WXforum.net
General Weather/Earth Sciences Topics => Weather in TV & Movies => Topic started by: HailHunter on January 11, 2014, 07:44:56 AM
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I didn't see this posted, but apparently TWC and DirecTV are getting into it. TWC meteorologists are posting a form tweet on their feeds saying that if DirecTV drops them it would be a public safety threat. Yes, believe me that has gotten exactly the type of response from hardcore weather followers that you might have expected.
I just wonder if the introduction of Weather Nation as an alternative is spurring this flare up.
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I'm sure Weathernation is an alternative for DTV but the bottom line is money. TWC has got very big and is a household name so they can charge DTV more for their programming. Weathernation on the other hand is new with no clout and can't command the same as TWC for their programming.
Saying it would be a public safety threat just makes my point even more. They are so full of themselves that they actually believe this. :roll:
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Just did a bit of internet research, and this is pretty much a strong arm move by DirecTV that was originally done by Dish Network back in 2011. Weather Nation was brought on to replace TWC on Dish during their dispute. That's what DirecTV has picked up Weather Nation for, as well. It is designed to force TWC into meeting their demands. Quite frankly, if it means we lose TWC and gain Weather Nation, I wish the Weather Channel would call their bluff and go away.
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I doubt they'll go away because there are millions of DTV subs out there. What they would lose in advertising revenue would far outweigh what ever reduced costs that DTV would charge them.
Just goes to show why competition is good for the consumer.
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DirecTV will remove The Weather Channel from its nationwide lineup if the parties can’t reach a deal before their current agreement expires Jan. 14, in the latest feud over programming costs between a distributor and TV network.
The Weather Channel on Saturday launched a PR campaign urging DirecTV’s 20 million U.S. subscribers to swamp the satcaster with requests to not drop the network via phone, email and social media. It claimed the operator’s potential booting of the network is somehow a “public safety issue” that warrants congressional involvement.
DirecTV said in a statement that it is in talks with Weather Channel “on how to provide its service to our customers at the best value, since people now use so many other ways to retrieve weather-related information.”
The No. 1 satcaster recently launched WeatherNation (at channel 361), which DirecTV said provides “round-the-clock hard weather news, free of any interruptions from reality TV.” That’s an allusion to Weather Channel’s increasing focus on long-form shows, including “Highway Thru Hell,” “Hurricane Hunters” and “Prospectors.” DirecTV also said its emergency channels provide urgent info during severe weather.
SEE ALSO: The Weather Channel Updates Brand, Visual Identity
Weather information is ubiquitously available on the Internet — including on The Weather Co.’s weather.com and related apps. Weather.com had 54.2 million unique visitors in November 2013, making it the 17th-biggest site in the U.S., according to comScore. Still, the cabler alleges DirecTV customers will be at risk of missing critical weather alerts if the satcaster doesn’t pay up. The current agreement is set to expire at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
“For DirecTV to take us off their lineup would be deeply irresponsible to its customers who not only count on The Weather Channel on a day-to-day basis, but depend on us before, during and after severe weather events,” David Kenny, chairman and CEO of The Weather Co., parent company of The Weather Channel, said in a statement issued Saturday. “We have offered the industry’s best rate for our programming and are committed to reaching an agreement.”
The Weather Co. is owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal and private-equity firms Blackstone Group and Bain Capital.
In battling DirecTV, Weather Channel has launched a website, keeptheweatherchannel.com, which urges viewers to call their U.S. representatives and senators in Washington and ask them to nag DirecTV to keep the channel. The network also is rallying DirecTV subs to tweet their displeasure to @directv using the hashtag #stormdirectv, and also called on fans to post on DirecTV’s Facebook page.
As a directv customer, I am ok with this.
Save me money, give me better programming.
Let them go.
2nd step-Does WeatherNation have an affiliation with and weather station sites? Can't remember.
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A couple of questions. I don't do facebook and I don't tweet but I do use my telephone and sometimes I even use emails. Is there any way to reach DirectTV to say "I am a subscriber and I would be very happy if you replaced The Weather Channel with WeatherNation."?
Second question. Is there any way to watch "WeatherNation" on line rather than on Satellite/Cable TV (because I haven't and I won't watch The Weather Channel)
Thanks
George
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http://www.weathernationtv.com/#watch (http://www.weathernationtv.com/#watch)
https://support.directv.com/app/contact_us/session/L3RpbWUvMTM4OTQ2Njc2OC9zaWQvKmIzQmw3S2w%3D (https://support.directv.com/app/contact_us/session/L3RpbWUvMTM4OTQ2Njc2OC9zaWQvKmIzQmw3S2w%3D)
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Just did a bit of internet research, and this is pretty much a strong arm move by DirecTV that was originally done by Dish Network back in 2011. Weather Nation was brought on to replace TWC on Dish during their dispute. That's what DirecTV has picked up Weather Nation for, as well. It is designed to force TWC into meeting their demands. Quite frankly, if it means we lose TWC and gain Weather Nation, I wish the Weather Channel would call their bluff and go away.
If they do get into a dispute, and TWC starts this "Call DirecTV and tell them you don't want to lose TWC" thing, I think we should all let DirecTV know that we all hate TWC. Being weather enthusiasts, maybe what we say would carry some weight. But who knows?
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I agree with Ocala completely. =D> This public safety threat is a load of bull. Most everyone has local tv stations for forecasting, there is NOAA on the web, and people are everywhere through social media talking weather. I hope DirectTV cuts TWC at their knees.
I'm really just gonna start sticking with NOAA though, because with the preview of the new WU site, and TWC being as Roker as ever, I'm better off just sticking with the NOAA sites.
