Breaking: Comcast to buy controlling stock in NBC (TWC)...

[Stephanie]

On Friday they're going to show "March of the Penguins"

Are you serious?

[somethingfunny]

LOL right now the Local Forecast music is a music-only version of "What I Got" by Sublime

"I don't cry when my dog runs away, I don't get angry at the bills I have to pay..."



Yeah, I can't see The Weather Channel lasting much longer, sadly. It's lost sight of its original purpose and the reason it became popular. What they're doing now is nothing that a million other outlets aren't doing equally as well.

[Incident_MET]

This guy in this link below is the programming exec at TWC now. As you see he used to work for Oxygen (an Oprah affiliated Network) Just when I thought TWCs startling descent into the abyss couldn't get any more morbid with gardening segments, home fixit ups Al Roker and simulated docu dramas we have to listen to the shrieking of Kathy Bates and a 2 hour narrated penguin documentary. No thanks. I quit watching this network about 10 years ago.

http://press.weather.com/company/view_e ... .asp?id=17

[Frank2]

Wow - that can leave TWC, pardon the pun, "out in the cold", since in their present state they are neither fish nor foul (network nor cable), but a little of both...

Guess we can say that with tonight's movie TWC is neither fish nor foul but penguin...

There's a bit of irony there somewhere...

Frank

P.S. Thanks for letting us know about that former Oxygen guy - from what I know of that channel, their programming has never been very good...

[azsnowman]

This guy in this link below is the programming exec at TWC now. As you see he used to work for Oxygen (an Oprah affiliated Network) Just when I thought TWCs startling descent into the abyss couldn't get any more morbid with gardening segments, home fixit ups Al Roker and simulated docu dramas we have to listen to the shrieking of Kathy Bates and a 2 hour narrated penguin documentary. No thanks. I quit watching this network about 10 years ago.

http://press.weather.com/company/view_e ... .asp?id=17

Next....we'll see Okra doing the weather with Al

[ftolmsteen]

It's funny when tv channels go away from what the title of their name describes them to be. First it was MTV and now the Weather Channel joins the club. Things have gone so down hill since NBC has been more and more involved in what goes on there. "Waking up with Al" is a joke and every other weather segment on there isn't much better either and now they're flinging out movies? Severe weather could be on the way, but a movie is much more important. Dig those ratings, WC!!

I live in the Tampa Bay area and I get better weather info from Bright House affiliated Bay News 9 which covers weather very well or Fox 13's weather. I rarely catch myself watching the WC anymore unless I happen to bump into the Local on the 8's as I'm flipping through channels.

[AdamFirst]

The Weather Channel is dead. In fact, it's been dead for years.

This is the reason WeatherScan and NBC WeatherPlus have been created.

[Jack8631]

I kind of like Al. Nobody should have that much energy that early in the morning.

[Stephanie]

I like Al too but I want the OLD TWC back.

[Frank2]

So do I, but to get the old TWC back I'm afraid all we can manage are VHS copies of the old "Good Afternoon" forecast segments of 15-20 years ago...

http://www.twcclassics.com

Now, I'm not saying that Walk of the Penguins was a bad film to see (it's good to see that not everything God created has been ruined by mankind), but a film like that really doesn't have a place on an all-weather channel (from my recollection, Food Network tried airing "cooking-related" films a couple of years ago and it didn't work out), and it worries me to think of what movies are next on the TWC schedule, since movies like Penguin are few and far between, so eventually TWC will have to air something that has absolutely nothing to do with weather...

What I do notice are the constant shifts back and forth, almost from week to week - apparently the OCM's are being told to try new and different ways of presenting themselves to make their delivery more appealing to a wider audience, and I'll guess to say that they now must feel more like actors than OCM's, since for certain they are being pressured to "perform" before the camera like never before - I don't think any of us would want to have a job that puts that kind of pressure on a person's mind and body...

Perhaps I'm over-stating things, but the media being as incredibly competitive as they've become (since it's a money-making business, after all), I'd have to say it's probably true...

Frank

[brunota2003]

the Category series may be on soon if they are doing weather related stuff *bites tongue*

[Tireman4]

This guy in this link below is the programming exec at TWC now. As you see he used to work for Oxygen (an Oprah affiliated Network) Just when I thought TWCs startling descent into the abyss couldn't get any more morbid with gardening segments, home fixit ups Al Roker and simulated docu dramas we have to listen to the shrieking of Kathy Bates and a 2 hour narrated penguin documentary. No thanks. I quit watching this network about 10 years ago.

http://press.weather.com/company/view_e ... .asp?id=17

I am done. I miss the The Weather Channel ( this is not it). During Hurricane Alicia, that is the only way we got updates ( until we lost power at 11 pm). Good bye old friend.

