MickeyThe Weather Channel
We don't tend to think of the Weather Channel as a ratings powerhouse- I almost never have it on more than maybe ten minutes... except when a tropical storm is taking aim at my part of the state. And right now I expect that places up North that seldom if ever worry about hurricanes are right now tuned in to see how much snow is expected to be dumped where.
Granted it's mostly a minor thing; like tuning in to catch the forecast while getting breakfast, but in unstable times one might stay tuned for a more detailed picture. The weather is one of those things big enough to affect everyone, and in truth there's something almost majestic about seeing a storm system as big as the Gulf of Mexico bearing down inexorably right towards home.
The one thing that always gets me (and the Weather Channel is far from alone in this) is that they always have their hurricane "experts" standing out in the weather, with debris flying right past them. I would love to see the anchor send us off to their Hurricane Expert- and then the camera just pans a few feet away to where the expert is sitting safe and dry inside the studio. That would be someone I could buy as an expert in powerful storms.
As long as they're in the forecasting business anyway, it's only a matter of time before they decide to open up their range to forecasting other systems. When Spring Break approaches they can advise beach dwellers to be wary of the drifts of drunk coeds littering the beach (for many it will be their first hangover, and they won't have learned how to handle them with grace and style). When the local team makes the playoffs they can broadcast drunk-driver warnings for the affected areas. Maybe for the end of even-numbered years they can show us maps of the nation indicating where the political signs are so thick as to make it difficult to pick out the street signs we actually need to see.
Everyone talks about the weather, but only a few meteorologists are photogenic enough to get paid for it. While certainly not the every-day Must See TV, the Weather Channel is one of the more useful channels on the satellite. Many channels are rebelling against their brand; I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see the Weather Channel turning to other things to forecast. Then again if the Apocalypse ever actually comes, they may finally achieve the mythical, elusive 100 share.
Granted it's mostly a minor thing; like tuning in to catch the forecast while getting breakfast, but in unstable times one might stay tuned for a more detailed picture. The weather is one of those things big enough to affect everyone, and in truth there's something almost majestic about seeing a storm system as big as the Gulf of Mexico bearing down inexorably right towards home.
The one thing that always gets me (and the Weather Channel is far from alone in this) is that they always have their hurricane "experts" standing out in the weather, with debris flying right past them. I would love to see the anchor send us off to their Hurricane Expert- and then the camera just pans a few feet away to where the expert is sitting safe and dry inside the studio. That would be someone I could buy as an expert in powerful storms.
As long as they're in the forecasting business anyway, it's only a matter of time before they decide to open up their range to forecasting other systems. When Spring Break approaches they can advise beach dwellers to be wary of the drifts of drunk coeds littering the beach (for many it will be their first hangover, and they won't have learned how to handle them with grace and style). When the local team makes the playoffs they can broadcast drunk-driver warnings for the affected areas. Maybe for the end of even-numbered years they can show us maps of the nation indicating where the political signs are so thick as to make it difficult to pick out the street signs we actually need to see.
Everyone talks about the weather, but only a few meteorologists are photogenic enough to get paid for it. While certainly not the every-day Must See TV, the Weather Channel is one of the more useful channels on the satellite. Many channels are rebelling against their brand; I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see the Weather Channel turning to other things to forecast. Then again if the Apocalypse ever actually comes, they may finally achieve the mythical, elusive 100 share.
Passionate Apathy