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The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel logo (2005-present)

Launched May 2, 1982

Owned by NBCUniversal News Group

(NBCUniversal)

The Blackstone Group

Bain Capital[1]

(exact percentages unknown)

Picture format 1080i (HDTV)

480i (SDTV)

Slogan It's Amazing Out There

Country United States

Language English

Broadcast area United States, Puerto Rico and

The Bahamas[2]

Headquarters 300 Interstate North Parkway

SE, Atlanta, Georgia

Sister channel(s) Weatherscan

NBC

CNBC

MSNBC

NBCSN

Website www.weather.com

(http://www.weather.com/)

Availability

Terrestrial

UHF-TV Inc.

(Willmar,

Minnesota)

Channel 34

The Weather ChannelFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Weather Channel is an American basic cable andsatellite television channel that is owned as a joint venturebetween NBCUniversal, and investment firms TheBlackstone Group and Bain Capital. The channel broadcastsweather forecasts and weather-related news, along withdocumentaries and entertainment programming related toweather. The channel's headquarters are in Cumberland,Georgia, near Atlanta.

In addition to its programming on the cable channel, TWCalso provides forecasts for terrestrial and satellite radiostations, newspapers, and websites, and maintains anextensive online presence at weather.com and through a setof mobile smartphone and tablet computer applications.Content from The Weather Channel is available for purchasefrom the NBCUniversal Archives.

As of August 2013, approximately 99,926,000 Americanhouseholds (87.50% of households with television) receive

The Weather Channel.[3] The Weather Channel is currentlythe most reached channel on cable in America, in terms of

coverage.[citation needed]

Contents

1 History1.1 Current

1.1.1 Sale to NBCUniversal1.1.2 Employee dissatisfaction

1.1.3 International versions

2 Local on the 8s

3 Other services

3.1 Weatherscan

3.2 Radio and newspaper presence

3.3 Online services

4 The Weather Channel HD

5 Programming5.1 Movies

6 Current on-air staff

7 In popular culture

8 Branding

8.1 Logos

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Selective TV, Inc.

(Alexandria,

Minnesota)

Channel 50

Satellite

Dish Network 214 (HD/SD)

Cable

Available on most

U.S. cable

systems

Consult your local cable

provider pr channel guide for

channels

IPTV

Verizon FiOS 619 (HD)

119 (SD)

Sky Angel 320

AT&T U-Verse 1225 (HD)

225 (SD)

Streaming media

OneLink

Communications

96

8.1 Logos

8.2 Network slogans

8.2.1 Hurricane, severe weather, and

winter coverage slogans

8.2.1.1 Hurricane coverage

slogans

8.2.1.2 Severe weathercoverage slogans

8.2.1.3 Winter storm coverage

slogans

9 Controversies and criticism

9.1 2007 global warming controversy

9.2 Programming controversies

9.3 Cable and satellite carriage disputes

9.3.1 Dish Network carriage dispute

9.3.2 DirecTV carriage dispute

9.4 2012–13 naming winter storms

10 See also

11 References12 External links

History

Main article: History of The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel was founded on July 18, 1980,[4] by former WLS-TV Chicago chief meteorologist andGood Morning America forecaster John Coleman and then-president of the channel's original owner LandmarkCommunications, Frank Batten. It was launched on May 2, 1982. The Weather Channel debuted a high-definitionsimulcast feed on September 26, 2007.

Current

The Weather Channel uses special proprietary equipment that inserts local weather forecast and warninginformation if it is viewed on a cable television provider. The original WeatherStar technology has been upgradedon larger cable systems to the IntelliStar, which incorporates "Vocal Local" to announce current conditions, weatherbulletins and detailed local forecasts. Subscribers of satellite, IPTV and some smaller cable providers originally sawonly a roundup of local TWC forecasts for major cities across the U.S., as well as satellite and radar images, andsevere weather watch and warning maps when active. However, satellite customers with newer systems orinteractive receivers have the choice of 'roundups' or local forecasts. For both cable and satellite viewers, popularand smooth jazz music plays in the background during these segments. The original WeatherStar technology is stillin use by small cable companies that cannot afford to upgrade to the IntelliStar.

The Weather Channel operates a service based on modified versions of the WeatherStar technology calledWeatherscan, a separate channel which constantly displays local and regional conditions, and forecasts, along withThe Weather Channel's logo and advertisements.

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TWC's sister channel in Canada is The Weather Network in English and MétéoMédia in French, which use similartechnology that is currently in use in the USA. TWC also runs websites in Brazil (Canal do Tempo), the UnitedKingdom (Weather Channel), France (Météo 123) and Germany (Wetter 123). Apart from its stake in theWeather Network/MétéoMédia, TWC only runs its US channel, although it does produce international forecasts.