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If they do get into a dispute, and TWC starts this "Call DirecTV and tell them you don't want to lose TWC" thing, I think we should all let DirecTV know that we all hate TWC. Being weather enthusiasts, maybe what we say would carry some weight. But who knows?
I couldn't wait. I sent DirecTV a thank you comment anyway. :D
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I couldn't wait. I sent DirecTV a thank you comment anyway. :D
I already got a response (probably auto-generated):
Subject
Weather Nation
Administrator
Thank you for writing. We remain in discussions with The Weather Channel on how to provide its service to our customers at the best value since people now use so many other ways to retrieve weather-related information. Please visit DirectvPromise.com for the latest news and important information.
Customers will continue to get round-the-clock hard weather news, free of any interruptions from reality TV, on Weather Nation (channel 361), city-by-city coverage on more than 1,600 local broadcast stations, and DIRECTV’s emergency channels in times of severe weather.
We know that you have a choice among television providers and appreciate your having chosen DIRECTV.
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2nd step-Does WeatherNation have an affiliation with and weather station sites? Can't remember.
They own a big portion of WeatherUnderground and Intellicast among others.
Which is why I don't use either of them anymore.
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Second question. Is there any way to watch "WeatherNation" on line rather than on Satellite/Cable TV (because I haven't and I won't watch The Weather Channel)
Try Channel 13.3.
http://www.wset.com/story/18770511/wset-launches-new-weathernation-channel (http://www.wset.com/story/18770511/wset-launches-new-weathernation-channel)
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Just did a bit of internet research, and this is pretty much a strong arm move by DirecTV that was originally done by Dish Network back in 2011. Weather Nation was brought on to replace TWC on Dish during their dispute. That's what DirecTV has picked up Weather Nation for, as well. It is designed to force TWC into meeting their demands. Quite frankly, if it means we lose TWC and gain Weather Nation, I wish the Weather Channel would call their bluff and go away.
Personally, I think it's all political BS on both sides. I am a Dish customer and saw the same thing happen with AMC and TWC when their contracts were up. They brought in Weathernation just to fill the gap and added another channel to replace AMC. After AMC and TWC settled their disputes and kissed and made up with Dish, they both came back and the other channels were dropped.
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That other channel is still there, but I can't remember what it is now. I stopped watching AMC the first time I saw a commercial on it back in the 90s sometime.
Have never watched it since. Both AMC and TWC are blocked out of my channel guide.
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That other channel is still there, but I can't remember what it is now. I stopped watching AMC the first time I saw a commercial on it back in the 90s sometime.
Have never watched it since. Both AMC and TWC are blocked out of my channel guide.
Strange that. They are both alive and kicking here. I only watch AMC when there is a good classic on which very rare these days and hardly ever watch TWC since they show old tired reruns of Coast Guard Alaska and Prospectors most of the time so, you are really not missing much and it wouldn't bother me if those channels went away permanently.
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WeatherNation-Ownership-Paul Douglas (and others)
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That other channel is still there, but I can't remember what it is now. I stopped watching AMC the first time I saw a commercial on it back in the 90s sometime.
Have never watched it since. Both AMC and TWC are blocked out of my channel guide.
I got rid of pay TV all together a year ago and now rely on Cave Country Weather for the most accurate, up to date local weather information. :grin:
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That other channel is still there, but I can't remember what it is now. I stopped watching AMC the first time I saw a commercial on it back in the 90s sometime.
Have never watched it since. Both AMC and TWC are blocked out of my channel guide.
I got rid of pay TV all together a year ago and now rely on Cave Country Weather for the most accurate, up to date local weather information. :grin:
Really.
No cable or sat tv at all? That would be tough for me.
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Another month or two and I'll be doing it. Going to OTA and web only. Sat has gotten far too expensive.
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That other channel is still there, but I can't remember what it is now. I stopped watching AMC the first time I saw a commercial on it back in the 90s sometime.
Have never watched it since. Both AMC and TWC are blocked out of my channel guide.
I got rid of pay TV all together a year ago and now rely on Cave Country Weather for the most accurate, up to date local weather information. :grin:
Really.
No cable or sat tv at all? That would be tough for me.
Just OTA with 7 or so channels. I am not into sports, so if you take that out of the cable line up, how much is there really worth watching? And is the little left worth what you are paying? I used to come home from work, and in the time it took to cook & eat dinner, I was still clicking through channels looking for something worth watching. Then If I found something, the commercials and especially the pop up commercials ruined the show/movie. I get the local news/weather with the antenna and for movies there is Netflix ($10 per month) and Amazon prime ($20 per year?).
There is more and more people doing this as sat/cable rates go up and quality programming goes down. I think soon companies other than Direct TV and Dish will start standing up against the "too big to fight against" channels like TWC. When I cancelled Dish, they asked me why. I told them that the issue was not with their service, but with the programming being offered. She just sighed and said "Yea, I know".
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All anyone needs to know about The Weather Channel's public safety campaign can be seen back on April 30, 2010. That was the night Jim Cantore had to issue a public apology.
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Jim Cantore! Ha! I hope someone has a loop of him apologizing and can play it constantly. He epitomizes being 'full of themselves'.
That the WC can even publicize that they want viewers to call their congressmen to stand up for their loss and have the cajones to even mention public safety without breaking out into laughter is amazing.
I shudder to think how our forefathers were able to survive without satellite!
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Those with weather sites should post their opinions there for their followers to see.
