DirecTV Dropping TWC

[GEAUXmedic]

my comcast schedule shows WC til 1, longform til 4, WC til 7, Longform til 3 AM.. central time

[Adrian]

Here is a website that I found that is devoted to the DirecTV/TWC debacle:
http://droptheweatherchannel.com/

[WeatherWitness]

Here is a website that I found that is devoted to the DirecTV/TWC debacle:
http://droptheweatherchannel.com/

Thanks for the link.  The top post "The Potential of The Weather Channel" said something about them no longer naming winter storms.  Interesting.  I hadn't really been paying attention to that, but I would have to agree with the decision for them to cease doing it.

[IceManNYR]

According to Alex on twitter TWC is done at 2pm today so they are back to 14.5 hours of longform on weekends unless they announce TWC is back any earlier.

So much for all the TWC crowing about how much of an important vital resource they are.
No IS2 and no weather all the time on my TWC HD channel while longform is broadcast.

[HulkieD]

So given that I'm the one that's been doing droptheweatherchannel.com, I might as well explain and respond to some stuff.

The abandoning of the winter storm names was more or less just me hypothesizing.  There were blizzard warnings out a few days ago, and a winter storm warning was issued for Massachusetts today.  I know they're just clippers, but given how Weather Channel was treating what seemed to be a separate storm system as the "second half" of Winter Storm Dion, the last few weeks suggests they would have used the I name for something this week.

There's been a lot of instances of them acting out of character.  The 2pm WCL block was basically a telethon the first two days, but by Wednesday it was treated like a normal part of the schedule.  Save for that promo for Highway Thru Hell that aired erroneously, no reality shows have been promoted.  (Though I'm bummed they've gone back to the longform-heavy schedule today.)

What I will say is that I actually agree with the IDEA that storms should be named.  We're in the age of Twitter, and Norcross mentioned "everything needs a hashtag".  With the White House unveiling a number of standardized emergency hashtags, there's some truth to this.  I'd rather have a named storm than things like SNOWPOCALYPSE, SNOWMAGEDDON, STORMZILLA, FRANKENSTORM, etc. 

It should have been developed in cooperation with the NWS, however, and the Weather Channel's names are just so, so idiotic.  Nemo?  Hercules? Cleon?  Dion?  I mean, last year's list had ORKO on it.  Orko might be a mythological name but mention it to anyone and the first thing that comes to mind is the EXTREMELY ANNOYING THING from He-Man. 

Anyway...

I think the big thing from this is that WHEN the Weather Channel gets back on DirecTV, there will be major changes to the programming schedule.  They're not going to be off the schedule forever, because they've lost a significant chunk of their potential audience, and this is just embarrassing as hell for both sides.  (Though TWC is, rightfully, taking it worst.)  But I think it's a near certainty that this incident will result in more - perhaps substantially more - weather coverage.

[IceManNYR]

Adding  to what you said I'm ok with TWC being on tape 8pm-4am weekdays if they stay live 4am-8pm. That's adding 3 hours back in exchange for the 10pm and 1am shows they took away.

I agree they need to add shows back to the weekend. At least bring back WCL at 5pm and 7pm.

[gt1racerlHDl]

the least TWC could do if they don't want to extend coverage is put some devotion into the Local On The 8s. the *new* format is too buggy and not enough local information is shown during the 60 second flavor. even if they make it 90 seconds long with the addition of a Metro Page and 36 hour Local Forecast Page it would make it much more watchable.

[WeatherWitness]

the least TWC could do if they don't want to extend coverage is put some devotion into the Local On The 8s. the *new* format is too buggy and not enough local information is shown during the 60 second flavor. even if they make it 90 seconds long with the addition of a Metro Page and 36 hour Local Forecast Page it would make it much more watchable.

Absolutely!  I remember a video about TWC where Cantore said he thinks the "Local on the 8s is the number one reason why people tune in to The Weather Channel."  OK, well if that's the case, then why in the world would the channel cut back the forecast to only one minute?!  So they can air more commercials for their stupid reality shows?  It's also ridiculous that the updated forecast design STILL after two months has so many bugs! Ugh.

[Trevor]

Look 4 posts up and you will see who made that site

So given that I'm the one that's been doing droptheweatherchannel.com, I might as well explain and respond to some stuff.

[WeatherSTARIII]

Look 4 posts up and you will see who made that site

So given that I'm the one that's been doing droptheweatherchannel.com, I might as well explain and respond to some stuff.

I didn't know that, that you for reminding me.

[Localonthe8s]

TWC is bringing back WCL at 10pm/1AM EST starting the week of the 27th. still longform from 2-5pm. Don't know the weekend schedule yet.

[GEAUXmedic]

looks like the weekend too

[HulkieD]

There's a number of things that haven't been nailed down yet regarding the schedule.  It has been mentioned that the 4am-8pm schedule will return next week - but that hasn't been backed up yet by any of the TV listings sites I've been going to.  Tribune (Zap2it) and TitanTV have been listing it, but TVGuide.com is listing no changes on the 27th.

Honestly we're not going to know what is airing until it's airing.  I think it's safe to say they're in panic mode at the moment.

I believe the best approach is still weather coverage from 4am to 8pm, longform from then until 4.  CNBC uses this structure, though mainly because market coverage doesn't do that well at night.

Thank you all for checking out the site!  I'm trying to fill it with as much as I can and I'm going to address some of the issues with the design.  (Posts should be easier to get to.)  I also plan to continue the site once this is over and done with, but with a different address and a more general focus.

I've been trying to focus on specifics to DirecTV, but Local on the 8s is the soul of The Weather Channel and it absolutely needs some help. 

[Localonthe8s]

I agree, local on the 8s needs to he improved. A rushed one minute local does no good, especially if it is TWC's most important product (didn't I start a topic a few years back about what if twc had no lot8s and everyone said twc would cease to exist)

[Stormsentinel]

Thank you all for checking out the site!  I'm trying to fill it with as much as I can and I'm going to address some of the issues with the design.  (Posts should be easier to get to.)  I also plan to continue the site once this is over and done with, but with a different address and a more general focus.

I've been trying to focus on specifics to DirecTV, but Local on the 8s is the soul of The Weather Channel and it absolutely needs some help.

Hulkie, I can help you there. Overall, TWC on satellite and cable are two different things. On cable, You have the computer at the station giving you info. On satellite, We get a national feed and before this Local on the 8 really didn't do a good job of weather like the one on cable due technology that is there. So that is why DirecTV is getting mad over this for the most part Satellite customers who watch the weather channel kind of get royally screwed with local on the 8.

It is just as you describe it on your drop the weather channel site, I don't see how a dual feed would change a thing unless it's a feed that would have national weather info on screen 24/7 and more cities then they usually have. That is something I give WeatherNation props on.  They at least mention a lot of cities during their regional forecast and with their local forecast as well. That don't sounds major, but the things they do like showing a national alerts map and area by area forecast helps a lot as a satellite viewer because you are getting more out of it as I've noticed recently that TWC have had a thing for the east coast more then the rest of country overall. I've been getting tired of that actually.