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Tyler Weather Coverage

N

nuzguy

Sunday's Longview newspaper has an extensive spread on the Tyler television stations and their Doppler radar installations. Included are several stories on Doppler technology, thumbnail sketches and picturesd of Scirto, Deason, and Chesner, plus a lengthy centerpiece in which each station lays claim to its Doppler capability in some way exceeding that of the other two. Channel 56 and Channel 19 each were quoted as taking a few pot shots at the competition, while Channel 7 left handedly stayed above the fray by in effect saying there's no point in 56 and 19 so intensely touting their Doppler since Channel 7 had the first Doppler quite a while ago.

It's all interestingly presented. No mention if Channel 19 intends tro invoilve its sex queen/news diva in the equation in some way or another. She and Stormy could create some interesting scenes.

Be interesting to know if one station planted the seed for the story with the newspaper and the paper then included all three stations in an attempt at fairness. Somehow it doesn't square with reality that the paper would enterprise such an extensive spread on its own. Could be but the layout suggests a station-originated ramping up of the weather war that's swirling among 56, 19, and 7.
 
nuzguy said:
since Channel 7 had the first Doppler quite a while ago.
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Really? I was thinking 56 had the first Doppler. Did I miss something there? ???

nuzguy said:
No mention if Channel 19 intends tro invoilve its sex queen/news diva in the equation in some way or another. She and Stormy could create some interesting scenes.
Click to expand...

Please....say it ain't so!


nuzguy said:
Be interesting to know if one station planted the seed for the story with the newspaper and the paper then included all three stations in an attempt at fairness. Somehow it doesn't square with reality that the paper would enterprise such an extensive spread on its own. Could be but the layout suggests a station-originated ramping up of the weather war that's swirling among 56, 19, and 7.
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I agree. I'm interested in seeing how 56 and 7 will position their technology on-air now that 19 has the big 'un with over 1,000,000 watts of power, etc.

I predict this:

56 will figure some angle out;
19 will assume the throne as "the most powerful Doppler radar in East Texas"; and
7 will quietly, calmly and professionally continue to keep a finger on the pulse of East Texas WX.
 
Good forecast. Having the biggest ox in town, though, does its owner no good if the ox is in the ditch. So Channel 19 with its 1 meg radar will have to actually perform in some small way rather than simply posturing and positioning, although as you indicated, positioning simply attempts to point up differences from the competition's product and not prove it's actually better in any fashion.

Channel 7 has been playing the role of the quiet hunter while 56 and 19 have been scrambling rather helter skelter with weather promotions that were scatter shot in content and did little to knock KLTV off center.
 
Silly thing about radars. At least according to Baron's Weather Solutions, who makes radars, all more power does is let you see farther. 375,000 watts will let you see out 288 miles... and beyond that distance, the earth curves so you're just shooting way above the clouds.

A million watt radar="see how much electricity we can waste to say our, uh, radar is bigger!"
 
There's the perfect promo hook "We're number one in weather....radar electreicity consumption."

Who says size doesn't matter.
 
I know weather radars, and with a C-Band radar, 1 million watts isn't needed. There's very little to gain after 350kw. I saw the pictures of 19's radar (built by ADC, not Baron) and it appears to have a rather small dish. The dish size is very important for beam width. Also, is 1 million watts the Effective Radiated Power, after the antenna gain is added? Probably. So they aren't putting out as much power or burning as much electricity as you'd think. Based on the past reputation of the company that build 7 and 19's radars, I'd give the battle to 56 which has a nice Baron radar. The only problem with Baron Services, they have the best product and they know it. Baron is expensive and they refure to "negotiate" the price down. Since they will not even talk about, "making a deal", some TV General Managers I know won't do buisness with them at all. Stupid move because Baron makes the best TV radars. Period.
 
nuzguy said:
Good forecast.
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After having read the post from the kind poster who has some good knowledge about 88Ds, let me revamp my forecast...

KYTX: "The Most Powerful Doppler Radar in East Texas"

KETK: "The Most Dependable Doppler Radar in East Texas"

KLTV: "The Stormtracker7 Live Doppler Network--Two Digital Radars Keeping You Safer Than Ever"
 
The term "Doppler" is a handy promotional buzz word for stations everywhere to use, but in reality most people don't know Doppler from thunder. If asked what it actually is a lot of respondents likely would say, "Must be radar that dopples." But the word does have good impact and serves well in hype and promotion. As is said, promotional language need not make complete, or any, sense or even be true. It just has to register well with viewers.
 
