The Weather Channel feed was switched to show WeatherNation TV just after midnight EST January 14th. the TWC logo is there still in the DirecTV channel lineup, but the content is WeatherNation.
See the proof, this screencap off my TV at 9:02PM PST (12:02 AM EST):
More here:
The explosion of ‘weather channels’ – now there’s 3
DirecTV to drop The Weather Channel?
Update: Ryan Maue caught the zero hour:
http://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/422959765728145408
Update 2:
The Weather Channel issued this statement by the CEO David Kenny after DirecTV dropped them.
At 12:01 this morning, The Weather Channel is no longer available on DIRECTV, which refused to come to an agreement on a market-based carriage deal. Following is a statement from David Kenny, chairman and CEO of The Weather Company:
This is unprecedented for The Weather Channel. In our 32 years, we have never had a significant disruption due to a failure to reach a carriage agreement. We offered DIRECTV the best rate for our programming, and I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day. We are not looking for a large fee increase. We are simply looking for a fair deal that allows our company to continue to invest in the science and technology that enables us to keep people safe, deliver the world’s best weather, and tell weather stories to help people be prepared and informed.
“At a time when DIRECTV has increased customer rates by 4 percent, they are trading safety for increased profits and replacing the experience and expertise of The Weather Channel with a cheap startup that does weather forecasting on a three-hour taped loop, has no field coverage, no weather experts — certainly not any on par with The Weather Channel network’s industry-recognized experts like tornado expert Dr. Greg Forbes and winter weather expert Tom Niziol — and no experience in severe weather emergencies. This is a dangerous gamble over one penny a month that puts DIRECTV customers at risk.
“This reckless move by DIRECTV will have an impact on our role as part of the national safety and preparedness fabric of our country at a time when the volatility and frequency of weather events seems to be increasing. The Weather Channel partners with humanitarian and emergency management agencies at the local, state and federal levels. We help people prepare before storms, stay safe during their effects, and find help afterward. If the network is not available to viewers, the effectiveness of these partnerships, which help make us a more weather ready nation, are jeopardized. I am hopeful DIRECTV will come to their senses soon and will not force its customers to change carriers to stay safe and informed.”
Source: http://insidecablenews.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/the-weather-channel-drops-off-directv/
Jeez, kool-aid to the very last:
“This reckless move by DIRECTV will have an impact on our role as part of the national safety and preparedness fabric of our country at a time when the volatility and frequency of weather events seems to be increasing.”
I missed it. It was raining and the satellite was down.
Good riddance.
They’re still probably going to come back on – the cable companies play hardball all the time with their content suppliers. TWC will knuckle under in the end.
TWC spends most of its time doing anything but giving the local forecast.
It’s useless.
DirecTV guide now shows WeatherNation on 361 and 362 with an Info bar highlighting the change
Wow, they actually did it. In my experience these sorts of threats seem to bluster on until the cable/satellite operator gives in (or gets a bigger tribute), and life goes on. I guess now we’ll see if life goes on without TWC.
I suspect it will. 🙂
Heidi Cullen, call your ….
Oh, I won’t say the nasty, although I hope one thinks it. She doesn’t even work there anymore.
Haha TWC! Global warming lies and content available elsewhere took them out. Good!
Let’s all have a moment of silence here, for the loss of The Weather Channel….. Meh, that’s enough.
FOR THE WEATHER CHANNEL, IF you might read this.
You did it to yourselves. You have bought the ‘Global warming/climate change/global climate disruption, whether on accident, or on purpose. You have no one to blame but yourselves. I
If you would ADMIT the direction you went was a mistake, and get back to doing what you used to do so well several year ago staying with THE WEATHER, maybe you could earn respect again.
IF NOT, well then good riddance
Kinda hard to negotiate your way back in after you’ve been replaced.
Oh my just imagine where this could lead.
What if how our national safety and preparedness fabric would be at risk if Hansen Mann Schmidt Trenberth and the rest were de-funded.
We’d all be fabric-less.
Chaka, when the walls fell.
It just fits. Metaphorically speaking 😢
REPLY: TWC, eyes wide open! – Anthony
Yea Ha!
Good sense triumphs over “unprecedented” FUBAR taken to Orwellian heights for just a “fist full of dollars” that could not even buy a good prostitute let alone a well constructed condom.
Murphy’s Law.
This national mass hypnosis fear porn thingy that they’re no longer part of- it already includes Twitter and Farcebook so no loss really.
But who has the moral high ground?!?!
Steve Oregon says:
January 13, 2014 at 9:52 pm
“Oh my just imagine where this could lead.
What if how our national safety and preparedness fabric would be at risk if Hansen Mann Schmidt Trenberth and the rest were de-funded.
We’d all be fabric-less.”
—————————————————–
I don’t know about entirely fabric-less, but there would certainly be a great reduction in supplies of “whole cloth” 😉
It’s showing WeatherNation now on my channel 362 info.
“We are not looking for a large fee increase. “
Trouble is any fee increase would be more good money chasing the bad.
It’s a comfort knowing that in the future if I ever feel the need to be badgered by a monoculture bent on promoting a top down government imposed extinction agenda, there’s always Climate Progress and Joe Romm.
Personally, I’m shocked that this guy is under the illusion that their channel was trusted, or relied upon every day.
how funny. earlier today, i copied this piece but didn’t post it, but will do so now in case the website disappears as well:
13 Jan: The Weather Channel: Terrell Johnson: Global Warming ‘Pause’ Isn’t What Climate Change Skeptics Say It Is
“There are these other signs of a warming planet,” Trenberth notes, pointing out that melting has accelerated on Greenland’s ice sheet and glaciers around the world. “One doesn’t just have to use the global mean surface temperature.”
And as NCAR communications officer Bob Henson notes, “these two factors imply that what’s been seen as a global pause in warming isn’t really a worldwide phenomenon.”…
“There’s a tremendous amount of natural variability that goes on,” he (Trenberth) said.
“When human-induced climate change is influencing things in the same direction that the weather, or the natural variability, is already going – that’s when we break records,” he added. “That’s when we really see the effects standing out.”…
“It can’t continue to build up the sea level and the heat in one part of the ocean at the expense of another,” Trenberth said. “At some point all of that water wants to slop back to the east – and so we start to go into this other phase.”
