Direct TV Drops The Weather Channel

[WeatherGuesser]

Contract dispute that has been in the news lately.

Those tuning to that channel now get Weather Nation.

For how long remains to be seen.

[angelwing]

And in the fall of 2014 Accuweather is also going to have a weather channel 24/7...things are getting interesting

[northjaxpro]

Well, it appears that TWC no longer will monopolize the market for TV weather coverage anymore. Things are changing indeed.

[gboudx]

Here's an article from CNN.com regarding this news. I have DTV and don't even know what the channel number is for TWC.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/13/news/co ... ?iid=HP_LN

[Tireman4]

I know it is 362, but I only watch it (only) when severe weather strikes...that is usually May-June....

[MGC]

I've been watching WeatherNation the past couple of weeks instead of TWC. WN is what TWC use to be....weather. Hopefully this will be a wake up call to the brass at NBC to return TWC to what it was. Seemed every time I would tune to TWC the past couple years there would be a reality show on......MGC

[WeatherGuesser]

Hopefully this will be a wake up call to the brass at NBC to return TWC to what it was.

Hopefully DirecTV and the other service providers will carry WN and drop TWC.

[LilGrimmy]

Man, maybe I haven't looked for it recently but up until maybe a week ago and to my knowledge we still have TWC. Boring as all get out now but still there. That Weather Nation channel sucks...

[tolakram]

Man, maybe I haven't looked for it recently but up until maybe a week ago and to my knowledge we still have TWC. Boring as all get out now but still there. That Weather Nation channel sucks...

Why does Weather Nation ... stink? Bad forecasting, bad presentation? I don't have access to it (other than some app on our Blueray player) and stopped watching TWC a long long time ago.

[TropicalAnalystwx13]

Now that TWC is unavailable to me now, I can see why weather entertainment shows were incorporated; having the meteorologists repeat the same thing every few hours is incredibly boring. It's nice to have a 24/7 weather channel, but WeatherNation seems short staffed and their technology/graphic design is decades behind TWCs.

Definitely prefer(ed) TWC.

[tomboudreau]

Haven't watched TWC in years. Flipped on WN briefly the other day and didn't find it very interesting. Just use the internet for all weather information now.

[WeatherGuesser]

Apparently Marsh of the SPC has recommended NWS offices drop TWC from their office television displays. Supposedly somewhere on his FB page.

[RL3AO]

You can read about what ticked off Marsh here.

http://blog.chron.com/weather/2014/01/w ... r-service/

Cantore interview on TWC

Q. Is it really appropriate to say this channel is about saving lives?

A. I really think when you kind of look at The Weather Channel overall, and you think about what happens before a storm, whether you’re an emergency manager’s office, whether you’re even at the National Weather Service or a local TV station, your first hint at what’s to come is from The Weather Channel.

------

So yeah...Cantore wants the public to think that the NWS gets their info from the TWC, when we all know its pretty much the opposite (when you include NWS/SPC/NCEP ect).

[Alyono]

Since Comcast remains the largest cable provider and they own TWC... many will always have access to TWC and likely will have no access to any competitor, unless they change to a different cable or satellite company

[brunota2003]

I think it is inappropriate to suggest that the NWS finds out what will happen from TWC, basically stating they don't forecast.

[CajunMama]

I get my weather only from the internet and have for who knows how long.

[Frank2]

IMHO Comcast's purchase of TWC caused this to happen, and not because of their increase in reality show programming, but because it created a conflict with competing provider outlets - no one is going to be eager to carry a channel that is owned by a competing company and apparently that's why DTV is going to stand by their decision, because in relenting it would make their competition claim victory - not TWC but Comcast...

Some might recall 20 years ago and earlier TWC's claim (by Jim Cantore, if I remember correctly) that TWC was financially supported from it's beginning by the cable companies themselves - ironic that they are now owned by one company, and that puts them in conflict with every other provider - DTV might not be the only cable or satellite company to end their association, for the same reason....