A definitive history of the network, The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon, byFrank Batten and Jeffrey L. Cruikshank, was published by Harvard Business Press in May 2002, in honor ofTWC's 20th anniversary.

Sale to NBCUniversal

On January 3, 2008, The Weather Channel and its assets were put up for sale by Landmark Communications.[5]

On July 6, 2008, NBC Universal, Bain Capital and Blackstone Group agreed to purchase The Weather Channel

from Landmark.[6] The sale was finalized on September 12, 2008. NBC Universal also owned NBC WeatherPlus, a rival service which was carried by and featured content from its local affiliates; that service announced itsdiscontinuation three months later. Subchannels carrying Weather Plus have since switched to The LocalAccuWeather Channel, kept the Weather Plus engine, or switched affiliations to other networks such as This TV orthe Retro Television Network; while some have shut down entirely.

From November 2008 to February 2009, The Weather Channel laid off seven longtime on-camera meteorologists:Kristina Abernathy, Eboni Deon, Kristin Dodd, Rich Johnson, Cheryl Lemke, Mark Mancuso and Dave Schwartz.With the exception of Eboni Deon, all had been on the air for more than ten years, and three of them had beenemployed by the network for more than twenty years. In July 2010, The Weather Channel terminated Bill Keneely,the last of the original on-camera meteorologists who appeared on the network's first broadcasts in 1982. InDecember 2010, the network also laid off on-camera meteorologist Nicole Mitchell; Mitchell would file a lawsuitagainst The Weather Channel in 2012, alleging that she had been terminated because the new owners disapprovedof the time required by her simultaneous duties as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as one of the "Hurricane

Hunters" team.[7] Such reserve duties are protected by U.S. law. Mitchel now is the chief meteorologist at AlJazeera America.

Inevitably, the merger of NBC on-air meteorologists began in May 2009. former NBC Weather Plus meteorologistTodd Santos joined The Weather Channel on May 2 of that year. Al Roker of NBC's Today began hosting a one-hour morning program called Wake Up With Al, alongside meteorologist Stephanie Abrams later in the summer.However for New York-based forecasting operations (those utilized for MSNBC and CNBC forecasts, forinstance), the former NBC Weather Plus forecasting, radar and graphics systems remain in place, with bannerschanged to fit The Weather Channel's graphics scheme. On September 10, 2009, The Weather Channel co-

founder Frank Batten died.[8][9]

In January 2012, David Kenny took over as CEO of The Weather Channel, replacing former AOL executive MikeKelly, who had the job since summer of 2009. Although all operations, sales support and marketing and the bulk ofemployees are located in the headquarters in Atlanta, David Kenny declined to move there, and continues to live

and work from his home in Boston,[10] visiting Atlanta once or twice per quarter. This is counter to general

company policy which discourages telecommuting for the majority of employees.[citation needed]

Employee dissatisfaction

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Since the sale to NBCU, Bain and Blackstone, The Weather Channel has undergone numerous rounds of layoffsand reorganizations. It currently has a 2.4 "dissatisfied" rating on Glassdoor.com(http://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Weather-Channel-EI_IE37629.11,26.htm). CEO David Kennyonly has an approval rating of 12%.

International versions

Main article: The Weather Channel internationally

Over the years, attempts to broadcast international versions of TWC (apart from Canada's The WeatherNetwork/MétéoMédia and the Australian version of The Weather Channel) failed. TWC also operates websitesfor online localized forecasts in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Latin America, and the United Kingdom, but someof these sites apparently have not been developed further since 2003. The Weather Channel also shares radar andforecasts with The Weather Network, particularly for The Weather Channel's Canadian forecasts.

A UK version of The Weather Channel ran from September 1, 1996 to January 30, 1998, when it was shut

down due to low viewership. It shared channel space with Sky Movies Gold/Sky Box Office 2, The Racing

Channel and Galavision, airing five hours a day. It was designed for cable as it had specific local weather; insome areas, it was carried on cable providers 24 hours a day.

TWC also ran The Weather Channel Latin America, a Spanish language network serving Mexico, Puerto

Rico and South America. This network launched in 1996, but ceased operations on December 20, 2002

due to budget cuts. The channel's three original on-camera weather presenters were Paola Elorza, SalMorales and Mari Carmen Ramos; all three 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, respectively. In 1998, a

Portuguese version was launched in Brazil, which ceased operations on the same date due to low ratings.

