Messages

1

Programming and Graphics / Re: TWC Greenlights 6 New Series in Time for First Upfront in 5 Years

« on: October 08, 2013, 08:22:20 AM »

6 new series? If only they could put as much effort into upgrading their weather coverage as they put into these inane shows. Also, if they can't be bothered to have at least one man in a studio covering the weather for huge chunks of the day, then they must be close to bankruptcy or something. This is afternoon we're talking about here, not 1 AM.

2

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Graphics coming to TWC

« on: October 08, 2013, 08:17:16 AM »

The icons look awful. They should go for a set that's more realistic-looking and diverse (something similar to the current IS2 icons  ). Also, what if you're 50 or 100 miles away from the nearest metropolitan area/skyline? For a great many people showing weather that's 50 or 100 miles away would be useless in terms of showing them the local weather. 50 or 100 miles makes a huge difference in many situations, such as thunderstorms, snowstorms, and strong cold fronts. TWC has decayed a lot but not enough to do something like that, so I'm assuming that there's a generic background for those outside the big cities.

Other than these two things, I have to say I like the general idea. I could nitpick some more but I'm sure this is just a concept and the final version will look somewhat different.

3

Local Forecast / Re: Create your own playlist

« on: November 02, 2012, 11:00:46 PM »

November 2012:

Morning:

We Wish You a Merry Christmas – Jeanne Ricks
Fall Rain – Ryan Farish
God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters – Moby (different cut)
Bermuda Breeze – Bill Pound
Deepest Days – David Helpling (last seen on TWC Jun 2009)

Daytime:

Theme from Jurassic Park – John Williams
Together We Will Conquer – Ryan Farish
Arrow of Time – Eric Wollo
Give It All You Got- Third Force
White Water – Matthew Shuman
Twilight of the Thunder God – Amon Amarth (Piano Version)
War of the Gods – Amon Amarth (Piano Version)

Primetime:

A Watchful Guardian (from The Dark Night) – Hans Zimmer
Main Theme from Home Alone – John Williams
Beneath the Moonlit Sky – Dave Koz
Fortnight – David Helpling
Frabeson – Ken Gregory (last seen on TWC Jan 2005)
Big Foot – Jim Weider (last seen on TWC Nov 2009)
Russian Christmas Music – Alfred Reed
Last Winter – Lanphord
The Traveler – Ralph Diekemper

Overnight:

God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters – Moby
We Wish You A Merry Christmas – John Williams
Adagio for Wings – Michael Dulin and Chuck Offutt
As Twilight Fades – Dan Gibson
Main Theme from The Day After Tomorrow – Harald Kloser
Melancholia – Jeff Pearce
The Shining Ones (Songs of Distant Earth) – Mike Oldfield
Let There Be Light (Songs of Distant Earth) – Mike Oldfield

My ideal Christmas playlist starts on Black Friday, which this year is November 23.

4

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: November 02, 2012, 10:57:46 PM »

WHY is this stuff always posted when TWC IS doing it's JOB????????

That mystifies me as well. Perhaps that stuff should have been posted back in June when they went to long-form while a Super Derecho was striking. When TWC does what it should be doing in the first place and suspends long-form programming we should give them a pat on the back.

They have all day, and still are except for the concert. All of the networks of NBCUniversal broadcast it. For you to say that is incredibly insensitive and offensive. I've learned to respect your opinions, but this is going to far. Learn to have some respect and compassion for other people's opinions, because you, kind sir, have pissed me off and offended me immensely.

I do not disrespect others' opinions aside from merely posting my own views. I have never disparaged or insulted your opinions because I wish to lead by example. I have enough courtesy to refrain from laying an elaborate case against such broadcasts in the interest of your sanity and avoiding a flame war (as well as my own stress level), but it should suffice to say that I disapprove of anyone using compassion, whether deliberately or unwittingly, as a means to hold the rest of us hostage and force otherwise irrational choices on us. It might surprise you to know that I actually approve, or at least am indifferent to, relief concerts being broadcast on networks whose form and mission is consistent with such broadcasts. NBC qualifies, as does MSNBC. The stock market is closed at 8 PM, so CNBC qualifies as well. TWC's mission of covering weather and broadcasting weather information is in conflict with such a broadcast. It simply doesn't belong on TWC and if it were not for their sappiness it would not have been broadcast on TWC. In any case the concert would not be harmed in the least by being broadcast on three channels instead of four.

5

Local Forecast / Re: October/November 2012 Playlist

« on: November 02, 2012, 09:43:38 PM »

  This is getting ridiculous... Hopefully the Christmas playlist will have the traditional TWC songs.