That means there’s a slope in the global ocean across the Pacific that’s building up over time, he added. “And that’s what actually causes the end of these kinds of oscillations.”…
http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/no-hiatus-pause-global-warming-climate-change-heres-why-20140109
Next one that needs to go
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/climatechange
The guy should have his degree withdrawn if he has any (meteorology)
It’s been many years since I would turn to TV to get the weather forecast. A little thing called the Internet made getting the forecast more immediate, more focused, and more detailed. You can see this reality in TWC’s programming, which has shifted toward a lot more shows and a lot fewer local weather reports.
I’m sure this reality was not lost on DirecTV, where TWC’s declining viewership and demands for more money created a situation where DirecTV said adios. I doubt TWC’s bleating and breast-beating will make any difference, as few viewers care whether DirecTV carries them or not.
Oh no! Where will we go now for all that “important” reality programing?
…oh yeah, every other station.
Weather Nation seems to be a much better station (that is, they actually show the weather and all, ya know. It’s a low bar yet somehow TWC still couldn’t reach it) and ideally it marks the beginning of the end for the propaganda station.
no apologies for being O/T – cos this must provide a laugh!
350.org: Occupy Wall Street & Climate Movement
http://350.org/occupywallstreet-and-climate-movement/
Grist: Climate activism stands with Occupy Wall Street Movement
http://grist.org/climate-change/2011-10-05-climate-activism-stands-with-occupy-wall-street-movement/
13 Jan: Marketwatch: Businesswire Press Release: Green Bond Principles Created to Help Issuers and Investors Deploy Capital for Green Projects
A consortium of investment banks today announced their support of the Green Bond Principles – Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citi, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, JPMorgan Chase, BNP Paribas, Daiwa, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Mizuho Securities, Morgan Stanley, Rabobank and SEB. These Principles were developed with guidance from issuers, investors and environmental groups and serve as voluntary guidelines on recommended process for the development and issuance of Green Bonds. They encourage transparency, disclosure and integrity in the development of the Green Bond market…
It is anticipated that an independent third party will be designated to serve as a secretariat whose administrative duties will include facilitating information exchange with issuers, investors, underwriters, and other stakeholders such as non-profit environmental organizations, non-government organizations, academics and other thought leaders…
COMMENTS FROM SUPPORTING BANKS:
Bank of America
“The development of a robust and liquid market for green bonds is an important progression for debt markets,” said Suzanne Buchta, Global Co-head of Green Debt Capital Markets at BofA Merrill. “In co-authoring these principles we attempt to help standardize the product and we hope to catalyze investment into environmentally sustainable projects, something to which our firm is very committed.” …
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
“Increasing the amount of capital targeted to address pressing environmental challenges such as climate change is critical,” said Marilyn Ceci, Managing Director in the Corporate & Investment Bank at JPMorgan Chase. “JPMorgan Chase is pleased to have co-authored the Green Bond Principles, which involved strong collaboration among colleagues in our Corporate & Investment Bank and Environmental Affairs office. By providing transparency and integrity to the Green Bond market and bolstering investor confidence, we expect the Green Bond Principles will expand capital allocation to projects that provide environmental benefits.” …ETC ETC
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/correcting-and-replacing-green-bond-principles-created-to-help-issuers-and-investors-deploy-capital-for-green-projects-2014-01-13-8159210?reflink=MW_news_stmp
If the national safety fabric is jeopardized by 1 cent per customer then why didn’t TWC forgo the 1 cent per customer?
Why is it that “the sacrifices we will all have to make” involve transferring money from large populations to the few who determine the threat picture?
Direct TV doesn’t even work when there is stormy weather, satellite signal becomes all messed up in most cases.
TWC just like Dorothy. Carried off by a vortex.
Schaden schaden schaden freude!!
Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan
🙂
“…The Weather Channel network’s industry-recognized experts like tornado expert Dr. Greg Forbes and winter weather expert Tom Niziol….”
Tom Niziol is a basic alarmist:
“…the killer heatwaves…off the charts…some modeling…not very optimistic…the new normal…fresh water loss…”
I remember when you could actually get weather forecasts from The Weather Channel. For that matter, I can also remember when you could actually see bands play music on MTV. Neither serves their core purpose anymore. Good riddance TWC.
So DirecTV is switching one boring weather channel for another boring weather channel. How, um, boring. The problem might simply be that the providers don’t have enough skin in the game.
Needless to say, I have an immodest proposal:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10465935/French-weathergirl-stuns-viewers-with-nude-report.html
Hmm. I Naked News still around? Worked for me…
Got rid of ComCast for Direct TV last summer and am happy with the change. Won’t miss The Weather Channel one bit. This trucker gets most his weather from the internet anyway. Quite frankly I am happy about it.
weatherspark.com
TWC went on Facebook to rally support instead they were slammed by people angry at their lack of weather coverage. It was amazing they were attempting to defend themselves and people didn’t want to hear it. They were called out for naming winter storms and Global Warming advocacy.
“I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day.”
‘The Weather Channel is asking for a “negligible” increase in what DirecTV pays to air the channel, spokeswoman Shirley Powell said.’
Chutzpah.
BWTM . . . TWC is owned by NBC is owned by Comcast. Directv and Comcast are DIRECT COMPETITORS. Don’t be surprised if Directv trims more NBC affiliated programming.
Off topic a bit (and probably late) ,just saw on NZ3 news that the Russian “ice breaker” has arrived in NZ with a comment by the Expedition Leader (Aaron Russ ???) stating “I am sure the Russian sailors are happy they are back in a warmer climate”. ( the rest of the “Expedition” are still @ Casey base, according to Russ, waiting for the ship they are on to be unloaded so they can happily return to Hobart.
I have DirecTV, and so I contacted them and told them I approve of their decision to eliminate TWC, since I stopped watching it years ago.
For historical perspective, Dish Network went through a very similar scenario a few years ago, including having its own alternative weather channel. After a few days, a new agreement was reached and TWC was back (and the alternative channel was gone.)
