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Steve Blow; Shut Up!

Several letters in the DMN expressing this exact sentiment today. They DO tend to go overboard. I understand breaking in when a tornado warning has been issued...But if the tornado warning is issued in Palo Pinto county that expires at 7pm and no other warnings are issued....Is it necessary to have the weather guy on TV for 2 solid hours tracking the storm as it moves across the metroplex? Do we need "dramatic" phone calls from reporters??? Last weeks weather with the winds that knocked down trucks and fences was a bizarre event that deserved the coverage that it received. But it does seem like they've been goin overboard lately.. It's always fun to notice where the priorities REALLY are too....Wall to wall weather...UNTIL Lost, CSI, or American Idol is about to start....
 
The one thing I've noticed about weather "forecasting" in North Texas is: the more sure they are about an upcoming weather eventm the less likely it is to happen. Wall-to-wall storm coverage is good for winning awards but not necessarily serving the best interests of the listening public.

I actually agreed with Steve's point about it turning into a "cry wolf" situation, but there's a very fine line between enough and too much in this area.
 
I disagree. This "cry wolf" thinking doesn't apply, because weather forcasting still contains too many uncertainties. I don't look at "winning awards" as the objective here. I look at it from the public service / public safety standpoint. The "we don't need continuous storm tracking" approach seems foolish to me. Want to run that one by folks in the path of the storm? Those same folks gain valuable knowledge based on the in depth coverage from the post storm activity, before it approaches them.

R
 
The biggest problem I have with wall to wall coverage is that its is the same thing repeated over and over again. Kristine Khahanik just wants to see herself on tv. The reason they stop the coverage when the prime shows come on is because the veiwing public has complained about the wall to wall. The best idea is to have wall to wall coverage on you sister station or if you have HD channels and you can watch the .1 news broadcast. For those people in the affected area they can switch over to the other channel or get in the basement. Take your pick.
 
If there severe weather in the area,it warrants wall to wall coverage,especially IF the storm has a history of spawning tornadoes,hurricane force winds,and left destruction. A storm can disipate,and reform more dangersous than before, that is why some storms bear watching as they move across the area. Keep in mind they haven't deregulated the license of a station,and that license still states serving the public,not entertain them. I agree if there is another station that is affiliated with a network station, they could use it for information. Just because you live in Addison,doesn't mean the storm in Lancaster/Ennis won't affect you and grow in intensity. Look at last wednesday for example. That is why the stations give wall to wall coverage so those in the storms path have time to prepare. If not, then the stations signal should be reduced to the city limits of its license and pretend its an ostrich.
 
Board Monkey has it right, this is when you utilize your HD, Digital or share agreement station for these issues. Why arent the cable/sat cos. picking up on the digital sub channels is my big question, seeing that they have the power to vastly increase the viewrship. Is this going to be another "foot dragging" like we had in 1994 with must carry??
 
A severe Tstorm rolled over my house in N Dallas about 3am last night....ONly Ch 11 had a crawler. Everyone else was in infomercial mode.
 
Slambang said:
Board Monkey has it right, this is when you utilize your HD, Digital or share agreement station for these issues.
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Only if you show regular programming on HD and coverage on SD. There are still a lot of people that do not have HD. The coverage should reach the largest # of viewers possible...
 
GRAYWOLF said:
Slambang said:
Board Monkey has it right, this is when you utilize your HD, Digital or share agreement station for these issues.
Click to expand...

Only if you show regular programming on HD and coverage on SD. There are still a lot of people that do not have HD. The coverage should reach the largest # of viewers possible...
Click to expand...

Exactly!

Plus cable TV providers such as AT@T Home Entertainment, do not provide the NOAA Radar channel. I don't expect The Weather Channel to closely follow storms in various markets, the same way local TV stations do.

R
 
So what's funnier?

1. The DORK-us marathon takes
2. Vehemently apologizing for interrupting ONLY the "quality" programming (let them break into a fledgling program and see what kind of mea culpa viewers get)
3. Sending out the entire photog force out to anywhere that is picking up more than a slight breeze and a puddle to drive in
4. The lunacy and selfishness of the idiot viewers that call the "TELL IT TO.." hotlines. As long as there isn't a funnel cloud directly over their own backyard, all they care about is idol. Never mind the devastation and carnage on the other side of town. We are all good in Balch Springs.
5. Or the fact that these dips in Weatherland placate to those calls in the first place.

