TV Weather Board

[Frank2]

It might be a good idea to start a topic board on TV Weather (OCM's, etc.) - as long as people don't slanderize...

P.S. On that note (♫), it seems TWC (a/k/a NBC) has started a new and somewhat disturbing trend - apparently their OCM's are now required to do a certain amount of "non-weather talking"...

This seems to have begun this week, especially during TWC's "Evening Edition" - on Tuesday evening, the female OCM ran on for several minutes with a silly "review" of an Internet article - none of it having any direct connection with the weather (it seemed to be an article on "urban legends")...

All poor Jim Cantore could do was shake his head...

Frank2

[wx247]

That same Jim Cantore who spent time discussing airline crashes and the amazing story of survival of the 5 year old girl?

[Frank2]

My Missouri friend is correct, but at least that's thought to be weather (wind) related, unlike what the other OCM was discussing, which seemed to have nothing to do with weather (it was some sort of list of social habits)...

Still, I've noticed a not-so-subtle change in OCM habits, beginning earlier this week - it seems to be a troubling shift by NBC to make TWC "more appealing to younger viewers" (a/k/a those who can't tell a cumulus cloud from a lemon)...

P.S. Per the accident Jim was talking about - this has been a terrible year for airline aviation - so far there have been 7 large or small airline accidents around the world (US Airways, Fed Ex, Continental Connection/Colgan Air, Turkish Airlines, Eagle Cap Leasing (Montana), Air France, Yemenia Airways)...

But, in the Yemenia accident it is amazing that this girl survived (14 years old, not 5, per the early reports), and even more amazing that they found her floating in the sea among bodies and wreakage - in the middle of the night...

Even more incredible that her injuries are minor (though she did lose her Mom), and, as she said, "she didn't feel anything" when the crash happened...

That sounds similar to the stories of those thrown free of United Airlines 232 when it crashed in Souix City, Iowa (1989)...

As Sgt. Foley (Officer and a Gentleman) once said, "Flying an airplane isn't just sitting in a seat pushin' buttons!" - so true, since it does have it's inherent dangers...

Sorry to go on, but you have to admit those are stories that really make a person think...

Frank

[grentz7721]

I think that is werid for NBC to make TWC do some news-related stuff than weather stuff. NBC should still let TWC do more
weather-related news.

[Frank2]

I agree, but what comes to mind as I type this is the fact that CNBC is (was) supposed to be the "stock market channel" of NBC - but it sure doesn't act that way at times (not that I'm defending stock market channels)...

I'm afraid TWC is being forced to go in a certain direction (lettuce not forget that NBC owns TWC) - perhaps it's my being a TWC viewer since the 1990's that has made me more sensitive to any change on their part, but definitely there has been a subtle change in their delivery over the past week or so, especially when it concerns their "straying" from the weather to off-topics (they really skated on thin ice the other night with that "list" - since at least two of the items shown on the screen were inappropriate for younger viewers)...

Unlike Marny Staniers sensible TWC "ceiling fan" video of 20 years ago, these topics have nothing to do with weather...

I hope it's an error on my part, but so many other channels have changed in similar ways (TVLand, Food Network, AMC, etc.), or as "they" say, as they "reinvent" themselves - ugh...

Frank

P.S. I'm glad our old coworker, John Hope, isn't around to see this - I'm sure like me he'd be dissappointed...

[Stephanie]

It's amazing how some people (networks) try to fix something that really is not broken to begin with. Weather is weather is weather. Most people tune in to get what their local weather report is and the trend for the next week. Some are real weather junkies. That's all TWC is and should be about - weather. It's a shame that TPTB just don't get it.

[Frank2]

LOL - I had to search TPTB - you are right, though of course all they are interested in is their financial return...

The fiancially struggling TWC of the 1980's/early 1990's was infinitely better - sure, it didn't have the fancy live shots, but I'd be glad to do without that and enjoy the consistently fine OCM reporting that they had back then (not to mention the old WeatherStar 3000), though in all fairness some of the upgrades were good, but...

The other issue is that HD studio of theirs - it seems very awkward for the OCMs to stand 20 feet apart and talk to each other, and it's pretty obvious that many are uncomfortable with that arrangement, instead of standing in front of the old "green wall" on their own...

I turned to TWC Thursday evening - to find Alexandra Steele with a desk full of "summer foods that are prone to bacteria" (egg salad, etc.), so my first thought was "Oh, now their competing with Food Network" (though they'd need one of those fancy "periscope" cameras to do that right)...

[wx247]

Yeah, I agree. The ceiling fan video of Marny is one of the first videos I remember from TWC. She was talking about the direction along with how it would save cooling costs. I remember the days when they would have the big maroon screen that would come on and announce special weather bulletins. It was then you knew the weather was about to get bad in your area. Man, those were the days. I still will turn on TWC once in a while, but not like I used to. I can't imagine what they are thinking when they change things, especially on a niche network like TWC.

[Frank2]

A-ha!

Well, beginning July 20, Al Roker will co-host his own show (with Stephanie Abrams) on TWC - from 6-7 a.m. each weekday, so, this will be the first time TWC will air a live show that is not entirely from TWC's studios...

http://press.weather.com/press_detail.asp?id=230

fortunately, Al Roker is well-known from the Today Show, so that makes it easier...

The NBC transition continues at TWC...

[Stephanie]

A-ha!

Well, beginning July 20, Al Roker will co-host his own show (with Stephanie Abrams) on TWC - from 6-7 a.m. each weekday, so, this will be the first time TWC will air a live show that is not entirely from TWC's studios...

http://press.weather.com/press_detail.asp?id=230

fortunately, Al Roker is well-known from the Today Show, so that makes it easier...

The NBC transition continues at TWC...

I saw that yesterday morning. I usually put it on when I wake up to see what the weather will be.

I like Al but NBC is totally ruining TWC.