Editing The Weather Channel (section)

==History==
{{main|History of The Weather Channel}}

The Weather Channel was founded on July 18, 1980,<ref name="ReferenceA">USPTO filings: First Use (not First Use in Commerce date on various filings, including filing w/ serial number 73369821)</ref> by television meteorologist [[John Coleman (meteorologist)|John Coleman]] (who had served as a chief meteorologist at [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[owned-and-operated station]] [[WLS-TV]] in [[Chicago]] and as a forecaster for ''[[Good Morning America]]'') and [[Frank Batten]], then-president of the channel's original owner Landmark Communications (now [[Landmark Media Enterprises]]). The channel launched at 8:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Time]] on May 2, 1982.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://weatherboy.com/weather-channel-celebrates-38th-birthday/ |author=Weatherboy Team Meteorologist |title=Weather Channel Celebrates 38th Birthday |date=May 2, 2020 |website=Weatherboy |publisher=Isarithm LLC |access-date=September 10, 2021}}</ref> Originally, regional and local information was obtained from the [[National Weather Service]] for broadcast. Since 2002, all forecasting has been done on-site in Atlanta.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pLV1AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1456 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Journalism |title=Weather Journalism |first=Rex A. |last=Martin |editor-first=Christopher H. |editor-last=Sterling |page=1456|isbn=978-1-4522-6152-2 |year=2009 |publisher=SAGE Publications |access-date=May 1, 2021 }}</ref>

=== NBCUniversal, Bain, and Blackstone ownership ===
On January 3, 2008, [[Landmark Communications]] put the Weather Channel and its assets up for sale.<ref name="landmarksale">{{cite web |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/jan/03/weather |title=The forecast is good for The Weather Channel, on sale for $5bn |date=January 3, 2008 |first=Andrew |last=Clark |access-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref> On July 6, 2008, [[NBCUniversal|NBC Universal]], [[Bain Capital]], and [[Blackstone Group]] agreed to jointly purchase the Weather Channel from Landmark, making it the channel's first ownership change in 26 years.<ref name="b&c">{{cite web |first=Robert |last=Marich |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6595811.html |title=The Weather Channel Sale Wraps |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-date=September 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915011533/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6595811.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The sale was finalized on September 12, 2008.

NBC Universal also owned [[NBC Weather Plus]], a rival service which was carried by and featured content from the [[NBC]] television network's local [[network affiliate]]s; that service announced its discontinuation three months later. [[Over-the-air programming|Over-the-air]] [[digital subchannel]]s carrying Weather Plus have since switched to the similarly formatted [[the Local AccuWeather Channel]], kept the Weather Plus engine, or switched affiliations to other networks such as [[This TV]] or the [[Retro Television Network]]; some have shut down entirely.

From November 2008 to February 2009, the Weather Channel laid off seven long-time on-camera meteorologists: Kristina Abernathy, Eboni Deon, Kristin Dodd, Rich Johnson, Cheryl Lemke, [[Mark Mancuso]] and [[Dave Schwartz]] (Schwartz would return to TWC in April 2014,<ref>{{cite news |first=Jason |last=Samenow |title=Weather Channel Brings Back Fan Favorite Dave Schwartz, My Friend |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/03/14/weather-channel-brings-back-fan-favorite-dave-schwartz/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=April 23, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Veteran Meteorologist Dave Schwartz Returns to The Weather Channel |url=http://press.weather.com/dave-schwartz/ |publisher=The Weather Channel Online Press Room |date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=April 23, 2014}}</ref> but died of cancer on July 30, 2016). With the exception of Deon, all had been on the air for more than ten years, and three of them had been employed by the network for more than twenty years.

