[Layne]

NEW YORK – The Weather Channel plans to show movies for the first time in its 27-year history and it's easy to guess which one is leading off.

"The Perfect Storm," of course.

The George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg movie about a horrific storm off the New England coast will air on Oct. 30, the 18th anniversary of the actual storm. Network executives had been thinking about adding movies, and the timing proved too good to pass up, said Geoffrey Darby, the network's chief programmer.

The network in recent years gradually slipped in longer programming, including a morning show hosted by Al Roker, to complement its constantly rotating forecasts.

http://news.yahoo.co...v_perfect_storm

[Lightning]

This is just insane. What will they air next, sitcoms? I can just imagine seeing constant promos on local on 8s intros saying, "Starting whenever, watch The Brady Bunch on The Weather Channel."

[WXChannelfan]

SHAMEFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nick]

I'm not surprised...I've joked about this before, but now it's happening. Eventually, I see the channel showing mostly pre-recorded programming with inserts of current weather information mixed in. Take a look at how MSNBC operates on the weekends...

[Mike]

Long form programming took root on TWC in 2000 with the launching of Atmospheres.

[colonieweather]

an absolute disgrace....NBC has ruined this channel

[Matthew]

Not a surprise. Anyone who has the stomach to watch MSLSD knows that NBC prefers to dumb-down its viewers, rather than educate them.

[stephon_d_watson]

NBC is making The Weather Channel into no meaning, with live weather coverage replaced by entertianment or non-weather related talk, just like MTV is now mostly reality where it use to be music more. NBC have ruin most of TWC and this is sad. And also, shameful after all these years of TWC running 24/7 as all live weather coverage.

This post has been edited by stephon_d_watson: 21 October 2009 - 06:22 PM

[ericdn]

<sigh> Very sad.

It doesn't matter whether the movie is weather-related or not, and whether there will be Local Forecast updates, the lower bar... it's still not the purpose of The Weather Channel, which is to provide 24-hour weather information to its viewers.

You're right - NBC is just destroying The Weather Channel. They dismissed some of the finest meteorologists who have ever existed, and it's obvious they now want to make The Weather Channel an entertainment network instead of the network it once was.

My (very sad) prediction - if things keep going this way, The Weather Channel's schedule will be weather-related (and not only) movies, TV shows, etc., with "weather news" breaks the way network TV stations have their own local news programs. The Local Forecast will probably continue in place of some commercials, but that's probably the only real weather content that there will be.

I'm SO glad I had the opportunity to watch The Weather Channel in its glory days.

[stephon_d_watson]

ericdn, on 22 October 2009 - 06:56 PM, said:

<sigh> Very sad.

It doesn't matter whether the movie is weather-related or not, and whether there will be Local Forecast updates, the lower bar... it's still not the purpose of The Weather Channel, which is to provide 24-hour weather information to its viewers.

You're right - NBC is just destroying The Weather Channel. They dismissed some of the finest meteorologists who have ever existed, and it's obvious they now want to make The Weather Channel an entertainment network instead of the network it once was.

My (very sad) prediction - if things keep going this way, The Weather Channel's schedule will be weather-related (and not only) movies, TV shows, etc., with "weather news" breaks the way network TV stations have their own local news programs. The Local Forecast will probably continue in place of some commercials, but that's probably the only real weather content that there will be.

I'm SO glad I had the opportunity to watch The Weather Channel in its glory days.

Same with me. I even recorded The Weather Channel on those good days and watch them from time to time.

[Mike]

Likely other movies shown will be "Twister", "The Day After Tomorrow", the 1938 film "The Hurricane" and so on. Friday nights' TV schedule lists the "Perfect Storm" starting @ 8:00pm followed immediately by the encore presentation followed by other non-weather programming until 5:00am EST Saturday. That's nine straight hours of ZERO weather coverage (minus the locals or whatever that will be occasionally shown). What a joke. 'Real' weather it seems no longer happens on particular days at particular times and in the worst case, isn't considered important.

This post has been edited by Mike: 29 October 2009 - 06:36 PM

[Matthew]

Mike, on 29 October 2009 - 06:15 PM, said:

Friday nights' TV schedule lists the "Perfect Storm" starting @ 8:00pm followed immediately by the encore presentation followed by other non-weather programming until 5:00am EST Saturday. That's nine straight hours of ZERO weather coverage (minus the locals or whatever that will be occasionally shown). What a joke.

Sounds a lot like a typical schedule on MSLSD. When I check the programming guide, I often see them showing non-news shows, while Fox almost always has some sort of news on. And they wonder why Fox often beats them by leaps and bounds in the ratings.

[zone OH02]

It's official: TWC has jumped the shark

[LocalOnThe8s]

Mike, on 29 October 2009 - 07:15 PM, said:

Likely other movies shown will be "Twister", "The Day After Tomorrow", the 1938 film "The Hurricane" and so on. Friday nights' TV schedule lists the "Perfect Storm" starting @ 8:00pm followed immediately by the encore presentation followed by other non-weather programming until 5:00am EST Saturday. That's nine straight hours of ZERO weather coverage (minus the locals or whatever that will be occasionally shown). What a joke. 'Real' weather it seems no longer happens on particular days at particular times and in the worst case, isn't considered important.