I am not counting on it. In fact, it would really surprise me if any of the Vince Guaraldi songs are on there. At this point, expect mostly vocal pop renditions. I think that the instrumentals will mostly come from TSO and maybe John Williams.

Well, everyone loves the Vince Guaraldi songs, so their absence would surprise me more than anything else. Of course, with the current state of TWC, I avoid being surprised at anything they do, but that's how I see it. Unless something changes, vocal pop renditions will likely dominate the list, but I also expect the Charlie Brown songs to remain (plus TSO and John Williams). Of course, we'll have to wait and see what actually happens, and we're still probably over a month away from hearing the Christmas playlist.

6

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: November 02, 2012, 09:40:01 PM »

There is no way in hell they will get rid Abrams or Roker. Please, can we just accept the fact that they are here to stay? As long as they get the ratings, they will continue to host their shows. I don't how many times this topic has been whined about and discussed, but I'm sure it's far too many.

The facts as I see them are: 1) Hiring Abrams and Roker was the wrong decision, and 2) It's unlikely TWC will change their minds about it. The presence of number two doesn't change number one in any way, shape, or form. They detract from the network, and that's that. It doesn't mean we have to like it. If we were being tortured or beaten all the time and there was little hope of changing it, should we then like it? Should we not mention how miserable our condition is? Should we chastise others who dare mention it? Although actual torture is much worse than having your favorite TV network devalued, my post does demonstrate the general point. As for "TWC: love it or leave it", why not take a third option and try to improve TWC? Will my complaining change anything? Probably not. Will your lack of complaining change anything? Certainly not. At least I let my opinion be known, which, though not much, is more action than I can say most people here have taken in recent years. And for your information, I generally avoid watching Abrams or Roker because I don't like them. One can both accept something's existence, dislike it, and complain about it all at the same time  .

Kelly Cass said that TWC will be broadcasting the Hurricane Sandy Concert on Friday, 8PM/11PM ET. Other NBC Universal Networks are also broadcasting it too.

How sappy of them. Perhaps they could focus on reporting on the weather and/or Sandy's aftermath  .

7

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: November 02, 2012, 09:18:26 PM »

The instrumental playlist is for severe weather, and it will end after Sandy coverage dies down.

 

I can't handle the vocal music, it turns my stomach upside down every time I hear it

Same here.

Don't ya just miss all of the good times when the LF music was all instrumentals? Even though I've grown to accept the vocal music on TWC, I'm still a little disappointed that they are now using vocal music in their playlists   

Me too. Instrumentals alone won't cut it for me - I need good instrumentals. Preferably from a variety of genres, including smooth jazz (City Streets in March 2010 was great). The better playlists from 2009 to 2011 conform to my standard. When there's a good playlist on, listening to local forecasts is actually a pleasure, but now actually deriving pleasure from seeing a LF is a foreign experience, with the exception of a few songs from the Sandy coverage. I only record LF's now if I have a particular desire to document the weather forecast, and even then I have an extreme aversion to recording any of the vocal songs - I always keep the LF with the least vocals.

Of course, any instrumental playlist is better than what they have now, but what sort of standard is that? That's like using toxic waste dumps as the baseline to measure the quality of all landfills (I know, horrible metaphor, but it gets the point across).

To give an idea of how we're in a severe depression when it comes to playlist quality, for the entirety of this year to date there have only been two new songs that I've loved - Matthew Shuman's Running out of Time, and Jeff Pearce's deluge. That's it. The previous norm was at least 10 per year (including songs that were reused but not recently (<1 year)).

The only thing I can do now is just listen to Weatherscan music on my computer or watch my DVD recordings of classic TWC.

There's another option. Sometimes I like to look at TWC locals on mute with some better (perhaps jazzy) music playing on my computer, and I imagine what it would be like if TWC used my playlists.

8

Programming and Graphics / Re: Morning & Dayside revamp

« on: October 30, 2012, 11:08:52 PM »

About the new changes, I shall be watching and waiting. So far I don't see anything that makes me gasp or dismayed, which I suppose should be counted as good news. The scaling back of long-form programming is also good news. Perhaps the trend is now turning ever so slightly in our favor?

As for YWT being cancelled, it's pretty much still there, only under a new name. If A&B still host it, it will certainly be just a new name for the same thing. If they get a different format and different hosts, then it will be something quite different. Whether it will be better or worse is the question.