Local on the 8s

Main article: Local on the 8s

Since its inception, The Weather Channel has incorporated local forecasts using WeatherStar computers installed atcable headends. Until 1995, the forecasts had aired at various times each hour, but are currently shown at timesending in "8", hence the title of the local forecasts is "Local on the 8s" (though local forecasts are reduced to onceevery half-hour when non-forecast programs are aired, which now comprise the majority of the broadcast day).With the introduction of the current IntelliStar system, traffic information was also incorporated alongside localweather information, in areas where traffic.com (via its TrafficPulse service) provides traffic data; however, trafficinformation was discontinued from the local forecast segments in 2010.

The WeatherStar systems also utilize a Lower Display Line (LDL) on the bottom of the screen during localforecasts and national programming, providing current conditions for a specific location and two or three townswithin 15 miles, almanac data and forecasts on cable headends using the IntelliStar system and only currentconditions, and forecasts on cable headends using WeatherStar XL and older models. WeatherStar units also allowcable providers to scroll text messages when in use, including the capability to broadcast severe weather advisoriesand warnings when severe weather occurs in a given area, displaying warnings for the county in which theWeatherStar system's cable headend is located and surrounding counties in the immediate area.

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Other services

Weatherscan

Main article: Weatherscan

Weatherscan (originally called Weatherscan Local from 1999 to 2003) is a digital cable and satellite channel thatoperates as a sister network of The Weather Channel. Launched in 1999, Weatherscan is available on some cableproviders in the United States, often on their digital cable lineups, though it is available in fewer markets than TheWeather Channel; some providers, however, place the channel on their basic cable tier alongside The WeatherChannel, a separate feed for satellite subscribers on Dish Network launched in the summer of 2010.

Weatherscan's forecast products are generated by an IntelliStar unit at the cable provider's headend, which isconfigured differently than the IntelliStars used by The Weather Channel, in that different graphics and additionalweather products are featured and that the service airs an uninterrupted, rolling local weather format withinformation being shown on a continuous loop. Similar to the now-defunct NBC Weather Plus, Weatherscandisplays an "L"-bar that provides current conditions and weather forecasts for a particular location and thesurrounding area at all times during programming, with weather information also being shown on a smaller screensurrounding the "L"-bar.

Radio and newspaper presence

The Weather Channel provides forecasts for satellite radio provider Sirius XM Radio in the United States. Bothservices run regional forecasts on one station and operate several combined local weather and traffic stations formajor metropolitan areas.

TWC also has content partnerships with a number of local U.S. radio stations to provide local forecasts, usingannouncers separate from the television channel. For some affiliates, The Weather Channel actually provides alimited amount of live coverage during local severe weather (with the Georgia-based announcers connected viaISDN). Distribution of TWC radio content is currently handled by Dial Global.

Similarly, TWC also provides weather reports for a number of newspapers around the United States. This includeda half-page national forecast for USA Today until September 2012, when rival AccuWeather replaced The

Weather Channel as the paper's forecast provider.[11] TWC's forecasts were replaced with those provided byAccuWeather on the USAToday.com website one month later.

Online services

TWC provides numerous customized forecasts for online users through its website, weather.com, including homeand garden, and event planning forecasts. It also provides WAP access for mobile phone users, desktop widgetsfor quick reference by computer users, and customized weather feeds for individual websites. It has cancelled itspaid model application in favor of an all ad-supported model as of 1/6/2014(http://feedback.weather.com/knowledgebase/articles/279577-end-of-life-cancellation-notice-desktop-max). Cellphone customers are also able to have local forecasts sent to their mobile handsets from TWC via SMS by sendinga text message with their ZIP code to 42278, which spells "4cast". Other services include Yahoo!, in which the

weather forecasts are provided by TWC.[12]

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In addition, The Weather Channel maintains apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, and Windows mobileand tablet platforms. Aside from location-based weather forecast information, the apps provide radar maps, andtropical and seasonal updates, as well as social media related functions that track weather-related Twitter messagesand allow users to send Facebook friends severe weather alerts.

In July 2012, The Weather Channel purchased rival weather website Weather Underground. While TWC hadalready has had success with its own mobile apps, it plans to use Weather Underground's large network of digitalforecasting and tracking websites to bolster its digital growth. Weather Underground operates separately from TheWeather Channel and continues to provide its own forecasts, though its website incorporates some weather news

and video content from TWC.[13]

The Weather Channel HD

The Weather Channel HD is a 1080i high definition simulcast of The Weather Channel that launched on September26, 2007. DirecTV was the first provider to add the HD feed. At that time, no programming was actually presentedin high definition, except for a national "satellite" version of the Local on the 8s. The channel premiered its first highdefinition programs on October 1, 2007, with the debuts of Epic Conditions and WeatherVentures; these werefollowed by the premiere of When Weather Changed History on January 6, 2008.