Let’s see, TWC provides government propaganda (“climate change”), irritatingly names winter storms (“The Denver Christmas Blizzard of 1982 means a lot more to me then Winter Storm Ralph), and all sorts of non-weather related reality shows, revamped local weather (which is worse that “local on the 8’s”), and far too many ads… the DirectTV customers should be rejoicing TWC is gone.
Wish I could edit that, I had a few typos. than rather than then, and remove ‘”‘.
The Weather Channel issued this statement by the CEO David Kenny after DirecTV dropped them.
“Put us back on, or the bunny gets it”
The arrogance of that guy
I stopped watching the Weather Channel a long time ago. They were not doing weather, just hysterics. I am surprised that only Direct-TV has dropped them.
“…at a time when the volatility and frequency of weather events *seems* to be increasing?”
Weather watchers want factual data. We definitely don’t need to hear “seems” from our data sources, especially when the raw data is available.
If it is measurable, tell us the measurements. If it is not measureable, then it isn’t empirical science.
Their subsequent squealing and weepy-eyed “what about the children?” told all.
The CEO of TWC says, “…they (DirecTV) have put corporate profits ahead…” Pot calling kettle black? Progressive political dogma showing?
Direc needs the Whats Up With the Weather Channel, I would pay extra 🙂
Sorry, I meant, “Watts Up With the Weather”
Good riddance. I’m going to have to get used to looking for weather on the television again. Could/would not bring myself to watch TWC.
who are they kidding…..field coverage!….I don’t need to see rain drops
It seems as if I am growing a tail. Look, these are supposed to be the weather experts so why can’t they tell us? Is it because they know it’s not so they use the word ‘seems’? Pielke knocked the extreme nonsense on the head in Congress with those devastating graphs. Maybe people have had enough of the Weather Channel CAGW rubbish.
It’s about time someone dropped the Weather Channel. Ever since GE and NBC took over the Weather Channel it has declined in quality to the point that I don’t even watch the station. Naming winter storm fronts is just the latest absurdity from the WC. Good riddance !
Just checked out Weather Nation on the internet and I love it! The only LIVE weather broadcast on the internet.
“and tell weather stories…”
Good God…
Weather Nation is not just an internet channel, nor just a cable channel. Here in the Twin Cities, it’s actually carried on one of the HDTV sub channels of our NBC affiliate, so it’s literally an over the air channel. Pure weather nerdery, with no “stories.”
Is it safe to go outside?
Pat: 13 Jan: Marketwatch: Businesswire Press Release: Green Bond Principles Created to Help Issuers and Investors Deploy Capital for Green Projects
I take a fairly casual approach to watching “green” projects. Most, of which I am aware, fail. Do you suppose they will allow short selling of green bonds??
I was so shocked when the channel changed to WeatherNation and I just had to call Direct TV.
I’m at a hotel, so only get 40 channels, so didn’t get WN
I told them “wow, I hope you leave it on – this channel actually does weather!”
No celebrities, really useful maps and forecasts, no chit-chat, no alarmism (or skepticism), and no TruTV show rejects. Just actual weather conditions and forecasts!
Something similar happened with the original “news” channels that became chit-chat, pundits, and sensational coverage – not even like the old NightLine after the Iranian hostage crisis.
What percentage is actual weather coverage – current conditions and forecasts – about something people need to know now (and I don’t need to see if in Atlanta one of the weather-babe’s tongue will get stuck on a pole since I’m in the Tacoma WA area, or the man who rescued a dog from a flood or was it a mudslide last year).
I don’t need the Weathertainment, Alarmist sermonettes from the first Church of GAIA, or gold or other mineral diggers, wrecker crews, or the other sideshow freaks.
“ossqss says:
January 13, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Chaka, when the walls fell.
It just fits. Metaphorically speaking 😢
REPLY: TWC, eyes wide open! – Anthony”
OMG…You guys are such nerds!
@jim Clarke – Thank god! Without a bit of laughter, we would all be so dull!
jai mitchell says:
January 11, 2014 at 5:30 pm
the weather channel provides excellent real time monitoring of tornado developments in real time.
I couldn’t imagine living in tornado alley and not having access to their up to date information.
———————————————————————-
Totally agree. Even though I don’t have DirecTV, that’s why I’m siding with those against this bad decision on DirecTV’s part.
As far as climate change is concerned, the fact that there’s worldwide news of record heat waves, droughts and extreme weather patterns, is why I believe that climate change is real and not a hoax.
I found the local stations much more responsive to the local alerts and threats than the TWC – they do not seem to think we exist.
Now granted we are not a top 50 media market. But then that majority of Direct TVs clients are not in them either, as they serve mostly rural customers who do not have the advantage of Cable or FiOS. Direct TV is just using business sense.
I wish they’d do that on Time-Warner. I’d just like a basic forecast for my area, and I can’t even get Local on the 8s anymore. The so-called graphics at the bottom of the screen are useless. TWC jumped the shark and doesn’t actually do meaningful weather anymore.
tz2026 says:
January 14, 2014 at 6:12 am
Indeed!
As a mining engineer I was LIVID when watching the irresponsible, illogical, and irrational way those so-called “miners” were “digging for gold” (it certainly wasn’t “mining”!).
I got so disgusted I had to turn it off–that, or risk losing a TV set with a thrown object.
The rest of the content at TWC was just about as bad.
I have no TV feed of any kind – so now am I in danger? On travel in hotels I occasionally look for weather info on TV for last minute local info for where I’m at or going, but long ago I gave up TWC as worthwhile for even that.
At TWC website, they are touting that over 7.5 remain to contact DirecTV.
http://www.keeptheweatherchannel.com/
They still can’t locate my congressman by my zip code.
My wife and I have The Weather Channel on our cable system (Verizon Fios), but we never watch it. December 16 to 20, we were at the Killington ski resort, and in the morning before I went out to ski, I wanted to get the Weather on the TV in our condo (trail Creek).