The "talk show format" bit is quite interesting. Dayside is currently rather bland (vs. Weather Canter and the morning lineup), but "talk show format" could mean many things. IF they do it right, the results will be fascinating to behold and could mean a new and better era for daytime programming (or perhaps a milder version like Weekend View used to be like). If they do it wrong, it will turn into something like "Wake Up Access", only much worse.

9

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Should They Keep WUWAI Say NO!

« on: October 30, 2012, 10:55:29 PM »

I say NO. In the first place, I really don't like how Stephanie and Al conduct themselves or present the weather, and in the second place too much of WUWA isn't even weather-related. And in the third place Al Roker is and acts much more like an NBC import that was just plopped there for some inscrutable reason instead of someone that belongs on the Weather Channel. Has Roker had his moments? Yes. In fact the Groundhog Day Blizzard wouldn't be the same without his coverage. But most of the time he is a net drag in my view, and it's past time they sent him back to NBC.

TWC has a mission, and that mission is to cover the weather and disseminate weather information. Profit, though important, needs to be subordinated to the mission. If the only mission was to maximize profit, The Weather Channel never would have been created. If you want proof of my assertion that TWC's vision transcends profit, simply look at your computer screen. You should see a big banner saying "TWC Today & TWC Classics". Think about that for a minute - would this website exist and would we be TWC fans if the only mission was to rake in profits? Look at BMW for a guide: they have a mission, and that mission is to produce the ultimate driving machine. Everything is subordinated to that one purpose. If they drifted and tried to chase buyers of lower-end vehicles (who already have better places to go for that sort of vehicle), they wouldn't encounter any additional success, and the quality of the company would be ruined. As it is they provide great cars that their buyers love, and the profit springs from following that mission. See how the logic works? That's just how The Weather Channel operated for many years and should still operate today and into the future.

The question we need to ask here is: Does Al Roker and WUWA help TWC achieve that mission? If the answer is yes, then he needs to stay. If the answer is no, then he should be sent back to NBC, no ifs, ands, or buts.

10

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: October 30, 2012, 10:32:49 PM »

You clearly don't know how the television industry works, do you?

You clearly don't know how weather information is properly disseminated, do you? In case anyone has forgotten what this means, this is a Weather Channel fansite. TWC has a mission and a purpose. Being just another television channel or a cash cow is not one of them. If it was we wouldn't be here today, and TWC wouldn't have been created in 1982. Your adopting of the mentality of "if you can't beat them, join them", along with a few others here, leaves me disappointed in the people at TWC Today. I choose a different course, of standing up and being counted in favor of the Weather Channel I have known and loved since early childhood. My stubbornness in and of itself will change nothing, but it's not as if your pessimism is helping to improve the Weather Channel - if anything it gives them more license to destroy it. Should they have commercials? Probably. Do they need commercials? Yes (as opposed to, say, Turner Classic Movies). Should commercials take precedence over local forecasts and weather coverage? Absolutely not, and this is where my point lies. There are other schedules they can adopt that have both LF's and commercials, if they need extra coverage time. They've done it many times before, notably during Storm Alert mode. Shaving off a few ads wouldn't hurt them given the extra ratings. Broadcast networks that are totally dependent on commercials manage to air 90 minute events uninterrupted and still come out with a quarterly profit, and TWC doesn't even need to go as far as shunning all commercials. This goes back to my original point about them being desperate, greedy, or both. If they put their mission first, as they did years ago, you would have seen local forecasts during that timeframe, just as you saw local forecasts during past mega-storms.

I only watched a little bit of TWC coverage this morning, but Stephanie's "inside jokes" with Mike Bettes were, in my mind, completely uncalled for.   I understand she's probably running on little to no sleep, but she was acting like a teenager.  Before the top of the hour (9 AM), she was supposed to give more information on the storm and just said something (I don't even remember what) that both Mike and Maria gave stunned reactions to.  Heck, TWC even had to cut her off.

I like Stephanie, but not when she does things like this.

I didn't see any of that, but from what I hear her conduct was uncalled for. OCM's should have more personality than they do at this time, but that's the wrong kind of personality. They would have been better off to highlight some of the unusual upper-level winds and temperature differential associated with Sandy, or perhaps the cold snaps occurring all over the Northern Hemisphere. Given how entrenched those two jokers are, I can only hope that the executives will have an epiphany, fire Abrams, and send Al Roker back to NBC where he belongs.

11

Everything Else TWC / Re: Why is TWC getting involved in the NJ Governor - Atlantic City Mayor dispute

« on: October 30, 2012, 10:25:36 PM »

I think TWC should stay away from airing these types of reports. Just stick with the weather, and not try to become another news agency. I'm beginning to think TWC is forgetting their constituency. Maybe they are wanting to grow their constituency, but they are at risk in losing their loyal constituency over the years.  Just my .02.