[Janie2006]

IMO, TWC died long ago when storm stories hit the air. TWC has only gone backwards with Waking up with Al. Sad, sad.....I use to go there for the weather but not so much any more.......MGC

Bingo.

It's only gotten worse since those times. I literally couldn't believe my ears when I heard the references to "Storm Master G", for example. Really? Are you kidding me? Are they professionals or not? TWC is basically using the "Wake Up With Al" bit to promote all of its programming...its even in the upper-right corner during the "local on the eights" segments. I've watched the show (for some unfathomable reason) and remembered why I dislike the Today show.

Now we have movies, eh? It's only a matter of tie before TWC ceases to exist given the current trends in media. Sad times. I was a fan back in the days of John Hope.

[Frank2]

I agree - the WUWA segment is not much more than a cable lead-in to Today...

Frank

P.S. It might help to let TWC know that they are going down the road of perdition by their airing movies like Misery, by calling (770)226-0000 (press '2' for the viewer comment line)...

[coriolis]

I can't watch Stephanie Abrams and Al Roker in the mornings any more. One day a while back he gave her a hard time about the slit in her skirt. And poor Mike Bettis has to stand by and watch their shennanigans.

I still do use TWC website, out of habit. At least its not ruined yet.

[Tireman4]

Oh the humanity...I can not watch Al Roker. I just can not. Goodbye TWC. You had a great run. You made weather interesting. Now, this is just pitiful.

[Frank2]

Despite the attemps of some, last Friday evening TWC did show the evil film Misery, and for me that rips it - apparently those in charge forget that during the 1980's TWC almost went off the air, had it not been for the apparent Divine inspiration that they ask Cable operators to pay for their air time (99.99% of the time it's the other way around) - an unlikely idea that at first seemed odd to ask of anyone, but to TWC's surprise was readily accepted by everyone, and gave TWC a second chance...

They best be wary of the Bible verse that says, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away", since the Divine inspiration that came to the owners in the 1980's could easily turn on them in today's world, and mean the end of an era in weather broadcasting (especially if Comcast does purchase NBC from Universal/GE, and decides that the idea of TWC is no longer as viable as it was in the years before the Internet)...

Frank

[Stephanie]

I love the movie Misery - on TMC NOT TWC

[Frank2]

Oh, that's the problem - someone turned over the M and it became a W...

LOL

P.S. I saw the movie once (and then only portions) but found the ending as violent as violence gets - it's hard enough dealing with violence in the real world without seeing it under the heading of "entertainment". Actually, that's the current opinon of sociologists on the terrible increase in violent crimes (murder or kidnapping/murder, to name two) - from what sociologists said, apprently the public has become so desensitized to violence through television, movies and video games, that "the real thing" seems almost acceptable when confronted with that possibility.

I have to agree - I usually don't watch CSI Miami, but did watch portions over the last few weeks to see if a scene that was filmed at a neighborhood park last month would be aired (it did last week), but in the process of fast-forwarding through the episodes listed on Comcast's "On Demand" menu, I was shocked at the graphic level of certain scenes that showed what were supposed to be human body parts - of course what is shown isn't real, but it's presented that way and was of a level, for someone my age, that would never be considered to be shown on network television decades ago - again, the graphic scenes are now considered acceptable, and that's the problem...

The teen who was set ablaze in Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago by a bunch of school bullies is one example - they laughed and commented in some context that the fire reminded them of a video game, however, all three are now facing jail sentences that range from 25 years to life (they wanted to steal the teen's bicycle), so suddenly the allure of the violent video game has become the harsh reality of their standing shackeled and crying before a judge (as shown on the local news late last week)...

And, let's not forget that we are the most vulnerable to violence when we become indifferent towards it...

There's really not much else that I can say about the TWC issue, but as with everyone here who liked TWC years ago, in some way I lament over it's change in format, but am glad that weather enthusiasts did have the "old" TWC to enjoy for many years...

Frank

[streetsoldier]

Does anyone miss Lisa Mozer...the geographical whiz-kid from TWC until 2001?