Messages

1

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: August 03, 2018, 04:35:03 AM »

I have also observed new tracks on the :18 LF I have not heard before.  Maybe they have finally turned the corner with LF music.  Now it really hurts that LF's only air twice an hour!

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Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: July 18, 2018, 03:22:42 AM »

07/18/18...3:18AM...Just heard a smooth jazz track on the LF!  This is a song from the recently used list of smooth jazz tracks; nothing 'new'.  It is surprising since I have not heard any smooth jazz since 2017.

Another oddity: an hour earlier, the LF ran silent...no audio other then the 5-second intro.

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Programming and Graphics / Re: Local on the 8s Major Change Beginning Tomorrow

« on: April 03, 2018, 11:31:48 PM »

This round of changes appear to be no more than window dressing to go along with their optimistic email they sent out Monday.  I know they claim more weather coverage is the result but local forecasts are considered weather coverage too, so all they did was shift product types and solved nothing. 

The new 'Local on the 8's' will likely be difficult to read for many viewers too.  I am in agreement - not a positive change AT ALL.

Then again, MTV used to play music lol....

4

Programming and Graphics / Re: The Weather Channel Acquired by Entertainment Studios

« on: April 03, 2018, 02:39:03 AM »

Longform does not necessarily need to go away completely.

From 2-5 AM, a taped loop of the prior hour would air.

I wouldn't mind longform if there was a LOT8s (with current radar) every 10 minutes.  Why is there an L-Bar (or reverse L-Bar) during live coverage but not during longform?  That's infuriating... a complete slap in the face.

Are there really enough viewers in the middle of the night to justify paying OCMs and an entire crew?  Let the interns run the show from 2-5.

Quite honestly most of us would not mind the longform if there were traditional LF's six times an hour.  They disappeared gradually during evening and overnight hours, whittled down to just one at :18 so the station could sell more advert spots.  That one LF was kept so they could continue selling background ads.  Now it looks like traditional LF's are going away completely.  They are promising more weather coverage but I have to believe none of us had this in mind.  But I suppose we should reserve judgement until we see how this thing is really going to go.

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Programming and Graphics / Re: Local on the 8s Major Change Beginning Tomorrow

« on: April 03, 2018, 02:22:33 AM »

This will make the satellite feed LF interesting!  Anyway - this also means the demise of smooth jazz, production music, storm alert music, and holiday music.  The only tunes we will likely hear are the songs playing during live segments when they lead in or out.  The 35+ year tradition of local forecast music appears to be in jeopardy but who knows.

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Programming and Graphics / Re: The Weather Channel Acquired by Entertainment Studios

« on: March 31, 2018, 03:23:04 AM »

Longform does not necessarily need to go away completely.

There is one thing worse than longform, and that is taped replay of weather coverage.  This is exactly what the network used to do in the 'golden era' of 24/7 weather.  From 2-5 AM, a taped loop of the prior hour would air.  Later on in the 1990's, The Weather Classroom programs would air in the overnight hours, encouraging educators to tape the program for classroom use.  This gave way to other programming including the shows we see today.

Programmers should determine what the most popular longform shows are now and air them in this time frame.  Fans of these shows can capture them with their DVR (unless they are true night owls).  Some of the shows are actually good.  To the network's credit, some of the more outlandish shows have been removed. (Think "Fat Guys in the Woods", "Catching Hell", "Prospectors", etc.)  At least the shows airing now have more direct relevance to weather although they are heavily repeated.

Of course anytime significant weather is occurring, LIVE weather would take precedence over any longform programming, even at 4AM.

The weather geeks and nostalgia freaks including myself would LOVE to see all-weather return.  Time will tell whether weather 24/7 will carry the network or if longform really has been propping up the station, particularly with Weather Nation airing all-weather.

It will no doubt take some time for the new owners to dig in and make significant changes if they so choose.  Current programs may be under contract to air until certain dates.  One immediate change I have noticed though is in the commercials, particularly for movies released by Entertainment Studios.  trailers for one such film, Chappaquiddick, have been airing.

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Local Forecast / Re: Smooth Jazz Return!

« on: May 14, 2017, 02:01:33 PM »

No one said or implied that younger members wouldn't understand what being an adult was like. "Max" just said that since many of us are adults now, we don't have as much time to comment as we used to.

Max's explanation at least made sense (although his initial post came across wrong).  I will be 50 in a few years so when you assume I do not understand what adult life is and make an off color comment to that effect simply because I noted the lack of activity on these boards, was quite unexpected and unnecessary.  Step back for a second and re-read your own post.  Anyone of any age will find time for the things in life that interest them.  But TWC, being what it is now has become less interesting for many of us.  I get that.