That's been a problem for years, and the degeneration of TWC has both alienated their loyal fans and failed to attract any huge new market. Such is the fate of all who succumb to the siren song of channel drift.

About the report, I agree with TWCToday - they should report on it if it is weather-related. I think perhaps there is fault with their format. Often I see them re-airing NBC news reports, which is what I think you saw. If so it shouldn't be any surprise that it was more news-like than weather-like in nature. However, this is mainly a problem with style instead of substance.

12

Local Forecast / Re: General LF Discussion

« on: October 30, 2012, 09:54:39 PM »

LF's are definitely back, and I outlined in another post how it is a shame that commercials are prioritized over our local forecasts, but at the same time I prefer no LF's over that half-baked squeezeback. I also second this post:

If TWC just switches to instrumentals during storms and times of higher ratings, that tells me that they are embarrassed of the vocals and know it's unprofessional. Just stick with one choice so you don't need to alter the playlists. Just my opinion.

13

Everything Else TWC / Re: The Weather Channel's parent company to be renamed...

« on: October 29, 2012, 04:36:22 PM »

Meh. The name change is minor. As for this Kenny person, it's a step in the right direction but considering where they're starting from they need to be running, not creeping.

14

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: October 29, 2012, 04:30:50 PM »

LF's do appear to be done, just when they started to air a decent playlist  . What a waste of resources. I also don't take too kindly to commercials being of a higher priority than Local on the 8's. I know that they need the revenue, but if they had to cut out something I'd imagine commercials would be first on the chopping block, IF they had their priorities straight, which they obviously do not. Airing trashy music on the few LF's they have left, trashy reality programming, and keeping their 2 minutes of commercials as sacrosanct as Social Security appears to be top priority nowadays. I've watched coverage of the Superstorm as much as anyone else, but it's really the only reason I'm even watching TWC now. I will say, however, that I'm glad that they chose to completely cut out LF's instead of airing that half-baked squeezeback - that's the only thing that could be worse.

And about the revenue, I think if they're desperate enough to fire their good OCM's to shave a few thousand dollars off their salary, and cutting out LF's in favor of commercials during their coverage, I think they should just shut themselves down. Of course, I suppose if they still have Al Roker on board they can't be too desperate.

15

Local Forecast / Re: Create your own playlist

« on: October 04, 2012, 10:40:01 PM »

My October 2012 playlist is here, and I'll also say that my November list is going to be awesome (from my perspective anyway). If only TWC played what I picked out for them this year....


Morning:

Oasis – Ryan Farish (last seen on TWC Apr 2009)
Song of the Earth – Michael Dulin and Chuck Offutt
Inside – Moby (last seen Apr 2012)
Updown Town (from Simcity 3000) – Jerry Martin
Arctica (from Simcity 4) – Unknown
New Terrain (from Simcity 3000) – Jerry Martin
WC147 – Beach Street Music (last seen Oct 2010)
Where Will You Go – Jim Adkins
Sunshine in the Rain – Ryan Farish (last seen Mar 2009)

Daytime:

The Dark Night Theme – Hans Zimmer
Theme from St. Elsewhere – Dave Grusin (last seen Oct 2010)
Central Park Sunday (from Simcity 3000)
Cliffs of Dover – Eric Johnson (last seen Apr 2012)
Glorious Adventure – Armen Hambar
Morning Commute – Jerry Martin
The Homecoming – John Williams (last seen Aug 2012)
Edoina – Beach Street Music (last seen Oct 2010)
Beata – Dave Sereny
S7ven Large – Euge Groove (last seen Sep 2011)

Primetime:

Captain America March – Alan Silvestri
Classic Battle – Sam Spence (last seen Sep 2011)
Bite Back – Gooding (last seen Jun 2009)
To Thornfield (Jane Eyre) – John Williams (last seen Jul 2012)
ElectriCITY– Unknown (from Simcity 4)
I’m Not Listening – Gooding (last seen Jan 2012)
East of the Sun – Chris Geith (last seen Dec 2010)

Overnight:

Island of Dreams – Robert Wolf (last seen Sep 2011)
The Dark Night Theme – Hans Zimmer
Black Town (from The Dark Night) – Hans Zimmer
Song of the Earth – Michael Dulin and Chuck Offutt
Epilogue/End Credits (from Star Trek II) – James Horner (Link)
Clouds of Heaven – Ryan Farish (last seen Jan 2010)