Editing The Weather Channel (section)

==== 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>