In July 2010, the Weather Channel terminated Bill Keneely, the last of the original on-camera meteorologists who appeared on the network's first broadcasts in 1982. In December of that year, the network also laid off on-camera meteorologist [[Nicole Mitchell (meteorologist)|Nicole Mitchell]], who later would file a lawsuit against the Weather Channel in 2012, alleging that she had been terminated because the channel's new owners disapproved of the time required by her simultaneous duties as a captain in the [[U.S. Air Force Reserve]] as one of the "[[Hurricane Hunters]]" team;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/18857115/article-Suit-alleges-Weather-Channel-Star-was-fired-for-military-service |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128125024/http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/18857115/article-Suit-alleges-Weather-Channel-Star-was-fired-for-military-service |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 28, 2013 |newspaper=The Marietta Daily Journal |title=Suit alleges Weather Channel Star was fired for military service |date=June 5, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2012 }}</ref> such reserve duties are protected by U.S. law (Mitchell later served as the chief meteorologist at [[Al Jazeera America]], which for a time also employed Eboni Deon).

Inevitably, the merger of NBC on-air meteorologists began in May 2009. Former NBC Weather Plus meteorologist Todd Santos joined the Weather Channel on May 2 of that year. [[Al Roker]] of NBC's ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' began hosting a one-hour morning program called ''[[Wake Up With Al]]'', alongside meteorologist Stephanie Abrams later in the summer.

However, for New York City-based forecasting operations (those utilized for forecasts on [[MSNBC]] and [[CNBC]], for instance), the former NBC Weather Plus forecasting, radar and graphics systems remain in place, with banners changed to fit the Weather Channel's graphics scheme. On September 10, 2009, the Weather Channel co-founder [[Frank Batten]] died.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/multimedia/agreement.html |title=Video Submission Agreement |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091019134214/http://www.weather.com/multimedia/agreement.html |archive-date=October 19, 2009 |work=The Weather Channel |access-date=November 18, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=300 Interstate N Pkwy SE |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=300+Interstate+North+Parkway,+Atlanta,+Georgia&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=300+Interstate+N+Pkwy+SE,+Atlanta,+GA+30339&gl=us&ei=ZSIGS7nCH4mXtgfGwd2zCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA |title=Google Maps: 300 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia |publisher=Google Maps|date=January 1, 1970|access-date=September 22, 2012}}</ref>

==== 2012 to 2018 ====
In January 2012, [[David Kenny (executive)|David Kenny]] took over as [[chief executive officer]] of the Weather Channel, replacing former [[AOL]] executive Mike Kelly, who had been appointed as the company's CEO in the summer of 2009. Although all operations, sales support and marketing and the bulk of employees are located in the headquarters in Atlanta, Kenny declined to move there, and continues to live  in [[Boston]] as a [[remote work]]er.<ref>{{cite web |author-link=David Kenny (executive) |last=Kenny |first=David |publisher=[[Twitter]] | title=David Kenny (davidwkenny) on Twitter | url=https://twitter.com/davidwkenny}}</ref>

Later in 2012, the Weather Channel's [[holding company]] changed its name from the Weather Channel Companies to [[the Weather Company]].<ref name="nameofco">{{cite news|title=The Weather Channel's Parent Company is Renamed|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/business/media/weather-channels-parent-company-is-renamed.html?_r=0|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 22, 2012|first=Brian|last=Stelter}}</ref> The company also purchased competing weather service and website [[Weather Underground (weather service)|Weather Underground]] the same year. On March 10, 2015, Verizon [[FiOS]] dropped the Weather Channel and WeatherScan for their rival [[AccuWeather]].

On September 9, 2015, the channel announced a phased overhaul of its programming schedule during 2016, in which the channel would gradually shift its focus back towards a forecast-based lineup. The channel cancelled ''Wake Up with Al'', citing high production costs in New York City compared to Atlanta. It announced that ''AMHQ'' would be refocused on weather, eliminating lifestyle segments, with [[Stephanie Abrams]] becoming host and original host Sam Champion as a contributor for its prime time schedule starting November 2.