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Some of you might have seen this somewhere else:
From USA TODAY
DirecTV customers set to lose Weather Channel
With the clock ticking, The Weather Channel launched a national campaign Saturday urging viewers to lobby Congress to garner support for its effort to stop DirecTV from dropping it from its lineup. The campaign comes as the companies continue to battle over contract talks. DirecTV, a satellite carrier, has threatened to stop airing the program Tuesday if the dispute is not settled. David Kenny, chairman and CEO of The Weather Co., said it would be "deeply irresponsible'' for DirecTV to take the program off air, saying viewers depend on the coverage, particularly for severe weather. "As the most trusted source of weather news and information in America, The Weather Channel is there when it matters most,'' Kenny said in a statement.
http://usat.ly/1eMl2I9
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If the White House cannot take Jimmy Kimmel off the air,
Congress cannot force DTV to keep the Weather Channel
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The WH wanted Kimmel off the air?
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No, but some 'noids did and started one of those petition thingamabobs.
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I got to thinking about the good old days on TWC and remember a guy named Dale Daukus (sp?). Does anyone remember him? I watched his last night, and he had a railroad engineer's hat and train whistle he blew a lot. It was a fun night.
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http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24891860/white-house-no-we-cant-take-jimmy-kimmel
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The Weather Channel maybe listening to criticism, at least in the short term. On a Sunday when very little of note is happening across the United States, the Weather Channel has preempted almost all of it's regular reality show programming, and gone back to the "old fashioned" style of wall-to-wall weather reporting.
I noticed it myself this afternoon when checking on the network. They had one of the shows on the guide, but they were on the air broadcasting weather, instead.
Also, while I have not seen it for myself tonight, Kim Cunningham posted on her social pages earlier that they would be on the air 11pm-3am. The last time I checked, late night Sunday was generally filled up with those garbage shows that we complain the most about. I have not seen anything about the prime time hours that would have been the biggest sign of whether or not they are taking the criticisms seriously, but it is a very strange coincidence that they would deviate from the norm on the same weekend that they are taking so much heat online.
I don't believe in coincidence...
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And DirecTV takes the lead in the dirty war fare tactics by running their own crawl on top of the Weather Channel's which says to tune into Weather Nation instead for any and all weather needs. They are right, but that is kind of below the belt to do it right on their own network.
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I don't see the crawl, but there is a countdown timer overlaid at the top-center of TWC's broadcast telling us how long until DirecTV's blackout of TWC. Oddly, I don't see Al this morning. That's a relief, but probably just reflects time off and not a programming change.
It might be too much to hope for, but perhaps the overlords at NBC/Comcast now realize that turning TWC into a cash cow by greatly reducing their OCM staff and the time actually devoted to weather reporting has horribly maimed what used to be a national resource and now is a national joke, aka 'The Roker Channel'.
Now 17 hrs. 31 min until DirecTV pulls TWC's plug...
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I don't see the crawl, but there is a countdown timer overlaid at the top-center of TWC's broadcast telling us how long until DirecTV's blackout of TWC. Oddly, I don't see Al this morning. That's a relief, but probably just reflects time off and not a programming change.
It might be too much to hope for, but perhaps the overlords at NBC/Comcast now realize that turning TWC into a cash cow by greatly reducing their OCM staff and the time actually devoted to weather reporting has horribly maimed what used to be a national resource and now is a national joke, aka 'The Roker Channel'.
Now 17 hrs. 31 min until DirecTV pulls TWC's plug...
Ah. I didn't see the timer earlier, so they may have made that adjustment for the 6am hour. I wonder if DirecTV will keep "spamming" them even without the crawl.
As childish as all of this is, I am like everyone else. I hope this will help make it clear to TWC and their higher ups that people actually want wall-to-wall weather. The few alternate programs they air should be tied directly into the weather, and it should be limited to times when hazardous weather is not ongoing. They used to do that back in the late 90s with the weekend show Exposures.
It would air at lunch on Saturdays and Sundays, but it was pulled any time severe weather was possible.
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While thinking about the good old days and googling a few names, I found this on a TWC Wiki page (http://weatherchannel.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_meteorologists_on_The_Weather_Channel):
Notable alumni
Nicole Mitchell (now part of air force)
kevin Robinson(Cincinati,oh)
Kristina Abernathy
Natalie Allen (now at CNNI)
Tetiana Anderson
Hillary Andrews (now at CNN)
Will Annen
Carl Arredondo (now at WWL-TV)
Dan Atkinson (retired from WSFA)
Ray Ban (TWC Consultant)
Fred Barnhill
Dianne Barone
Melissa Barrington
Andre Bernier (now at WJW-TV)
Mike Bono (now at Capital News 9)
Jill Brown (Atlanta Realtor)
Mary Brown (deceased)
Dale Bryan
Don Buser
Declan Cannon (now at NWS - Duluth, MN)
Kam Carman (now at WJBK-TV)
John Cessarich (now at WYFF)
Bob Child (now at News 14 Carolina)
Tom Chisholm (now at WMTW)
Carey Coleman
Dr. Heidi Cullen (now at Climate Central at Princeton University)
Janine (Albert) D'Adamo (now at WINK-TV)
Jon Davies
Gaye Dawson
Eboni Deon (now at CNNI)
Sandra Diaz (now at KFOX-TV)
Dale Dockus
Kristin Dodd
John Doyle
Jorma Duran
Brian Durst
Dale Eck (current TWC forecaster)
Brad Edwards (now at WOI-TV)
Bruce (Kalinowski) Edwards (now at WKYC-TV)
Chris Edwards (now at WXYZ-TV)
Bill Elias
George Elliott
Paul Emmick (now at WSBT-TV)
Rebecca (Miller) Erwin (now at KDAF-TV)
Neal Estano (now at WRGB-TV)
David Grant (deceased)
Rick Griffin
Chuck Herring (now at Landmark Communications)
