NY Times Article About Television Weather

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The New York Times published an opinion piece April 4 criticizing television weather, especially "The Weather Channel." I believe the author made a mistake that many East and West Coast writers make: Assuming the national weather (i.e., Al Roker) and the local television weather (i.e., Fritz Coleman in L.A.) is the template for television weather across our nation. Al and Fritz are good guys (I've met both) but what they do is "entertainment weather." That is not true in the South, the Midwest, and the Plains.

As anyone who has read Warnings knows, I have great admiration for the television meteorologists who put in incredible hours when tornadoes, flash floods and hurricanes threaten.

If you would like to read the Times piece and my comment, click here.

Comments

  1. thebcmanApril 8, 2013 at 7:42 PM

    My respect for the Weather Channel was already pretty low, but when they started naming winter storms .. that pathetic ratings grab made me lose all respect for them. (I'm sure some of the meteorologists are quite competent .. but the Channel itself has succumbed to Evil Corporate Nastiness.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike SmithApril 8, 2013 at 7:45 PM

    I never watch TWC so I don't have much of an opinion to offer.

    My problem with Mr. Egan's article is it generalizes across all of television weather. I know many TV meteorologists who put in incredible hours and work very hard to get it right. They deserve praise they never seem to get.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thebcmanApril 8, 2013 at 7:53 PM

      I totally respect and agree with where you are coming from (I'm from Ark City and grew up watching you on Channel 3 way back when) .. but when TWC started naming all winter storms, I believe it desensitizes the way the public perceives danger. (Lessening the effect that storms that deserved to be named might have .. kind of in the same way you talk about the Springfield MO NWS office issuing too many tornado warnings in your book about Joplin)

      Delete

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