SNF game preempted by severe weather coverage
- Thread starter Curby
- Start date
It's ridiculous, they keep repeating the same thing every five minutes for the past hour. Everyone has phones and knows the weather is bad. The least they could do is put the game on in a box in the corner.
Hey now, there will be no Matt slander tolerated! (but I don't disagree, enough big guy)
In fairness, they all do. Lived is several places, most recently the Cincinnati area, and there was nothing better than a white death forecast. (9:10 and he's still at it)
Careful, the internet weather nerds will come beat up on you for disparaging the weatherpeople who are just TRYING TO SAVE LIVES. Don't you know they could lose their FCC licenses if they don't keep you from watching the game if there's a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado three counties away from you?
Anytime there is severe weather in their coverage area they are required by law to cut into programming. They don't have the technology to just cut into programming in certain counties. It's all or nothing.
It's 2025. It certainly seems that a basic split screen wouldn't be too challenging. No offense to HBP, but my opinion is that weather people like to take over and hear themselves talk. They want people looking at them and not the game. They do provide a lot of value when life threatening weather is around, but sharing the screen would make me like them more.
Believe me, from talking with on air mets, their buttholes tighten up air tight when they have to pre-empt live TV. They'd rather piss on an electric fence. They know they are going piss off people because the "storm isn't affecting them". The split screen would make it hard to see details and then that would open up a whole new can of issues. But they do it because they truly do have a passion for trying to keep people safe. Almost all of them have loved weather since they were kids and have no doubt seen the damage caused by tornadoes and the injuries they cause. Research has also shown that 99% of tornadoes are survivable if people take the necessary shelter precautions. It's also shown that people are 75% more likely to take shelter if they know a tornado has been confirmed. That's why they stay on air and keep flipping back and forth between various radar modes so if they can confirm on the ground as soon as possible. It's also the reason our storm chase team goes out and risks our lives to try and see what storms are doing, and why we are pushing so hard to get our Skycam network expanded to as many places as possible.
Just for perspective, I've lived through an F4 and I still find some of the coverage over the top, while also appreciating their work and ability to tell me if something turrible is near my house.
Disclaimer: I once saw Dan Satterfield (Huntsville, AL meteorologist) predict "death". He literally, and excitedly, yelled on air "I'm predicting death!".
End result of that system? Impressive wall cloud with some lightning and a little wind.
Here's an idea. Just do the 1/4 screen inset with messages and maps you currently do and break to a quick 2-minute live update when the program breaks for commercials. Then just do a quick 30-second announcement of any new tornado warnings. That would be PLENTY to warn people of real danger.
No they're not. They're required to serve the public interest, but they don't have to go into a 3-hour weather program for a system that really didn't produce much danger. There are other, less intrusive, ways to meet their legal requirements.
Serve the public interest is widely interpreted to cut into programming. And nobody knows before hand how much danger it will produce. This system did produce tornadoes. I was out taking damage photos. It put trees on a home. If that's your house with your family inside how much danger did it produce? The Rolling Fork tornado that killed a two year old girl I was helping first responders with was just an EF-2 at the time. It doesn't have to me a slab leveling wedge to kill people. They go on those "3 hour diatribes" to make sure people are as aware as possibly of what could happen or is already happening. The tornado that hit outside Starkville a few days ago as literally on the ground two minutes but produced 110mph winds. Had that hit a trailer park instead of Highland Plantation then there very easily could have been fatalities. Keep in mind that's 4mph from the equivalent of a Cat 3 hurricane. If you're not in the air constantly giving continuous updates that info doesn't get to people in time. I'm sorry but that trumps a 17ing football game.
Last night has already had 3 confirmed tornadoes with about 5-6 surveys still to go. Could easily end up with close to 10 tornadoes produced from that system that didn't do much.
And not to stay on my soapbox, but when you spend a night in search and rescue assisting with CPR and trying to find the pulse in a two year old girl laying on the ground outside of what used to be her grandmother's home while 10ft away her 8 year old cousin is siting on the ground crying with half his brain hanging out of his head, you do everything you can to keep that scene from repeating. I never want to see that again. It's what I did that medical supply drive after that storm and why I'm on here begging for donations for our cameras. I still lose sleep from that night.
Last edited:
I flipped over to PBS during the insanity yesterday and guess what, they were running a scroll.
As someone who was in the path of a possible tornado for awhile last night, I was very appreciative of the cut in because I wasn't paying much attention before that. I'd been prepping for cold, not really realizing the front was as dangerous as it turned out to be.
Oddly enough, this is why there's free TV over antennas for these stations. And FCC funding for these stations. And guarantees that no one can compete in their areas for ad revenue on that network.
False, they are a network of stations each with individual call signs and licenses.
Nobody’s arguing about this. The stupid part is me not being able to watch something in Madison because there’s a tornado warning in Anguilla. Not on broadcast, not on the CBS app, not on Paramount Plus, not on the CBS Sports app. All of it weather pre-emption. It’s stupid.
Then develop the technology for selected station cut-ins. Until then, your football game can go 17 itself during severe weather. And by the way, two more tornadoes now confirmed on the system that wasn't producing much dangerous weather. One of them an EF-2 in Brooksville.
You're ridiculous. I didn't say weather coverage is bad. It's good, obviously, where it's needed. What is bad is there not being any way to get around it when it doesn't affect you at all.
I'm tired of this, I'm going to retreat into the batcave and start developing the technology....maybe it's on the Roku....or individualized network apps....or....holy **** it all already exists....
I got to say I appreciate detailed Matt L is on his arrival times and paths. It keeps me informed as to if I need to get my family to a safe place. He’s the best weather guy I have ever had covering my home.
I don’t give a 17 about anything on tv though except occasional movies when I’m done for the night, and MSU sports. If he interrupts a MSU game I’ll just flip the radio on.
I don’t give a 17 about anything on tv though except occasional movies when I’m done for the night, and MSU sports. If he interrupts a MSU game I’ll just flip the radio on.
I should never have to face a minor inconvenience in the name of possibly saving someone else's life three counties away. This is America!***
We had one tornado pass squarely over our farm in Noxubee County but thankfully it did not touch down until it reached Alabama and a second tornado that did touch down and caused damage less than 2 miles North of us. In 2011 we had a tornado on the ground all the way across our farm causing extensive damage that took us 6 months to clean up so I appreciate very much the coverage from WTVA. I have had other close calls including just missing an F4 tornado at my in laws house near Collin’s about 4 or 5 years ago. It’s no big deal until it’s you and then it can be a life altering event or worse.
You seem to have assumed that because you were arguing something that I was as well.
I was simply expressing my appreciation for the cut in that provided weather information that was important to me.
Oh, and 17 your football game
Blew the budget on DEI conventions.
There was a small (EF-1) tornado in the previous storm system in Athens, Alabama, which is now essentially a Huntsville suburb. It was late at night, 11:15 or so, and was a spinup that wasn't warned - touched down, did its thing, and lifted. Limestone County was at the eastern edge of a tornado watch, however. It pretty much went through downtown Athens, right over the courthouse. No major damage, but trees were uprooted. Madison County was not included in the watch.
Get unlimited access today.