I’m not sure when The Weather Channel has the weather, we never saw it. Admittedly, we went to the channel, looked to see if they had weather, and then went back to Fox News and got the weather online, so maybe if I had waited and watched for ten minutes, they would have had it, but I was trying to get ready to go ski, and was not about to kill ten or twenty minutes staring at the stupid TV when I didn’t have any idea when or if the weather would be on.
The chances that Verizon Fios will carry Weather Nation are slim since it is provided by a competitor, but maybe they will get the idea, and get something like it that is all weather all the time.
The Weather Channel’s Local on the 8s never worked when we had DirecTV service…just saw national. Plus, as many people have pointed out, DirecTV always fails during any weather or geese flying over the dish. 🙂 I’m very annoyed with the Weather Channel both on TV and on the internet. It seems that they talk or display stories that have absolutely nothing to do with the weather, not to mention their alarmist attitude. Hope DirecTV keeps saying no and supports a real weather broadcast.
Pat quoted the Weather Channel silliness, “It can’t continue to build up the sea level and the heat in one part of the ocean at the expense of another,” Trenberth said. “At some point all of that water wants to slop back to the east…”
Oh, dear. Kevin Trenberth is one of the biggest names in climatology. Can he really not know that gravity balances mass, not volume? Thermal expansion of the upper layers of the ocean causes it to bulge up in place, like an iceberg. If and when it cools, it sinks in place. Neither the change causes any lateral flow of water, so sea-levels elsewhere are unaffected.
“This reckless move by DIRECTV will have an impact on our role as part of the national safety and preparedness fabric of our country at a time when the volatility and frequency of weather events seems to be increasing.”
He must have gotten this statement from the same left wing operatives who complained during the government shutdown.
This makes me like the Weather Channel even less than I did before. Didn’t think that was possible.
(Pssst…to the Weather Channel…wake up! Everyone gets the weather from their smartphone these days…they don’t need you at all.)
If you are a purist, restart the DVR, and it will purge the old icons. Years ago, when they changed from XM to SonicTap for the music channels, the old icons stayed up until the next restart. I hope they stay with WN. It is a little retro, but I got tired of programming rather than WX.
I just noticed that another Todd (Twin Cities) has posted above. I posted about Killington, VT cable.
That’s why I haven’t watched any weather channel in years. When I want a weather forecast I can get one from multiple sources instantly (Pc, phone, tablet), instead of having to wait for something like TWC to get around to my local weather.
On a tangential note… It would be REALLY nice if ANY weather forecasting outlet would put percentage probabilities of an extended forecast being “right”. Most forecasts 3 days out are going to be practically useless, 10 days, forget it. We need some honesty in these forecasts.
“Chaka, when the walls fell.
It just fits. Metaphorically speaking 😢
REPLY: TWC, eyes wide open! – Anthony”
being a long time ST nerd, (all of it), this post made me laugh more than just about any other I’ve seen here!
I liked this phrase, “We are not looking for a large fee increase. We are simply looking for a fair deal that allows our company to continue to invest in the science and technology that enables us to keep people safe, deliver the world’s best weather …”
Ummm … they don’t “deliver weather” to us. All they do is talk about the weather, perhaps 10% of their broadcast time.
Does David Kenny, chairman and CEO of The Weather Company live in an area like Podunk Ar (made up name) ?? Has he spent an afternoon watching TV off of ONLY DirectTV and any other satellite or Cable?? I think not. First you rarely even get a NWS warning of emergent hazardous conditions. If and when you do, when you turn to any weather channel, INCLUDING TWC you get either A. a reality show, B. Global Warming propaganda disguised as a documentary, C. the weather for Adak Alaska or NYC and if you are lucky since they know you are from AR, you get the weather for Little Rock. Sometimes there may be a crawler giving you the high, low and tomorrows prediction. OR, D. a gray, snowy screen.
And this is their excuse for stating that you need TWC to save lives?
Looking back to when my cable company had TWC in it’s line up and we were forced to watch it as our only source for weather reports, I found it COMPLETELY useless. At the time they were based in Atlanta, Georgia (maybe they still are, I just don’t know because I’ve found another source for my weather that is far more accurate in the Weather Underground) I’m sure they were accurate there, but an unmitigated disaster everywhere else. I can remember quite clearly watching TWC and having them tell us, where we lived at the time, that it was a beautiful sunshiny day, when in fact is was miserable and pouring cats and dogs. You just can’t get any more inaccurate than that! I realize that weather predictions are, at best, only about 30% accurate, but I seriously doubt that TWC came anywhere near 5% in their predictions or real time weather.
Also if you add in their propensity for backing AGW falsehoods, it lends even less credence to their agenda.
Oh dear. This is truly distressing. How ever will I keep up with the names of winter storms?
Chaka, when the walls fell.
It just fits. Metaphorically speaking 😢
REPLY: TWC, eyes wide open! – Anthony
Damn you both for making me spew my coffee!
You get my yuk yuk of the week award with that one..
Captain Picard would be proud….
DirectTV, obviously. As was pointed out in an earlier blog post on this topic, DTV customers have been complaining about TWC. Not some sort of poll, not some sort of orchestrated anti-TWC campaign. Just DTV customers complaining. Why would DTV bend over backwards to accommodate a broadcaster that most of their customers don’t want anyway?
…18 years with DirecTV, unplugged them and went terrestrial & streaming ..loved the Weather Channel in the beginning but …
“and I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel”
Translation: We are shocked that a business would make a business decision and not base their decisions on sentiment.
NBC has sort of a Midas touch with television content. Everything it touches turns to something not gold.
Yes, it is shocking that a corporation would put their profits ahead of profits for another corporation.
Also, why would The Weather Channel put their own profits ahead of the safety of America? Why don’t they just let Direct TV have the feed for free? Especially since it will save lives.
To me, TWC has stood for The Water Closet for about the last 10 years…
Not a DirectTV customer, but I wouldn’t miss it.
The Weather Channel stopped being relevant a while ago, and they sold themselves out when they started with the reality TV nonsense. What does Prospectors have to do with weather? They’re just like MTV now. They USED to be about the weather, like MTV used to be about music.
