Billy's TWC Blog http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php Copyright 2012, Billy Billy en-US SPHPBLOG 0.5.1 HD STAR... where are you? http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080825-103623
TWC has had the move to HD in their sights for years now. We've been hearing since 2006 that TWC will be going HD, and now that it is a reality, the final piece of the puzzle is the HD STAR. Now, I realize that creating a new piece of hardware capable of outputting HD graphics isn't something that can be created overnight, but they've had at least two years to work on it, and there are still no signs of it anywhere.

At this rate, I'd expect not to see the HD STAR to be released until 2009, at the earliest. Because, even if we do see a beta released to select cable headends today, there needs to be at least a few months of beta testing until it is ready to be released to all.]]> Weather STARs, TWC HD http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080825-103623 Billy Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:36:23 GMT http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/comments.php?y=08&m=08&entry=entry080825-103623 Trammell Fest '08 http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080808-211731
Basically, the SD satellite local forecast feed is broken so to compensate for that, TWC has estated the "emergency feed" which is basically a looping satellite local forecast and a loop of 20 Trammell Starks songs.

At this point, we don't know any details as to what is wrong, but hopefully we'll learn something as time passes. But for now, sit back and enjoy the Trammell Starks music!]]> General TWC, Music http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080808-211731 Billy Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:17:31 GMT http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/comments.php?y=08&m=08&entry=entry080808-211731 No Storm Alert for Dolly? http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080723-203817
Surely, Hurricane Dolly was a much bigger event than the wimpy storms of Alberto and Ernesto of 2006, yet they go into Storm Alert for Alberto and Ernesto (twice, in fact, for the latter). Why didn't they go into Storm Alert for Dolly? Have they gone back to the 2005 criteria for Storm Alert where the storm has to be a category 3 or greater? Sure, Dolly was a category 2 at landfall, but maybe the winds were just a few mines per hours too weak?

We may never know.

Well in any case, we did get to see Day Planner go HD for storm coverage about a week or so early, so I guess that is a plus. Also, we did get some nice HD shots (when the satellite transmission worked) of Jim, Mike, Mike, and Julie getting blown around in the rain, so I guess that is a plus.

Also while we're on the topic, I'd like to take this opportunity to send out my well wishes out to anyone effected by Dolly in northern Mexico and southern Texas. I hope for a speedy recovery for all those in the effected areas.]]> TWC HD, General TWC http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080723-203817 Billy Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:38:17 GMT http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/comments.php?y=08&m=07&entry=entry080723-203817 Marshall Seese to retire http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080721-161800 press.weather.com:

ATLANTA – July 21, 2008 -- The Weather Channel announced today that Marshall Seese, co-anchor of Your Weather Today, will be retiring from the network in November. His replacement on the all weather network’s morning show has not been named.

Seese, a 20-year veteran of The Weather Channel, has been co-host with Heather Tesch of the popular morning program Your Weather Today since its launch in January of 2000. The program airs Monday through Friday from 7-10 a.m. and was the first TWC program to launch from the network’s new HD studio on June 2. Prior to that, Seese was an on-camera meteorologist at The Weather Channel.

He was hired more than twenty years ago by Ray Ban, executive vice president of programming and meteorology, who says of Seese -- "We appreciate the many years of service Marshall has provided in his always-professional manner, both on and off the air. He has been an important part of the growth of The Weather Channel and I join everyone here in wishing him well."

Among the weather events that Seese most remembers covering is Hurricane Hugo. As the correspondent on Force Four, The Weather Channel show nominated for a CableACE Award, he interviewed a variety of people including Marilyn Quayle, wife of then Vice President Daniel Quayle, and residents who were personally devastated by the hurricane.

Prior to joining The Weather Channel, Seese was seen on WGNX-TV in Atlanta and KENS-TV in San Antonio, TX. A native of Park Ridge, IL a suburb of Chicago, Seese graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

# # #


The news came as quite a shock to me. Marshall was a great OCM and will certainly be missed on-air. I just hope he can enjoy his last months on air and the beginning of his new life being retired.

Now the nagging question will be who is going to replace Marshall on "Your Weather today"? ]]> OCMs http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080721-161800 Billy Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:18:00 GMT http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/comments.php?y=08&m=07&entry=entry080721-161800 Weekend View in HD http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080713-210252
Weekend View is using the same "set" as PM Edition uses with the fake windows background.



And then there is the other part of this studio with the out-of-place gray TWC logos plastered on the wall and the portrait-oriented LCD display.



Honestly, I was expecting more from Weekend View. Whatever happened to the couch in the HD studio which was labeled as the "interview corner" in the studio tour?]]> TWC HD http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080713-210252 Billy Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:02:52 GMT http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/comments.php?y=08&m=07&entry=entry080713-210252 My thoughts on the NBC purchase of TWC http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080711-231537 purchased The Weather Channel.

Here's my take on it:

I don't think we'll see any major changes to TWC as we know it today. NBC has said that TWC will remain in Atlanta, and I think that is a good decision. Sure, the rest of NBC is located in New York, but TWC will apparently will remain a separate entity. Ditching the new HD studios would be a really dumb thing to do after all the time and money that was invested into it. If TWC would move TWC out of the Atlanta area, that would mean relocating all the hundreds of TWC employees, and the Atlanta area would lose a lot of jobs plus economical losses.

I definitely think that NBC will not mess with the "Local On The 8s" concept. That is one of the main selling points of The Weather Channel, and changing it could be disastrous. I don't believe they would remove the Weather STARs and replace them with local meteorologists or something like that. The STAR framework is already in place and it would be way too costly now to change it now.

As for the future of Weatherscan and Weather Plus, I see that much less clearly; Their future could be very hazy. I prefer Weatherscan over Weather Plus for a few reasons:

1. The interface of Weatherscan compared to Weather Plus is a lot better. Weatherscan is a quick way to quickly check the current conditions, forecast, and radar. With Weather Plus, you may be waiting around to see any of the local conditions, forecast, or radar.

2. Weatherscan is much more localized. Weatherscan units typically only serve one one or two communities, but Weather Plus installations must provide weather information for a much larger market area. For example, here in my market, there are at least three (and probably a lot more) Weatherscan installations that I know of compared to one Weather Plus channel for the entire area.

Overall, I don't think we'll see that many changes to TWC after the NBC-Universal buyout is complete. It will still be the same old TWC that we've known for the past few years.]]> TWC News, General TWC http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080711-231537 Billy Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:15:37 GMT http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/comments.php?y=08&m=07&entry=entry080711-231537 TWC Blog http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080709-232023 blog.]]> Site News http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/index.php?entry=entry080709-232023 Billy Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:20:23 GMT http://billy.mozfaq.org/twc/blog/comments.php?y=08&m=07&entry=entry080709-232023