, with Weather Channel branding along the top-third banner, before being replaced entirely with graphics used by The Weather Channel by mid-2010 (the graphics system used for Weather Plus's national feed remains in use on NBC's Early Today as of 2014).

Until 2011, several NBC owned-and-operated stations ran a barebones variant of Weather Plus, which was finally replaced with a localized news and lifestyle service called NBC Nonstop (which was replaced by Cozi TV in 2012). Other stations have discontinued their use of Weather Plus in order to take advantage of upgraded weather technology after converting to high-definition news production, or switched to an entertainment-based multicast network featuring programming more palatable to different advertisers. WVIR-TV kept the Weather Plus look until reportedly May 2015 when it was replaced by WeatherNation

Programming

National programming

From its launch until the network discontinued on-camera segments in October 2008, NBC Weather Plus maintained a wheel format for its forecast segments, which were scheduled at fixed timeslots each half-hour:[4]

Timeslot Segment Description
Top of hour-:04 past the half-hour Local weather Weather inserts from the local Weather Plus affiliate
 :04-:06 past the half-hour Coast To Coast Forecast Regional forecasts for the Northeastern, Midwestern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Northwestern United States
 :07.30-:09.30 past the half-hour Local weather Weather inserts from the local Weather Plus affiliate
 :09.30-:13.30 past the half-hour Severe Weather Outlook A summary of ongoing or forecasted severe weather; the segment focused primarily on tropical weather from July to November and winter weather from December to March
 :15-:19 past the half-hour Local weather Weather inserts from the local Weather Plus affiliate
 :19-:21 past the half-hour Plus Five Forecast Five-day national weather and temperature forecast
 :22.30-:24.30: past the half-hour Local weather Weather inserts from the local Weather Plus affiliate
 :25.00-bottom of half-hour National feature segment or affiliate report spotlight A selected weather- or climate-related news report from NBC News or an NBC-affiliated station

Much of NBC Weather Plus' programming is not broadcast live; a digital video jukebox system is used to shuffle certain segments (particularly during seasonal outlook and weather news segments as well as the network's late night programming), except in the event of severe weather of particular significance ongoing in the United States. A viewer that watched NBC Weather Plus in any given day would be able to see a weather news segment that originally aired in the morning repeated long into the night, the same weather information that aired at 11:00 p.m. airing at 4:00 a.m., and the same seasonal outlook (severe weather, tropical weather, or winter weather) segment that originally aired in the morning repeating long into the late afternoon. In the latter instance, this was an issue as updated information may not have been available during any type of severe weather (unless very significant) that was ongoing.

Some of the segments featured on the network used different titles at times if it is a sponsored forecast segment such as State Farm Road Coverage, which replaced Coast To Coast Forecast. The network also produced Weather Plus University, a half-hour program focusing on educating viewers about weather, and featured segments from NBC News and NBC affiliates relating to climate.

During severe weather events, stations could opt to replace the national segments with news simulcasts or a constant radar display, with the Weather Plus network showing a local affiliate's coverage nationally during the "Coast To Coast Forecast" or "Plus Five Forecast" segments, depending on the current programming cycle. During the network's "Weather Alert" mode, specifically when a major severe weather event was occurring or a dangerous hurricane is preparing to make landfall, regular programming was interrupted to provide constant coverage. Most of NBC Weather Plus' affiliates used a respective combination of the station and "Weather Plus" branding, for both the subchannel and for the station's general weather branding during newscasts and weather updates on the NBC affiliate's main channel. After the shutdown of the digital network, many NBC affiliates continued to use the "Weather Plus" brand as part of their on-air weather branding, although most have switched to other brands in the succeeding years.

Local forecasts

NBC Weather Plus gives 24 minutes of programming time per hour to its affiliates to air pre-recorded local forecast segments conducted by weather staff from local NBC-affiliated stations, running eight times an hour. In addition, current weather conditions for a given area and surrounding areas within the affiliate's viewing area or state; regional and five-day forecasts; and almanacs (featuring the day's observed high and low temperatures) were also provided during the local segments.

Local version of NBC Weather Plus from Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV, showing an ad in the top-left corner, local branding above the Weather Plus logo, and time in the bottom-left.

