Rant about TWC

[weatherlover427]

I thought I'd post one of my favorite rants from WxChat for you all to see and comment on:

Yes, I know it seems highly unlikely that I would have any pet peeves whatsoever with The Weather Channel, seeing as how I watch it so much. But I guess it's the simple fact that I do watch it so much that has it getting to me. Here is my mini rant for tonight:

1) They always have to give tons of attention to the Northeast, especially the New York City area. Even where there is no weather occurring there except sunny skies.

2) The West is given little attention at all times unless there is a major storm moving through. Even if a regular storm comes through the West, we still get the general amount of attention. Also on this point, why don't they mention Los Angeles that much?

3) Their commercials are stupid! They ALWAYS show DiTech.com (a mortgage company) and Stacker2 (what is supposed to be The World's Stongest Fat Burner) at like EVERY commercial break! (But especially DiTech.com! )

4) They show Atmospheres (a 1 hour magazine show) on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays - twice on each day. When significant weather occurs during these times, they still won't cover it until the show is over.

5) See my Help Sled Dogs thread.

6) I requested an autographed photo of someone in MAY and it STILL isn't here!

Also, I cannot stand it when:

7) New York City is mentioned during the Tropical Update (as it is nowhere near the tropics).

8) They take 5 months now to get me an autographed photo that should have taken 6 weeks max (according to their website).

9) Special shows are shown, especially repeated ones.

10) New York City and the Northeast are mentioned before anywhere else.

Then, about 3 months later, I bumped the thread with this:

I thought I'd bump this thread back up because they are still up to the same old shenanigans at TWC. NYC gets TONS of mentions. It's so bad now that I censor the mentions of NYC with *bleep*. I can't stand it anymore! They are also WAY over-promoting that "new" show, Storm Stories. They promote it on virtually every segment of TWC, they promote it on their website, they promote it on the local forecast, they seemingly promote it at every insane opportunity that they can sneak it in at! And I HATE THAT! Don't they learn? Don't they see the complaints on TWCMB? Don't they get the sense that saying "Brace yourself for Storm Stories" or "And in the Northeastern U.S. today..." or "In NYC today, they saw 6" of snow..." 50 times in one OCM's shift can get a bit repetitive IMO? I am surprised that they haven't caught onto that yet.

About their message boards:

Their message boards STINK. They were OK before, but since they took away Off-Topic, it went kaput IMO. With the members getting banned left and right, Off-Topic being removed, the mass post editing/deletion/locking, etc.; it was (and still is IMO) a big mess over there. I say that it is still a big mess at TWCMB because they hardly have anyone on there anymore. I lurk(ed) at night sometimes and I am (was) the only GUEST (NOT member) on the boards! That is nowhere NEAR how it used to be! (Why do I show as a guest? Because they banned both of my usernames - long story.) Well this has to be one of; if not my; longest post ever on WxChat, so I think I should stop here.

OK, I've ranted and been enough for a mini rant. *sighs* Post your thoughts here.

[CajunMama]

Joshua, I don't want you to take this the wrong way but if you don't like TWC change the channel. Yes, commercials are for the most part aggrevating but if DiTech wants to advertise they have that right. All you have to do is not buy their product and you can mute your TV or change the channel.

As far as the message boards, it is their board that we were allowed to use for free. I don't agree with what happened but I didn't pay for it so I feel I had no right to complain. Or you can think of it as "you get what you paid for"!

I don't want you to think I'm giving you a hard time about this topic but those are my thoughts.

[ColdFront77]

I agree... DiTech.com and Stacker2 are sponsors of The Weather Channel, so they are going to advertise on their network. DiTech is on many commericial breaks on many cable news networks.

[Colin Snyder]

I wish TWC was actually "The Weather Channel". Non-stop weather and better, updated local forecasts.

[weatherlover427]

Then they should get different sponsors whose commercials aren't so darn aggravatingly annoying.

[ColdFront77]

If The Weather Channel should get different sponsors, then every single cable network should get different sponsors to "pay the bills."

[Miss Mary]

Here's a thought:

TWC could offer two channels. 1 would be all weather, just as someone pointed out. And 2 would be all the fluff pieces they are hell bent on offering. Then if there's a breaking wx bulletin, it can go on the #1 channel, since there wouldn't be a current fluff piece airing.


As far as bashing TWC, I'm sorry, I just flat out don't have the heart to do that. It's why I'm here - a direct result of my interest in the wx. When I heard TWC had a chat room several years ago, I thought I'd pop in. Popped in a few times and that's all it took - I was hooked. I made so many nice, quality friends - friends that I think I'll have for life. Skywatch, TLC, angelheart, furluvcats, cyclone, 2SeamFastball (formerly Toalba), Lindaloo, raine, j, bunch, boomer, alicat, etc. From chat came TWC message boards and there I met Pburgh, Dennis, Azskyman, CincinnatiSun, Bill (wanderer/streetsoldier), among many more. So many dear friends....and now I've found a new home and many new friends. So see why I don't have the heart to bash TWC? Gee it took a lot for me to say they're hell bent on fluff pieces!!!!! LOL

[ColdFront77]

I agree, Mary. I enjoyed watching TWC growing up and still do now, but I am online more often and happen not to put it on as often here in my room.

I am very glad I found the TWCMBs and would like to think I was in the chatroom awhile back. I don't know why I wouldn't of accessed it, it sounds great. I guess I don't remember if I ever was in there, I was in with some moderated chats and never got anything I asked or anything mentioned posted in it; well may once or twice when Jim Cantore was in one of a "Tuesday chat" a year or two ago.

If I didn't want to correspond with others interested in the weather (meteorology) I found through the TWCMB's... I certainly wouldn't spend just about all my time online here at Storm2K.

[streetsoldier]

At least some of us here still have the opportunity to "lurk" TWC Boards...I just tried, and I was prompted to "register".

As to TWC programming, I concur with all the previous posts. And, lately, I have little opportunity to even see TWC as much as I'd like...I have three others with their own "imperatives" hogging the remote (I've actually viewed my favs, Sharon Resultan and Melissa Barrington, once each in the last 2 months)...