John Hope (deceased)
Liz (Fabian) Jarvis (now at the Macon Telegraph)
Rich Johnson
Cheryl Jones (owner of Kansas City-based production company)
Jeanetta Jones
Bill Kamal
Steven Kaye
Arch Kennedy (now at WZTV)
Dr. Rick Knabb (now director of the National Hurricane Center)
Paul Kocin (now at NWS HPC)
Cheryl Lemke
Charlie Levy
Gary Ley
Sarah Libby (now at KOCO)
Jennifer Lopez (now at KXAS)
Mark Mancuso (Now at AccuWeather)
Bonnie (Cannon) McLaughlin (lives in Duluth, MN)
Marie Michelini
Mish Michaels (now at WBZ-TV)
Jeff Mielcarz (now at WSFL-TV)
Vince Miller
Karen Minton (now at WSB-TV)
Tom Moore (current TWC Coordinating Meteorologist)
Myke Motley (deceased)
Lisa Mozer (now an Atlanta-based motivational speaker)
Dave Nemeth (now appears on national informercials)
Dr. Jon Nese (Penn State Dept. Of Meteorology)
Darlene Periconi
Joe Petrovich
Dan Pope (now at KSL-TV)
Cindy Preszler (now at KSDK-TV)
Kevan Ramer (now at KMPH-TV)
Sharon Resultan
Bob Richards (deceased)
Lane Roberts
Gene Rubin (Southeast Region sales for WSI Corporation)
Jodi Saeland (left KSTU in May, 2009 after 12 years to be full-time mom)
Dr. John Scala (now a consultant and at WGAL-TV)
Dan Schmidt
Sally Schmies (now at WJW-TV)
Bill Schubert
Dave Schwartz (now at WGCL-TV)
Glenn Schwartz (now at WCAU)
Norm Sebastian (deceased)
Marshall Seese
Dennis Smith
Terri Smith (current TWC radio broadcaster)
Lisa Spencer (now at WSMV-TV)
Marny Stanier (now an Atlanta-area realtor)
Herb Stevens
Bob Stokes
Jerry Tracey (now at WVTM)
Dao Vu (now at WCCB-TV)
Dave Watson (deceased)
Craig Weber
Jim Wegner
Charlie Welsh (deceased)
Keith Westerlage
Vicki (Griffin) Williams
Colleen (Hammond) Wine (now a Texas-based motivational speaker)
This is also an interesting page:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kristina-abernathy/22/9b6/584
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On a quick scan mode, I don't see Alexandra Steele mentioned.
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On a quick scan mode, I don't see Alexandra Steele mentioned.
You're right. But she's at CNN in case you didn't know. :)
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Check out the thread I posted earlier as I ran across a similar list. I think we should do our best to keep it updated since it is becoming obvious our loyalties are to the meteorologists and not the company.
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TWC laying it on thick
The Weather Channel @weatherchannel 11 Jan
DIRECTV doesn't know the cost of dropping The Weather Channel, but you do. Take action: http://bit.ly/1jpO8OM pic.twitter.com/oqaSHJan1I
http://www.keeptheweatherchannel.com/
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"DIRECTV doesn't know the cost of dropping The Weather Channel, but you do."
Yes, I do. Do they?
At least in my book, the cost is 0. It may even be a positive benefit.
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I just followed your link and submitted this letter which deviates substantially from TWC's self-serving boilerplate:
I'm writing because I'm aware that DIRECTV may drop The Weather Channel from its lineup. This is just fine with me, a long-time weather enthusiast with a personal weather station and a weather web site, http://gwwilkins.org
The Weather Channel has moved far, far away from its origins as a 24/7 weather resource. I find their current programming, which includes far to much 'Reality TV' and which relegates good weather to no weather, to be inadequate for their stated purposes. I for one will not much miss them if DirecTV deletes TWC from their offerings.
TWC's cross-marketing, politicization of weather, inclusion of NBC's 'news' in their programming, and their treatment of their on-camera meteoroligists to be reprehensible.
Please count me among those who DO NOT SUPPORT The Weather Channel.
Sincerely,
Gerald Wilkins
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"DIRECTV doesn't know the cost of dropping The Weather Channel, but you do."
Yes, I do. Do they?
At least in my book, the cost is 0. It may even be a positive benefit.
You're loving this aren't ya. :twisted:
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Good list Greg, Some of those names brought back some good memories.
There is a girl you forgot though. I think her name was Jill but I can't remember the last name. She was one of the early OCM's. Always one of my favorites.
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From Directv
We remain in talks with The Weather Channel on how to provide its service at the best value for our customers. People want up-to-the-minute local weather information, yet nearly half of The Weather Channel’s programming consists of reality shows. In response, we launched WeatherNation (ch. 361) to provide 24/7 hard news weather coverage. We also offer coverage on over 1,400 local stations and on emergency channels in times of severe weather.
Click here for more information
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Now Accuweather is getting into the act.
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.
Rest of article: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/accuweather-announces-the-laun/22055195?partner=accuweather
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The accuweather thing is interesting. It just means that many are tired of TWC and are looking for alternatives.
I do find it "amazing" that now that there are alternatives, TWC is going back to what it originally was.
DTV does have a tough side. They dropped Nick, @night, and anything that was owned by CBS a few years ago over cost.
They got a good deal and got them to add on-demand content. DTV is not afraid of a fight.
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Zero hour arrived, and now when someone tuned to channel 362 on DirecTV it takes them directly to Weather Nation.
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Yep, they're gone! =D>
In response to a previous comment, Jill Brown is the missing Jill
(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/uZcyg_2Hek4/hqdefault.jpg)
more (and better) images at google images
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My mistake Greg. I think her name was Terry. Tall brunette.
It wasn't Jill Brown.
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Terri Smith by chance?
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Looks like TWC is stooping to new lows to try and regain some of the 20 million viewers they lost. First I come upon this on the Weather Underground site (see attachment) and then I clicked the banner to see what was up. To see for yourself go to http://www.keeptheweatherchannel.com/ Incredible!!!