Glad to see that TWC dropped their "call your Congressman" request, because insisting Washington get involved could have brought trouble on themselves - if I'm not mistaken Comcast had been accused of violating antitrust laws in some markets (I might hear from the weather mafia for saying that - lol, though I'm sure Comcast was already aware of that happening if they made too much noise)...

And, funny to hear some say that WN's graphics are terrible - sounds like the TWC comments of the early 1980's...

Frank2

[Cyclenall]

I've been watching WeatherNation the past couple of weeks instead of TWC. WN is what TWC use to be....weather. Hopefully this will be a wake up call to the brass at NBC to return TWC to what it was. Seemed every time I would tune to TWC the past couple years there would be a reality show on......MGC

A trend in cable TV Channels right now that is accelerating is airing non-related programming to the network name like Country Music TV (CMT) airing America's Funniest Home Videos (all day long), The Funny Pit, Pick a Puppy, Reba, Just Ask Jim, Home Improvement, Fear Factor, Deal with It, Mob Cash (coming soon), The Middle, etc.; Much Music showing The Simpsons, South Park, The Cleveland Show, Community, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Conan, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Silent Library, and various movies totally unrelated to music; Much More Music airing SNL, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (used to), Parks and Rec, and near Jan.1 an all-day or evening marathon of Masterchef; A&E showing Storage, Shipping, Parking, etc. Wars; Outdoor Life Network (OLN) showing Ghost Shows, Repo Shows, Storage shows, Man vs Food, Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, etc.; Discovery airing fully scripted "reality" shows like Amish Mafia, Moonshiners and History airing Ancient Aliens. The Learning Channel (TLC) hasn't aired really anything that has to do with their name for many years but their latest creation: Sex Sent me to the ER...all I learned was how much I need to weep for humanity after watching the series opener .

You can read about what ticked off Marsh here.

http://blog.chron.com/weather/2014/01/w ... r-service/

Cantore interview on TWC

Q. Is it really appropriate to say this channel is about saving lives?

A. I really think when you kind of look at The Weather Channel overall, and you think about what happens before a storm, whether you’re an emergency manager’s office, whether you’re even at the National Weather Service or a local TV station, your first hint at what’s to come is from The Weather Channel.

------

So yeah...Cantore wants the public to think that the NWS gets their info from the TWC, when we all know its pretty much the opposite (when you include NWS/SPC/NCEP ect).

Wow, that reminds me of the thing SS posted in the Canadian thread about how a US presenter said (or person) that the extreme cold air during the first PV event, could reach Canada from the US...not realizing that Canada is closer to the Arctic than the US and where the air originates from first . That comment is a huge insult to The National Weather Service and Cantore should redact that one.

[Hurricaneman]

And in the fall of 2014 Accuweather is also going to have a weather channel 24/7...things are getting interesting

And Network Weather which is also coming out around the same time

[Alyono]

IMHO Comcast's purchase of TWC caused this to happen, and not because of their increase in reality show programming, but because it created a conflict with competing provider outlets - no one is going to be eager to carry a channel that is owned by a competing company and apparently that's why DTV is going to stand by their decision, because in relenting it would make their competition claim victory - not TWC but Comcast...

Some might recall 20 years ago and earlier TWC's claim (by Jim Cantore, if I remember correctly) that TWC was financially supported from it's beginning by the cable companies themselves - ironic that they are now owned by one company, and that puts them in conflict with every other provider - DTV might not be the only cable or satellite company to end their association, for the same reason....

Glad to see that TWC dropped their "call your Congressman" request, because insisting Washington get involved could have brought trouble on themselves - if I'm not mistaken Comcast had been accused of violating antitrust laws in some markets (I might hear from the weather mafia for saying that - lol, though I'm sure Comcast was already aware of that happening if they made too much noise)...

And, funny to hear some say that WN's graphics are terrible - sounds like the TWC comments of the early 1980's...

Frank2

One issue, Comcast could prevent other carriers from carrying ALL of their channels. That would include no NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, NBCSN, and many other channels. Comcast holds the upper hand here. Imagine a superbowl on NBC that cannot be shown on another carrier