NWS Trying To Take A Stab At The TV World

Recently, the Capital Weather Gang released an article about the NWS Birmingham implementing a state-of-the-art TV Studio right in the office itself. This is an odd thing, because the NWS is typically seen as a behind the scenes operation, and is typically on the caboose of the Communications Train. This seems to be a strictly communication move, as the MIC at NWS Birmingham says that, “…the TV technology allows us to both provide enhanced decision support services to our customers, as well as provide internal operational and external webinars/public training.”

The TV business isn’t necessarily a brand new thing to the NWS, though. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL has its own TV media station for interviews with entities like The Weather Channel, CNN, etc., and they’ve been using this for years. However, this is a different monster, and I am not sure how I feel about it.

There are several benefits and downfalls to an idea like this. A major one that I see is that this could essentially kill the private sector. The NWS is listed as a public entity as it is run and funded by the Government (aka your wallets), and has been typically seen as the primary source for warnings and other information. Private sectors can go out and make their own forecasts, make their own maps, but the NWS has the monopoly on issuing warnings.

Some want to see this idea go to all 121 NWS offices around the Nations. “Having these pool cameras would help the TV stations and NWS, a win-win,” said the President of the NWS Workers Union, Dan Sobien. If this were to happen, a scenario in which the NWS monopolizes much of the meteorological industry could be seen. This would be Government run, and without getting too political, that would be a major issue. The job market for meteorologists would shrink, and meteorologists that already work hard would only have to work harder. Plus, many of the meteorologists that work in the NWS didn’t choose the broadcasting path, and lack the necessary communication skills to adequately distribute information to the public.

Additionally, the Government is very unwilling to invest in meteorology as it is. The NWS has seen a hiring freeze over the past few years, which has put more strain on more meteorologists across the nation. The unwillingness to invest in meteorology is concerning, especially if the NWS was to try to implement a serious TV showing across the country. This would likely not be supportable for very long, even if it was successful.

On the flip side of the spectrum, the NWS should have a significant say in whatever goes on in the meteorological world. They are the source for the majority of important weather information. They give all watches and warnings, and they issue many forecasts that are trusted by many people. They have the best of the best in those offices, and they are going to be as accurate as it gets.

Additionally, they will help to filter some out some of the inaccurate weather sources that plague social media and the weather world. Some TV mets tend to get a little on the biased side when it comes to certain weather conditions, and that can be reflected in their forecasts and wording on air. This issue could be avoided if the NWS was to have their own TV entity.

There are many pluses and minuses to this idea. You can learn more about it in the Capital Weather Gang post here. What do you think? Do you think the NWS should have its own TV station, or should they avoid it altogether?