Like many readers here my interest in TWC too has waned.  The reasons for this are numerous and have been discussed at length in other threads.  I check in here almost every day to see any new posts but that is pretty much it.  When another reader posted about hearing smooth jazz in the LOT8s the other day I thought that was a positive thing and was hoping it would lead to some positive discussion.  (Like I was hoping Mr Clark would tweet another smooth jazz calendar like he did for us last year, but that probably won't happen.)

Hopefully this thread will get back on topic now.  This is certainly not the place to tell someone to "get a grip".

Cheers

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Local Forecast / Re: Smooth Jazz Return!

« on: May 13, 2017, 12:05:04 AM »

I presume until then you will inspire those of us that have not grown up to adulthood yet but rather gave into fandom of this forum...

Get a grip. He was referring to how when you become an adult, you generally have a lot less free time. You know, college, a full time job, marriage, kids?

As someone who has been covering TWC in some form for nearly 20 years, there is indeed an ebb and flow to it in terms of interest. TWCC has gone through several periods of disinterest. I remember trying a message board in 2003 and having it fall flat. I tried a second one in a few years later and it exploded. A few years after that, crickets. So we merged with this board. And that was pretty good for about a year, then crickets again. New topics can restart interest, but not always. Awhile back I was making regular updates to TWCC, and made a few posts here about them. Not one reply. And only a handful on Facebook. It sucks, but what can you do?

Get a grip??
I simply made an innocent comment that it was nice to see a spark of activity here.  No more.  No less.

And now we have a discussion spiraling out of orbit over the definition of adulthood life and how it relates to partaking in this forum or TWC viewing habits.  And I find the implication appalling that myself or other interested viewers / posters do not understand what adult life is, since we are spending time here.

Maybe this is the reason some shy away from commenting.  (I might suggest the moderators of this site move these last several posts to another location as they don't belong in this thread.)  I guess in the very least a little controversy may generate some discussion.

Its hard to believe my original comment could be so controversial. 

9

Local Forecast / Re: Smooth Jazz Return!

« on: May 12, 2017, 03:40:25 AM »

Excellent news!  I am just glad something has happened to wake up this group.  (The silence has been deafening )

Most of the community has moved on to other things, or become busy with the realities of adult life. Ebb and flow, man.

So what's the future of this forum? Is it going to stay up or are we going to shut it down at the next hosting renewal period?

That's arguably a good question, one that I don't really know the answer to.

I presume until then you will inspire those of us that have not grown up to adulthood yet but rather gave into fandom of this forum...

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Local Forecast / Re: Smooth Jazz Return!

« on: May 10, 2017, 02:31:28 AM »

Excellent news!  I am just glad something has happened to wake up this group.  (The silence has been deafening )

11

Local Forecast / Re: Christmas Music on TWC

« on: December 23, 2016, 01:57:27 AM »

At least we are getting a few days of Christmas music.  Remember the year without Christmas in 2013 (the ONLY year in TWC history without holiday tunes of any kind)?

Hopefully smooth jazz will continue into the new year.  Has Dave Clark released a 2017 calendar yet?

12

Local Forecast / Re: Smooth Jazz Return!

« on: December 17, 2016, 12:10:16 AM »

With only two more weeks in 2016, does anyone know if smooth jazz on selected days will continue into the new year and if so, would Dave Clark provide another calendar for the upcoming year?  At any rate I can only wonder how much longer the 'regular' LF songs can continue to go on without changing something.  The only thing worse is the Canadian 'The Weather Network' which used ONE song for several years...

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Everything Else TWC / Re: So much for less longform this year

« on: December 14, 2016, 02:45:18 AM »

I actually don't mind shows which are directly WEATHER related, like the Top Ten shows, Weather Gone Viral, etc; these are quite entertaining.  If only they would bring back the LOT8's during this programming, most viewers would likely not complain, knowing local weather was only minutes away.

Of course, occurring significant weather coverage should take priority over longform of any kind.

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Programming and Graphics / Re: Weekly Top Ten Countdown

« on: July 08, 2016, 11:47:48 PM »

I don't mind some weather-related longform in the overnight hours.  If only they would have regular LOT8s throughout the longform, there would probably be much less complaining.  A couple decades ago, TWC would simply air a pre-recorded hour of weather back to back to back to fill in the overnight hours.  Personally I would rather see longform than that.  Unless there is substantial severe weather occurring, I don't really expect live weather late nights.

As for Facebook or Twitter posts, I would not even waste any time on that.  I doubt the network makes any decisions based on the feedback there.

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Local Forecast / Re: Smooth Jazz Return!

« on: May 06, 2016, 12:14:00 AM »

Keeping a keen eye on the calendar, TODAY (Friday 5/6) is a SMOOTH JAZZ day!!!!!!  Cheers!