TWC did everything in their power to alienate its loyal audience-how can I count the ways? How about messing with the Local On The 8’s music. Perhaps it was the hiring of weather personalities to ham it up with real Meteorologists. Maybe it was and still is having so many graphics until you see a “talking head” next to a small text filled window, both surrounded by ridiculous empty space. I know… it is the hiring of entertainment hosts to talk about anything but the weather-God forbid! However, I really think it is their absurdity and audacity to consider themselves so important as to evoke an act of Congress. Did I mention the silliness of having their Meteorologists walk towards each other just to emphasize their new, 16X9, widescreen enhanced studio floor. Anytime the “big 3”networks buy out a network-look out!! You find something different than they are (and you enjoy it), then they find what you like and buy it. Next, they change it to their format, forcing you to watch it or try to find something else to watch. They should be arrested for stalking!!
Coincidence? “Appeals Court Strikes Down FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules. Ruling Could Give Broadband Providers Room to Charge Content Companies for Faster Speeds”
https://news.google.com/news/rtc?ncl=dAMkJCaL8tOsfVMSFXz9XeROTH1gM&authuser=0&ned=us&siidp=4f0343868b63e9194d18ad719d00d5db12c0
I didn’t realize TWC had actual competition in the weather channel market. They are toast. I also hadn’t realized that NBC/Comcast had bought them, the idiotic programming decisions are now understandable.
The Weather Channel reminds me of some people I have known in my life who, while being very bright, are unaware that their interests, which they talk about unceasingly, are of no interest to anyone else. I will continue to get my weather forecasts via Weather.com, but I won’t miss the channel on DTV.
Ha! I cut down watching TWC when My Cat Missy Almost Died in a Thunderstorm replaced their decent synoptic discussions and nicely graphiced forecasts. I completely stopped watching after they went green with Heidi Cullen, hired with ONE publication on climate (on the climate of the Rio de La Plata). Oh, and they didn’t even acknowledge my application, with hundreds of pubs, both professional and popular, four books at the time, and an established TV presence.
Then the horrors of pairing the very good Steffie Abrams with incompetent Al Roker, Coast Guard Alaska and Underwater Prospecting.
Climate Central is doing what TWC used to do. Hope they got the email about what NOT to do.
@TomB
“Why would DTV bend over backwards to accommodate a broadcaster that most of their customers don’t want anyway?”
This is the MAJOR problem with the cable TV business model. I don’t watch 95% of the channels on our system (Comcast), and yet I am forced to pay for them! A la carte programming (pay for what you want) is coming, a that will ultimately allow us to vote for our favorite channels with our pocketbooks.
My prediction – The Weather Channel in it’s current cable-oriented format, will be GONE in 5 years…
(pssst…Weather Channel…guess what? We’ll all be just as “safe” without you…).
Check out channel 362-1.
“DirecTV does not have permission to offer The Weather Channel. As an alternative, please enjoy WeatherNation on channel 362 for dedicated 24/7 weather coverage. For more information go to http://www.DIRECTVPROMISE.com”
24/7 weather on a weather channel? That’s a great concept.
If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around does it make a sound?
Some related breaking news…
AccuWeather Announces the Launch of the AccuWeather Channel in Q3 2014
January 14, 2014; 6:09 AM
AccuWeather Global Headquarters, January 13, 2014 – AccuWeather is pleased to announce it will launch a 24X7 weather channel, to be known as the AccuWeather Channel, in the third quarter of 2014.
AccuWeather had not planned to make the announcement at this time, but decided to accelerate the announcement in light of the controversy that has developed between DIRECTV and The Weather Channel and in order to make the public aware of an additional offering that will be available to them later this year.
—
One comment – “Heh!!!!!” (and a big thumbs up for Accuweather).
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/accuweather-announces-the-laun/22055195
and I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day.
What did he think. Direct TV is a charity. Corporations have to make money. TWC might be sponsored by other green initiatives but not the rest of weather TV.
AccuWeather Announces the Launch of the AccuWeather Channel in Q3 2014
January 14, 2014; 6:09 AM
They are also a global warming channel.
Obviously global warming
Charlie Johnson (@SemperBanU) says:
January 13, 2014 at 10:12 pm
But who has the moral high ground?!?!
——————————
Love pithy to the heart of the matter comments. Too funny. Kept ‘um coming.
The Left (which includes, I dare say, 90+% of alarmists) survives on other people’s money, whether tax dollars or subscription dollars. They’re impervious to facts and logic, but cut off their money and they have no other viable means of support. This is a good start.
Pragmatic Progressive says:
January 14, 2014 at 6:37 am
“Totally agree. Even though I don’t have DirecTV, that’s why I’m siding with those against this bad decision on DirecTV’s part.
As far as climate change is concerned, the fact that there’s worldwide news of record heat waves, droughts and extreme weather patterns, is why I believe that climate change is real and not a hoax.”
This entire comment is so silly, it’s almost unbelievable someone is dumb enough to honestly think this way.
To the first point – The Weather Channel has become so unreliable for Weather that not 1, but 2 other companies felt the need for an actual 24/7 “weather news” station to be on the tube. So come the third quarter of 2014, there will be Two 24/7 weather stations (WeatherNation and AccuWeather) that provide nothing but the actual weather, unlike “The Weather Channel” which showed reality TV over much of their schedule (including just short of the entire weekend, when people are off and most likely to be traveling – you know, when they need daily weather coverage the most)
So it is a “bad decision” is to replace a reality TV station claiming to be weather related with two 24/7 Weather News stations that are coming on solely to give the actual 24/7 Weather News that the one being replaced one didn’t provide any longer? Okay…
And as far as the ‘weather more extreme’ part – well, might be time someone starts paying attention to actual history, because this is anything but the most extreme weather ever faced. But come on, even a grade-schooler can figure out “worst since 19XX” means there was worse prior to that date.
Anyway, truth is, weather is less extreme now in most locations (especially in the US, where TWC coverage is being lost by so many.) Now, it is more “covered” now then at any time (where the news of events are near impossible to get away from, there is so much news being thrown at us from so many locations), and coverage is always sensationalized to draw in viewers. But Perception =\= Reality, no matter how much people with an agenda try to dupe the completely uneducated and naive into believing it somehow does. (to be fair though, a grade-schooler does have a high likelihood to believe Perception=Reality as well)
Stephen Richards says:
January 14, 2014 at 9:34 am
“They are also a global warming channel.”
