Television: It's a Partnership

It was May 2005. A thunderstorm rumbled into Abilene from the west bringing with it heavy rain, hail, and strong winds. Repeatedly, KRBC Meteorologist Crain Carnesi broke into programming to alert the public to a dangerous storm. At Merkel, storm spotters reported seeing a funnel cloud illuminated only by the flashes of lightning. Dyess sounded its warning sirens. In the newsroom, our phones was ringing with angry viewers on the line, demanding that we stop interrupting their favorite show.
The next day, someone came to the station with video of what he said was the tornado over Abilene. We examined the tape and confirmed that a large, dark funnel cloud had crossed the western side of our city and it was a miracle that it had not touched down.
Severe weather season arrives next month and an email from Sue during the recent ice storm prompted me to respond to her frustration with program interruptions. "I appreciate your excitement about the weather," she wrote, "however it is the most irritating morning when I'm not able to watch the Today show! This is the second time you have preempted this program for WEATHER! You are losing me as a viewer the times you do this! I refuse to watch the same information given over and over and over and over and over again. Please find something better to do with your staff and put the Today show back on."
Let me begin by saying that the last thing we want to do is to interrupt your TV show. Really. For one thing, many of you pick-up the telephone and I get to take your angry calls: hundreds of them. If you're wondering if anyone is listening, the answer is: yes. The reason why we cut in so often is that the viewingt audience constantly changes. You may have been watching, but new viewers are constantly tuning in and we need to inform them, as well. In the morning, it's estimated that the viewing audience changes every 10 minutes!
Market research shows us that you are interested in the weather. So much so that stations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to upgrade their technology in an effort to keep you safe. While you may not care for the constant interruptions, focus groups tell us just the opposite. When the weather is bad, you want to know about it right then.
Why do we interrupt your shows when the weather doesn't affect us?
You should know that local TV stations have a responsibility to viewers to keep them informed. We have a 16-county area to protect. That's why we'll sometimes break into your favorite show to tell you about a storm that's not even close to hitting Abilene.
There was a time that local stations signed off after telling viewers to turn to the local Emergency Broadcast System station. Then, someone figured out that if the EBS station got knocked off the air, there was no way to inform the public. Keeping as many stations on the air as possible was a much better way to reach the greatest number of people.
The technology has vastly improved, too. It wasn't that long ago that our weathermen (usually just station announcers) used old airplane radars to scan a storm. The only thing you could see was a large white cloud on the dark screen. If a tornado had been reported, about the only thing we could show you the hook echo on radar, but the information might be minutes old. Now, we have trained meteorologists that monitor developing weather systems, providing advance warning of tornadoes before they touch down and do any damage.
Finally, since the City of Abilene doesn't use a siren system to warn of approaching weather, it's critically important to let you know what's coming and what you should do.
Is there a better way to do this? Every year we talk about ways to make it better for the viewer. How can we keep interruptions to a minimum, but keep you updated on developing weather? We've tried everything from running the information on the bottom of your screen to putting little icons up in the corner of the screen. No matter what we do, though, someone complains. It doesn't keep us from looking, however. The first step in the communication process is talking and listening and I am always glad to hear what our viewers think. We will continue to look for ways to keep you informed, so, feel free to share your ideas with us, too.
This much I can tell you: failing to warn you is not an option. When a tornado touches down, it is too late to try to figure out what you are going to do, which is why we urge viewers every year to plan ahead, then stick to that plan when the time comes.
So, Sue - While I completely understand your frustration, please bear with us and understand that we have a big job to do and we are trying to do it the best we can. The Today show airs 260 days out of the year. Breaking into it two or three times is a pretty small price to pay for staying safe.
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

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