If you watched tv in the 80’s and early 90’s you’ll recall that the tv stations put up the weather icon in the bottom corner of the tv screen. If an urgent message came in then they broke into the tv show for maybe 30 minutes. People respected that and took cover. We knew they weren’t bullshitting us.
Today, the first rumble of thunder and these numbnuts are right there with their fancy radars and maps. Hour after hour. It never stops. Our local stations cover most of the state. So, you can kiss your tv shows goodbye.
It’s really become the “boy crying wolf” these days. There’s such a massive overload that people switch the channel to a cable station, or get on the computer. You never know when to take these guys seriously anymore.
I have a NOAA emergency radio. We also have the tornado sirens. When they alert, then I get worried. That’s when I go for cover. If there’s time maybe I’ll turn on the tv and see what they are reporting. But sit there and watch that nonsense for 5 hours? Are you freaking kidding me?
It’s another symptom of the nanny state. We can’t blow our own noses without a gov. inspector checking the tissue paper. It’s hard to imagine people survived for thousands of years without our wonderful radars and weatherman. Oh wait!! They are meteorologists now.
This is a minor rant. I know they mean well. Yes they want to save the whole freaking world. Good for them. Let’s pin a medal on their ass and chug a beer.
the stations now often have meteorologists instead of weathercasters of yesteryear, so they can create their own forecast. they often have Doppler radar to show and computer graphics. they might share radar data with other stations (i sure think that 4 or 5 radar sweeps overlapping is quite the sight).
so they can do much more now and have a lot of money invested in it. it does draw in viewers.
Let me say first that I’ve been way too close to a tornado several times in my life, so I heartily endorse preempting prime time TV for weather.
Thanks to first alert superdoppler stormtracker radar and meterologists who actually know what the blobs mean, it’s possible to track a storm front for hundreds of miles and predict when, where and how hard it’s going to hit with amazing accuracy compared to just 20 years ago.
And people do watch the weather. And meteorolgists honestly believe they’re saving the world with their forecasts. I find it incredible that in the tornados that hit St. Louis last Friday, no one was killed.
Having said that, I will pass along a suggestion that our local TV critic made – since all the stations now have digital subchannels which are also carried on cable, they could easily use the subchannels for live storm coverage, and simply run a crawl at the bottom of the screen on the main channel telling people where they can get the lastest information.
I had a close call as a kid. A tree in my Uncles pasture got taken out by a tornado. Maybe 200 yards from our house. Tree must have been a hundred years old and 4 feet across at the base. Took several winters to burn up the firewood.
I take the sirens and NOAA warning radio very seriously. When they say ran for cover. We run.
My issue is the hours long tv interruptions that make your eyes glaze over. I think that endangers lives more than a quick, get your butt in cover now!!! message.
over the air (broadcast ) stations are digital (USA) and some have subchannels. in two markets i can get stations from, a station in each has a weather subchannel.
cable systems still carry their content analog and they don’t give the digital broadcast subchannels if you have the analog service.
Nanny State applies not only to gov. policy. It’s an entire philosophy that people are basically stupid and require leading around like small children. Soup Cans have warnings that the lid is sharp. Take-out coffee is labeled hot. We have to be told constantly in the media to get our flu shots in Oct. If it snows, we are told it’s slippery outside and we better drive more cautiously. We are constantly wet-nursed by the media, government, and corporations. It’s a far cry from the pioneer spirit that founded this great country.
I’m old enough to remember a time when adults were expected to take care of themselves. If we cut ourselves on a soup can then it was our own silly fault. In terms of severe weather, I welcome information that I can use to protect my family. I don’t need a television guy in a bad suit ordering me to do anything.