Throughout the final months of 2007 to the early months of 2008, various cable providers began adding TheWeather Channel HD to their channel lineups, including those in the Boston, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas, San

Antonio, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana markets.[14] It began to be carried on Dish Network on May 13,2008. Comcast later began adding the HD feed in some select markets such as Chicago. Time Warner Cable andCablevision, both of which serve the New York metropolitan area, also added the HD feed in late July 2008. The

IntelliStar 2, which provides Local on the 8's segments in HD, was officially released in July 2010.[15] TheIntelliStar 2 features an animated Lower Display Line, current conditions for a given location and its surroundingareas, weather bulletins, regional and local doppler radar loops, and local forecasts for the following several hours,

the next 24 to 72 hours, and the next seven days. Voice narration is done by Jim Cantore.[15] The system graduallyrolled out to major cable providers across the country; the IntelliStar HD units will only be used on The WeatherChannel HD and will not replace the IntelliStar or other units on TWC's standard definition feed or on

Weatherscan. DirecTV added Local on the 8's to its HD feed on September 29, 2009.[16]

TWC began broadcasting studio programming in high definition on June 2, 2008. The new HD studio featuresvarious environmentally friendly technologies. As of 2013, all of TWC's programming (with the exception of ItCould Happen Tomorrow, Full Force Nature, and older episodes of Storm Stories) is currently broadcast inHD.

Programming

Main article: List of programs broadcast by The Weather Channel

Weather forecast programming made up TWC's entire schedule prior to its incorporation of weather-relatedoriginal programming in 2000 (with few breakaways from its forecast programs prior to then, outside of theeducational program The Weather Classroom). The number of hours devoted to TWC's in-studio forecastprograms have steadily eroded since then, though its studio programs still air prominently within its morningschedule and air intermittently during the afternoon and nighttime hours.

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The Weather Channel also broadcasts original weather-related documentary and entertainment series, and specials(known as "long-form programs", although TWC's individual forecast programs last between one and four hours,compared to the "long-form" entertainment programs of a half-hour or one hour in length); these programs typicallyrun 2p-5p ET, 8p-4a ET, weekdays and 2p-430a ET, weekends. Long-form programs are also interspersedalongside forecast programs on TWC's afternoon and nighttime schedule.

Movies

On October 30, 2009, The Weather Channel, in a move deemed controversial by many longtime viewers, beganairing weather-related movies on Friday nights. The first feature broadcast by the channel was The Perfect

Storm.[17] After December 2009, these weekly movies were discontinued for the time being in favor of runningWeather Center, which already aired throughout primetime during the rest of the work week. Despite thecontroversy, the Friday night film block resumed on March 26, 2010 with Into Thin Air: Deaths on Everestunder the title "Flick and a Forecast." The Weather Channel meteorologist Jen Carfagno and MSNBC contributorTouré co-hosted the film block. During the broadcasts, the Lower Display Line that normally appears on TWCshows to provide local weather information (with breakaways during forecast and most long-form programs onlyfor commercial breaks) was removed, appearing only a few times each hour during the film as a substitute for thestandard Local on the 8's segments, with a TWC logo bug appearing at other times during the film when the LDLwas not on-screen.

While the films shown within the "Flick and a Forecast" block were weather-related in some form, some filmsfeatured (such as Misery and Deep Blue Sea) had only a minimal tie to weather. NewsBlues(http://www.newsblues.com) reported the cancellation of the movie block on May 31, 2010; its removal was duein part to viewer criticism of movies being shown on what is intended as a news and information channel, as well asa snafu that occurred during a tornado outbreak in April 2010 that led a scheduled movie to be aired instead ofwall-to-wall severe weather coverage. The "Flick and a Forecast" presentations have since been replaced by anadditional hour of Weather Center and a two-hour block of long-form original programs.

Current on-air staff

Main article: List of personalities on The Weather Channel

In popular culture

The film Back to the Future Part II has a futuristic version of The Weather Channel that looks similar to

today's logo in the year 2015 (but centered and without the blue box).[citation needed]

In the film The Day After Tomorrow, The Weather Channel shows a tornado warning for Los Angeles.

In the Season 9 finale of the sitcom Friends, Rachel Green is tuned into The Weather Channel in her hotel

room in Barbados, as TWC on-camera meteorologist Melissa Barrington says it is sunny in New York City

(the regular setting for the series); Rachel, as a result, calls her a "weather bitch".

