Maybe in 2009 when everyone has access to digital channel 5.2 or cable, KOCO will do all its extended coverage on 5.2, which is a dedicated weather channel, and leave the network signal alone, just running a crawl at the bottom of 5.1 to tell us to watch.

That would be the ultimate solution, and it would give control back to the viewers, where it belongs.

KFOR could do the exact same thing too, they have 4.1 and 4.2.

Not sure about KWTV, but you can be sure they'll get it if needed.

I got really tired of looking at cloud pictures last night. When I want to get informed, show me a map with a storm-track on it.

Gary England's broadcast had far too much noise in it, and at one point I could not listen at all. These guys have too many things they are trying to utilize all at the same time, and sometimes the show resembles one of my favorite cereals, Honey Nut Clusters.

I like what KSNW does in Wichita. Basically, they have a constant weather related stream on their website KSN.com - News, Weather, Sports - NBC - Wichita - Great Bend - Garden City - McCook - Kansas that shows radar, 7 day, Satellite shots, etc. Then during severe weather, their meteorologists go live and their report simulcasts on the main broadcast channel. Then, unless there are tornados warnings in their viewing area, they generally return the broadcast channel to regular programming and let the viewer choose to watch more live weather coverage on KSN.com.

The only problem is that those without computers, or those who live in rural areas w/o a decent Internet connection must really depend on the broadcast channel for their weather info.

To be honest, there really isn't any perfect solution as you will always have people who will complain about too many interruptions, not enough interruptions, etc.

FWIW, I'd rather have too many interruptions than not enough. I considered buying one of those crank-powered TVs after the ice storm last winter. When our power went out (only 9 hours for us, thank goodness), we were forced to rely on radio to find out what was going on with the weather. Radio doesn't tell you ANYTHING. Luckily, we do have a weather radio. Even so, I need moving visuals. I'm hoping they'll figure out how to make a crank-powered digital TV before next winter and then I'm going to buy that. Hopefully, it will come with outlets you can use to charge your cell phone. I'm kinda spoiled that way...

That statement is ridiculous... that's the truth... We report news PERIOD nobody but the editorial team tells us what to report, there are no sponsers sitting in our editorial meetings... maybe if everyone in this state wasn't so uneducated we could raise the bar and use bigger words, but people wouldn't understand.

The FCC when they gave broadcasters free use of the airwaves (yes believe it or not we still send our signal through the air) they gave them to us without charge! The only thing we had to do in return was provide news to the public. Provide timely information about the world surroundings. The news was readily available on CBS Radio from Murrow's The World Today a 15 minute program. November, 18th 1951 was first TV broadcast of See It Now, produced by Fred Friendly and directed by Don Hewitt in magazine format, broadcast coast-to-coast using newly-completed coaxial cable. This was the time of television heroes, when America turned to the evening news programs and trusted their presenters. There weren't talking heads offering up their two cents, they didn't share their opinion, They delivered the news, gave us the facts, and allowed us to make our own choice, and draw our own conclusions. I think when we as journalists forget that we are performing a public service to our viewers, we are nothing more that the biased idiot media that most of America stereotypes us as. I work where I work because I believe we deliver the most unbiased opinion in the market. We don't have any Ogle's offering up their opinions.. IT'S THE NEWS NOT YOUR NEWSPAPER OP ED COLUMN. THE NEWS IS FACT PERIOD!

That would be Bill O'Reilly's show, wouldn't it?

*snert*

Or that whole channel.

my wife would like to know if John Flick is as "cute" in person as he is on television.
Anyone have a clue?

Haha that's a funny question for several reasons...none of which I'll explain.

...and what does "cute" mean?

i guess little boy cute? anyway, please elaborate on Mr. Flick. I am intrigued now...

Oh good one rwood, now you've stirred the pot!

...and I'll keep stirring...

so how bout that GSW dropped off at the studios?

KOCO did this on Thursday or Friday. All I wanted to do was lay on the sofa and watch worthless tv so I didn't have to think. They interrupted programming to tell me there were 2 car wrecks in the metro. They didn't have any further information at the time but they were working on it. GREAT! Interrupt me when you actually have something to say then please. And further more, interrupt the radio stations for people actually in their cars who give a crap about where the wrecks are causing problems. Who at home watching tv gives a flip?