I get their Facebook feed, and they are nothing like TWC. In any case, I think, in regards to a TV channel format, they will have learned from TWC’s huge mistakes…
Stephen Richards says:
January 14, 2014 at 9:33 am
“and I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day.”
What did he think. Direct TV is a charity. Corporations have to make money. TWC might be sponsored by other green initiatives but not the rest of weather TV.
He isn’t thinking, that should be more then clear.
1) Companies (including his own) are in business to make money. One could just as easily turn around and ask him why his “Weather News” station shows as much/more Reality TV as News, sacrificing “reliability” for “profits” just the same. In fact, it would probably be argued that his desire for profits that led to all the reality TV is the only reason their station is off the air today – that is specifically the complaint DirectTV says they receive from their viewers, leading to the decision to cut the channel…
2) His company is operating so poorly in that regard that not 1, but 2 other companies recently made arrangements to jump and provide what his company specifically wasn’t (24/7 Weather) before it was known his company would be going away becomes of their money demands…
3) His station would be on today if his company didn’t demand more money then they were felt to be worth; plain and simple. He choose to take his station of DirectTV by sticking to his money demands. Had he backed down, his company would have a contract…
Dude needs a mirror, because everything he is blaming on others is what he is actually guilty of (but almost certainly being a progressive, that is par for the coarse)
The last time I tuned in the Weather Channel was during the last major hurricane. And you know how long ago THAT was. Looks like we’ll all have to make due with the dozens of other, more reliable weather stations that don’t promote their macho weathermen as hurricane heroes by
posting them at the shore location of an anticipated landfall. One problem TWC never has solved is how to figure out where those landfalls will occur. I believe the only “science and technology” TWC ever promoted was better communication connections to the Hurricane Center. Kenny doesn’t seem to understand that TWC’s big problem was the lack of weather events, which contradicts what he claims. A more self-serving, bombastic and arrogant statement is ulikely to ever come from a CEO. ANY CEO.
Just e-mailed my local cable company.
Please follow Direct TV’s lead, and provide an alternative weather channel, or simply replace TWC with a basic, 24/7 weather channel, one that covers current conditions. There are two channels in the market right now, Weather Nation and Accuweather. Either would be an improvement.
Rich Wright says:
January 14, 2014 at 10:20 am
__________________________
I can’t help there because I just said bye bye, to cable TV, don’t need any of it..
Where is John Coleman when you need to start a real weather channel?
They still have The Weather Channel? My God, some things just don’t know when to die..
I don’t understand why a cable or satellite company pays a channel to carry it. I could see it if that channel had no advertising, but given the number of commercials I see they can’t be hurting for revenue. If anything, it should be the opposite since the cable/sat company is increasing their add viewership by carrying it. Whether it’s over a cable or over the air it’s just a conduit. Of course, cable is a monopoly in most jurisdictions with all that entails.
Maybe Al Jazeera will pick them up.
Jim Clarke on January 14, 2014 at 6:37 am
OMG…You guys are such nerds
From the webcomic ‘Housepets’
“Says the mouse who immediately caught a nerdy quote.”
Just dropped TWC from my iPad and iPhone. Installed accuweather on both as a replacement. On the whole, as a surfer for over 45 years, I was fed up with the almost non existent coverage of the left coast. Decades ago I purchased a Radio Shack weather radio that gave excellent coverage for my area from the SF station, along with emergency alerts. In the mid 90’s I purchased a Quroum wefax card and software for my 486dx driven PC, put a hi gain antenna on the roof and captured the image downloads, daylight and infrared, as the NOAA polar orbiters passed within range. Now that data is available from many sites. Woh needs TWC?
I will miss the hot babes standing in front of California as they give meticulously thorough coverage of Atlanta! A couple of those gals have it really going on coming and going, if you know what I mean.
It’s a start.
Now Direct TV needs to look at some of their other worthless programming, and replace it with some things that are worth watching beyond what you can already get on broadcast or web TV. Then maybe I’ll subscribe again to their basic service.
The Weather Channel isn’t the only kid on the block anymore, Unfortunately, they also decided many years ago to fill prime time with weather stories and documentaries, not forecasts and local weather reports.
Our local cable provider also carries an Accuweather channel on basis cable and has at least two 24-hour weather channels from from local stations available on digital cable. Combine that with instant weather forecasts on demand from my computer, tablet and smartphone, what do I need the Weather Channel for?
Methinks the Weather Channel is going the way of Borders Bookstores. I loved Borders, but they rarely had in stock what I needed and they never adjusted their business model to compete with both mass-market box stores like Wally World or Costco or internet booksellers like Amazon. But it’s not too late for the Weather Channel, if they will focus on their core business and reduce their charges to the local cable providers
DocWat –
short, long – i don’t care as long as people’s pension/retirement funds are safe from their clutches. one way or another, it’s those funds they have their greedy eyes on.
The Weather Channel isn’t on DirecTV anymore? But how we know if Guam capsizes?
The Weather Channel goes dark on DirecTV
============================================================================
The “Weather” Channel turned to the dark side years ago.
If they had stuck with what it had been before “The Emperor” NBC entered in, there would have been no room a competitor.
“This reckless move by DIRECTV will have an impact on our role as part of the national safety and preparedness fabric of our country at a time when the volatility and frequency of weather events seems to be increasing.”
To the very end they spew forth alarmism, misrepresentation and lies. This is one programme whose departure will not be lamented by intelligent people. Let’s hope that there is a lot more of this sort of drudge removed from the mainstream media.
Maybe this explains why the 5-day weather info that used to be on DirecTV Active (or whatever it’s called — they also have horoscope and lottery there) is no longer there. I really miss that (not so much TWC).
ossqss says:
January 13, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Chaka, when the walls fell.
It just fits. Metaphorically speaking 😢
——-
ROTFLMAO. Nice.
DirecTV is a pretty big chunk of TWC’s reach and that revenue loss is going to hurt. The WSJ says that DTV was asking for a 20% fee *reduction* to continue carrying the channel, while TWC is apparently asking for an increase.
