Weather Channel Rant

[hiss srq]

NBC bought out The Westher Channel about a year ago and since than I feel like it has turned into total garbage. They turned it into a new format with hints of talk show and have really dumbed down the weather stuff. It is pretty frustrating. Particularly the "Wakeup With Al" show..... If Al Rokker wants to do talk instead of weather go call "The View" or somthing. I liked the format from the late 90's to early 2000's. Does anyone else feel this way?

[Matt Molnar]

I don't really watch it anymore because I just check online, but I've heard there have been a lot of complaints. Most people just want a quick look at the forecast, not sit through a show about a storm that happened 20 years ago.

[T-Bird76]

Ryan are you surprised? Everything NBC touches turns to $hit.. They've made some really stupid moves in the past few years and they are paying for it now. Oh btw....Al isn't even a real Meteorologist.

[coachrowsey]

NBC bought out The Westher Channel about a year ago and since than I feel like it has turned into total garbage. They turned it into a new format with hints of talk show and have really dumbed down the weather stuff. It is pretty frustrating. Particularly the "Wakeup With Al" show..... If Al Rokker wants to do talk instead of weather go call "The View" or somthing. I liked the format from the late 90's to early 2000's. Does anyone else feel this way?

+1000 here. I've written Time Warner Cable about this as well as the Weather Channel it's self. I'm not holding out alot of hope here. They have destroyed it with the movies & the same about the morning show. I do not watch movies ever & I've told them many times as well as other have on their Facebook page.

If you are on Facebook they have a page I think it's The Weather Channel. Just go on there & "like" them then you can read all the comments as well as add your own. But in all honesty(hope I'm wrong) but I don't think they get it.

Thank you for posting this. It has become a very sore subj. for me.

[moose135]

Oh btw....Al isn't even a real Meteorologist.
But he knows all about watching paint dry :shock:

[lijk604]

Funny you should bring this up Ryan, but I have felt the same way. They have certainly changed their image from one of being weather first and foremost, to, let's get the good looking people in front of the camera. "They can read from a script."

I agree, they have dumbed it down tremendously, and the "Wake Up with Al" is the worst thing out there. They are trying to 'sell it' to the common folk that they are actually in the same place. Meanwhile, Al is in NY and Stephanie is in Atlanta.

The weekends, you have to catch a forecast in between episodes of all their special programming, and when that's on they abandon the Weather on the 8's.

When I'm looking for a general weather on the computer, I don't even go to TWC, I use Accuweather.com Of course, if I need a true aviation forecast I'll use ADDS.

[T-Bird76]

When I'm looking for a general weather on the computer, I don't even go to TWC, I use Accuweather.com Of course, if I need a true aviation forecast I'll use ADDS.

I like NOAA the best, ad free and seems to be the most accurate.

Do you remember those old Blue screens on the weather channel? I use to love watching those....yeah I'm weird.

[hiss srq]

It is all very dissapointing. During major storms they show movies... WTF!? It's the WEATHER CHANNEL! I acutally find/found leaving the Weather Channel on for background noise very relaxing at one point. The on the 8's music was really soothing. I wish someone would come up with a new weather format channel since NBC is intent on destroying what was likely the most enjoyable channel on TV other than the ones you have to pay 10 bucks for a few hours of. Hahahahaha

[Gerard]

When I'm looking for a general weather on the computer, I don't even go to TWC, I use Accuweather.com Of course, if I need a true aviation forecast I'll use ADDS.

I like NOAA the best, ad free and seems to be the most accurate.

I use Cablevision Ch 61 News 12 Traffic/weather.

[LGA777]

Ryan, even though we often disagree this is one time when I 100 PERCENT agree with you man. Wake up with Al sucks Donkey dick, it is just plain awful. Most of my viewing (in the past) was mid morning as I liked having a good idea what the detailed national forecast was so I could have an idea what to expect that day at work in the Tower. I like CH 7 Eyewitness news for my local weather, but the WX channel for the national stuff. Seems like every time I turned it on in the last 6 months that they where talking about everything but WEATHER, h e l l o ! If I want to see how the business markets are doing I have channels for that, if I want weather news I don't tune in to CNBC.

I don't think they get it, so for now I lost interest and moved on. Maybe with hurricane season getting close they will consider focusing more on weather, but I doubt it.

LGA777

[Steven Holzinger]

I've heard Pink Floyd played on the local on the eights...

[gettysburgerrn]

I used to like the blue screens too......

ken

[JHNA57]

I guess a lot of people feel the same way

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/05/25/weath ... webmaildl2 (http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/05/25/weather-channel-vs-dish-network-storm-warning-for-viewers/?ncid=webmaildl2)

[coachrowsey]

Bottom line for me is that I've pretty much moved on from the Weather Channel. Let them do what they want but I'm not there anything like I use to be.

[moose135]

But no matter what else goes on there, if you turn on the Weather Channel and see Jim Cantore broadcasting from your neighborhood, you are pretty well screwed! :wink:

[USAF Pilot 07]

I like NOAA the best, ad free and seems to be the most accurate.



I was a meteorology major (yes, say what you want, but I'm not a geek! and I probably wouldn't have done it again), and all I really look at is NOAA. Rarely does a government agency have the upper hand over a private company, but in this case it does.

It's because all of NOAA's forecasters are actual meteorologists - not TV personalities - and they aren't trying to turn a profit. The National Weather Service is also the only organization that can put up weather watches, warnings and advisories.

Forecasting has taken a backseat at the weather channel to all of it's new age reality programming. Fortunately they still have guys around like Paul Kocin and Greg Forbes who only see about 2 minutes of air-time every hour on during significant weather events.

If you really want to get a sense for what is going on and what the NWS forecasters are predicting, go to http://www.nws.noaa.gov, put in your zip code, and scroll down to the bottom right of the page where you'll see a link for "Forecast Discussion". It's a little more technical and some of the stuff may be hard to understand but it really gives you an insight on what the forecaster for your local area is looking at and thinking. Also most NWS forecasters are locally based, so they are more familiar with the area than someone sitting in a windowless room in Atlanta is.

[cancidas]

http://www.aviationweather.gov