The network also announced it would no longer greenlight original long-form programming, and expanded live forecast programming on its schedule throughout 2016 after all remaining long-form programs already in development concluded their runs. In a memo sent out to network staff by Weather Company CEO David Kenny, it explained its refocus on weather-based programs was done so that "our most passionate fans come to us for the weather and the science behind the weather, not our original shows." Around 50 TWC employees–including production, engineering, and financial staff–were laid off, and the television channel's budget was reduced to shift resources to the company's Internet and mobile properties.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sam Champion loses show in major Weather Channel shakeup |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/09/09/media/weather-channel-sam-champion/index.html|first=Brian |last=Stelter |website=CNN Money |publisher=Time Warner |date=September 9, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Champion-to-primetime">{{cite news|title=Weather Channel's Sam Champion moving to primetime; Stephanie Abrams joining AMHQ |url=http://radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com/2015/09/09/weather-channels-sam-champion-moving-to-primetime-stephanie-abrams-joining-amhq/|first=Rodney |last=Ho |newspaper=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=September 9, 2015|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=September 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911222419/http://radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com/2015/09/09/weather-channels-sam-champion-moving-to-primetime-stephanie-abrams-joining-amhq/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Weather Channel Cuts Shows, Personnel, In Stormy Operating Climate |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/weather-channel-sam-champion-1201588748/|first=Brian |last=Steinberg |periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]|date=September 9, 2015|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name="TWC cuts shows">{{cite news|title=Weather Channel cuts shows and staff amid uncertain future |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-weather-channel-cuts-20150909-story.html |first=Stephen |last=Battaglio |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=September 9, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

The channel's original format was similar to that of a news and information cable network. Since the creation of the series ''[[Atmospheres (TV series)|Atmospheres]]'' in 2000 and ''[[Storm Stories]]'' in 2003, the Weather Channel had seen a gradual transition toward a mix of weather forecasting and weather-related entertainment programming that paralleled the launch of sister network [[Weatherscan]], the evolution of the always-on "L" bar/weather ticker, the development of weather.com and popular branded mobile phone applications, and the increased viewing and interest in documentary programs on the topic of weather.

In November 2013, the channel introduced a new initiative of "weather all the time" in response to the criticism. All original programming–which was rebranded under the tagline ''Natural Drama'' – now had direct relevance to weather-related subjects, and the network emphasized its promise to interrupt original programming either regionally or nationally during major weather events. In addition, the Weather Channel extended the display of its [[lower third|lower display line]] (which was  revamped with a new graphics package) to commercial breaks and through entire broadcasts of its original programs.<ref name=wp-backtoweather>{{cite news |title=The Weather Channel is getting back to weather, sort of |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/11/14/the-weather-channel-is-getting-back-to-weather-sort-of/|first=Jason |last=Samenow |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 14, 2013|access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>

In August 2015, reports surfaced that the Weather Company's owners were considering a sale of all or part of the venture, having hired [[Morgan Stanley]] and PJT Partners to explore their options.<ref>{{cite news|title=Weather Channel Owners Hire Banks To Explore Sale – Report |url=https://deadline.com/2015/08/weather-channel-sale-possible-nbcuniversal-bain-capital-1201502017/|first=Erik |last=Pedersen |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]|date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> On October 28, 2015, it was announced that [[IBM]] would acquire most of the Weather Company's assets, including weather.com, Weather Underground, the related mobile applications, and their underlying data platforms, for an undisclosed amount.<ref name=nyt-ibmtwc />

[[IBM]] planned to leverage its [[Watson (computer)|Watson]] technology as part of the acquisition, foreseeing its use for weather analytics and predictions. The deal, which closed the following January,<ref name="IBMpurchase">{{cite news|title=IBM Finalizes Deal for Weather Channel Product and Tech Business|url=https://www.thewrap.com/ibm-finalizes-deal-for-weather-channel-product-and-tech-business/|work=[[The Wrap]]|date=January 29, 2016}}</ref> does not include the Weather Channel itself, which remained owned by the Bain/Blackstone/NBCUniversal consortium, and entered into a long-term licensing agreement with IBM for use of its weather data and "The Weather Channel" name and branding.<ref name=nyt-ibmtwc>{{cite news|title=IBM to Acquire the Weather Company |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/technology/ibm-to-acquire-the-weather-company.html?_r=0 |access-date=October 28, 2015 |work=The New York Times| date=October 28, 2015 | last1=Hardy | first1=Quentin }}</ref><ref name=bloomberg-twcibm>{{cite news|title=IBM Agrees to Acquire Weather Channel's Digital Assets |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-28/ibm-agrees-to-acquire-weather-channel-s-digital-assets |access-date=October 28, 2015 |work=Bloomberg}}</ref><ref name=variety-stormsinrealityout>{{cite news |title=Storms Are In, Reality Shows Out As Weather Channel Gets Back to Basics |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/weather-channel-ibm-acquisition-reality-tv-1201629228/ |access-date=October 29, 2015 |work=Variety}}</ref>