Don in Ohio
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Calling right now. NOT! :roll: Now that freaking desperate!
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Unbelievable!
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Yeah, so who's gonna start throwing lines to that sinking ship? Don't wait for me :lol:
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The TWC should of seen this coming and acted months ago. Others that have shifted programming to heavy doses of filler commercials and reality TV should take warning also. I can see in the future when contracts are up many more, including large bundled blocks of programming being dropped.
The inflationary rate increases from cable and satellite industry has to be slowed. Cutting junk TV is a step.
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I used their link to send a email to them asking them how I can get dish to drop the weather channel also.
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I think the move should be to "a la cart" TV, where we can pick and chose the channels we want to pay for. They need to stop forcing us to pay for many channels we don't want bundled with those few we do want.
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I used their link to send a email to them asking them how I can get dish to drop the weather channel also.
Any response yet? Lmao :lol:
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It just shows how dumb the management of TWC is to be circling the wagons this late in the game...are they that big on themselves?, or are they really that stupid? I also sent an email this morning, but I won't get any response to what I said to them.......too bad
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Anyone see this? =D>
https://www.facebook.com/StopWeatherChannelFromNamingWinterStorms
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Sad part about this whole thing is the route they have taken over the years of being something valuable and interesting to watch to nothing more of a hype and commercialized weather info site. Also, there are some very knowledgable people there that have gotten pulled into this hype and ultimate downward spiral.
Jim
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Sad part about this whole thing is the route they have taken over the years of being something valuable and interesting to watch to nothing more of a hype and commercialized weather info site. Also, there are some very knowledgable people there that have gotten pulled into this hype and ultimate downward spiral.
Jim
It's kind of like remembering when HLN show news, MTV showed music, and HBO showed movies.
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TWC appears desperate these days. This article from Slate (http://Weather Co. CEO David Kenn) contains a self-serving Q&A with the Weather Co. CEO David Kenn. TWC is still full of itself and doesn't get it. They really need to rethink things from top to bottom/beginning to end. They should split off their entertainment onto a separate channel and keep the weather intact 24/7 on a different channel if they're going to pander to the tastes of everyone. And they should keep their asinine winter storm names on the entertainment channel!
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making its rounds on Twitter
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BexvOGiCAAAJJDV.jpg)
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I just switched from DirecTV to TWC. That said, I am primarily using Tivo Premiers. I do have a TWC Whole Home DVR setup as that was part of the win back deal, but I hope not to have to use it much. Navigator isn't great, but neither was DirecTV's interface after they dumped Tivo and went their own way.
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I just switched from DirecTV to TWC.
Perhaps you should read the thread first. We're not talking about the TWC cable provider that is a competitor to satellite.
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New article today
A sudden change in the weather means real money for Paul Falavolito. When a snowstorm rolls in, the chief of a small, non-profit ambulance service in White Oak, Pa., has to keep paramedics in ambulance bays longer. If there's a break in the weather, he can let idling crews go home rather than paying them overtime.
So Falavolito was outraged last month when he flipped on DirecTV's replacement weather service, WeatherNation TV. As a swirling snowstorm swept through the Northeast, closing schools and knocking out power, Falavolito watched meteorologist Rob Koch give a seven-day forecast for Los Angeles: Mostly sunny, with highs in the 70s and 80s.
"I was just extremely disappointed," says Falavolito, 43. "I'm reading tweets about hundreds of thousands of people on the East Coast that don't have power. WeatherNation was talking about the weather in Los Angeles. To me, it's very unacceptable."
Since Jan. 13, El Segundo, Calif.-based DirecTV has replaced The Weather Channel with WeatherNation TV in a dispute over fees. The move is angering customers—people like Falavolito, who say WeatherNation is a poor substitute that offers rote seven-day forecasts without the in-depth analysis of people like Weather Channel star Jim Cantore.
Standoffs like the one between The Weather Channel and DirecTV are becoming commonplace as TV content producers demand higher fees from the cable and satellite companies that carry their programming. The higher fees, say pay-TV providers, result in ballooning bills for consumers. What makes the current dispute different is that DirecTV is raising a new argument for the smartphone era: Why pay high fees for weather reports when consumers can get all sorts of free forecasts on their mobile devices?
There are more than a dozen weather apps for smartphones. Apple's Siri voice assistant can even tell you if you need an umbrella. What's more, say DirecTV officials, when viewers turn on The Weather Channel, they have a 40 percent chance of catching a reality TV program.
Although DirecTV's arguments ring true for tech-savvy consumers, hardcore weather junkies say better information matters.
Take Chris Gemmell, a 67-year-old former business consultant who now runs a lavender farm in Knox, Pa., with his wife. When the forecast predicts consecutive days of summer rain, Gemmell doubles his staff to some 20 workers, who dig trenches and drain fields to prevent soon-to-be-soaked lavender roots from rotting. He prefers that the work is done before the downpour, "so you're not out there in your Wellies."
On CNN, Gemmell saw the traffic jams in Atlanta that resulted from a sudden winter storm and was scornful of WeatherNation's "rote manner" of reporting seven-day forecasts around the country.
"There's no real reason to have the audio up," Gemmell says. "All the meteorologist is saying is it's going to be 14 for a high and six for a low in Cleveland. I can read that. Then he'll move on. There's no science behind what we should expect."
The dispute has provided a major opportunity for Denver-based WeatherNation TV. Overnight, its distribution jumped from 10 million pay TV homes to 30 million. The newfound attention has brought a new level of scrutiny to its weather reports, some of which plays out on Twitter in less-than-polite terms.
