In the Press: The Weather Channel: Global Warming Casualty

[nchighcountrywx]

I know this is going to be controversial so the intent is not to stir up discontent but to only call attention to the news with The Weather Channel.

 

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2014/09/13/global-warmoing-casualty-weather-channel-value-ratings-plummet

 

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-12/weather-channel-said-to-speak-to-banks-on-options-including-sale.html#disqus-tab

 

From the articles: 

Bloomberg reports that The Weather Channel (TWC) is in serious trouble. In 2008, NBC Universal bought the network for $3.5 billion. Today the hope is that the TWC can be sold for the same price. 

 

After seven years of inflation, that is a real loss of value. Ratings have also plummeted nearly 20%, from an average of 264,000 viewers in 2011 to just 214,000 in 2013.

 

It's no secret that, over the years, 2008 TWC devolved from a handy place to go for a quick update on the local and national weather to a 24/7 anti-science propaganda network devoted to pushing the made-up crisis of Global Warming.

 

Hopefully The Weather Channel has re-anchor its roots.   Keep in mind they also own Weather Underground and WSI so any sale of The Weather Channel could affect those services also.

[stadiumwave]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2014/09/13/global-warmoing-casualty-weather-channel-value-ratings-plummet

 

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-12/weather-channel-said-to-speak-to-banks-on-options-including-sale.html#disqus-tab

 

From the articles: 

Bloomberg reports that The Weather Channel (TWC) is in serious trouble. In 2008, NBC Universal bought the network for $3.5 billion. Today the hope is that the TWC can be sold for the same price. 

After seven years of inflation, that is a real loss of value. Ratings have also plummeted nearly 20%, from an average of 264,000 viewers in 2011 to just 214,000 in 2013.

It's no secret that, over the years, 2008 TWC devolved from a handy place to go for a quick update on the local and national weather to a 24/7 anti-science propaganda network devoted to pushing the made-up crisis of Global Warming.

 

 

Don't know about the "anti-science made-up propaganda" ....but  they definitely have hurt the network with the constant weather story re-runs & yes going overkill on catastrophic global warming.

[RGweathergeek]

I think the real issue is how TWC has transformed into more of a bad reality show network from giving what people have always went to the Weather Channel for. On Friday when some strong storms were moving through my area I flipped to TWC hoping for even an update on Local on the 8's, instead I was greeted to a marathon of "Fat Guys in the Woods" whatever the hell that is. This coupled with the ridiculous idea to name winter storms has made TWC a sad shell of what it used to be. When TWC was bought out by NBCUniversal a few years ago the writing was on the wall. This lost of focus is what has doomed TWC, not "anti-science made-up propaganda" as Breitbart.com claims. 

[Snow_Miser]

Absolutely ridiculous that they were showing "Fat guys in the woods" instead if coverage on Hurricane Odile. I miss what the weather channel was even just a few years ago. John Hope would be horrified that the weather channel would prioritize a reality TV show over hurricane coverage.

[doncat]

Yeah put on TWC for the first time in a while the other day to check local on the eights for the radar... terrible graphics, terrible resolution on the radar... why did they change that?

[nflwxman]

I'm not sure TWC can really do anything at this point to fall somewhat into obscurity.  Perhaps they need to focus around big storms around the world to keep at least weather junkies watching, but I think the general public will not watch when their weather is not interesting.  Why would the average joe sit around to watch his "local on the 8's" when he can get the weather on an app on his phone in 12 seconds flat?  The reality TV needs to stop, that was an abject failure as no-one benefits from that.

[valkhorn]

Anti science isn't supporting global warming. Anti science would be denial of the science that supports AGW.

Anyway like others have said before the problem is it had a niche and lost it in favor of trying to be something it's not. Here's an idea... Cover the weather. What a concept!

[Cold Rain]

Agree with the above.  TWC needs to drop all of the reality shows and get back to presenting the weather.  They need to make their presentations unique and entertaining.  As nflwxman said, I can go to an app on my phone and get everything I "need" weatherwise in a matter of seconds.  But weather programming has the opportunity to entertain, teach, and present information in a way that an app can't.  They need to focus on doing that.  They're not good at that anymore, at least not currently.  And they need to ditch the Super Nintendo graphics too.

[Brian5671]

Agree with the above.  TWC needs to drop all of the reality shows and get back to presenting the weather.  They need to make their presentations unique and entertaining.  As nflwxman said, I can go to an app on my phone and get everything I "need" weatherwise in a matter of seconds.  But weather programming has the opportunity to entertain, teach, and present information in a way that an app can't.  They need to focus on doing that.  They're not good at that anymore, at least not currently.  And they need to ditch the Super Nintendo graphics too.

that's part of the issue too-many other ways to get local weather-phones, other websites etc.    The reality shows etc are a different issue, but I'm sure that's hurt viewership too.  I can see why they would show them during slower times, but during times of severe weather or a hurricane hit?  No excuse.  And lastly, the public has definitely tired of the end of humanity/Heidi Cullen global warming spots.

