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It is apparent the ONLY thing the Weather Channel is interested in is RATINGS. Forget the accuracy of weather forecasting....It's all about ENTERTAINMENT today. The annoying "chatty kathy dolls" acting like they are auditioning for America's Most Ridiculous Weather Station is getting old--very fast. What's up with all these irksome drama queens? What happened to normal weather forecasting? Definitely, something has changed for the worse with the Weather Channel!

This over-the-top, overly-dramatic interpretation of normal weather phenomena has become standard procedure in the U.S. media, not just in the winter but all year round. For the Weather Channel every tropical depression is a historic hurricane-to-be; every norโ€™easter portends a blizzard; and every high tide heralds a tsunami.

There are worse things than being over-prepared. But yellow weather journalism has consequences. The National Weather Service is rapidly losing credibility with the public, who may eventually cease to heed its warnings when it matters, which is worrisome. But for me, the real problem is that when our so-called newscasters describe every storm as a natural disaster, it numbs us to actual weather-related tragedies.

Does it seem right that Winter Storm Juno (death toll so far: two) gets more coverage than the May 2014 mudslide in Afghanistan that buried an entire village, killing thousands?

I blame the Weather Channel for Americaโ€™s meteorological frenzy. But ever since it was sold to an NBC-Bain Capital-Blackstone Group conglomerate in 2008, good forecasting has taken a backseat to high ratings. Itโ€™s not easy to make weather sexy, but hereโ€™s what the newly christened Weather Company tried. It fired the earnest on-air talent I grew up with and hired more colorful personalities. It launched dubiously weather-related programming such as Deadliest Space Weather and Fat Guys in the Woods. In 2012, ridiculously, it began naming winter storms.

Meanwhile, the utilitarian Weather.com underwent a terrible redesign. Today, like the TV channel, the website is cluttered and largely interested in frozen lighthouses and shark attacks. And worst of all, it bought out Weather Underground, the last digital bastion for weather nerds.

The Weather Channel wasnโ€™t alone in its dire predictions of Junoโ€™s wrath. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also issued serious warnings, but they were significantly more measured. Compare the NOAAโ€™s above tweet about this significant norโ€™easter with this screenshot from Weather.com. Notice the difference in content and tone?

Reason of review: Bad quality.

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Guest

All histrionics and losing money and wages because of excess hype!

Guest

I was a TWC junkie until the hype and hysterics started. I don't watch it at all now.

Guest

Theatrics by Cantore and Abrams first made me use the mute button. Now I donโ€™t watch the Weather Channel at all. Weather has taken a back seat to entertainment.

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