Its executives take umbrage at the criticism that its broadcasts often are on tape-delay during severe weather events.
"Let me be real clear: We don't run on a 3-hour loop," says Michael Norton, president of WeatherNation. If some city forecasts are repeated, it's because "those models don't change minute to minute."
When it comes to severe weather, like the ice storm that turned Atlanta's highways into a slick parking lot, WeatherNation sometimes relies on local TV station partners like Atlanta's WXIA-TV for coverage. And sometimes it puts its own boots on the ground.
"During Hurricane Sandy, I had seven crews along the East Coast," Norton says. "I think there's a misunderstanding of what we provide."
Paul Douglas, the veteran meteorologist who founded the precursor to WeatherNation TV in 2008, continues to be the channel's best-known weatherman. He says the company is trying to balance in-depth coverage of major storms with nationwide forecasts, because "the rest of America sort of feels left out in the cold sometimes."
"Achieving that balance is tricky but it's essential and something we take very seriously," Douglas says.
WeatherNation TV is working with DirecTV to improve its service, and on Monday it enabled a "local button" on subscribers' remote controls that displays a quick snapshot of the local weather on the TV. A graphic showing weather specific to the ZIP code area will pop up every 10 minutes, starting within a week. And in March, WeatherNation TV will launch a six-screens-in-one coverage platform for weather events that are potentially life-threatening. Viewers will be able to zoom in on the main WeatherNation feed, local broadcast stations in affected areas, live remotes from meteorologists in the field, radar maps, advisories or live coverage from national networks like CNN and Fox.
DirecTV's chief content officer, Dan York, says the new services mean DirecTV is offering "more in-depth local and severe weather coverage than any other TV provider."
Since the blackout, The Weather Channel has been running an all-out campaign to shame DirecTV into reaching a deal. Late last week, the company took out ads in newspapers including USA Today, Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, accusing DirecTV of breaking promises, dropping channels and at the same time, hiking monthly bills by 3.7 percent. It claims its protest website, http://www.keeptheweatherchannel.com , has had 6.4 million visitors and says that more than 283,000 DirecTV customers have pledged to switch providers due to the blackout.
David Kenny, The Weather Channel's CEO, says DirecTV picked this fight because the channel is a standalone offering that doesn't have the leverage of companies that own multiple channels such as Disney or Viacom. The channel can't give in for a number of reasons, not least of which is that if it acquiesces to DirecTV's fee-cut demands, it would have to slash rates to its other distribution partners, a prospect that Moody's Investors Service warned could result in a cut to the channel owner's credit ratings.
Kenny says he is well aware of the consequences of keeping up the fight, and says the channel remains on track to maintain its audience levels even without DirecTV. It has diversified its business with its own mobile app and makes money delivering its service to airlines and energy traders. And he says that the channel's reality TV shows like "Coast Guard Alaska" do well in the evenings, but are pulled in favor of live coverage any time serious weather occurs.
"It's better for us to weather this storm than to cave to a bully," Kenny says.
Some people think the dispute can prod The Weather Channel to refocus its mission on, well, the weather.
Chris Pawelski, a 47-year-old onion farmer near Florida, N.Y., already uses a dozen weather apps on his phone, and has an insatiable thirst for weather information.
He sees the dispute as helping The Weather Channel refine its focus back on the weather, especially when his livelihood is at stake every time storm clouds appear.
"I don't want to see 'Prospectors,'" he says, referring to a reality show about miners who try to dig up and sell valuable minerals. "I want to see if I get nailed by hail. That's my main concern."
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Directv came out with an app today, tune into WeatherNation channel 362, and push red button. Enter zip with number pad and it works.
Press release here: http://investor.directv.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2014/DIRECTV-and-WeatherNation-Enhance-Coverage-with-Local-Weather-Now-Instant-Access-and-a-New-Severe-Weather-Mix-to-Be-Activated-During-Major-Weather-Events/default.aspx
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New article today
A sudden change in the weather means real money for Paul Falavolito. When a snowstorm rolls in, the chief of a small, non-profit ambulance service in White Oak, Pa., has to keep paramedics in ambulance bays longer. If there's a break in the weather, he can let idling crews go home rather than paying them overtime.
So Falavolito was outraged last month when he flipped on DirecTV's replacement weather service, WeatherNation TV. As a swirling snowstorm swept through the Northeast, closing schools and knocking out power, Falavolito watched meteorologist Rob Koch give a seven-day forecast for Los Angeles: Mostly sunny, with highs in the 70s and 80s.
"I was just extremely disappointed," says Falavolito, 43. "I'm reading tweets about hundreds of thousands of people on the East Coast that don't have power. WeatherNation was talking about the weather in Los Angeles. To me, it's very unacceptable."
To me, it's very unacceptable that anyone in such a position would be looking at any national source instead of a local source.
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New article today
A sudden change in the weather means real money for Paul Falavolito. When a snowstorm rolls in, the chief of a small, non-profit ambulance service in White Oak, Pa., has to keep paramedics in ambulance bays longer. If there's a break in the weather, he can let idling crews go home rather than paying them overtime.
So Falavolito was outraged last month when he flipped on DirecTV's replacement weather service, WeatherNation TV. As a swirling snowstorm swept through the Northeast, closing schools and knocking out power, Falavolito watched meteorologist Rob Koch give a seven-day forecast for Los Angeles: Mostly sunny, with highs in the 70s and 80s.
"I was just extremely disappointed," says Falavolito, 43. "I'm reading tweets about hundreds of thousands of people on the East Coast that don't have power. WeatherNation was talking about the weather in Los Angeles. To me, it's very unacceptable."
To me, it's very unacceptable that anyone in such a position would be looking at any national source instead of a local source.