Branding

Logos

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The Weather Channel's original and most recognized logo was a blue rectangular box with rounded edges thatdebuted with TWC's first broadcast on May 2, 1982. This logo was revised in 1996, with the corners made lessrounded and the logo becoming slightly flat. The URL text weather.com was permanently added underneath thelogo in 2000. On August 15, 2005, the logo was overhauled again; the blue rectangle's corners are straight with nowhite trim on the edge and "The Weather Channel" text is now in title-case and left-justified, similar to its Canadiansister channel The Weather Network. A 25th anniversary logo used in 2007 featured a white rectangle edged inblue connected to the current logo with "25 YEARS" inside it in blue.

Since the purchase of The Weather Channel by NBCUniversal in 2008, the network has participated in the "Greenis Universal" campaign, which occurs twice a year, usually being in April and November. The network's logochanges to a shade of green to showcase its support of being environmentally friendly.

May 2, 1982–October1996

October 1996–August2005

August 15,2005–Present

Green isUniversal/EarthWeek

High Definition, 2008-Present

Network 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" (June 1986–March 1991)

"Weather You Can Always Turn To" (1991–1996; U.K., 1996–1998; also used currently in NOAA

Weather Network)

"No Place on Earth Has Better Weather" (1996–1998)

"Weather Fans You're Not Alone" (1997–1998, paired with The Front)

"Live By It" (2001–2005; also currently used in Australian version)"Bringing Weather to Life" (2005–February 2008; This slogan is still used on weather.com and certain other

materials, e.g. mailing labels; Slogan made by Lambie-Nairn)

"The Weather Has Never Looked Better" (June 2–late 2008; also slogan for HD broadcasting)

"Weather All The Time" (Tagline for November 2013 revamp)

"It's Amazing Out There" (November 12, 2013–present)[18]

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Hurricane, severe weather, and winter coverage slogans

Hurricane coverage slogans

"Keeping You Ahead of the Storm" (used occasionally since the late 1990s)

"Hurricane Central" (August–October 2005; 2012–present)

"Your Hurricane Authority" (October 2005; 2008–present)

"The Hurricane Authority" (2006–2007; 2009–present)

Severe weather coverage slogans

"Your Severe Weather Authority" (March–September 2009)

"The Severe Weather Authority" (September 2009–present)

"Tornado Central" (2012–present)

"Severe Storm Central" (2012–present)

Winter storm coverage slogans

"The Winter Weather Authority" (2006–2007)

"Your Winter Weather Authority" (2008–2012)

"Winter Storm Central" (2012–present)

Controversies and criticism

2007 global warming controversy

The website Capital Weather published an interview with WJLA-TV meteorologist Brian van de Graaff.[19] In thisinterview, van de Graaff stated:

The subject of global warming definitely makes headlines in the media and is a topic of much debate. Itry to read up on the subject to have a better understanding, but it is complex. Often, it is so politicizedand those on both sides don't always appear to have their facts straight. History has taught us thatweather patterns are cyclical and although we have noticed a warming pattern in recent time, I don'tknow what generalizations can be made from this with the lack of long-term scientific data. That's all Iwill 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 website.[20] In her blog, Dr. Cullen reacted by stating:

If a meteorologist has an American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval which is used to conferlegitimacy to TV meteorologists, then meteorologists have a responsibility to truly educate themselveson the science of global warming.... If a meteorologist can’t speak to the fundamental science ofclimate change, then maybe the AMS shouldn’t give them a Seal of Approval. Clearly, the AMSdoesn’t agree that global warming can be blamed on cyclical weather patterns. It's like allowing ameteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise.... It's not a political statement...it's just an incorrect statement.

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Global warming was voted #1 in The Weather Channel special 100 Biggest Weather Moments.

Programming controversies

The channel's original format was akin to that of a news and information cable network. Since the creation of theseries Atmospheres in 2000 and Storm Stories in 2003, The Weather Channel has seen a gradual transitiontoward a mix of weather forecast programming and weather-related entertainment programming that paralleled thelaunch of sister network Weatherscan, the evolution of the always-on "L" bar/weather ticker, the development ofweather.com and popular branded mobile phone applications, and the increased viewing and interest indocumentary series programs on the topic of weather. Currently, The Weather Channel broadcasts a largeproportion of its non-forecast content on weekends with fourteen hours of the channel's weekend lineup consistingof non-forecast programming, along with eleven hours of non-forecast programming each weekday. The decision toshow movie and series content related to weather has caused criticism from many viewers and those in the media,who have criticized The Weather Channel for deviating from its format of running weather information 24 hours aday to run more infotainment programming.

