Weather preempting programming

[sgrizzle]

If I remember correctly, it wasn't that long ago that a meteorologist from one station was fired for preempting programming for a weather report, at the same time, some stations can't seem to stop preempting programming.

Last night I was watching American Gladiators. Not great programming but with the writer's strike, what else is there to watch? Anyway, they broke in no less than 5 times in an hour to talk about a storm in eastern oklahoma. Each break ran 5-10 minutes. At one point they played five commercials, and when the program was coming back on, they broke in. They even took time to show viewer pictures of hail in lawns and the obligatory 10 second intro and tag "this has been a channel 2 weather report" at the end.

I understand the need to get weather information across, but you don't need to show hail pictures, ramble forever and if you're going to preempt part of the program, don't skip the actual competitions and come back in time for the recaps. Most of the show, all that was aired was people talking about what just happened and you got to see very little of the actual contest.

/RANT

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

If I remember correctly, it wasn't that long ago that a meteorologist from one station was fired for preempting programming for a weather report, at the same time, some stations can't seem to stop preempting programming.

Last night I was watching American Gladiators. Not great programming but with the writer's strike, what else is there to watch? Anyway, they broke in no less than 5 times in an hour to talk about a storm in eastern oklahoma. Each break ran 5-10 minutes. At one point they played five commercials, and when the program was coming back on, they broke in. They even took time to show viewer pictures of hail in lawns and the obligatory 10 second intro and tag "this has been a channel 2 weather report" at the end.

I understand the need to get weather information across, but you don't need to show hail pictures, ramble forever and if you're going to preempt part of the program, don't skip the actual competitions and come back in time for the recaps. Most of the show, all that was aired was people talking about what just happened and you got to see very little of the actual contest.

/RANT

Yeah, I was watching that too...since it was in HD.  I'm sick of Threlkeld and his cadre of weather fearmongers.  The only consolation would be if they put Krista Flasch on there to fearmonger instead of nerdorks named 'George'

[breitee]

I am sick of ALL of these so called "experts" on the weather. Do we really need to have these morons stay on the air hour after hour breathlessly describing what is going on at the Arkansas border? And these "storm chasers", what a joke. A bunch of would be weathermen. Typical dialog:
Mike, this is Trav. What do you see?
Trav, this is Mike. It's dark, I don't see anything unless there is lightning, then I see rain falling.

These stations need to get a grip. There is no need to cut in on programming unless there is a MAJOR LIFE THREATENING weather event! Run a crawl at the bottom and stop taking up 1/4th of the screen with your weather advisory and your logo.

[safetyguy]

Yeah, the "Breaking News" for weather for hours on end last night was very annoying. I was trying to watch the national championship game on FOX. It's a good thing that they had the score at the top because I couldn't see hardly any of the graphics that were being flashed at the bottom of the screen thanks to the weather stuff. I also don't get the whole thing about they couldn't show the game in HD last night because of the weather stuff. What's up with that?

When I went to bed around midnight they were all still talking their heads off about the storms that had already passed through and were into KS and MO.

It was George Flickinger that was canned after interrupting an NFL game on FOX a few years back.

[Wilbur]

If I heard one of Channel 8's storm spotters say one more time "I see a lowering" I was going to throw up.

I understand the need to broadcast weather issues for more then just Tulsa, but lets have weather issues to broadcast first.  Lowering don't qualify.

[Breadburner]

I wonder how much lotion the local weather guys went through last night......

[Ibanez]

quote:Originally posted by breitee

I am sick of ALL of these so called "experts" on the weather. Do we really need to have these morons stay on the air hour after hour breathlessly describing what is going on at the Arkansas border? And these "storm chasers", what a joke. A bunch of would be weathermen. Typical dialog:
Mike, this is Trav. What do you see?
Trav, this is Mike. It's dark, I don't see anything unless there is lightning, then I see rain falling.

These stations need to get a grip. There is no need to cut in on programming unless there is a MAJOR LIFE THREATENING weather event! Run a crawl at the bottom and stop taking up 1/4th of the screen with your weather advisory and your logo.

Hell they can't even run a crawl anymore. Whenever they do that, like for school closings during the ice storm, they have the crawl at the botton and then graphics along the left side of the screen that end up shrinking the window for what you are actually watching down to a box about the size of a stamp. Even on our 60" TV it makes it too damn small to see the score & etc during a football game.

[Ibanez]

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

I wonder how much lotion the local weather guys went through last night......

I believe the term you are looking for is Stormgasm.

A friend of mine worked at Channel 2 back in the early 90's and constantly laughed at how excited the weather staff, I think Gary Shore was still there then, would get whenever a line of storms would pop up.

[restored2x]

Thanks to all for this thread. In the 14 or so years I've been in OK, I never cease to be amazed at the manifest self-importance the weather guys have here. I guess if you spend millions, or hundred-thous on weather radar stuff, you need to get on the air every time it's cloudy so as to justify the expense (?).

A few friends of mine have a running joke about this situation - we used to run up and down the halls flapping our arms screaming, "It's raining in Kansas! It's raining in Kansas!" just to show how stupid it looks to interrupt regular programming at every hint of a possible wind above 20 MPH accompanied by some precip.

American Idol starts in a week and a half - sure hope it's not raining in Kansas then.

[Breadburner]

quote:Originally posted by wavoka

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

I wonder how much lotion the local weather guys went through last night......

I believe the term you are looking for is Stormgasm.

A friend of mine worked at Channel 2 back in the early 90's and constantly laughed at how excited the weather staff, I think Gary Shore was still there then, would get whenever a line of storms would pop up.

Stormgasm...heh...Good work....

[patric]

Biggest problem seems to be the inability of local stations to insert crawls or tickers into High-Definition programming.  Next problem will be to wean them away from non-essential promotional graphics that eat up so much of the screen real estate.

[Ibanez]

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

quote:Originally posted by wavoka

quote:Originally posted by Breadburner

I wonder how much lotion the local weather guys went through last night......

I believe the term you are looking for is Stormgasm.

A friend of mine worked at Channel 2 back in the early 90's and constantly laughed at how excited the weather staff, I think Gary Shore was still there then, would get whenever a line of storms would pop up.

Stormgasm...heh...Good work....

I can't take credit for it. My friend that worked at Channel 2 came up with it.

[RecycleMichael]

We interrupt this thread with this breaking news bulletin. From our most accurate rated double doppler 8000 WARN live radar Weather Center...this just in.

Tonight it will be dark, followed by periods of lightness and darkness throughout the next week.

Stay tuned on this thread for more updates...

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by patric

Biggest problem seems to be the inability of local stations to insert crawls or tickers into High-Definition programming.  Next problem will be to wean them away from non-essential promotional graphics that eat up so much of the screen real estate.

no channel 2 can do HD crawls....they just keep cutting in so the crawls are useless.

[Wrinkle]

I appreciate good weather reporting as much as anyone. But, it's gotten ridiculous when all three network stations have 3-4 hours of continuous live weather coverage, preempting all programming. Sure, there was public safety issues last night, in the VIEWING AREA (Tulsa was not affected). But, it could've been handled differently.

It's like the station manager left at 5:00pm and tossed the keys to the weather guys.

Here's an idea, how 'bout all three/four local affiliates get together and operate a local 24-hr Weather Channel? Then, a simple crawl on the regular station could refer to it. Those who want weather can get it. Each affiliate gets 15-20 minutes to rant about weather.

IF it becomes really serious (and, I mean a tornado on the ground) a program break may be sensible. This shouldn't happen unless the sirens are also going.