I agree, if it is a treacherous situation, break in. I could care less what my TiVo is popping. However, if it clearly out of the DMA... or the MSA for crying out loud, tune down the frenetic "Can I get the camera on me for 20 more minutes" pace. Enough already.
 
You've summed it up well. Pete and Khristine seem to be fun to watch once the weather goes severe so you can see drama and flubs. Meanwhile if you want good waether coverage there is KRLD to listen to.
 
Radio & TV stations are licensed to serve the public. I don't like the interruptions of programming I want to watch or listen to, but if a tornado was coming toward my home and a TV or a radio station didn't have someone live & local on hand to warn me---or you---I don't think they'd be serving the public interest.
 
If the situation is getting really hairy outside which I can look out my window and see. I think I can get a better take on the weather than some igotistical news stringer on the other side of town. Its very clear that the age of technology has gotten us far past the reliance on the TV anchor to get us the most up to date info on situations like the weather. I know my tv works well when the storms have knocked the power out. Good thing those storm sirens are still around and my radio runs on batteries. As far as the "tell it to" yahoos they are the same breed of people that stayed when Katrina hit. If they get swept away in a tornado........well its thinning the heard.
 
WWHTD?

What would Harold Taft do?

That is the question all of the TV weathercasters need to ask themselves.
 
KPLEXCOMPLEX said:
You've summed it up well. Pete and Khristine seem to be fun to watch once the weather goes severe so you can see drama and flubs. Meanwhile if you want good waether coverage there is KRLD to listen to.
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Unless you don't have an HD Radio, in which case all you get is static. Or even if you do have an HD radio, and the signal quality drops to the point where you receive nothing.

I gotta say, when David Finfrock is doing severe weather, he keeps it calm and just gives the facts - at least as much as he's allowed to. I know KXAS wants to get into the breathless weather biz (Storm Tracker H3? Come on....), but when David is allowed to be just David, his reporting is as clear and concise as you can get. Close second: Gary Seith on KTXA. He may seem like just a minor leaguer compared to the other folks, but he's solid (and he's not Kristine Kahanek).

Overall, however, I wonder how the sales departments at the four network affiliates keep from shooting somebody in the news department when severe weather happens. All that ad revenue going down the drain......
 
VOXPOP said:
Radio & TV stations are licensed to serve the public. I don't like the interruptions of programming I want to watch or listen to, but if a tornado was coming toward my home and a TV or a radio station didn't have someone live & local on hand to warn me---or you---I don't think they'd be serving the public interest.
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Serving the public is one thing....Overkill is another. We don't need 2 hours of weather coverage for a regular spring thunderstorm.
 
johnqdoe said:
VOXPOP said:
Radio & TV stations are licensed to serve the public. I don't like the interruptions of programming I want to watch or listen to, but if a tornado was coming toward my home and a TV or a radio station didn't have someone live & local on hand to warn me---or you---I don't think they'd be serving the public interest.
Click to expand...


Serving the public is one thing....Overkill is another. We don't need 2 hours of weather coverage for a regular spring thunderstorm.
Click to expand...

Yes we do, if the storm is extremely severe.

R
 
The difference between a regular spring thunderstorm and a severe thunderstorm is very different. I don't recall anyone interupting anytime when its just a common thundershower. If the storm is packing 6o+mph winds and has quarter in size hail ,plus a funnel cloud sighted, yeah I believe the tv viewers and radio listeners need to know where its headed and if its growing.
 
What drives me crazy is half the people here bitch when stations go wall to wall with over-the-top coverage...
And some of them are the same ones bitching about voicetracking, satellite programming, etc...

If you're live and local, aren't we better off with the occasional over-the-top weather extravaganza...

After all, god forbid an F-5 hits here, we'll have people bitching about how they were listening to their favorite station and never heard a weather report, had no warning, etc etc...
 
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