=== Allen Media Group ownership ===

In August 2016, reports surfaced that [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] had expressed interest in acquiring ownership of the Weather Channel.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://fortune.com/2016/08/03/weather-channel-sinclair-broadcasting/ |first=Tom |last=Huddleston, Jr |title=The Weather Channel Could Have a Prospective Buyer |date=August 3, 2016 |magazine=Fortune |access-date=December 30, 2016}}</ref>

On March 22, 2018, [[Byron Allen]]'s [[Entertainment Studios]] announced its acquisition of the Weather Channel's television assets from the NBCUniversal/Bain/Blackstone partnership. The actual value is undisclosed, but was reported to be around $300 million.  The channel's [[The Weather Company|non-television assets]], which were separately sold to IBM two years prior, were not included in the sale.<ref name="Entertainment Studios">{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/byron-allen-entertainment-studios-acquisition-the-weather-channel-tv-network-1202351426/ |title=Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios Acquires The Weather Channel TV Network For $300 Million |last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|last2=Fleming|first2=Mike |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=March 22, 2018|access-date=March 22, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Byron Allen">{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/byron-allen-acquires-weather-group-300-million-deal/172512|title=Byron Allen Acquires The Weather Group in $300 Million Deal |last=Albiniak|first=Paige|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=March 22, 2018|access-date=March 22, 2018|archive-date=March 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322203251/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/byron-allen-acquires-weather-group-300-million-deal/172512|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the early morning of April 18, 2019, the Weather Channel was temporarily unable to air live programming due to what they called a "malicious software attack" on their network.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/media/weather-channel-hack/index.html |title= The Weather Channel knocked off air by 'malicious software attack' |first1=Chris |last1=Isidore |first2=Paul P. |last2=Murphy |date=April 18, 2019 |work=CNN Business |access-date=May 1, 2021 }}</ref> Previously taped shows were aired while engineers worked with backup equipment, and live programming returned to normal within a few hours (at the time, ''AMHQ''). The perpetrators of the [[malware]] attack were never identified.

In May 2022, on the Weather Channel's 40th birthday, it launched a new direct-to-consumer subscription-based app.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mediavillage.com/article/the-weather-channel-rolls-out-new-initiatives-as-it-looks-back-on-its-first-40-years/|title=The Weather Channel Rolls Out New Initiatives as It Looks Back on Its First 40 Years|date=April 27, 2022 |publisher=MediaVillage|access-date=May 6, 2022}}</ref>

