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NBC 5 Chicago

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The Weather Channel today is debuting Storm Center at 4pm(E).

 

Their description of the show:

 

Storm Center is a fresh new way to show you everything that’s happening in breaking weather throughout the world. Led by meteorologists Jacqui Jeras, Chris Warren, and Tevin Wooten, Storm Center will immerse you in shocking weather video and take a closer look at the science behind current weather events.

 

They're moving Weather Underground up 4 hours to 12pm-4pm weekdays. It looks like we're losing Weather Center Live. 

 

So their new weekday line up is:

 

AMHQ - 6am-12pm

Weather Underground - 12pm-4pm

Storm Center - 4pm-8pm

Programming - 8pm-6am

 

This is the first new show since Weather Underground began. I'm really curious how this new show will be. 

 

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Also noticed there seems to be a new portion of their set. This includes a seamless monitor where they have a couch in front of. Most of their big monitors in their studio are an array of smaller screens. So I'm not exactly sure where this is located.  It doesn't look VR to me but it could be. I know the original set that debuted in 2013 was demolished in favor of the huge green screen that they now use to show VR graphics. 

TWC Set-1.png

TWC Set-2.png

TWC Set-3.png

TWC Set-4.png

 

Ok found it on Twitter. The new couch section replaces the corner section that the original AMHQ used. 

 

 

 

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The new couch setup replaced the corner desk area in the main studio (first picture in the slideshow).

 

https://www.clickspringdesign.com/portfolio/twc-studio/

 

Before that, the second half of America's Morning Headquarters was done from a small table and two chair setup in front of the 4x4 video wall.

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I mentioned in the Fox Weather thread a few weeks ago how odd it was for Fox Weather to debut a show called "America's Weather Center" while TWC already has "Weather Center Live" airing at the exact same time. Looks like TWC was quick to give up their branding and go for something more intense-sounding. Kind of sad to see the Weather Center branding, which has been a name at TWC since 1998, go by the wayside.

 

I also have to wonder if some of these changes might be motivated by their competition at Fox Weather. As we know, Fox Weather does not have live programming from 12pm-3pm ET, so I wonder if TWC thought it best to put their top-billed Weather Underground show in a timeslot that Fox Weather isn't live, meanwhile placing the more "hard weather" Storm Center show during the later afternoon/evening in a timeslot where Fox is also doing live hard-weather programming.

 

Here is a wide shot video of the studio showing where the new couch is located: 

 

 

Edited by Spring Rubber
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After many years of straying towards more business casual clothing, both Chris Warren and Tevin Wooten are wearing full suits on this new show. All of the rest of the dayparts still remain business casual. Guess they want to give primetime a more "professional and serious" tone.

 

As far as the content of the program itself, only about 4 minutes of the 15-minute long top-of-the-hour segment were spent talking current weather. Most of the first few minutes were spent looking at video of Saturday's tornadoes, then a brief current weather update for like 3 minutes, followed by like 7-8 minutes of pre-produced video and discussion about the March 1993 snowstorm in the southern US and the impacts that the storms had on people at the time, and then finally a 1-minute outlook on overall temperature and precip trends to expect for the upcoming winter. Compared to the hard-weather content of Weather Center Live, I'm not a fan so far.

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As far as studio utilization, with this schedule change, all shows now take place in the main studio. (Weather Center Live previously took place in The Lab.) The only time throughout the entire day that The Lab was used was for two very short Dr. Knabb segments during each hour of Weather Underground at around :10 past and :43 past. For the rest of Weather Underground, Dr. Knabb spent the show in the main studio with the other hosts. It makes me wonder if they would consider ditching The Lab or just reserving it only for days that they do extended coverage in the evening/overnight hours.

 

Another weird thing is that the couch area is effectively the centerpiece of the main studio due to its location, yet the couch is only used for the second half of America's Morning Headquarters. I have to wonder if they would also consider using the couch for either the first half of America's Morning Headquarters or possibly for either one or both of the weekend morning shows.

 

The rest of the shows have to work around the couch area rather than utilize it, which effectively limits the types of wideshots that can be used during the other dayparts.

