And the Winter Weather Coverage Loser Award Goes to. . .

[SRW1000]

WTMJ!

Congratulations!  You are the only channel that has decided at this time to switch from HD programming to boxed SD, in anticipation of a snow storm expected to start sometime around midnight tonight.

Thank you so much for this valuable public service.

The Milwaukee viewing area would certainly devolve into a state of unending chaos if it were not for this exemplary display of civic duty.  You have single-handedly saved thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives across Southeastern Wisconsin.

Please do not heed the examples of your fellow broadcasters who have somehow dropped the ball on this one and foolishly decided to exhibit some restraint in the face of certain doom.  There is no way to over hype the weather emergency that we are all about to face.

Excelsior!

P.S. If there are any businesses out there looking for free advertising, please contact Channel 4 immediately.  They will be more than happy to let people know that your budgie-sitting service or child-grooming shop will be closed tomorrow.

Scott

[SRW1000]

WISN!

It's too bad they allowed WTMJ to beat them to the punch on this one!  Had they started just a little earlier, they wouldn't be stuck in second place.

This is especially notable since they now appear to have the ability to run crawls over HD programming, but have still decided to drop to SD coverage in anticipation of a storm that may start in the next three of four hours.

Sigh, welcome to 2008.

Scott

[bschlafer]

Really nice the way they drop the weather alert graphics whenever they go to commerical.  That makes it all better.   :bang:

Oh well.  At least CSI is in HD on 58.1.


*Bill

[zoothorn]

Ugh this drives me nuts. Is there nothing to be done? Worth trying to fill their mailbox with complaints?? :bang:

It would be different if there were even one flake in the air maybe.

[mindmess]

I have never gotten a reply in the past when I have complained. They are after all saving thousands of lives from a killer snowflake.


:bang:

[EmuZombie]

At least we still got the 16x9 picture on wtmj....  it wasn't too bad.  Oh wait... yes it was.

[WITI6fan]

At least we still got the 16x9 picture on wtmj....  it wasn't too bad.  Oh wait... yes it was.

In general, WTMJ's closing ticker is the worst of them all, IMO.

[klwillis45]

At least 30 Rock & the Office were reruns.

But you still suck WTMJ.

[REVM1M]

that was funny this morning at about 10:00 am WTMJ was still showing all the school closings. You think by 10:00 am we would know that schools are closed! Again, WTMJ 4 BIG LOSERRRRRRRRRRR:bang::bang:

[RonH]

It hasn't snowed much in 6 hours and they are still running those closing tickers.

[Stanley Kritzik]

Yes, I know -- I'm "spitting" into the wind, but the endless, inane, repeated coverage of a medium-large storm by all the local channels is way, way over the top.  This is, after all, Wisconsin, and we get winter every year.

I must have seen video of the stalled bus on Astor and Keefe ten, maybe twenty times.  The bus was stalled -- no injuries, no blockage, nothing.

And, the "photo ops", with the "reporters" standing in the snow -- ski parkas on, of course -- are so insanely stupid, it's just nutsy.

Walter Cronkheidt could describe major, major events by simply reading his script from behind his desk.  The locals have to give us on-location video of a snowed-in car.

I realize I'm truly wating my time -- maybe yours -- but the Nanny State has truly arrived when it comes to local news and weather video-casting.

Stan

[basshive]

I have never in my life been so happy to switch to Chicago locals. I check tmj4 once in a while to see whats going on locally and like others have said its the same insane stuff over and over and over. "Look! A car spinning its wheels!" "Jim, its really coming down here"

:bang:

[SRW1000]

I have never in my life been so happy to switch to Chicago locals. I check tmj4 once in a while to see whats going on locally and like others have said its the same insane stuff over and over and over. "Look! A car spinning its wheels!" "Jim, its really coming down here"

:bang:

Chicago suffered similarly in this storm.  How did their TV coverage compare?

Scott

[REVM1M]

Watch out , here comes 2" to 5" of snow again tonight, TMJ4 sending all their reports out there .wall to wall coverage.

Thank god, I am watching HBO & Starz tonight.

[Jack 1000]

I have never in my life been so happy to switch to Chicago locals. I check tmj4 once in a while to see whats going on locally and like others have said its the same insane stuff over and over and over. "Look! A car spinning its wheels!" "Jim, its really coming down here"

:bang:

I hate local news and weather.  The reporters are either:

1.) Making a big deal out of nothing.

2.) Talking about simple-minded trivial crap

3.) Overly happy

4.) All of the above.

Number 1 is classic of local news and weather:

"Here we take you now to little Joey who's 2nd grade class at (his school's name) was closed today because of the storm"

Local Milwaukee Reporter: "So Joey, how do you feel about your school being closed today? Are you looking forward to going outside and playing in the snow?"

(Joey sits there with his mouth open, looking stupid!) Finally he says something brilliant, "I don't know."

Than Joey's Mother talks for him: "We'll bundle him up if he wants to go outside in the snow to play later."

Local Reporter With Fake Grin: "Oh that's a pretty picture!"

Joey: "I make"

Joey's Mom: "He stays in and draws pictures when school is closed."

Reporter (looks at Joey's picture) "Is that your Mommy and Daddy with a little snowman there?"

Joey: "Yea! We Play. It's fun!"

Reporters' brilliant closing comments: "So Joey and his family will stay inside and draw pictures during this storm.  And tonight we have another 2 inches of snow on the way.

(Back in the studio) with another classic comment: "That really was a cute picture that little Joey drew with his family and the snowman there. (insert dumb laugh, rest of anchor desk staff laughs), "More news and Weather, after this!"

:D:D:D:D

Jack