In August 2023, IBM announced it will be selling its weather unit and the Weather Channel's subsidiaries and apps to the [[Francisco Partners]].<ref name="cnbc.com"/><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Francisco Partners to Acquire The Weather Company Assets from IBM|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/francisco-partners-to-acquire-the-weather-company-assets-from-ibm-301906730.html|access-date= August 22, 2023|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en-GB}}</ref> As a part of the deal, IBM will retain the company's weather data which it uses to power [[artificial intelligence]] models to sell its enterprise clients for [[NASA]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Francisco Partners to Acquire The Weather Company Assets from IBM|url=https://newsroom.ibm.com/2023-08-22-Francisco-Partners-to-Acquire-The-Weather-Company-Assets-from-IBM|access-date= August 22, 2023|website=www.newsroom.ibm.com|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In January 2025, Allen Media Group announced plans to have [[Local news|local]] weather coverage on its sister [[Allen Media Broadcasting]] television stations be centralized from TWC and its Atlanta studios, including use of its meteorologists and forecasting technology. AMG argued that this change would "dramatically improve reporting capabilities, especially in high-stakes weather situations" and provide "additional visual storytelling capabilities". The change will result in planned layoffs of meteorologists from stations across 21 media markets, with some being reassigned to work from Atlanta. AMG's announcement faced criticism over how it would impact severe weather coverage, along with the plan to lay off meteorologists with strong connections to their respective communities. [[WBMA-LD|WBMA]] chief meteorologist [[James Spann]] stated that he "hate[d] that so many colleagues are involved in this", but admitted that "media consumption is radically different now, and we have to change how our products and services reach you".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Duster |first=Chandelis |date=2025-01-19 |title=Local meteorologists could face layoffs amid new initiative with The Weather Channel |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/19/nx-s1-5267507/local-tv-meteorologists-the-weather-channel-layoffs |access-date=2025-01-20 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gray |first=Jeremy |date=2025-01-20 |title=Alabama TV meteorologists face layoffs as Allen Media moves to local Weather Channel coverage |url=https://www.al.com/news/2025/01/alabama-tv-meteorologists-face-uncertainty-as-allen-media-moves-to-local-weather-channel-coverage.html |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=al |language=en}}</ref> On January 23, 2025, it was reported that AMG had elected to maintain some of its local meteorologists instead, citing feedback and criticism over the announcement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koplowitz |first=Howard |date=2025-01-23 |title=Allen Media makes about-face on Weather Channel handling Huntsville, Tupelo coverage |url=https://www.al.com/news/2025/01/allen-media-makes-about-face-on-weather-channel-handling-huntsville-tupelo-coverage.html |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=al |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ho |first=Rodney |title=Allen Media's Weather Channel hub for local TV stations partially reversed |url=https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/georgia-entertainment-scene/allen-media-plan-for-weather-channel-hub-for-local-tv-stations-partially-reversed/QREUOUU6CNGH5KMOQCYYBFVBYQ/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |language=English |issn=1539-7459}}</ref>

=== International versions ===
Over the years, attempts to broadcast international versions of TWC–apart from the Australian version of the Weather Channel (now [[Sky News Weather Channel]])–have failed. TWC operates websites that provide localized forecasts in [[Brazil]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[India]], [[Latin America]] and the [[United Kingdom]], but some of these sites may not have developed since 2003. The Weather Channel shares radar imagery and forecasts with [[the Weather Network]]/[[MétéoMédia]] in Canada, particularly for the Weather Channel's Canadian forecasts.
* A U.K. version of the Weather Channel operated from September 1, 1996, to January 30, 1998, when it was shut down due to low viewership. On satellite, it broadcast for five hours each day, from 6&nbsp;am until 11&nbsp;am. It shared channel space with [[Sky Movies Gold]]/[[Sky Box Office|Sky Box Office 2]], [[The Racing Channel]] and [[Galavisión (USA)|Galavision]]. On cable, it was generally on air for 24 hours but it was only carried by some companies as others chose to carry rival service [[the Weather Network]] which also launched in the UK in 1996. Both were designed for cable as it had local weather information for specific regions.
* TWC formerly operated [[The Weather Channel (Latin America)|The Weather Channel Latin America]], a [[Spanish language|Spanish-language]] network serving [[Mexico]], [[Puerto Rico]] and [[South America]]. This network launched in 1996 and an accompanying [[Brazil]]ian [[Brazilian Portuguese|Portuguese]]-language feed launched in 1998. It ceased operations on December 20, 2002, due to budget cuts. The channel's three original on-camera weather presenters were Paola Elorza, Sal Morales, and Mari Carmen Ramos; all three left the channel within a year of its launch and respectively went on to work for [[Univision]] in Miami, [[Telemundo]] in Los Angeles, and [[CNN International]] in Atlanta.