Skip to main content

DirecTV's hilarious argument for dropping Weather Channel

As of early this morning, The Weather Channel is no longer on DirectTV, and the two companies are pointing fingers at each other. It’s hard to find sympathy for two corporations fighting to maximize their profits, but the back and forth battle is somewhat amusing, especially since reality TV has been dragged into the middle.

In a statement attributed to Chief Content Officer Dan York, DirecTV said, in part:

“Consumers understand there are now a variety of other ways to get weather coverage, free of reality show clutter, and that The Weather Channel does not have an exclusive on weather coverage — the weather belongs to everyone. Most consumers don’t want to watch a weather information channel with a forecast of a 40% chance of reality TV. So with that in mind, we are in the process of discussing an agreement to return the network to our line-up at the right value for our customers.”

“A 40% chance of reality TV!” That’s truly hilarious. It refers to The Weather Channel’s increasing number of original reality series, such as Breaking Ice, Highway Thru Hell, Prospectors, and Coast Guard Alaska, which are sometimes only tangentially related to weather. When it announced Coast Guard Alaska, the network’s president, Bob Walker, cited “the strategy we’ve developed for The Weather Channel’s long-form content across all platforms” and said “it has all the elements we’re looking for in original programming — great storytelling, action and adventure, and most importantly, how the weather affects someone’s work and lifestyle.”

The Weather Channel is taking a different, less amusing approach, arguing that it is a “critical life-saving community resource” and “a public safety resource”. That argument, which is, at best, insanely sensational because it ignores all the other ways people get weather information in 2014. The network did tangentially cite their reality programming in its statement today, which said, in part:

“We are not looking for a large fee increase. We are simply looking for a fair deal that allows our company to continue to invest in the science and technology that enables us to keep people safe, deliver the world’s best weather, and tell weather stories to help people be prepared and informed.”

View the original article here

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

<b>Reality TV</b> gets its own Comic-Con with Audrina Patridge, Nick <b>...</b>

Reality TV gets its own Comic-Con with Audrina Patridge, Nick Cannon and more | Show Tracker | Los Angeles Timesbody {background-color:#ffffff !important;}ul#root li.navLink a {padding-top:17px; padding-right:4px; padding-bottom:16px; padding-left: 5px;} Subscribe/Manage Account Place An Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds Custom Publishing Entertainment HOME LOCAL L.A. Now Politics Crime Education O.C. Westside Neighborhoods Environment Obituaries Findlocal U.S. Politics Now Top of the Ticket Science & Environment Obituaries Religion WORLD Afghanistan & Pakistan Africa Asia Europe Iran Iraq Latin America Mexico Under Siege Middle East Business Money & Co. Technology Personal Finance Small Business Company Town Jobs Real Estate Autos SPORTS Lakers Clippers Dodgers Angels USC UCLA Kings Ducks Soccer High Schools Bleacher Report ENTERTA...

Kourtney Kardashian Announces New Clothing Line

« Kanye West Wears Kim Kardashian Nude Pic Over His Heart | Home | Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock Got Married This Weekend » October 21, 2013 02:07 PM by Stephanie Gustafson Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian are well known for starring in today’s hottest reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. But the three sisters are intent on expanding their reach beyond the realm of entertainment. They’ve already made headway with the Kardashian Kollection and now, are continuing to take on the fashion world with a brand new clothing line. Kardashian fans across the nation love donning the creations of their idols, Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian. The sisters have continually impressed with the recessionista outfits made possible through the popular Kardashian Kollection. Now, though, the trio have set their sites on high-end fashion, which is why they’re excited to announce the debut of a new collaboration with Lipsy. During a recent chat with Hello Magazine, Kourtney Kardashi...

Midwife Linda Abbott returns to Leeds General in tonight’s One Born Every Minute

Home > Factual > Midwife Linda Abbott returns to Leeds General in tonight’s One Born Every Minute January 30th, 2013 by Lisa McGarry. One Born Every Minute returns to Channel 4 tonight for the fifth episode of it’s current season and this evening’s instalment sees the return of a familiar face. Midwife Linda Abbott is back in Leeds General, after retiring only twelve months ago. The seasoned practitioner realised that she wasn’t ready to put the world of work and child bearing behind her and it was lucky she did, as the staff and patients at the hospital certainly missed her presence. She describes herself as an ‘old bird’ her years of experience are just whats needed, especially in two of tonight’s cases. The episode focuses on two fathers with very different bedside manners and approaches to their partners and expanding families. Joel could not be more attentive to his wife Rachel and is keen that it is just him and her alone when their baby is delivered.. Rachel and Joel’s...