I agree with Weatherhost. Most, if not all, Emergency Management organizations have extensive weather forecasting resources they can access on a 24/7 basis. Relying on The Weather Channel, WeatherNation TV or any other for-profit organization is simply asking for problems. I am a member of a local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) here in Douglas County, Nevada. We have direct contact with the NWS in Reno when severe weather is expected. We do not rely at all on commercial TV. They can certainly be helpful but we never depend on them for forecasting or current weather status.
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New article today
A sudden change in the weather means real money for Paul Falavolito. When a snowstorm rolls in, the chief of a small, non-profit ambulance service in White Oak, Pa., has to keep paramedics in ambulance bays longer. If there's a break in the weather, he can let idling crews go home rather than paying them overtime.
So Falavolito was outraged last month when he flipped on DirecTV's replacement weather service, WeatherNation TV. As a swirling snowstorm swept through the Northeast, closing schools and knocking out power, Falavolito watched meteorologist Rob Koch give a seven-day forecast for Los Angeles: Mostly sunny, with highs in the 70s and 80s.
"I was just extremely disappointed," says Falavolito, 43. "I'm reading tweets about hundreds of thousands of people on the East Coast that don't have power. WeatherNation was talking about the weather in Los Angeles. To me, it's very unacceptable."
To me, it's very unacceptable that anyone in such a position would be looking at any national source instead of a local source.
Exactly. If i had a business directly affected by weather, I 'd be in touch with the NWS.
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"Let me be real clear: We don't run on a 3-hour loop," says Michael Norton, president of WeatherNation."
Ummmm, that's not entirely true. I know they do a 2-hour loop and sometimes a 3-hour loop because when I'm doing stuff around the house and I have WN on in the back ground, I usually look at it on the hour or at half-past the hour. They make the same mistakes showing the same video and mispronouncing names every time. So I think he should take that statement back.
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New article today
Who was the source for this article? This day and age, the source has a lot to do with spin put on stories.
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forgot the author
By RYAN NAKASHIMA
AP Business Writer
I saw it in the St. Paul paper
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Directv came out with an app today, tune into WeatherNation channel 362, and push red button. Enter zip with number pad and it works.
Press release here: http://investor.directv.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2014/DIRECTV-and-WeatherNation-Enhance-Coverage-with-Local-Weather-Now-Instant-Access-and-a-New-Severe-Weather-Mix-to-Be-Activated-During-Major-Weather-Events/default.aspx
I tried this. It works about the same as the old DirecTV Weather Channel local "get it now" function. There was a mention about radar "coming soon". I hope that it isn't as tiny as TWC radar depiction was.
The only drawback to either WN or TWC, is that you have to wait so long for them to get around to your area. This new function helps.
Greg
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I tried this. It works about the same as the old DirecTV Weather Channel local "get it now" function. There was a mention about radar "coming soon". I hope that it isn't as tiny as TWC radar depiction was.
The only drawback to either WN or TWC, is that you have to wait so long for them to get around to your area. This new function helps.
Greg
I entered my zip code and it wasn't even close to the correct temperature. Maybe they'll get the bugs worked out of it.
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I'm sure Weathernation is an alternative for DTV but the bottom line is money. TWC has got very big and is a household name so they can charge DTV more for their programming. Weathernation on the other hand is new with no clout and can't command the same as TWC for their programming.
Saying it would be a public safety threat just makes my point even more. They are so full of themselves that they actually believe this. :roll:
I think you hit it on the head Dave! Full Of Themselves sums it pretty nicely! Weather Nation is so so but could be better if they would offer a little more localized programming IMHO
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We cut the cord a couple of years ago. Still have cable, but for broadband only. The TV sits idle most of the time now. Sure have a lot more time for my hobbies, etc now. Don't miss it at all.
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http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/03/can-the-weather-channel-survive-its-competitiors.html
Highlights:
...a correspondent interviewed shelter dogs hoping to become the channel’s official “Weather Therapy Dog,”
Naming winter storms: "...the National Weather Service (wasn't) amused, issuing a sternly worded memorandum prohibiting personnel from using the names in any NWS product. The internet-using public, by contrast, found the whole thing hilarious."
and a badly translated-for-the-hearing-impaired travel warning:
BAFFLING TO ME THEN NEXT IS DOWN THAT SPREAD DECRIES THE CHICAGO AREA AND SOME ORANGE FLAMES AS WE HEAD TO THE WEEKEND SOME NYMPH RESTAURANTS THE SUN MAY MAKE FOR SOME FREAKING TRAVEL CONDITIONS.
Huh?
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And the saga continues (http://seekingalpha.com/news/1657473-directv-signs-longer-deal-with-weathernation)..........
(but it looks like it might have a happy ending!)
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I think that makes the saga over.
From Twitter
@WeatherNation Woo Hoo!!! Congrats on the multi-year agreement with Directv!! I'm excited for all of us! Weather when you want it! I'm in!!
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Looks like The Weather Channel is back on DirecTV, effective Wednesday, April 9.
http://press.weather.com/press-releases/weather-channel-returns-directv/
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & ATLANTA -- The Weather Channel will return to DIRECTV (channel 362) tomorrow as both companies have settled on a new agreement, the financial terms of which were not disclosed.
As part of the new pact, The Weather Channel agreed to reduce reality programming by half on weekdays; return instant local weather and allow authenticated DIRECTV customers to watch The Weather Channel video programming on multiple devices inside and outside the home.
“Our apologies to DIRECTV and their customers for the disruption of our service and for initiating a public campaign,” said David Kenny, CEO of The Weather Company, parent to The Weather Channel. “Our viewers deserve better than a public dispute, and we pledge to reward their loyalty with exceptional programming and more weather-focused news.”