Gotta love that Dumb****, Darby. You can kiss goodbye to me recording overnight playlist clips in that case.

[Lightning]

This just makes me sad. Also makes me mad. I HATE NBCU!!!!!!!!!

[stephon_d_watson]

Lightning, on 30 October 2009 - 10:44 PM, said:

This just makes me sad. Also makes me mad. I HATE NBCU!!!!!!!!!

I feel the same way, too, because it's really sad after all these 27 years that The Weather Channel did a good job of 24/7 live weather coverage TWC entertain weather addicts(like us) turns into is a news/entertianment network. NBC did a good job making this mess for TWC!

This post has been edited by stephon_d_watson: 30 October 2009 - 09:05 PM

[Tyler]

NBC had nothing to do with the movie concept. It was in the works long before NBC gained ownership.

[Matthew]

Tyler, on 31 October 2009 - 02:07 PM, said:

NBC had nothing to do with the movie concept. It was in the works long before NBC gained ownership.

Really? I could have sworn I read somewhere it was.

[BuckeyefaninOhio]

stephon_d_watson, on 30 October 2009 - 10:04 PM, said:

Lightning, on 30 October 2009 - 10:44 PM, said:

This just makes me sad. Also makes me mad. I HATE NBCU!!!!!!!!!

I feel the same way, too, because it's really sad after all these 27 years that The Weather Channel did a good job of 24/7 live weather coverage TWC entertain weather addicts(like us) turns into is a news/entertianment network. NBC did a good job making this mess for TWC!

I have said this before, and I will say it again. NBC, like other major media corporations, are a "gatekeeper" of the modern American culture, i.e. they "dictate" what people are going to and should like, through their programming. Like ABC, CBS, etc they all cater to a specific demographic (take one guess, chance are you will be right) It sucks for those of us that have grown near and dear to TWC (TWC was my MTV growing up) but unfortunately its a sign of the times.... media giants finding ways to rake in big bucks with watered down programming and nonense socially corrupt, hedonistic patterns of behavior. It is moderan American society. Get used to it.

This post has been edited by BuckeyefaninOhio: 01 November 2009 - 09:05 AM

[Bryan]

Mike, on 29 October 2009 - 05:15 PM, said:

Likely other movies shown will be "Twister", "The Day After Tomorrow", the 1938 film "The Hurricane" and so on. Friday nights' TV schedule lists the "Perfect Storm" starting @ 8:00pm followed immediately by the encore presentation followed by other non-weather programming until 5:00am EST Saturday. That's nine straight hours of ZERO weather coverage (minus the locals or whatever that will be occasionally shown). What a joke. 'Real' weather it seems no longer happens on particular days at particular times and in the worst case, isn't considered important.

I'm surprised that "An Inconvenient Truth" wasn't the first movie.

[aaroads]

As if the two hours dedicated to Al Roker and Hollywood is not enough in the morning, they take it yet another step downwards... The 2000 reference to Atmospheres is about when what was left of old TWC was replaced with the ever devolving new TWC. I recorded consistently from January 17, 1989 until 2000. I recorded sparingly through 2002, and since then, have not recorded nor even cared if I had TWC on cable...

The switch to movies is reminiscent to when History Channel started airing movies, though its a bit more appropriate there. The squished LF's on the bottom during their programming gives me even more incentive to find the same info on the internet. In fact I generally only watch TWC in the mornings to see the radar if its raining and I am not near the computer...

[Mike]

Bryan, on 01 November 2009 - 07:32 PM, said:

I'm surprised that "An Inconvenient Truth" wasn't the first movie.

That one will probably air during their next 'Green' week.

[stephon_d_watson]

Mike, on 02 November 2009 - 12:45 AM, said:

Bryan, on 01 November 2009 - 07:32 PM, said:

I'm surprised that "An Inconvenient Truth" wasn't the first movie.

That one will probably air during their next 'Green' week.

Won't be surprise.

[Lightning]

Tyler, on 31 October 2009 - 01:07 PM, said:

NBC had nothing to do with the movie concept. It was in the works long before NBC gained ownership.

Are you sure, Tyler?

[Lightning]

At least during Atmosheres, they gave periodic weather updates.

[stephon_d_watson]

Tyler, on 31 October 2009 - 02:07 PM, said:

NBC had nothing to do with the movie concept. It was in the works long before NBC gained ownership.

Many articles I read say that NBC done it or at least taking part of it. Not sure, but I may have read 2-3 articles even talks during the spring and summer that they talking some movie series along with non-live programs for TWC. I not saying that for the just to put all the dislike on NBC.

This post has been edited by stephon_d_watson: 03 November 2009 - 02:09 AM

[stephon_d_watson]

Lightning, on 02 November 2009 - 10:10 PM, said:

At least during Atmosheres, they gave periodic weather updates.

Right. It's nothing like when they show that movie on Friday when there are no updates of weather in the USA with little showings of our local weather on the bottom of the screen.

This post has been edited by stephon_d_watson: 02 November 2009 - 10:00 PM