The controversy further escalated on April 30, 2010, when The Weather Channel went ahead with airing the 1992film Wind (a film about yachting that had little to do with weather, contrary to its name) at the same time a tornadooutbreak was occurring in Missouri and Arkansas. Meteorologist Jim Cantore publicly stated on his Twitter profilethat he was "severely misled" into believing the channel would cancel the movie in favor of tornado coverage and

issued a public apology for the debacle.[21] TWC continued showing the movie while it was giving special "dual-feed" updates to Intellistar units in the area, but much of the affected area was rural and had legacy STAR systems(WeatherSTAR XLs, 4000s etc.) or satellite that did not support the dual-feed feature.

Cable and satellite carriage disputes

Dish Network carriage dispute

On May 20, 2010, Dish Network announced that it was dropping The Weather Channel at midnight ET that day infavor of its own similar weather information channel, The Weather Cast. The carriage dispute was over the rates

that The Weather Channel asked Dish Network to pay: from 11 cents per subscriber per month[22] to 12 cents,[23]

a nine percent increase, totaling $140,000 per month for all Dish subscribers. The dispute was also over The

Weather Channel changing from an information-based channel to an entertainment-based one.[24] "Dish has chosento be the first distributor to drop The Weather Channel rather than pay the standard industry rates others in the

industry have already agreed to pay", The Weather Channel said in a statement.[23] The Weather Channelencouraged Dish Network customers to switch to other TV providers. Dave Shull, senior vice president forprogramming for Dish Network said Weather Channel fees are harder for Dish Network to stomach as morepeople get weather information online. "They're looking for bid increases when I feel like there's a real migration to

the Web, and it's difficult to really justify those rate increases at this time."[25] On May 24, 2010, The WeatherChannel stated that it had come to an agreement with Dish Network that would result in Dish carrying The Weather

Channel for the next several years.[26] Despite the earlier announcement that The Weather Channel would bedropped, the channel was never officially removed from Dish Network. The Weather Cast was discontinued inanticipation of a Weatherscan-based service that would provide local weather information for Dish Networkcustomers. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The proposed movie scheduled for the Friday afterthe deal was struck (May 28), Gorillas in the Mist, was dropped in favor of a six-hour marathon of TornadoRoad.

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DirecTV carriage dispute

DirecTV removed The Weather Channel from its lineup at 12 a.m. ET on January 14, 2014, after the two parties

were unable to come to terms on a new carriage agreement;[27] as a result, DirecTV became the first major pay

television provider to drop the channel in its history.[28] Two weeks before the channel's carriage agreement wasset to expire on December 31 (after which the deadline for a new carriage deal was extended by two weeks), thesatellite provider began carrying WeatherNation TV (the successor to The WeatherCast) on channel 361 on

December 16, 2013 – placing the channel next to The Weather Channel's slot on channel 362;[29] WeatherNationreplaced The Weather Channel on channel 362 (while still being carried on channel 361) when the latter channel

was pulled.[28][30]

The Weather Channel's chief executive officer David Kenny stated that it offered DirecTV the best rate for itsprogramming (according to SNL Kagan, The Weather Channel's average carriage fee currently is 13¢ persubscriber), and blasted the removal of the channel by the satellite provider stating that it was putting profits ahead

of public safety.[27] Representatives for DirecTV stated that it added WeatherNation TV in response to subscribercomplaints regarding the amount of reality programs on The Weather Channel, which it estimated had amounted to

40% of its daily schedule[28][30] (WeatherNation TV, which outside of its carriage by DirecTV is primarily carriedon broadcast television stations as a main channel affiliation or a digital multicast service, does not run programmingoutside of forecasts with the only interruption in its weather coverage coming from affiliates that carry children'sprograms to fulfill FCC E/I requirements). DirecTV stated that weather information is also available throughbroadcast television stations carried as part of its local channel tier, as well as the provider's designated emergency

channels.[30]

2012–13 naming winter storms

See also: Winter storm naming controversy

Beginning in the fall of 2012, The Weather Channel has named major winter storms. The decision to start namingnotable winter storms came as a way to more easily spread knowledge and raise awareness. By naming winterstorms, TWC stated that the public would find it easier to follow storm information, social media will be able to

refer to and discuss the storm, and people will have an easier time referring to the storm after it occurs.[31] Mostindependent sources identify the use of winter storm names by The Weather as a form of SEO-friendly

branding.[32]

It officially named the nor'easter that hit the East Coast of the United States in November 2012 after the Greekgoddess Athena. During the 2012-2013 season, The Weather Channel named 27 winter storms: Athena, Brutus,Caesar, Draco, Euclid, Freyr, Gandolf, Helen, Iago, Jove, Khan, Luna, Magnus, Nemo, Orko, Plato, Q, Rocky,

Saturn, Triton, Ukko, Virgil, Walda, Xerxes, Yogi, Zeus, and Achilles.[33]