“It’s a shame these disputes are played out on a public stage, but I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work together with The Weather Channel in a way that will benefit everyone,” said Dan York, DIRECTV’s chief content officer. “I know this was frustrating for many of our customers, but their patience was ultimately rewarded with a better deal and a better product.”
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Looks like The Weather Channel is back on DirecTV, effective Wednesday, April 9.
http://press.weather.com/press-releases/weather-channel-returns-directv/
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & ATLANTA -- The Weather Channel will return to DIRECTV (channel 362) tomorrow as both companies have settled on a new agreement, the financial terms of which were not disclosed.
As part of the new pact, The Weather Channel agreed to reduce reality programming by half on weekdays; return instant local weather and allow authenticated DIRECTV customers to watch The Weather Channel video programming on multiple devices inside and outside the home.
“Our apologies to DIRECTV and their customers for the disruption of our service and for initiating a public campaign,” said David Kenny, CEO of The Weather Company, parent to The Weather Channel. “Our viewers deserve better than a public dispute, and we pledge to reward their loyalty with exceptional programming and more weather-focused news.”
“It’s a shame these disputes are played out on a public stage, but I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work together with The Weather Channel in a way that will benefit everyone,” said Dan York, DIRECTV’s chief content officer. “I know this was frustrating for many of our customers, but their patience was ultimately rewarded with a better deal and a better product.”
THIS TOTALLY SUCKS!!! And so does TWC!!!
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They didn't say, but I hope it was TWC that moved to the DirecTV's position and not vice versa. Seeing how DirecTV just signed WeatherNation, too, perhaps they're in a better negotiating position.
Now if TWC would only give us the option of watching in the morning without Al.
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As part of the new pact, The Weather Channel agreed to reduce reality programming by half on weekdays; return instant local weather and allow authenticated DIRECTV customers to watch The Weather Channel video programming on multiple devices inside and outside the home.
This is crazy. Since when do cable companies dictate to television stations what their format should be.
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Ideally the end user (us customers) dictate to the cable company what we would like to watch and in turn, the cable companies then dictate to the station what we are willing to pay for.
When I cancelled Dish, they asked why. I replied that I had nothing against the Dish company and that their equipment and services were great. The reason I cancelled was due to the poor program line up, and endless bombardment of advertising including the overlays during the show I am trying to watch.
The only tool us customers have to effect the TV programming is our $$$. If we stop sending it in the direction of the cable companies, then the cable companies will pass the dissatisfaction on to their suppliers (the TV stations). If the stations listen to the cable companies, maybe customers will return and then both the cable and stations will be more successful.
It seems more and more that major companies are taking the "this is the product we are offering - take it or leave it" approach. Well more and more I am leaving it. I do not have to give my $$$ to a company whose focus is increasing profit at the expense of providing the products and services that I am paying for. Example: I was paying for a weather channel whose focus is weather. I was getting another "reality" channel and meaningless programming. I was disappointed when Dish backed down from their confrontation with TWC, lost an amount of respect for Dish and felt that my requirements were not represented. In the end it turned out to be one less station I watched and I cancelled.
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More to the story:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-directv-weather-channel-deal-20140408,0,1971266.story#axzz2yPs9EMQm
The sign that a new agreement between the Weather Channel and DirecTV was potentially in the works came Monday when the satellite broadcaster and the hotel chain Hilton Worldwide announced a deal that will get DirecTV's service into half a million guest rooms in the United States.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings is owned by the private equity firm Blackstone Group, which also has a large stake in the Weather Channel. Other Weather Channel owners include Bain Capital and Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal.
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I hope that this doesn't mean that DirecTV will dump WeatherNation now.
Greg
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I hope that this doesn't mean that DirecTV will dump WeatherNation now.
DirecTV recently signed a multi-year deal with WeatherNation.
Dumping WeatherNation would diminish DirecTV's bargaining position in negotiating future agreements with TWC.
The Weather Channel is back on Channel 362, and WeatherNation is on Channel 361.
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DirecTV guy is coming tomorrow morning. Although I bought a dish and have set them up myself, there is just too much to do with moving in, so I took advantage of their movers deal. I'll check out the "return of TWC" when it is up and running again.
Greg
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As part of the new pact, The Weather Channel agreed to reduce reality programming by half on weekdays; return instant local weather and allow authenticated DIRECTV customers to watch The Weather Channel video programming on multiple devices inside and outside the home.
This is crazy. Since when do cable companies dictate to television stations what their format should be.
I am quite impressed that DTV was able to coax Weather Channel into changing programming.
That was the problem in the first place-too much reality, not enough weather.
Wouldn't it have been a different world if people/providers would have protested when MTV quit showing music videos?
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I wonder if they could convince them, naming winter storms is ridiculously silly. =D>
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I wonder if they could convince them, naming winter storms is ridiculously silly. =D>
AGREED!!! =D>
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I wonder if they could convince them, naming winter storms is ridiculously silly. =D>
X3
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So it looks like DTV did a great job coaxing Weather Channel
Storms popping all over Iowa, Kansas, others.
Weather Channel has reality shows.
Weather Nation has weather.
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The 'Weather' Channel's programming is apparently dictated by what's going to get them the most viewers. Part of that formula is how many people (millions of people, actually) are currently affected by inclement weather as well as the severity of the weather. A few thunderstorms in the hinterlands aren't of great concern to the denizens of the densely populated but currently unaffected urban megalopolises to which they cater. Plus they don't incur much expense during re-runs of shows like 'Highway Thru Hell'. As tomorrow's weather heats up in Chicago for instance, TWC will pay more attention to current events.
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I thought TWC was suppose to show less reality programing. I watch it very little but when I'm channel surfing there always seems to be a reality program on. :???:
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TWC is now short for their new name...
The Waste Channel