I just changed the channel and found something else worthless to fall asleep to. Not a big problem, but annoying at the same time.

I didn't have time to read thru the rest of this thread to see if anyone else answered your question, but yes, they did get their helicopter! My ex is a photog at 5 ~ apparently it had to be painted KOCO colors. I think it's up and running now, they used it the other day for the cop shooting story over on the NE side of town.

We do have the new chopper, but it has only flown "test flights" It hasn't been on air yet. It debuts today! (Thursday) It's a beautiful ship too!<cr>

Finally. I'm glad KOCO finally has a bird.

Oh, and KOCO > all.

Not Likely the public needs to be informed of weather conditions regardless of having a dedicated weather channel or not and weather will continue to be broadcast on the main channels if i have anything to say or do about it.

I'm curious...do you "have anything to say or do about it?" (I don't disagree with you on this one, I think some weather coverage will need to stay on the main channels)

Gary England, a pioneer in TV weather forecasting, developed "First Warning". Unless all hell is breaking loose, I think "First Warning" is reasonable, responsible, and completely sufficient in notifying viewers of exactly what and where certain weather conditions are taking place. Anything more is overkill. The media today is all about ratings. They'll do whatever they can to keep you watching, but at some point viewers need to wake up and see the redundancy and inpracticality of endless coverage on something that can be express in seconds.

For example, on 9/12, EVERYONE knew we had been attacked and that the towers had fallen. Yet for weeks, the media showed the towers falling with captions like: America Under Attack, like it's breaking news. America Under Attack...well, duh. Okay, the towers fell; we knew that already. Quit rubbing salt in the open wounds of America. Quit reminding America of something that's already fresh in their minds, all for the sake of ratings. Guess what...it's no longer news; it's DRAMA!!!! The same applies to weather forecasting. For one, they're blowing things way out of proportion. Secondly, they're repeating things they or everyone else has been saying for hours-on-end. Lastly, they're fast-becoming the boy that cries wolf, exploiting the trust people put into the media for the sake of ratings and profit.

Maybe I'm an exception, but I can tell when bad weather is on its way. A little map in the lower right hand corner confirms my premonition just fine. That's all I, a reasonable person of caution and prudence, believes is necessary.

__________________
...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

I don't even want that little map.

Break into my programming when there's one on the ground. That's it.

I like to see the map so I can tell what's going on. Anything more is way overkill, most of the time. Break in when the sky is about to fall.

On the other hand, sometimes you learn to appreciate when they won't shut up, as long as it's on a station you don't otherwise watch. Funny story: before I moved here, the ABC station in my previous city has a weather guy (their main 10 p.m. guy, whom I like to call "Mr. TV") who doesn't know when to let it go. Anytime there's the least little thunder rumble, he's on. But I never watched the ABC station back then, so it was okay for him to be on because if I thought I needed to know what was going on, I just had to flip over to the ABC affiliate and there was Mr. TV, who, by the way, has stolen Gary England's line of "We'll keep you advised." There was actually some serious weather one morning, so I was flipping around to see what different stations were saying about it. You could hear the hail in the background, and the regular morning guy was doing his best to report what was going on but ol' Mr. TV wouldn't keep his mouth shut and let him do his job. He was yelling directions at him from off camera, and finally just took over. It was funny to watch, but I felt so bad for the other guy. No wonder Mr. TV had a heart attack a few months later! (maybe it was a stroke...I forget)

I wonder if KOCO is going to interrupt the regularly-scheduled program to announce their weather forecast was just slightly off, by a little more than 15 degrees. It's now 104, but I can't remember what the forecast originally called for as a high. I think it was predicted to be in the mid-to-high 80's.

Where are you now, KOCO?

__________________
...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

In all fairness, the other stations didn't get it right either.

In fact, the National Weather Service Forecast that released just this morning was predicting a high at 94 in OKC. So those guys in Norman were way off too. They "revised" their highs upward at around 11am today, and were still too low.

I always remember when the newsroom gripes at the weather guys for getting it wrong, the usual response is "OKAY YOU TELL ME WHERE THE NEXT SHOOTING WILL HAPPEN, YOU TRY PREDICTING THE FUTURE."

I saw the 104 too, on channel 5.2, but I thought it was a mistake! It didn't feel that hot. I guess it was a "dry heat!" ;-)