AccuWeather is too late to the game. I think WeatherNation will be pegged as the first alternative to TWC since DTV picked them up. Plus AccuWeather’s fake precision and 45-day forecasts that are busted by day 3 won’t play well either.
TWC is a dead channel walking, and they are properly in a panic now.
The last time I deliberately sought out TWC was when they went over to NBC for a news cast. I despise those propagandists and was infuriated that TWC slipped them onto my TV screen.
Steve from Rockwood says:
January 14, 2014 at 6:05 am
Is it safe to go outside?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No. Unfortunately it’s not safe to stay inside either.
Isn’t Accuweather and TWC owned by the same folks,?????
UAN says:
January 14, 2014 at 5:27 pm
ossqss says:
January 13, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Chaka, when the walls fell.
It just fits. Metaphorically speaking 😢
——-
ROTFLMAO. Nice.
————–
You and some others will probably enjoy this too 🙂
http://youtu.be/qO6AOecLeiw
I wonder. What are the odds that the WH administration/Congress will somehow intervene or force Directv to include TWC in their channel lineup under the guise of “public safety” which is TWC’s core mission?
We work closely with the Red Cross and FEMA,” she said. “We are going to the White House tomorrow to talk about ways to get more alerts out. This is not a line: public safety is The Weather Channel’s core mission.”
http://www.multichannel.com/distribution/dangar-directv-asking-weather-channel-drop-rates/147665
I had a mental shutdown after this quote and lost interest in whatever else David Kenny had to say.
“I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day. We are not looking for a large fee increase.”
This clown is speaking to the new world order, who have been conditioned to believe that a product has the right to a price higher than that which people are willing to pay.
If people can share in his disbelief, then it’s over as we knew it. All hope is lost.
@Mario Lento – it all goes back to their belief in a “living wage”. Same idea, except TWC is trying it on a corporate level.
Ironically I had an on-going discussion this past week with the duds on accuweather.com over their assertion regarding ‘global warming’. Their position, that it is man made and getting worse is fraudulent at best. 7 ice ages and all ended before man ever walked the earth. Oh, gee, how do they explain that? Was that dinosaur-made global warming? The entire issue is not settled science as they would have you believe. And all the weather guru’s that promote this agenda are bound to go the way of the weather channel and the dinosaur.
Before we stopped watching it we used to call it the ‘everything but the weather channel’.
““This reckless move by DIRECTV will have an impact on our role as part of the national safety and preparedness fabric of our country”
Good grief. Do they REALLY believe that they are the only providers of our “national safety and preparedness fabric”? Do they really think there are no alternative sources of weather information? When there is a flood alert I get a txt to my cell phone from the county. I don’t need weather channel to tell me. Our local weather forecasts aren’t that bad and I have access to radar and bulletins on the internet or via my phone. These people are out of their minds.
This bunk type of anger over having your bluff called:
““This reckless move by DIRECTV will have an impact on our role as part of the national safety and preparedness fabric of our country”
Is precisely the same bunk that liberals use. Hyperbole, scare tactics and the desire to be paid by someone else more than their offering is worth.
I’m just disgusted with this clap trap.
In my area, Accuweather isn’t.
But the thing is, people really do want to know what the weather is going to be.
Give people what they want.
Easy enough business case. Easy to fail when you forget what your business is.
We should all tell DirecTV “Thank you” 1-800-531-5000
A couple of nights ago I watched The Weather Channel and they were in full panic mode. It resembled PBS pledge week – “This is what you’ll miss if Direct TV drops TWC!” They replayed dramatic moments from recent weather events. They trotted out their experts like Dr Forbes for curtain calls. Heavy on the most attractive and buxom female presenters, two at a time (nudge, nudge.) A crawler on the bottom of the screen displayed live tweets from pleading viewers ala “Please, please don’t drop TWC, I watch is 24/7!” etc. And guess what? No reality TV episodes for a whole evening! A really sad display, they lost all dignity and were on their hands and knees. Sad, because I actually watched TWC a lot, both for weather updates but also to catch up on the latest AGW propaganda.
philjourdan says:
January 15, 2014 at 9:45 am
@Mario Lento – it all goes back to their belief in a “living wage”. Same idea, except TWC is trying it on a corporate level.
++++++++
Agreed. And to add: The socialist, leftist all play the same old songs. It’s getting old and tiring trying to keep up with all those little pieces of the fruits of my labor being taken and given to someone else. Leaves me with less time to volunteer and help others.
Two words: LOCAL CHANNELS.
I know this *is* rocket science, so, it should be more than obvious to the ‘genius types’ …
The local DFW and OKC TV mets do a FINE job in their real-time coverage of TORNADOES, and, they *know* the areas, geniuses …
.
===========================================================================
KLV Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes qaSpa’ QIH, je a haughty qa’ qaSpa’ a pum.
(“KLV” is Klingon Language Version.)
I quit watching when they put that joker Al Roker on the TWC. When I learned NBC had purchased them I knew it was just a matter of time. GOOD RIDDANCE!
Most forecasts are based on the GFS model. On my computer I can get it myself. I then can eyeball it and see where it is starting to go sour. I also consult wiser weathermen to see what they think is wrong about the model. (My favorites are Joe Bastardi and Joseph D’Aleo at WeatherBELL.) (Also at WeatherBELL I can get Dr. Ryan Maue’s superb maps of what the models are producing.) After looking at the GFS, I can look at the Canadian Model, the European Model, the Japanese, the Brazilian, and so forth.
Most forecasters just repeat what the GPS cranks out. They say, “It will be sunny this weekend,” because the GPS says that, however I can see the GPS thinks a storm is going out to sea, but that every other model on earth is saying the same storm is coming up the coast and will clobber us. So I say it will snow a foot.
When I am correct, everyone looks at me in awe. I get invited to parties in mansions by beautiful blonds. (Oh, well, perhaps I’m exaggerating a bit.)
However the important thing to understand is that I don’t even own a TV. Weather Channel?
