Messages

16

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Live Show hosted by Mike Bettes

« on: September 05, 2015, 08:26:38 PM »

I think it's kind of interesting.  The bar with the root beer tap is a chuckle.
"Greg, we need to keep you here for a while at the bar.  Sarah is pouring you a root beer"

It should have been Stephanie, but now with Wake Up With Al cancelled, who knows?

17

Programming and Graphics / Re: Cancelled: Wake Up With Al

« on: September 05, 2015, 08:19:50 PM »

Rumors are swirling about the WUWA situation this weekend... It's from the TV gossip websites, so take it with a grain of salt, but apparently Al got in an email spat with the TWC executives regarding coverage of Tropical Storm Erica interfering with coverage of the Katrina anniversary. Several websites have picked up on the story.
http://www.theroot.com/blogs/journalisms/2015/09/al_roker_s_show_on_weather_channel_canceled_after_tense_emails_between_him.html
http://pagesix.com/2015/09/04/al-rokers-weather-channel-show-ends-after-email-fight/

Once again, who knows how much of this is true, but this is pretty scathing:

The reason we are in the trouble we're in is an intransigence of management when it comes to a decision and an unwillingness to pivot.

Keep in mind who (reportedly) said this. Al Roker. If one of their biggest stars is getting angry with management, he most certainly can't be alone.

Tropical Storm Erika was a fiasco.  There was too much coverage, even after the thing fell apart!  They were still talking about it as if it had major flooding impacts.  It ran into dry air!  It was like they were on live with nothing to talk about.  In the "vintage" days, there would have been plenty to discuss, but they don't do that anymore.

Fred and new Tropical Strom Grace are going to meet the same fate.

This happened on September 1st, so it could even have been a fiscal year thing.

18

Programming and Graphics / Re: TWC Updates Graphics

« on: September 04, 2015, 04:53:10 PM »

The maps themselves are too bright.  Then, you add TURQUOISE to it?  Talk about hard on the eyes! 

19

Programming and Graphics / Re: Cancelled: Wake Up With Al

« on: September 04, 2015, 04:51:59 PM »

It kind of surprises me that this show would be gone.  At least I won't have to hear "woo-wah" anymore.

They probably kept AMHQ with changes after that show was lagging in the ratings.  I would have expected to see Sam Champion gone first.  They brought in Jim Cantore to save the show and possibly money with a contract buyout with Champion if the show failed.  That's the only reason he's on the network.

20

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Vivian Brown DONE at TWC

« on: September 03, 2015, 02:18:33 PM »

Wow.  She was one of the few left from when I first got cable in January, 1989.  It was Vivian and Jim Cantore left, I think.  They both started in 1986.  She doesn't look like she has been on there that long.  I have also never seen her with hair that long either.

She was a good meteorologist for them.  Big loss for TWC.

21

Local Forecast / Re: What do you want to return to the LF

« on: August 17, 2015, 12:40:19 AM »

Current, Local, and Regional Conditions.....and the Regional Forecast

22

Hurricane Central / Re: Tropical Storm Bill

« on: June 19, 2015, 05:19:14 PM »

That purple can probably extended to along the Ohio River. 
Flash Flood Watches from Dayton and Columbus southward through Kentucky for 1 to 3 inches of rain.

23

WeatherSTAR Tech Support / Re: IS switched out for IS2; Very large coverage area

« on: June 18, 2015, 09:47:21 PM »

Is that the newest version out?
I just saw mine in Dayton, OH changed today.  It has a lot more information, but it looks too busy.
It also seems to focus on Dayton and northward - Springfield, Xenia, Versailles (pronounced Ver-SAILS here).

There isn't enough focus on the Southern cities.

I still miss current and regional conditions.  That's the only thing I still feel is missing.

24

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Danielle Banks

« on: April 29, 2015, 02:53:25 AM »

It was good to see her on the air.
I like the way she presents herself - it is reminiscent of the 90s.

25

OCMs & Personalities / Re: OCM Kim Cunningham let go

« on: April 19, 2015, 02:34:21 AM »

It truly does stink for them to do this with TWC's best OCMs. It's such ashamed. NBC's goal seems to be the destruction of The Weather Channel.  I have a feeling, as mentioned already in this thread that Vivian Brown may be next.  It makes me so mad. NBC doesn't give a  about the TWC's viewers. It's all about money to them.  They're greedy!

Well, they're failing dismally with MSNBC, too, and now with the Brian Williams scandal....I am sure a few people are beside themselves at NBC Universal.

Some of it .... the brought upon themselves.