As a dumb viewer, I could care less about who has the most powerful radar, the cutest dog, or even the most complete forecast. I am just enduring the newscast hoping to see someone I know, something I know, or more importantly, what the sports guy has to say about the Jacksonville Indians football team.
 
musicsweep said:
As a dumb viewer, I could care less about who has the most powerful radar, the cutest dog, or even the most complete forecast. I am just enduring the newscast hoping to see someone I know, something I know, or more importantly, what the sports guy has to say about the Jacksonville Indians football team.
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Yeah, but there are a lot of "weather junkies" out there. Some people live for the weather forecast. Otherwise, the Weather Channel would have folded long ago.
 
There's an often-quoted saying that the number one thing viewers want in local news is Weather.

But they overlook what people actually want from their weather: TOMORROW'S FORECAST.
That takes about 30 seconds.

How many times have you zoned-out during all the talk about upper-level lows and the system in the Pacific Northwest, then actually MISSED the forecast?
 
There's a lot of agreement with what you said. Then comes the need to make the weather segment a show, of sorts (not unlike the news and sports segments). So weather indeed could well be reduced to the forecast all done up in 30 seconds, but then there'd be nothing to sell. Consequently the forecast serves as the culmination of three minutes or so of weather talk filled with references to unstable upper air masses, dry lines, and--most important of all--"here's what we're seeing on Doppler radar," and sometimes there's nothing to see.

Advertisers simply would not buy into a half-minute weather segment. All the techno-babble that goes before the forecast makes sponsoring the weather (or buying adjacencies) a good buy.
 
"Temperature in San Diego today is 73, compared with 55 up in Seattle, and 85 in the Middle East."

-The weather guy on "Anchorman".
 
newsmark said:
How many times have you zoned-out during all the talk about upper-level lows and the system in the Pacific Northwest, then actually MISSED the forecast?
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Guilty as charged. Frequently, I just want to know what the weather is doing RIGHT NOW. Seems simple. I suppose I could just look out the window. A lot of weather guys don't seem to do that. In the mornings, they don't usually tell you what he temperature is. I suppose that is because all the inserts in the Today Show are pre recorded.
 
I've looked a viewer research in many markets and for many stations. Research about weather shows viewers don't just want tomorrow's forecast in 30 seconds, they also want to watch someone they know, someone they trust, and someone they feel knows what they are talking about. TV weathercasting is very research driven, even in a market the size of Tyler. If the research showed viewers want the weather in 30 seconds or only want the current temperature or want the weatherman wearing a dress...that's what the stations would give them. Trust me, TV stations take weather very seriously because the station that wins weather usually wins the ratings war.
 
Maybe so, but snazzie graphics and high powered do-hickeys aren't what draws that demo. The "weather watchers" tend to be loyal to one meteorologist, and trust him exclusively. When that meteorologist leaves, the TV station needs to be able to replace him with someone who's got cred.
 
You've hit on the Tyler market's unusual status--three stations in that size area each with a meteorologist that stakes a claim on identifiable segments of viewers. In smaller markets there's usually (but not always) one weather person who connects with a significant number of viewers and the other one or two just simply are "there" and not doing very much with the weather.

Deason, Scirto, Chesner--an interesting and competitive mix and each has competent back ups so that there is solid weather reporting from early until late each day and throughout the weekends. The radar promotions notwithstanding (and those will die off rather quickly), Tyler is a good place to watch the meteorologists themselves position their weather products in a market environment that's surprisingly go get 'em.

The emergence of CBS 19 has intensified the weather dynamic in Tyler. When it was just KLTV and KETK there was less of a downer being the number two weather station in a two station environment. Plainly, one dominated, the other didn't, but now no one wants to known as third in a three outlet market. The promotional factor thusly has ratcheted up considerably. Today the driving force is radar hype. Next, each station may have a weather dog (goat, gopher, whatever) to go along with its news hawks.

Channel 7, by virtue of its longevity and a decided degree of stability and quality, is the front runner. But it's a given 56 and 19 will add in the "Hertz factor" and try harder to position them selves through promotion via a viz weather, news, and other factors.
 
Again, since I'm "in the TV weather biz" I've looked at a considerable amount of weather research over the years. There are some markets where technology is more important. I'm not saying who the meteorologist is and if he/she is respected/liked isn't important. It almost always is. But, technology is becoming more and more important. I've seen several markets (mainly in severe weather regions) with viewers ranking the "station with the best weather technology" higher than the weather personality. I'm not saying Tyler is like this, but these stations are spending money on these weather tools for a reason. I only know a few things about the Tyler weather research. It will be interesting to watch the battle over the next few years. Seems like 19 has the most to gain and 7 has the most to be concerned about.
 
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