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6 minutes ago, Spring Rubber said:

As far as studio utilization, with this schedule change, all shows now take place in the main studio. (Weather Center Live previously took place in The Lab.) The only time throughout the entire day that The Lab was used was for two very short Dr. Knabb segments during each hour of Weather Underground at around :10 past and :43 past. For the rest of Weather Underground, Dr. Knabb spent the show in the main studio with the other hosts. It makes me wonder if they would consider ditching The Lab or just reserving it only for days that they do extended coverage in the evening/overnight hours.

 

Another weird thing is that the couch area is effectively the centerpiece of the main studio due to its location, yet the couch is only used for the second half of America's Morning Headquarters. I have to wonder if they would also consider using the couch for either the first half of America's Morning Headquarters or possibly for either one or both of the weekend morning shows.

 

The rest of the shows have to work around the couch area rather than utilize it, which effectively limits the types of wideshots that can be used during the other dayparts.

 

I noticed in the first hour of weather underground they kept the couch area dark and covered it up but it was in some of the wide shots where Mike tossed to Mark and you could see it covered up. They uncovered it but kept the area darker then the rest of the set for the rest of the show. 

 

The couch isn't a bad idea. I just wish they could have made that area more universal where the couch could be removed and other elements added for other day parts so it can be utilized more. 


I'm not really keen on Storm Center. I guess I had high hopes but I prefer either Weather Underground or Weather Center Live style format. But I also wouldn't mind old school format of the original Weather Center either with your region by region forecasts, travelwise, weekly planner, and Storm Watch/Tropical Update. Weather Underground took awhile for me to like but I think for me its the hosts. I like Mike, Alex and Dr. Knabb. 

 

At least with Storm Center this is the first update format wise we've had in awhile. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
1 hour ago, Spring Rubber said:

I hate localized coverage because satellite viewers can't receive it. Also, if they had enough staff to produce continuous live programming, why not air it to the entire country?

The entire point of buying low-stakes reality programming that has no continuous format is so you can break in when needed. Is there really a minority of people out there who will be angry that World's Deadliest Weather or Could You Survive? were pre-empted last night outside Creek Stewart's agent?

 

 

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10 hours ago, Spring Rubber said:

I hate localized coverage because satellite viewers can't receive it. Also, if they had enough staff to produce continuous live programming, why not air it to the entire country?

 

Agree. I would think the target demo of TWC viewers would want to see this type of coverage, whether they live in the affected area or not. It's why they are tuning into a niche channel....

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Uhhh, so apparently TWC and CBS News had a quiet relationship a few months before this deal was ever announced? I just found these videos from January on YouTube:

 

 

 

 

Looks like now that severe weather season has started, most of their recent videos use this "lightning flash" effect that occurs throughout the entire segment. There is very dark lighting on the OCM, followed by a "lightning flash" that occasionally lights up the OCM's face and body. Can anybody tell if this lightning flash effect is 100% virtual or if they're actually flashing a physical light in the studio to emulate this lightning effect?

 

 

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TWC is debuting a new show today called Pattrn at 12pm ET. Hosted by Stephanie Abrahms and Jordan Steele. Info below from the email I got today:

 
"Meteorologists Stephanie Abrams and Jordan Steele are hosting a daily Pattrn show on The Weather Channel. Every weekday at 12pm ET, learn about the climate’s impact on everyday life, meet the people who are working to find solutions, and find out simple tips on how to live more sustainably. Come join us!"
 
This new show seems to be 2 hours running from 12pm-2pm ET on my guide. It looks like Weather Underground and Storm Center are now only 3 hours long. 
 
So the New Schedule (in ET Time):
  • AMHQ - 5AM-12PM
  • Pattrn - 12PM-2PM
  • Weather Underground - 2PM-5PM
  • Storm Center - 5PM-8PM
     

I didn't watch AMHQ early this morning so I don't know if Jordan and Stephanie are still on AMHQ and this new show is in edition to them being on AMHQ. Jen Carfagno and Alex Wallace still host the later edition of AMHQ.