The forecast segment seen in place of the local forecasts on the national feed (which was streamed on the network's website where a local Weather Plus feed was not available for streaming, and was not carried on satellite via DirecTV, Dish Network or C band services) cycled through daily forecasts and composite satellite/radar loops for the respective regions of the Northeastern, Southeastern, Midwestern, Northwestern and Southwestern United States. Music associated with the local forecast segments came from commercial sources, including 615 Music, which composed the music package (mostly the tracks from Positive Pop Grooves, with the other tracks being DJ Gruv, Voccho, Sneez and Pyraflex) used by NBC Weather Plus' weather radar forecasts from 2005 to 2008.

The "L" bar

The network utilizes an on-screen graphic, known as the "L-bar," to display local weather forecasts on the left and bottom third of the screen to provide local weather information on a continuous basis, even during commercial breaks, national weather segments and Weather Plus University. The sidebar displayed sponsorship tags on the top left (which were more often seen on local feeds, and was removed during Weather Plus University), current weather conditions (sky condition, temperature, wind speed/direction and humidity) for the affiliate's city of service and other cities within the viewing area or state on the middle left; station identification on the bottom left (in which affiliates augmented their logo above the Weather Plus logo); and the current time and on some stations, perpetual station identification text on the lower left. The bottom right two-thirds of the bar displayed 24-hour and five-day forecasts for each city (with the 24-hour forecasts also incorporating forecasted precipitation amounts).

A planned revamp of Weather Plus prior to the shutdown announcement (from KOMU-TV).

Similar to The Weather Channel's Local on the 8s segment in the hour after sunset (which determined the usage of daypart-based icons partly on the time of sunset in a given locality), an occasional bug in the "L-bar" displayed weather icons incorporating the sun when detailing the current sky condition for some observation sites at night. If an observation site was located within or near a larger city, the forecast for the next closest reporting station would be shown instead (for example, on Dallas affiliate KXAS-TV's Weather Plus subchannel, the current conditions for Fort Worth Alliance Airport were displayed alongside the forecast for nearby Dallas). The current conditions for a single city cycled for 20 seconds; while the 24-hour and five-day forecasts cycled for 10 seconds. In the case of Sacramento affiliate KCRA, the current conditions cycled continuously and the current time was placed on the right-hand side in the lower-right third. The national feed featured a different "L-bar," which cycled through current conditions, 24-hour and five-day forecasts for 50 major U.S. cities.

Prior to the announcement of Weather Plus' shutdown, the network had planned to revamp the "L-bar". The redesigned graphic was adopted by at least one former Weather Plus affiliate, WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio, following the closure of Weather Plus when it reformatted its weather subchannel into a local format, before the station converted the subchannel into a local radar loop.[5]

Notable former on-air staff

Affiliates

Former affiliates

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

+ Indicates an affiliate converted to The Local AccuWeather Channel following the shutdown of Weather Plus.

