The Weather Channel Uses its Unique Technology to Deliver Split Feed to Cable Systems During Recent Bout With Winter Weather

The Weather Channel Uses its Unique Technology to Deliver Split Feed to Cable Systems During Recent Bout With Winter Weather

ATLANTA, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- As winter blasted a large part of the country on Saturday, The Weather Channel was the #1-rated news and information network, according to Nielsen data. For the total day (5 a.m.-2 a.m.) Saturday, The Weather Channel achieved a 1.2 rating, delivering an average of just over 1 million homes; TWC also ranked #1 with the A25-54 age group across the total day. Ratings peaked on Saturday at both 10-10:15 a.m. and 11-11:15 a.m. with a rating of 2.1, representing 1.8 million homes.

The all-weather network provided local and regional winter weather coverage in affected markets while simultaneously airing the pre-scheduled Storm Stories series in the rest of the country in the 8-9 p.m. hour. TWC presented this extended storm coverage to 22 markets that included major cities such as New York and Boston as well as smaller cities hit by the storm such as Utica, NY and Altoona, PA. The targeted winter coverage on The Weather Channel featured forecast analysis by TWC Winter Weather Expert Paul Kocin, who co-authored the book "Northeast Storms," and live in-the-field coverage from New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia by TWC meteorologists as well as travel and airport information and Local on the 8s with detailed graphics and radar for each pinpointed area.

"One year after the deployment of our new IntelliStar technology began, we are pleased to have the exciting new alternate feed capability up and running.

Our enhanced coverage during the most recent winter storm is just the tip of the iceberg for all that we will offer our cable affiliates and their customers as a result of this advancement for customizing and localizing weather information on The Weather Channel," said Patrick Scott, president, The Weather Channel Networks.

Saturday's alternate feed telecast was the longest in duration since The Weather Channel began using the capability in December. Alternate feeds for winter-impacted areas were also provided on Friday and Sunday; others so far this year included alternate feeds to the Midwest during earlier snowstorms and to southern California during the flooding and mudslides there near the beginning at the month.

The 1.2 total day rating on Saturday ranks as the network's highest-rated day for a winter storm event since the Midwest was terrorized by the First Strike of 1999, which produced a 1.3 total day (5 a.m.-2 a.m.) rating on January 2, 1999. The record total day rating for The Weather Channel was a total day rating of 1.9 achieved during coverage of Hurricane Ivan on August 15 this year.

On Sunday, the network achieved a total day average rating of 0.7. It maintained the ranking of the #1 news and information network in the A25-54 age group.

Connie Malko, PR manager
The Weather Channel
770-226-2180
cmalko@weather.com


Source: The Weather Channel

CONTACT: Connie Malko, PR manager of The Weather Channel,
+1-770-226-2180, or cmalko@weather.com

Web site: http://www.weather.com/


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