The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel (TWC) is a cable television and now satellite television network that revolutionized the reporting of weather and weather-related news by being on 24 hours a day. The Weather Channel is headquartered in Vinings, Georgia, near Atlanta.

History

The Weather Channel went on the air on May 2, 1982 and reports the weather and other meteorological information for the United States as well as other countries and regions of the world. TWC originally gathered its local forecasts from local National Weather Service offices, but since 2002 has done local forecasting in-house; however, current weather and forecast model data does come from National Weather Service and the ultraviolet index from the EPA.

Related Topics:
May 2 - 1982 - Meteorological - United States - World - National Weather Service - 2002 - EPA

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TWC also uses special proprietary equipment that inserts local weather forecast and warning information if it is viewed on a cable TV system. The original WeatherStar technology has been upgraded on most cable systems to IntelliStar, including Vocal Local to announce the three-day local forecast. Satellite viewers see a roundup of local TWC forecasts for major cities across the U.S., as well as satellite and radar images, and severe weather watch and warning maps when active.

Related Topics:
Proprietary - WeatherStar - Technology - IntelliStar - Vocal Local - Forecast - Radar

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Based off modified versions of the WeatherStar technology, The Weather Channel produced a service called Weatherscan, on which a separate channel constantly displays local and regional conditions and forecasts, along with The Weather Channel's logo and advertisements.

Related Topics:
WeatherStar - Weatherscan - Advertisement

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TWC's sister channel in Canada is The Weather Network in English and MétéoMédia in French, which uses similar technology that is currently in use in the USA. TWC also ran The Weather Channel Latin America (TWCLA), which operated in Spanish in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spanish-speaking South America. TWCLA ceased operations in December 2002. TWC also runs websites in Brazil (Canaldo Tempo), the United Kingdom (Weather Channel), France (Meteo 123) and Germany (Wetter 123). A UK version of The Weather Channel ran from 1 September 1996 to 30 January 1998, when it was closed due to low viewing figures. The Weather Channel is a wholly owned subsidiary of Landmark Communications.

Related Topics:
Canada - The Weather Network - English - MétéoMédia - French - Spanish - Mexico - Puerto Rico - South America - December 2002 - Brazil - United Kingdom - France - Germany - 1 September - 1996 - 30 January - 1998 - Landmark Communications

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A definitive history of the network, The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon, by Frank Batten and Jeffrey L. Cruikshank, was published by Harvard Business Press in May 2002, on TWC's 20th anniversary.

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In March 2005, The Weather Channel announced that it would receive a new logo/tagline, "Bringing Weather to Life," replacing the 2001 "Live By it" campaign. This change occurred on August 15, 2005. As a part of this rebranding, changes in formats and programming are expected to take place as part of a gradual transition. Due to the impacts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, not all of the expected changes have taken place, but these changes are expected to be completely rolled out over the next few weeks.

Related Topics:
March 2005 - 2001 - August 15 - 2005 - Hurricane - Katrina - Rita

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The Weather Channel logo

The Weather Channel's most recognized logo started out as a blue-rectangular box that debuted on TWC?s first broadcast on May 2, 1982. This logo would later be revised in 1996, with the corners and "Weather Channel" text font less rounded. The URL text "weather.com" was permanently added underneath the logo in 1999. More recently, in August 2005, the logo was re-overhauled; the blue rectangle?s corners are straight, the "Weather Channel" text is now in lower-case, and the alignment of the text is now displayed on the left.

Related Topics:
1996 - 1999 - August 2005

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