City of license/market Station Owner at network's shutdown
(current owner in parentheses)
Subchannel status/notes
Birmingham WVTM 13.2 Media General Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Huntsville WAFF 48.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
MobilePensacola WPMI-TV 15.2 Newport Television
(now owned by Deerfield Media and operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "Local 15 Weather Plus Network"
Montgomery WSFA 12.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with Bounce TV
Phoenix KPNX 12.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "12 News Weather Plus"[6]
Fresno KSEE 24.2 Granite Broadcasting
(now owned by the Nexstar Media Group)
Subchannel is now dark
Los Angeles KNBC 4.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
Sacramento KCRA-TV 3.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
SalinasMonterey
Santa Cruz
KSBW 8.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with ABC[7]
San Diego KNSD 39.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
San FranciscoOakland
San Jose
KNTV 11.2
Denver KUSA-TV 9.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now affiliated with WeatherNation TV
HartfordNew Haven WVIT 30.2[6] NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
Washington, D.C. WRC-TV 4.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
Fort Myers WBBH-TV 20.2 Waterman Broadcasting Corporation Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "NBC 2 News Now +"
Jacksonville WTLV 12.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now affiliated with ZUUS Country
WJXX 25.2 Moved to ABC-affiliated WJXX's second subchannel in 2008; Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, looping "First Coast News Live Doppler"
MiamiFt. Lauderdale WTVJ 6.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
Orlando WESH 2.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Tampa WFLA-TV 8.2 Media General
West Palm Beach WPTV-TV 5.2 E. W. Scripps Company
Albany WALB 10.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with ABC affiliate; weather service now exclusive to Mediacom as "WALB 24/7 Weather"
Atlanta WXIA-TV 11.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now affiliated with WeatherNation TV
Honolulu KHNL 13.2 Raycom Media Subchannel serves as 720p simulcast of CBS-affiliated sister station KGMB-TV
PocatelloIdaho Falls KPVI 6.2 Sunbelt Communications Company
(now owned by Blackhawk Broadcasting)
Subchannel now affiliated with Antenna TV
Chicago WMAQ-TV 5.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
Peoria WEEK-TV 25.2 Granite Broadcasting
(now owned by Quincy Media)
Subchannel now affiliated with ABC
Fort Wayne WISE-TV 33.3 Granite Broadcasting
(now owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting)
Subchannel now dark
Evansville WFIE-TV 14.2 Raycom Media Subchannel was operating as a local weather service, as 14Xtra, Now MeTV
Des Moines WHO-TV 13.2 Local TV
(now owned by Tribune Broadcasting)
Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "Iowa's Weather Channel"
WaterlooCedar Rapids KWWL 7.2 Quincy Media Subchannel now affiliated with The CW
Louisville WAVE 3.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
Baton Rouge WVLA 33.2 White Knight Broadcasting
(operated by Communications Corporation of America)
Subchannel now dark, to soon be reactivated to air Laff TV
Lafayette Served by Lake Charles affiliate KPLC-TV 7.2 and Baton Rouge affiliate WVLA 33.2
Lake Charles KPLC-TV 7.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with Grit
New Orleans WDSU-TV 6.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Bangor WLBZ 2.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "Newscenter Weather Plus"
Portland WCSH 6.2
Baltimore WBAL-TV 11.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Boston WHDH-TV 7.2 Sunbeam Television Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
Detroit WDIV-TV 4.2 Post-Newsweek Stations Subchannel now affiliated with This TV[6]
Marquette WLUC 6.2 Barrington Broadcasting
(now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with Fox
Traverse CityCadillac WPBN 7.3
WTOM-TV 4.3
Subchannel now serves as 720p simulcast of ABC-affiliated sister station WGTU
Duluth KBJR 6.3 Granite Broadcasting
(now owned by Quincy Media)
Subchannel now operating as a local news and weather service, as "News Now"
MinneapolisSt. Paul KARE 11.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now affiliated with WeatherNation TV
HattiesburgLaurel WDAM 7.3 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
Jackson WLBT 3.2 Subchannel now affiliated with Bounce TV
ColumbiaJefferson City KOMU-TV 8.2 University of Missouri Subchannel is now dark
Kansas City KSHB-TV 41.2 E. W. Scripps Company Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
St. Louis KSDK 5.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now affiliated With Bounce TV [6]
Springfield KYTV 3.2 Schurz Communications
(now owned by Gray Television)
Subchannel now affiliated with WeatherNation TV
Las Vegas KVBC 3.2 Sunbelt Communications Company
(now owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with Estrella TV
Reno KRNV 4.2 Sunbelt Communications Company Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
AlbuquerqueSanta Fe KOB-TV 4.2 Hubbard Broadcasting Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
Albany WNYT 13.2 Hubbard Broadcasting Subchannel now operating as a local news and weather service, as "WNYT NC 13 Now", moved to 13.3
Buffalo WGRZ 2.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now affiliated with Antenna TV
New York City WNBC 4.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
