NEW "Network Weather Channel" to launch nationwide

[Trevor]

A few of you may be familiar with "Network Weather", a YouTube channel featuring meteorologists, including Dave Schwartz, delivering internet forecasts. This channel will become a nationwide cable channel starting in October 2014. Even better, our beloved meteorologists Dave Schwartz and Rich Johnson will be meteorologists on the channel. Other meteorologists will include Mark Mathis, Eric Welch, Mike Smith, and Steve Smith.

Press Release:

For Immediate Release

Network Weather Set To Launch October 2014 New 24-Hour Weather Service Will Be Broadcast Nationally

Atlanta, Ga. (August 7, 2013) — It was announced today that Network Weather, a new 24-hour weather station, will launch October 2014, appearing nationally via cable television and broadband Internet providers.

The Network Weather team has recruited veteran meteorologists Dave Schwartz and Rich Johnson, whose combined experience at The Weather Channel totals more than 50 years. Viewers who watched them during that period know that Dave and Rich are passionate about their profession. “What fires me up is the drama of weather. Both writing and speaking about my wonder and passion for this truly awesome field is something I just love to do,” says Schwartz. Network Weather’s segments will be designed for what viewers want—live, weather-centered programming. “One of the most exciting times of my 30-year career as a meteorologist was helping The Weather Channel get off the ground. I hope to be a resource for Network Weather to achieve the same success,” says Johnson.

Also joining Network Weather is meteorologist Mark Mathis, who has over 20 years of on-air experience with several television networks. “I try to have fun with the weather when the actual weather warrants it, and people seem to have responded positively,” says Mathis.

Network Weather will offer current weather segments, forecasts, and features to its viewers in an engaging, informative, and entertaining way. “Weather is such a rich topic that even on a so-called ‘slow weather day’ we’ll show you how exciting and compelling it can be,” says Schwartz. Network Weather executives are currently working with national advertisers to sponsor this unique and valuable programming. To learn more about Network Weather, LLC, please contact Randy Davies, Media Relations, by mail at 2107 N. Decatur Road, Suite 151, Decatur, GA 30033, by phone at (845) 562-1218, or by email at networkweatherllc@gmail.com. Visit Network Weather on

This is great news and I wish them the best of luck! So excited that we will be able to see Dave and Rich on TV again soon.

[toxictwister00]

Good luck to em, it's not going to be easy going up against a monopoly company like TWC. They're fighting to hold on to what little viewership they can now. (during dull periods I mean when they splatter all the longform crap on)
However, I think they can pull off being successful if they stick to their word in the press release.

[TWCCraig]

Good luck to em, it's not going to be easy going up against a monopoly company like TWC. They're fighting to hold on to what little viewership they can now. (during dull periods I mean when they splatter all the longform crap on)
However, I think they can pull off being successful if they stick to their word in the press release.

They shouldn't have a problem. Only set back they have is that they don't have a lot of viewership on their internet forecasts, they aren't known well to the general public, other than a community like ours. They shouldn't have a problem against TWC. After all when people tune to TWC, they want know what the weather will be like, not to know how to rangle reefs and know how to hunt iceburgs. 

[Eric]

Hopefully this network will enjoy widespread carriage throughout the country.  It has the potential to be everything The Weather Channel once was.  I'll be looking forward to this.

[Metarvo]

The effects of a new network could be twofold.  The presence of a competitor may cause TWC to rethink its ways and shape up.  The revolving door of OCMs and the abundance of longform are two areas which I think could be improved.  If TWC doesn't take the hint and stays the same, Network Weather will at least be there to pick up the slack.

The potential negative outcomes as I see them are a Network Weather which doesn't catch on or a highly successful Network Weather that TWC ends up buying out to eliminate the competition.  Either one of these scenarios would reaffirm the monopoly, but the latter is unlikely IMHO as I don't think TWC would take Schwartz or Johnson back.

[jmills]

https://www.facebook.com/networkweatherchannel

A new "24 hour cable weather channel" is set to be launched in October 2014 nationwide...

[weatherfan_2013]

I wonder if they will incorporate their version of Local on the 8s. Maybe they will build new Units for delivering Local Forecasts to a certain area like Intellistar. I really hope they do as well as put on Smooth Jazz during their forecasts. I really hope they pick that up and not repeat the same songs as TWC has on now.

[cc17926]

Did something happen to this effort? The facebook page appears to be inaccessible and any links from Dave Schwartz page appear to be gone. Any thoughts?

[gt1racerlHDl]

Did something happen to this effort? The facebook page appears to be inaccessible and any links from Dave Schwartz page appear to be gone. Any thoughts?

The Facebook page must've been deleted or removed, i'm being redirected to my home profile page.

[Mike M]

Won't be surprised if a copyright controversy popped up (hint hint The Weather Network) or lack of profits caused them to abandon the plan.

[Eric]

Won't be surprised if a copyright controversy popped up (hint hint The Weather Network) or lack of profits caused them to abandon the plan.

I doubt it's the first case.  There should be enough of a difference between "The Weather Network" and "Network Weather" to be acceptable, unless TWN's lawyers got insanely bored one day.  Besides, The Weather Network isn't available in the United States and I doubt Network Weather would be available in Canada, so arguing copyright infringement over the names would REALLY be pushing the envelope.

It costs a tremendous amount of money to start up a television network, and I suppose they just weren't able to pull it off.  Their potential backers could easily have said that there's already a channel dedicated to the weather.  They just don't care that the priorities of The Weather Channel have changed so much over the past few years and that Network Weather was going to go back to what The Weather Channel was once upon a time.

[Mike M]

Looks like the Facebook page is back https://www.facebook.com/networkweatherchannel

[cc17926]

Indeed it is odd that it is back, without any explanation..

[Mike M]

They've been posting status updates in the last week, so looks like all is good for now.