OT;
It just occurred to me to wonder how the Tamarians told the myths (Chaka, etc). If they consisted entirely of metaphors, too, there’s a wee infinite regress problem here. Somewhere at base there have to be straight-up accounts!
Mario Lento says:
January 15, 2014 at 12:44 pm
philjourdan says:
January 15, 2014 at 9:45 am
@Mario Lento – it all goes back to their belief in a “living wage”. Same idea, except TWC is trying it on a corporate level.
++++++++
Agreed. And to add: The socialist, leftist all play the same old songs. It’s getting old and tiring trying to keep up with all those little pieces of the fruits of my labor being taken and given to someone else. Leaves me with less time to volunteer and help others.
But that is the point. The less time you volunteer the more the progressives need to step and do your work for you to save your soul so they think well they don’t and progressives certainty don’t believe in a soul.
Box of Rocks says:
January 15, 2014 at 8:09 pm
Mario Lento says:
January 15, 2014 at 12:44 pm
philjourdan says:
January 15, 2014 at 9:45 am
@Mario Lento – it all goes back to their belief in a “living wage”. Same idea, except TWC is trying it on a corporate level.
++++++++
Agreed. And to add: The socialist, leftist all play the same old songs. It’s getting old and tiring trying to keep up with all those little pieces of the fruits of my labor being taken and given to someone else. Leaves me with less time to volunteer and help others.
Box of Rocks says===>But that is the point. The less time you volunteer the more the progressives need to step and do your work for you to save your soul so they think well they don’t and progressives certainty don’t believe in a soul.
+++++++++++++++
Amen. It’s a positive feedback effect. They kill me with taxes, and regulations, I help fewer people so I can have enough for me. Fewer people can help themselves, more people want my money, more people vote to take it from someone. The Leftist politicians learned how to create class warfare. People believe they are victims of my success, so they no longer feel bad being on the dole – since they deserve my money and I don’t pay a fair share.
I digress and am off topic.
Part Deux following the Hoover/congress (at the time; punitive tariffs) which instigated a recession (in part due to Federal Reserve actions in their day re: monetary policy!) and the repeated negative efforts of FDR which created *THE DEPRESSION* in the years following, by stifling, choking, restraining, taxing and controlling business and the populace in the 30’s …
Things haven’t changed all that much, except the speed and breadth of their attempts nowadays, with perhaps an even more ‘low-info electorate’ (voting population) on a per capita basis owing to a dumbed-down (primary) educational system and an indoctrination-styled secondary ‘education’ system.
“Let my people go!”
.
I stopped watching TWC when they canned most of their folks, including the amazing Dave Schwartz. The good news is that Dave and Rich Johnson are coming back in October 2014!
https://www.facebook.com/networkweatherchannel
Dave cracked me up. I’m glad he’s going to be back on the air.
======================================================================
No problem if you have a Universal Metaphorical Translator!
(Both captains must have left theirs on the ship. Oh. And isn’t it spelled “Shaka”? But maybe it’s one of those “La Ninja” things.)
Guess we need someone to invent a Universal Spell Checker?
For all of us on the west coast, glad to to see TWC get the boot. Everytime they show the 7 day forcast maps, the announcers would place the fat asses right over the west coast and just go on and on about the drizzle hitting the “northeast cordoor”. They never covered the west worth a damn. I emailed them 100 times complaining without one response. Another comment about leftist crap from MSNBC. Gee, big surprise there. TWC has just kept sliding away from doing weather and spewing more bullshit from their leftist owners.
Last word, perhaps:
I stopped watching television over 30 years ago. I catch the odd thing when visiting friends who’re still addicted, and I caught random things shipboard during my time in the Navy. Until I retired, and regained control of my personal environment, some eye pollution was inevitable. I gave up on Hollywood years ago as well (I didn’t have to decide to boycott anyone in particular; I was already boycotting the lot).
Nothing that has happened, an no one has convinced me, that I didn’t make a very wise choice. For weather, I recommend the following–and avoid EVERYTHING else:
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat_products.html
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/TC.html
The first is the Navy Research Lab, Monterey, homepage for Satellite Products (includes tutorials), and the second is a mariner’s best friend: the Automated Tropical Cyclone Forecast (ATCF) page.
Look at the raw satellite picture, with or without overlays: Visible, IR, milibar IR, Vapor, animated, etc. Stop relying on someone else to tell you what weather you will experience, and start figuring it out for yourself.
A FitzRoy Storm Glass, sling psychrometer and a barometer help alot, too, just in case your internet feed is down…
“Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” —Robert A. Heinlein
I hope that I can survive without Al Roker and Stephanie Abrams! Maybe the earth will cool itself back down again if they are spewing less useless facts to less people. I used to like TWC back in the day before they ran stupid programming during prime time hours when they cared and actually gave you the weather!
Just one cent? Yeah, one cent PER CUSTOMER … PER MONTH. That does NOT add up to ONE CENT. Do the math David Kenny…that is actually $200,000 a month. As others have said, if you are so concerned with the public safety, go back to the rate you already receive and move on. I hope Direct TV continues to stand its ground. I also hope if this ends up the way the previous deals end up, with TWC back on the carrier, that Direct TV can keep Weather Nation. The competition is good for the consumer.
And what about children? The first telling of each myth must be metaphor-free.
II started to give up on TWC back when they let Nicole Mitchell go. She was a hurricne hunter while in the National Guard; something then was afot. I look at the weather during commercials in the morning; if I see my forcast-fine-if not I watch our local station at night. I really don’t need to watch it and their reality shows really turned me off. I won’t cry a tear.
I’m late to this thread, but I just ran across this video. TWC should’ve hired Remy.
Soapnet,The Weatherchannel both gone. However, Honey Boo Boo and Duck Dynasty live on!.The world is going nuts!
WeatherNation just last night said there was a big winter storm in Stamford,CN but the graphics on the screen said Stamford,KY!
Stop the reality tv shows and bring back The Weather Channel 24/7 with local forecasts and don’t bother coming back or you will lose a very large family who watched for years until you quit giving weather and all you did we’re reality shows!
Bye Bye TWC maybe, I won’t be shedding a tear when your gone and was over the reality shit!