[Cheeznado]

Actually the reason they run the reality programming is that ratings are higher than when they cover the weather, except when there is something really big like a landfalling hurricane, tornado outbreak or a big blizzard in high-population areas. The reason for this is what some postulated above- when weather is "normal" people can just get their info on a smart phone etc, the local on the 8s is what used to hold up the ratings in quiet times, now it is largely irrelevant. (Of course the idea that TWC is having trouble is because of its pro-climate change stance is beyond ludicrous).

[ORH_wxman]

Yeah, increased easy access to weather info is really the biggest downfall of TWC.

 

We used to watch it all the time when you needed a quick forecast...now you don't need to do that. Only when a big weather event is occurring is TWC still quite useful. I personally don't watch it much anymore even during big wx events, but from what little I have seen, they still cover these events pretty well.

[valkhorn]

The OP was 

 

Why do people respond to garbage like this. TWC is not really designed for our demograhic and yes, nothing lasts forever. It was a good run but now the internet is taking over. Television is too limited in scope, it's not TWCs fault.

 

I do hope they remain as some entity however, for novelty purposes. It seems they inspired many people, perhaps myself included, to become interested in weather for the long-haul.

 

I don't know why people throw out the mass extinction theories. It's possible way down the road (1k years?) but I think people understand that geo-engineering will be used as a last resort. Either way, don't throw out something that has nothing to do with you.

 

Future humanity may be burning your graves long after your dead because of your lifestyle.

 

 

Because mass extinctions have happened before. We know enough about what caused them, and a massive climate change is usually part of it. When climate changes faster than nature can adapt, it's bad. It's very bad, and there also is the very real possibility that we'll get past a tipping point that our technology won't be able to save us from. That's why we have to be careful. If we can see the signs coming (even 1k years from now), then now would be the time to prepare and prevent it. Not when it's suddenly too late.

 

That being said, I find it very odd that the OP's article suggests that global warming is part of the reason for the loss in money when it's usually the denialists who claim that all the money is in global warming. Funny that.

[Brian5671]

yep, it's not even debatable at this point

LOL-everything's debateable. 

[AvantHiatus]

Because mass extinctions have happened before. We know enough about what caused them, and a massive climate change is usually part of it. When climate changes faster than nature can adapt, it's bad. It's very bad, and there also is the very real possibility that we'll get past a tipping point that our technology won't be able to save us from. That's why we have to be careful. If we can see the signs coming (even 1k years from now), then now would be the time to prepare and prevent it. Not when it's suddenly too late.

 

That being said, I find it very odd that the OP's article suggests that global warming is part of the reason for the loss in money when it's usually the denialists who claim that all the money is in global warming. Funny that.

Great post. The future is definitely "now". Some things like species extinction are irreversible on a timescale that people care about. So suppose we manage to geo-engineer our way out and live in "bio-domes". We would have lost our natural prestige and set back the planet by millions of years in regards to species diversity.

 

The proper way is to simply come back into equilibrium with nature. We will better ourselves in the long-haul while eliminating the global warming threat.

 

I don't think that humans are an invasive species that needs to be wiped out. We have simply overwhelmed the carrying capacity temporarily because everyone wants 3 cars and a big house, including the China/India. I don't like how it is impossible to hold this position without appearing anti-humanitarian.

 

We need to get populations under control, but we can really cut our losses and balance out the standard of living instead of actually killing people to save the planet. Dark but true, many people would like to see mass plagues and death. I will not name them here because I don't want to generate more controversy and derail the key points.

 

As for TWC, they did science a favor by properly covering the "polar vortex" garbage and balancing the facts while remaining steadfast.

[valkhorn]

Great post. The future is definitely "now". Some things like species extinction are irreversible on a timescale that people care about. So suppose we manage to geo-engineer our way out and live in "bio-domes". We would have lost our natural prestige and set back the planet by millions of years in regards to species diversity.

 

The proper way is to simply come back into equilibrium with nature. We will better ourselves in the long-haul while eliminating the global warming threat.

 

I don't think that humans are an invasive species that needs to be wiped out. We have simply overwhelmed the carrying capacity temporarily because everyone wants 3 cars and a big house, including the China/India. I don't like how it is impossible to hold this position without appearing anti-humanitarian.

 

We need to get populations under control, but we can really cut our losses and balance out the standard of living instead of actually killing people to save the planet. Dark but true, many people would like to see mass plagues and death. I will not name them here because I don't want to generate more controversy and derail the key points.

 

As for TWC, they did science a favor by properly covering the "polar vortex" garbage and balancing the facts while remaining steadfast.

 

Thanks.

I think David Attenborough summed it up quite nicely. If everyone wanted to live at the standard of the US - we'd only have the ability to support 1 or 1.5 billion people. Europe was over 2 billion people. Yet, we have 7 billion people and they all want the living standard of the US and that just cannot happen unless many people die or those at the top give some things up.

 

And as far as the polar vortex stuff, people even here need to be reminded often that while last winter was the coldest in 20 years - it was the norm in the 50s through the 80s. And going back, I'm sure winters were even worse.

[AvantHiatus]

Thanks.

