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WSB-TV and Friday's severe weather

J

JackieSteele

Random technical dork question... did anyone ever catch a reason why they're putting the radar up on what appears to be the big screen from behind the anchor desk, rather than keying in the mets on the chromakey wall? Was there some kind of issue, did they just think this would look neat, or is it so it's easier to look right at the data without having to look at a screen off-camera?

Just curious. Outstanding job, as usual.
 
I don't have an answer to your question, but I do know Glenn has used that rear projection screen behind the main anchor desk at least twice before. I like it!
 
It certainly helps them match the look of the weather presentation at The Weather Channel, which does their weather almsot exclusively off a large HD screen now.
 
Glenn Burns was on the chroma key for the first few minutes of the severe weather coverage, then they turned to David, who had to point to the monitor, then they went to Glenn on the projection screen.

I am assuming there is a major bug in the connections between the weather computers and the news control room (where chroma key images are put together), or with the chroma key camera that warrrented using the screen. There was no direct images of radar after that, even when Glenn was not standing in front of the projection screen. One day...Glenn did the weather on the projection screen...and the next back to chroma key.

I know The Weather Channel and CNN do this now...but it makes the graphics smaller and harder to decipher. Also...a TV camera is taking a picture of a TV...which, even in HD, causes degregation of quality. The Weather Channel and CNN really are throwing their money away on weather graphics, because the graphics are no longer high quality (and no longer in HD in the case of TWC). Might as well go back to velcro and chalkboards, or use PowerPoint.

Basically, we are going back in time from Star Wars (chroma key) to 50's Sci-Fi movies (projection screen).
 
CBS ATLANTA stayed on during primetime covering the storms. Laura Huckabee, Dagmar Midcap, Stephanie and Bill were all live nonstop. I'd assume they're trying to build up there fan base. This hasn't been the firts time CBS ATLANTA has stayed on top of breaking weather though, kudos! Im shocked at FOX 5 and 11 ALIVE they rarely broked into network programing. Channel 2 did a couple of times and then finally stayed on. Does anyone actually use a "live" radar? Everyone seems to be using the NWS doppler out of Peachtree City. At the speed those storms were moving, there is no way to warn about a tornado before it actually hits. Its funny how the stations have the sweeps going around there dopplers, but the data doesn't move nor refresh for about every 3mins. Got everyone thinking it live.
 
2, 5, and 11 do have there own radars...but you're right, they like to use the Nexrad from Peachtree City. Oddly enough, I was using the mobile version of the NWS's website to keep track of the storms from my cell phone Friday night. (I was down at Turner Field. ;D)
 
vpgrar said:
2, 5, and 11 do have there own radars...but you're right, they like to use the Nexrad from Peachtree City. Oddly enough, I was using the mobile version of the NWS's website to keep track of the storms from my cell phone Friday night. (I was down at Turner Field. ;D)
Click to expand...

Hope you didn't get wet. WAGA and WXIA kept tossing to their sports reporters down at Turner Field every five minutes during the severe wether coverage wanting to know if the game was still on. There are more important things than a ball game to worry about...like living.

As for the radars...they have the capability to do both private and NWS radars. The NWS radar data appears to be more powerful, and the cost of upkeep is done by you and me (taxpayers) rather than the local station (I believe the data is also free/public domain, but I don't know if that is the case).

As for WGCL...I would rather trust a politican than trust WGCL for weather coverage.
 
It is free domain.
If you look around the web, you can find a couple of software companies that sell software that let you access the level II (hi-res, soon to be dual pole) and the level III data direct from the NWS, among other things.
If you look around the web (without trying to promote one company or another) you can find software that gives you access to the raw data from the NWS.
 
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
CBS ATLANTA stayed on during primetime covering the storms. Laura Huckabee, Dagmar Midcap, Stephanie and Bill were all live nonstop. I'd assume they're trying to build up there fan base. This hasn't been the firts time CBS ATLANTA has stayed on top of breaking weather though, kudos! Im shocked at FOX 5 and 11 ALIVE they rarely broked into network programing. Channel 2 did a couple of times and then finally stayed on. Does anyone actually use a "live" radar? Everyone seems to be using the NWS doppler out of Peachtree City. At the speed those storms were moving, there is no way to warn about a tornado before it actually hits. Its funny how the stations have the sweeps going around there dopplers, but the data doesn't move nor refresh for about every 3mins. Got everyone thinking it live.
Click to expand...

It amazes me that there is even a question about whether or not a station should stay on the air during tornado warnings. Here in the Birmingham market it is a standard for everyone, started by ABC 33/40 in the late '90s. All of the other stations had to follow suit shortly thereafter, simply because 33/40 was getting massive numbers during those times. The one station that still doesn't go wall-to-wall with severe weather coverage is CBS 42 but nobody watches them anyway. I guess central AL gets quite a few more tornadoes than the hill country of Georgia, so I suppose it makes for better TV when we can count on it being such a regular occurrence. If CBS Atlanta turns this into a regular habit and makes it entertaining, they could find themselves in a position to rake in some viewers and some sales dollars as well.
 
whitfm said:
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
CBS ATLANTA stayed on during primetime covering the storms. Laura Huckabee, Dagmar Midcap, Stephanie and Bill were all live nonstop. I'd assume they're trying to build up there fan base. This hasn't been the firts time CBS ATLANTA has stayed on top of breaking weather though, kudos! Im shocked at FOX 5 and 11 ALIVE they rarely broked into network programing. Channel 2 did a couple of times and then finally stayed on. Does anyone actually use a "live" radar? Everyone seems to be using the NWS doppler out of Peachtree City. At the speed those storms were moving, there is no way to warn about a tornado before it actually hits. Its funny how the stations have the sweeps going around there dopplers, but the data doesn't move nor refresh for about every 3mins. Got everyone thinking it live.
Click to expand...

It amazes me that there is even a question about whether or not a station should stay on the air during tornado warnings. Here in the Birmingham market it is a standard for everyone, started by ABC 33/40 in the late '90s. All of the other stations had to follow suit shortly thereafter, simply because 33/40 was getting massive numbers during those times. The one station that still doesn't go wall-to-wall with severe weather coverage is CBS 42 but nobody watches them anyway. I guess central AL gets quite a few more tornadoes than the hill country of Georgia, so I suppose it makes for better TV when we can count on it being such a regular occurrence. If CBS Atlanta turns this into a regular habit and makes it entertaining, they could find themselves in a position to rake in some viewers and some sales dollars as well.
Click to expand...

I totally agree! My station has the same policy. Wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, you have idiots who call and complain that the first 5 minutes of some crappy sit com are being covered up. HELLO... there's a tornado on the ground! Priorities are funny, sometimes.
 
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