Rochester WHEC 10.2 Hubbard Broadcasting Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "News 10 NBC Pinpoint Weather", moved to 10.3
Syracuse WSTM-TV 3.3 Barrington Broadcasting
(now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now operating as Comet TV
Charlotte WCNC-TV 36.2 Belo
(now owned by the Gannett Company)
Subchannel now affiliated with Justice Network
Goldsboro
RaleighDurham
WNCN 17.2 Media General Subchannel now affiliated with Antenna TV
GreensboroWinston-SalemHigh Point WXII 12.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Wilmington WECT 6.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with Bounce TV
Cincinnati WLWT 5.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Cleveland WKYC-TV 3.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "3 Weather"[6]
Columbus WCMH-TV 4.2 Media General Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Lima WLIO 35.3 Block Communications Subchannel is now dark
Steubenville
Wheeling, West Virginia
WTOV 9.2 Cox Enterprises
(now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with Fox
Toledo WNWO 24.2 Barrington Broadcasting
(now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with America One
Oklahoma City KFOR-TV 4.2 Local TV
(now owned by Tribune Broadcasting)
Subchannel now affiliated with Antenna TV
Tulsa KJRH 2.2 E. W. Scripps Company Subchannel was affiliated with Live Well Network, now affiliated with Bounce TV
Portland KGW 8.2 Belo
(now owned by the Gannett Company)
Subchannel now affiliated with Live Well Network
JohnstownAltoona
State College
WJAC-TV 6.2 Cox Enterprises
(now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
LancasterHarrisburg
LebanonYork
WGAL 8.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Philadelphia WCAU 10.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
Pittsburgh WPXI 11.2 Cox Enterprises Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Providence WJAR 10.2 Media General Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Columbia, South Carolina WIS 10.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
GreenvilleSpartanburg
Asheville
WYFF 4.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
Myrtle Beach WMBF 32.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with Bouce TV
Sioux Falls KDLT 46.2 Red River Broadcasting Subchannel is now dark
Chattanooga WRCB 3.2 Sarkes-Tarzian, Inc. Subchannel now affiliated with Antenna TV
Knoxville WBIR-TV 10.2 Gannett Company Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
Memphis WMC-TV 5.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with Bounce TV
Amarillo KAMR-TV 4.2 Nexstar Media Group Subchannel now simulcasts MyNetworkTV affiliate KCPN-LP
Brownsville KVEO 23.2 Communications Corporation of America
(now owned by the Nexstar Media Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with Estrella TV
DallasFort Worth KXAS-TV 5.2 NBC Owned Television Stations Subchannel now affiliated with Cozi TV
El Paso KTSM 9.2 Communications Corporation of America
(now owned by the Nexstar Media Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with Estrella TV
Houston KPRC-TV 2.2 Post-Newsweek Stations Subchannel now affiliated with This TV[6]
Lubbock KCBD 11.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
San Antonio WOAI-TV 4.2 Newport Television
(now owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with Antenna TV
Tyler-Longview KETK-TV 56.2 Communications Corporation of America
(now owned by the Nexstar Media Group)
Subchannel now affiliated with Estrella TV
WacoTemple KCEN 6.2 Frank Mayborn Enterprises, Inc.
(now owned by the Gannett Company)
Subchannel now affiliated with This TV
Salt Lake City KSL-TV 5.3 Bonneville International Subchannel now operating as a local weather service, as "Live 5 Weather Channel"
BurlingtonPlattsburgh, New York WPTZ 5.2 Hearst-Argyle Television Subchannel now affiliated with The CW
Charlottesville WVIR 29.2 Waterman Broadcasting Corporation Subchannel now affiliated with WeatherNation TV
Richmond WWBT 12.2 Raycom Media Subchannel now affiliated with MeTV
KennewickPasco
Richland
KNDU 25.3 The KHQ Television Group Subchannel now affiliated with sports and weather service, as SWX Right Now
Seattle KING-TV 5.2 Belo
(now owned by the Gannett Company)
Subchannel now affiliated with Live Well Network[6][6]
Spokane KHQ-TV 6.2 The KHQ Television Group Subchannel now operating as a local sports and weather service, as SWX Right Now
Yakima KNDO 23.3
Charleston-Huntington W50DL 50 Eagle Broadcasting Group Station now affiliated with Cozi TV. Was the only non-NBC affiliate to carry NBC Weather Plus.
Milwaukee WTMJ-TV 4.2 Journal Broadcast Group
(now owned by The E. W. Scripps Company)
Subchannel now affiliated with The Local AccuWeather Channel

References

  1. WPXI.com (2008-12-01). "Channel 11 News Announces Changes To Weather Team". Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
  2. 1 2 Greppi, Michelle (2008-10-07). "NBC Shutting Down Weather Plus". TelevisionWeek. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  3. Guthrie, Marisa; Malone, Michael (2008-10-07). "NBC Universal Shutting Down Weather Plus". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  4. NBC Weather Plus
  5. http://www.wkyc.com/video/weather/weather_plus/ WKYC (3 Weather) live stream featuring the revamp NBC Weather Plus L-bar.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Station Ownership in the Top 25 Markets" (PDF). broadcastingcable.com. January 24, 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  7. Central Coast ABC Programming from KSBW
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