Multiple factors are taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to name a winter storm. This includes,

but is not limited to, predicted snowfall and other precipitation, wind speeds, and the timing of the storm.[31]

The Weather Channel has provided the reasoning behind why they named some of the storms: Athena,[34]

Brutus,[35] Gandolf,[36] Iago,[37] Khan,[38] Luna,[39] Magnus,[40] Nemo,[41] Saturn,[42] and Virgil.[43]

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In response, the National Weather Service announced on November 7, 2012 that it would not recognize TheWeather Channel’s name for winter storms, stating in a press release that it "does not use the name of winter storms

in its products."[44][45][46]

See also

AccuWeather – main competition

The Local AccuWeather Channel, a digital subchannel network which is The Weather Channel's mostprominent national competitor

The Weather Network – (the Canadian counterpart to TWC and 30% owned by it)WeatherStar

References

1. ^ "NBC Universal, Bain Capital, and The Blackstone Group Sign Agreement to Acquire The Weather ChannelProperties from Landmark Communications" (http://www.blackstone.com/news/press_releases/7-6-2008.pdf)(PDF) (Press release). Blackstone Group. July 6, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2008.

2. ^ "Nassau (Bahamas) Intellistar I: 8/5/11 1:48 A.M." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w4O3gCg0nI).YouTube. Retrieved 2012-09-22.

3. ^ Seidman, Robert (August 23, 2013). "List of How Many Homes Each Cable Networks Is In - Cable NetworkCoverage Estimates As Of August 2013" (http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/08/23/list-of-how-many-homes-each-cable-networks-is-in-cable-network-coverage-estimates-as-of-august-2013/199072/). TV by the Numbers.Zap2it. Retrieved August 25, 2013.

4. ^ USPTO filings: First Use (not First Use in Commerce date on various filings, including filing w/ serial number73369821)

5. ^ The Guardian. "The forecast is good for The Weather Channel, on sale for $5bn"(http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6595811.html). Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved September 20,2011.

6. ^ Robert Marich. "The Weather Channel Sale Wraps"(http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6595811.html). Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved September 26,2008.

7. ^ "The Marietta Daily Journal - Suit alleges Weather Channel Star was fired for military service"(http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/18857115/article-Suit-alleges-Weather-Channel-Star-was-fired-for-military-service). Mdjonline.com. Retrieved 2012-09-22.

8. ^ "Video Submission Agreement (http://www.weather.com/multimedia/agreement.html)." The Weather Channel.Retrieved on November 18, 2009.

9. ^ 300 Interstate N Pkwy SE (1970-01-01). "Google Maps: 300 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia"(http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=300+Interstate+North+Parkway,+Atlanta,+Georgia&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=300+Interstate+N+Pkwy+SE,+Atlanta,+GA+30339&gl=us&ei=ZSIGS7nCH4mXtgfGwd2zCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA). Maps.google.com. Retrieved 2012-09-22.

10. ^ David Kenny's Twitter Page https://twitter.com/davidwkenny |url= missing title (help).

11. ^ "AccuWeather Announces New Partnership With USA Today" (http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/usa-today-accuweather-partnership/73810). Accuweather.com. September 17, 2012. Retrieved April 17,2013.

12. ^ Kristi E. Swartz. "CNN, Weather Channel win on the Web" (http://weather.yahoo.com). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 8, 2008.

1/18/2014 The Weather Channel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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13. ^ "Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog : Wunderground.com sold to The Weather Channel Companies | WeatherUnderground" (http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2143).Wunderground.com. Retrieved 2012-09-22.

14. ^ Linda Moss. "Weather Channel Touts HD Launches" (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6608977.html).Multichannel News. Retrieved November 1, 2008.

15. ̂a b "WeatherStar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeatherStar).En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2012-09-22.

16. ^ "Multichannel News October 6, 2009 DirecTV Goes HD With Weather Channel's Interactive Apps – OperatorSays SD Version Has Generated Almost 1 billion Impressions In One Year"(http://www.multichannel.com/article/356939-DirecTV_Goes_HD_With_Weather_Channel_s_Interactive_Apps.php). Multichannel.com. 2009-10-06. Retrieved2012-09-22.

17. ^ "October 21, 2009 It's Always Fair Weather... on The Weather Channel"(http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/tvbizwire/2009/10/the-weather-channel-to-begin-s.php). Tvweek.com. Retrieved2012-09-22.

18. ^ http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/weather-channel-gets-new-look-set-mantra_b203159

19. ^ Jason Somenow. "Up Close with Brian van de Graaff, Meteorologist, WJLA Channel 7"(http://www.capitalweather.com/secondary.php?page=features/vandegraaff.capitalweather). CapitalWeather.com.

