The Weather Channel Changes

I've been a fan of weather phenomena for as long as I can remember. Back when I was little, I even used to pretend that I owned my own television station and presented a weather forecast to the viewers watching. I'd draw my own maps of the U.P. and Michigan and forecast the weather in addition to giving updates of current conditions. I had a blast doing this - even though no one really was watching. I've always been interested in major weather events, such as snow storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Mostly this is all watching from the sidelines as the U.P. is not a common place for severe weather events except for winter storms and lake effect snow. So, when a hurricane is barreling down on the United States or a major tornado outbreak is occurring somewhere in tornado alley, there's usually one source I always turn to on the television, and that's The Weather Channel (TWC).

In recent years, however, a variety of changes at TWC has made watching the cable channel nearly unwatchable. They've created more and more long-form programming, meaning documentary-type shows that air frequently. I know it's often quite difficult to get an update on weather conditions nation-wide during weekend afternoons and evenings because that's when the long-form programming airs the most. But such programming is also evident during weekdays, such as around 3 PM, 6 PM, and 9 PM eastern time. Shows like "It Could Happen Tomorrow" and "Storm Stories" air pretty frequently and a lot of times - it's all repeats. For the average person who flips through, they could probably give two-hoots what's airing on The Weather Channel at any time of the day, just so long as they get their local forecast during the Local on the 8's. However, for the weather buffs out there, not seeing much live weather forecasting during the day has put a hamper on viewing TWC.

In addition to less live weather forecasting, over the last few years, TWC has also gotten rid of several of its prominent on-camera meteorologists that have been with the cable channel for some time, in favor of new, younger faces. Much of the new direction of the cable channel has been blamed on NBC Universal's buyout of The Weather Channel which took effect on July 6, 2008. Shortly after the NBC take-over, popular meteorologists such as Dave Schwartz, Mark Mancuso, Cheryl Lemke, Rich Johnson, Kristen Dodd, and Kristina Abernathy were all let-go. Additional long-time on-camera meteorologists have been let go since, the latest being Bill Kenneely, who was with The Weather Channel when it officially launched back in 1982, and Alexandra Steele. The firings have brought with it a tremendous amount of outcry from fans of The Weather Channel, prompting people to boycott the channel.

That being said, we're in a new era and The Weather Channel on TV isn't as vital as it once was. Now with the internet and the advanced technology of cell phones and other mobile devices, people can receive the latest weather information for their location at a moment's notice. For fans of TWC and the great amount of broadcasting history it's achieved since its inception in 1982, seeing the amount of live weather forecasting get cut back is a bit disheartening. But, for those major weather events such as hurricanes, snow storms, or tornado outbreaks, TWC is still there and will always be there providing live coverage. No matter who the meteorologists are and no matter what the programming might be, there's always weather. And even though we might not like the changes that NBC has implemented since buying the cable channel a few years ago, at least we can get our weather information via the internet and other sources. So feel free to boycott TWC all you want, because the internet just may be more handy for you to get your localized weather information.