I think David Attenborough summed it up quite nicely. If everyone wanted to live at the standard of the US - we'd only have the ability to support 1 or 1.5 billion people. Europe was over 2 billion people. Yet, we have 7 billion people and they all want the living standard of the US and that just cannot happen unless many people die or those at the top give some things up.

 

And as far as the polar vortex stuff, people even here need to be reminded often that while last winter was the coldest in 20 years - it was the norm in the 50s through the 80s. And going back, I'm sure winters were even worse.

Globally, it was rather warm. This is where my attention is focused most of the time, especially when making future predictions. We could have more destructive cold winters in the conus for sure. Who knows what will happen with the NPAC cooking.

 

TWC covered this nicely as well, they are generally well-rounded in terms of their expert discussion. The reality shows are mostly to attract a large demographic, which is necessary for profit margins.

 

I want to make a key point, living like a sub-saharan African is unacceptable. I wonder if you can live comfortably while not holding any economic power. One would need to change the system and remove money completely.

 

Eventually, based on capitalism, everyone (excluding the 1%) would need to live like an African if there were 12 billion people on the planet. Which is where we are going by 2100 if current trends hold.

 

Stopping environmental degradation is key, this will allow our water supplies to remain intact and allow for more efficient land-use by the common person.

[StudentOfClimatology]

And as far as the polar vortex stuff, people even here need to be reminded often that while last winter was the coldest in 20 years - it was the norm in the 50s through the 80s. And going back, I'm sure winters were even worse.

I assume you're speaking for the US as a whole?

For the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Central US, 2013-14 was one of the coldest winters on record. Chicago saw it's coldest December to March period on record, I believe.

[Jonger]

I assume you're speaking for the US as a whole?

For the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Central US, 2013-14 was one of the coldest winters on record. Chicago saw it's coldest December to March period on record, I believe.

 

Thanks.

I think David Attenborough summed it up quite nicely. If everyone wanted to live at the standard of the US - we'd only have the ability to support 1 or 1.5 billion people. Europe was over 2 billion people. Yet, we have 7 billion people and they all want the living standard of the US and that just cannot happen unless many people die or those at the top give some things up.

 

And as far as the polar vortex stuff, people even here need to be reminded often that while last winter was the coldest in 20 years - it was the norm in the 50s through the 80s. And going back, I'm sure winters were even worse.

 

This was the most extreme winter for most living people today.... Minus a late 70's year in regard to temps.

 

Snow + cold... this might have been the harshest winter of all time in the middle 1/3rd of the country.

 

I'm 35 years old and winter 2013-2014 was the coldest and snowiest winter of my life, my father is 59 years old and I think it was his 3rd coldest and 1st snowiest.

[donsutherland1]

I can't speak for others, but the reason I seldom watch TWC today is that it has too much non-weather-related programming. A lot of that extraneous programming even takes place during big storms (tropical, winter, etc.). I don't mind a climate component, but the station should focus on weather programming if it seeks to differentiate itself from other programming options.

[Jonger]

As goes the brick and mortar retailer, so goes TWC, both casualties of the internet age.

[donsutherland1]

As goes the brick and mortar retailer, so goes TWC, both casualties of the internet age.

With a lot of data becoming widely available to anyone who is reasonably familiar with the Internet, differentiation is far more important than it was when TWC was first launched. That would have made substantive analysis by the likes of a Paul Kocin more valuable. Instead, TWC commoditized itself by reducing its technical fare, eliminating its more substantive programs, and putting on low-cost but superficial light program that is entirely unrelated to what was its core business. In turn, those moves intensified the impact of the changing technological environment. It remains to be seen whether TWC can truly turn itself around. To do so, it will need to eliminate its non-weather programming, refocus on weather, and offer the kind of concrete analysis and information that is not readily attainable online (free or pay sites). Such a transformation will require investment in program-related technologies, people with the requisite expertise and skills, and rebranding.

[calm_days]

I know this is going to be controversial so the intent is not to stir up discontent but to only call attention to the news with The Weather Channel.  Keep in mind they also own Weather Underground and WSI so any sale of The Weather Channel could affect those services also.

 

I've noticed some trouble with classic weather underground, but, the pages are all still there.  i think it is unrelated.  It is the best place to access TDWR , using it on the wundermap is very limited, which is an important tool in allowing citizens to observe how climate and just any variations happening affect storm structure up close. 

I'm sure there is something else out there that allows good TDWR observations but I don't know of it yet.  I am not sure why the classic weather underground would disappear this soon , so, it may just be an error reminding us to appreciate it. 

[WEATHER53]

Fear fades in the face of facts unless fear peddling is more profitable.

[JBG]

It's no secret that, over the years, 2008 TWC devolved from a handy place to go for a quick update on the local and national weather to a 24/7 anti-science propaganda network devoted to pushing the made-up crisis of Global Warming.

That can become quite grating and obnoxious. If Weather Undergrouund and TWC go under who else provides similar service?

[JBG]

Fear fades in the face of facts unless fear peddling is more profitable.

Problem is that the fear merchants are government funded, not the honest ones.