Image via WikipediaThis has been a year in which severe weather grabbed much of the national headlines, as tornadoes flatten a good chunk of the South from Oklahoma and Missouri to Alabama, leaving hundreds dead and millions of dollars in property damage. The outbreaks have also spread north to Minnesota and Massachusetts.Technology has evolved to the point where it's possible to pinpoint the exact location where a storm will hit next, giving the National Weather Service, local authorities and media plenty of time to warn folks of danger ahead.
So why do TV stations still persist in interrupting regular programming when only one part of their viewing area is affected by a dangerous storm? This isn't 1980, when broadcasters had viewers all to themselves. Today we have live streams on the Internet, digital subchannels and co-owned independent stations (also known as duopolies) that stations could move their network programming to when severe weather breaks.
But those stations won't do that. If anyone complains that they're missing "Oprah" (as people in Little Rock did when ABC affiliate KATV chose weather coverage over Winfrey's last show) or some sports event, the station usually hides behind its "public service" mandate to keep its captive audience. That's a rude, arrogant and condescending way of doing business. These days, broadcasters can't afford to do that.
Is it really "public service" when you live in an area not affected by the storm or some other calamity, and your only choices are either changing the channel or reading a book? Is alienating the audience for the sake of some geeky meteorologist showing off the Doppler that the station paid big money for also in the public interest?
Clearly something needs to be done. TV stations should establish one channel or website either for continuous weather coverage, or for moving regular programming so viewers don't have to miss "American Idol". Why forfeit your audience to cable?
Here's a much better idea: Invest in a weather radio, which are usually affordable and available where electronics are sold. Then when the power goes out and you can't watch TV or use the computer, you can listen for emergency information. Now that's real public service.
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