20. ^ Heidi Cullen (December 22, 2006). "Junk Controversy not Junk Science"(http://climate.weather.com/blogs/9_11396.html). The Weather Channel.

21. ^ Cantore, Jim (2010-04-30). I want to apollogize to all of you. I was SEVERELY mislead. Was told we werebagging the "movie" to do what this network was created for. (http://twitter.com/JimCantore/status/13165039488).Twitter. Retrieved May 1, 2010.

22. ^ Stelter, Brian (2010-05-22). Weather Channel's Move Beyond Forecasts May Be Costly(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/22/business/media/22weather.html). The New York Times. Retrieved May 22,2010.

23. ̂a b Dish Network is dropping The Weather Channel(http://www.weather.com/tv/programs/CustomerMessage.html). The Weather Channel news release (2010-05-20). Retrieved May 22, 2010.

24. ^ Wall Street Journal: "DISH To Replace Weather Channel With Its Own 'Weather Cast'", May 20, 2010.(http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100520-715627.html)

25. ^ Dish Network to Drop Weather Channel(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704513104575256880784721458.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines) The Wall Street Journal May 21, 2010

26. ^ [1] (http://press.weather.com/press_detail.asp?id=296)

27. ̂a b DirecTV customers lose The Weather Channel(http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/14/directtv-weather-channel/4470233/), USA Today(via the Associated Press), January 14, 2014.

28. ̂a b c Spangler, Todd (13 January 2014). "Weather Channel Pulled from DirecTV"(http://variety.com/2014/biz/news/weather-channel-pulled-from-directv-1201054279/). Variety. Retrieved 14January 2014.

29. ^ Flint, Joe (25 December 2013). "DirecTV issues veiled threat in talks with Weather Channel"(http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-directv-weather-20131226,0,3840158.story). LosAngeles Times. Retrieved 26 December 2013.

30. ̂a b c Flint, Joe (14 January 2014). "DirecTV no longer carrying Weather Channel after contract dispute"(http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-weather-channel-off-directv-20140113,0,4788207.story#ixzz2qOYJ2DkU). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 January 2014.

31. ̂a b Niziol, Tom. "Why The Weather Channel is Naming Winter Storms" (http://www.weather.com/news/why-we-name-winter-storms-20121001). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

32. ^ http://www.sciences360.com/index.php/why-the-weather-channel-is-naming-winter-storms-2343/

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33. ^ "Winter 2012-13: Named Storms from 'A' to 'Z' (and 'A' Again)" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/named-winter-storms-2012-2013-a-to-z-20130318). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 18 June2013.

34. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Athena: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/naming-athena-20121107). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

35. ^ "Winter Storm Brutus: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-brutus-naming-20121108). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

36. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Gandolf: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-named-gandolf-20130109). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 4 March 2013.

37. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Iago: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-named-iago-20130117). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

38. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Khan: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-named-khan-20130125). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

39. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Luna: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-named-luna-20130125). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

40. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Magnus: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-named-magnus-20130129). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

41. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Nemo: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-named-nemo-20130206). weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 9 February 2013.

42. ^ "Winter Storm Saturn: Eastern Beast" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-saturn-east-midwest-west). The Weather Channel. Retrieved 7 March 2013.

43. ^ Niziol, Tom. "Winter Storm Virgil: Why We Named It" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/why-we-named-virgil-20130322). The Weather Channel. Retrieved 1 April 2013.

44. ^ "National Weather Service: Just say no to Athena" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/national-weather-service-just-say-no-to-athena/2012/11/07/2eee7154-28e8-11e2-bab2-eda299503684_blog.html). Washington Post. Retrieved 7 November 2012.

45. ^ "Weather Channel names nor'easter, National Weather Service says not so fast"(http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2012/11/07/weather-channel-names-noreaster-national-weather-service-says-not-so-fast/). FNC. Retrieved 7 November 2012.

46. ^ "Winter Storm Athena Forecast Impacts" (http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/noreaster-post-sandy-20121105). The Weather Channel. Retrieved 7 November 2012.

External links

Weather.com (http://www.weather.com/) - Official websiteInteractive tour of TWC's new studio powered by Cisco Systems (http://www.weather.com/studio)

Local forecast music (http://www.weather.com/tv/music/?from=secondarynav)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Weather_Channel&oldid=591057740"

Categories: The Weather Channel 1982 meteorology American television networks Bain Capital companies

Blackstone Group companies Cobb County, Georgia English-language television stations in the United States

Meteorological companies NBCUniversal networks NBCUniversal Private equity portfolio companies

Television channels and stations established in 1982 Atlanta, Georgia

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