 

While a new show is cool and all, more LIVE weather hours in the day would be a lot better. I was hoping they would shift everything later into the primetime hours. The shows they run from 8PM-5AM debut new episodes on the weekend. You could keep the weekend heavy with shows in the afternoon and evening but keep LIVE weather coverage running through at least 10PM ET during the week but I digress...

 

TWC Pattrn.jpg

 

EDIT: So the show is only an hour long with the next hour showing the same exact preceding hour. They go over hot topics in the beginning and have in-depth interviews centering on the environment and climate. Not much weather or forecast outside of the environmental and climate talk. Not sure if this is actually live or pre-taped. I think its live because they're using the main studio and the only time they'd have time to tape would be before AMHQ at 5AM. 

Edited by NBC 5 Chicago
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2 hours ago, NBC 5 Chicago said:

TWC is debuting a new show today called Pattrn at 12pm ET. Hosted by Stephanie Abrahms and Jordan Steele. Info below from the email I got today:

 
"Meteorologists Stephanie Abrams and Jordan Steele are hosting a daily Pattrn show on The Weather Channel. Every weekday at 12pm ET, learn about the climate’s impact on everyday life, meet the people who are working to find solutions, and find out simple tips on how to live more sustainably. Come join us!"
 
This new show seems to be 2 hours running from 12pm-2pm ET on my guide. It looks like Weather Underground and Storm Center are now only 3 hours long. 
 
So the New Schedule (in ET Time):
  • AMHQ - 5AM-12PM
  • Pattrn - 12PM-2PM
  • Weather Underground - 2PM-5PM
  • Storm Center - 5PM-8PM
     

I didn't watch AMHQ early this morning so I don't know if Jordan and Stephanie are still on AMHQ and this new show is in edition to them being on AMHQ. Jen Carfagno and Alex Wallace still host the later edition of AMHQ.

 

While a new show is cool and all, more LIVE weather hours in the day would be a lot better. I was hoping they would shift everything later into the primetime hours. The shows they run from 8PM-5AM debut new episodes on the weekend. You could keep the weekend heavy with shows in the afternoon and evening but keep LIVE weather coverage running through at least 10PM ET during the week but I digress...

 

TWC Pattrn.jpg

 

EDIT: So the show is only an hour long with the next hour showing the same exact preceding hour. They go over hot topics in the beginning and have in-depth interviews centering on the environment and climate. Not much weather or forecast outside of the environmental and climate talk. Not sure if this is actually live or pre-taped. I think its live because they're using the main studio and the only time they'd have time to tape would be before AMHQ at 5AM. 

It could also be pre-recorded. I have noticed over the past 4 weeks, there have been several days each week where either the later edition of AMHQ w/Jen & Alex or Weather Underground were moved into The Lab for an entire day. Last week, the Jen & Alex show spent Monday and Tuesday in The Lab, while Weather Underground has been in The Lab every single Thursday.

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3 minutes ago, Spring Rubber said:

It could also be pre-recorded. I have noticed over the past 4 weeks, there have been several days each week where either the later edition of AMHQ w/Jen & Alex or Weather Underground were moved into The Lab for an entire day. Last week, the Jen & Alex show spent Monday and Tuesday in The Lab, while Weather Underground has been in The Lab every single Thursday.

I noticed that too. I figured maybe they were doing updates or something in the studio. So, there goes another 2 live hours of weather on TWC. 

 

One thing I noticed and its small but the pillows on the couch change for what show is airing. AMHQ = Yellow and Blue, Pattrn = Pink, Weekend Recharge = Teal and Blue. Like I said nothing worthwhile but it brings a different touch to the shows when they use the couch in addition to the different lighting. 

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Ok, I guess it's live. They're doing a live tease with Mike and Alex for what's coming up next on Weather Underground.

 

They also have a live weather update with Molly McCollum in The Lab right now.

 

Sad to see another two hours of weather eroded from the midday schedule.

 

I have noticed that several of the interviews are pre-recorded from other dates, many of them done in The Lab

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