26

OCMs & Personalities / Re: OCM Kim Cunningham let go

« on: April 15, 2015, 12:38:09 PM »

Come to think of it, Jim did in fact present one of TWC's earliest long-form series — "Storm Stories."  Not that the series was that bad, as it did at least concentrate on weather, but nonetheless I feel it was the forerunner of the network rot we have now.

All they care about are celebrities now.  You have Jim Cantore, Al Roker, and Sam Champion.  Meanwhile, the meterologists that made TWC what it was have gradually been let go.  I still haven't gotten over Nicole Mitchell being treated the way she was!    She was actually a hurricane hunter!  Kim Cunningham's departure is indeed another straw on the camel's back, and it's only a matter of time before a loud break will be heard.  Verizon's heard it on the horizon, and there's no doubt DTV and Dish can feel it coming, although the former only temporarily acted on it.

Yeah, Nicole Mitchell was very effective in her role, too.  Kim Cunningham had a similar background - both were in the Air Force, so you knew they knew their stuff.

Sam Champion's show was dismal in the ratings its first year so they brought in Jim Cantore to try and save it.  There, I said it.  It was better with Mike and Stephanie.

WooWah doesn't do it for me, either.

27

OCMs & Personalities / Re: OCM Kim Cunningham let go

« on: April 12, 2015, 01:10:21 PM »

I've been neutral towards Kim, never disliked or liked her. Although, instead of letting her go, I would have liked if they went in the same route as they did with Carl Parker and made her an addition to the experts team with Brian, Greg, and Michael during hurricane season. It's not like she didn't have the experience/knowledge in that field, she was a hurricane hunter.

Sigh, I guess this means one of long time favs Vivian Brown is likely going to be shown the door as well sooner rather than later at this rate.  There's not that many veteran OCMs from pre-2000 left. Also, I never thought I would ever say this, but I've really begun to dislike Jim Cantore. I think that last Thundersnow mash up video only solidified it. Plus the way he sold out during that DirecTV/TWC fiasco last year. Very disappointing.

They moved Jim to icon status and figured they could use him as a pawn.  Jim is probably doing what he can to keep his job.  It's a national network and he is known.  The move the network made to have him on in the morning was kind of shocking to me.

It's weird like that everywhere these days.

28

OCMs & Personalities / Re: OCM Kim Cunningham let go

« on: April 12, 2015, 01:07:08 PM »

*does happy dance.* 

I had no idea Kim was leaving...if I had known earlier, I would have tuned in Monday night for her farewell...I could have celebrated that episode of Weather Center Live. 

But at least she's gone now.

Before you get eaten alive, I'd like to say a couple of things.

First, no one should hold it against you that you have certain opinions for and against certain on-screen meteorologists at The Weather Channel... but they will.  I remember Kim Perez from her earliest days on TWC, and, while she was never one of my favorites, I liked her in the early days as opposed to now.  Honestly, I think it's sad she's had to do what she had to do to conform to TWC's new "Barbie girl" image of its female meteorologists, and that's a shame.  She had talent and experience, but that's what bothers me... regardless of how much I do or don't like her on-screen presentation, TWC is shedding itself of nearly all of its talent, especially its talent with a long time of experience.

True, I keep thinking back to the overnights in 1991 when she would fill-in.  Her hairdos weren't the best (I only noticed the one, but it was fixable - no big deal, but HEY, she has a background in the Air Force, knows about hurricanes, and did a great job of presenting.  She knew her stuff!  TWC kind of compacted it later on and then NBCU just Stepforded it out. 

The Local Forecast being dumbed down the way it has is proof enough - where are the local and regional conditions?!  Three towns on the bottom bar? 

It's obvious that in an attempt to save money, they aren't paying attention to the experience.  They lost a great meteorologist....again.

29

Programming and Graphics / Re: New Show: "WXGeeks"

« on: April 12, 2015, 01:02:30 PM »

I always end up kind of disappointed when I watch this show. For example, Dr. Forbes was the guest today, and he of course has lots of interesting things to say. However, whenever he and Dr .Shepard got into a good discussion, they had to cut to commercial. This show always feels rushed and they are barely able to actually talk about anything. I remember there was talk several months back about making the show an hour; what happened to that? They could very easily fill the time. And now that they just go to longform right after Wx Geeks at 12:30, I don't see what the problem would be with expanding it. It could be sooooo much better.

Unfortunately, a lot of shows are like that to me.

30

Everything Else TWC / Re: General TWC Discussion

« on: April 12, 2015, 01:01:44 PM »

It would be interesting to see what happened to their ratings during these live events.

I hope they go UP compared to the taped programming so the company can see that live television for severe weather makes a difference.

Dr. Forbes and Carl Parker did an awesome job of analyzing the radar stuff.  That vertical view of a thunderstorm never ceases to blow me away.  That's cutting edge compared to what we see locally.