The Weather Network
| File:The Weather Network.jpg | |
| Type | Cable network / Satellite (Weather/meteorology) |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Availability | National |
| Owner | Pelmorex Inc. / Landmark Communications |
Key people | Pierre Morrissette- President and CEO of Pelmorex/TWN |
Launch date | 1 September 1988 (as WeatherNow) 1 May 1989 (as current) |
Official website | http://www.theweathernetwork.com / http://www.weather.ca |
The Weather Network, previously known as WeatherNow from 1988 to 1989, is a Canadian cable television specialty channel and web site which provides weather information 24 hours a day.
The channel is similar to the American Weather Channel, but is owned and operated by a Canadian company, Pelmorex. In turn, Pelmorex is also partly owned by the same company, Landmark Communications, who owns and operates The Weather Channel.
Pelmorex employs its own in-house meteorologists to make forecasts and graphical weather products. Pelmorex meteorologists use an in-house technology called Pelmorex Forecast Engine or PFE. Pelmorex also uses a system that can localize weather forecasts for up to 1,200 centres across Canada. This technology, called PMX, is similar to the WeatherStar systems that The Weather Channel uses.
Based in Oakville, Ontario, The Weather Network also operates a French language channel called MétéoMédia. The station also has a separate feed for the Greater Toronto Area, much like MétéoMédia's separate feed for Metropolitan Montreal, Quebec.
Pelmorex has undertaken a project that would create a national warning system called All Channel Alert, similar to the Emergency Alert System in the United States. This system is still waiting for CRTC approval.
In 2006 Bell ExpressVu and The Weather Network started an iTV interactive version of The Weather Network. Enabling viewers to set their city and view specific forecasts everytime.
History
The network's original name, when it launched on September 1, 1988, was WeatherNow. It gained its present name on May 1, 1989.
Saturday, May 2, 1998 - The Weather Network started broadcasting nationally from its Mississauga studio (1 Robert Speck Parkway, Mississauga, Ontario) after relocating from Montreal.
Monday, March 25, 2002 - The Weather Network debuted "Metacast Ultra", a new state-of-the-art weather presentation system which consisted of weather maps featuring more than 1200 local communities, commuter routes and regional highways, animated weather icons, as well as higher resolution weather graphics.[1]
Monday, March 29, 2004 - The Weather Network debuted a new 14-day trend outlook as part of the local cable weather package that could be seen every 10 minutes on the 10’s. It provided a two-week look at how the weather would trend compared to normal temperature values and weather conditions for that particular time of year.[2]
Monday, March 27, 2006 - The Weather Network launched an Hourly Forecast, available during the Local Forecast every ten minutes on the tens and online at theweathernetwork.com. The report gave Canadians the expected temperature and sky conditions for the upcoming twelve hours on air and an extended 24 hours online.[3]
Hourly Programming Schedule (All Times Eastern)
The Weather Network follows a schedule which repeats itself each hour, based on the current season.
| Mins. Past Each Hour |
Morning (5:00 - 11:00 am) |
Afternoon (11:00 am - 6:00 pm) |
Evening (6:00 pm - 5:00 am) |
Weekend |
| :00 | Local Forecast | |||
| :02 | National/Regional Forecast | National/Regional Forecast | Regional/Active Weather | National/Regional Forecast |
| :06 | Long Range Forecast | |||
| :10 | Local Forecast | |||
| :12 | Weather News | |||
| :17 | Active Weather | Active Weather | Active Weather | Travellers Forecast/Active Weather |
| :20 | Local Forecast | |||
| :22 | Travellers Forecast | Long Range Forecast | Weather In-Depth | Long Range Forecast |
| :25 | School Day Forecast | Weather Feature | Weather Feature | Get Weather Wise / Climate Change |
| :28 | Cold & Flu Report | Cold & Flu Report | ||
| :30 | Local Forecast | |||
| :32 | National/Regional Forecast | National/Regional Forecast | Regional/Active Weather | National/Regional Forecast |
| :36 | Long Range Forecast | |||
| :40 | Local Forecast | |||
| :42 | Weather News | |||
| :47 | Active Weather | Active Weather | Active Weather | Travellers Forecast/Active Weather |
| :50 | Local Forecast | |||
| :52 | Travellers Forecast | Travellers Forecast | Weather In-Depth | Travellers/International Forecast |
| :56 | Long Range Forecast | Travellers Forecast (:57) | Get Weather Wise/Climate Change | Weather Feature (:57) |
Local Forecast
A notable feature of The Weather Network is its useful Local Forecast. On satellite providers, it is simply a two minute runthrough of local weather conditions in various major centres across Canada. It gives viewers the current temperature, wind speed and weather conditions, as well as that same information for the rest of the day and the two days subsequent to that. On cable providers, a comprehensive report for the nearest weather station to the cable head-end is given, from current conditions all the way to two-week forecasts. The Local Forecast occurs "every 10 minutes on the tens".
Weather Segments
ALL YEAR
- Local Forecast: "Every Ten Minutes on the Tens"
- National & Long Range Forecast
- Active Weather
- Weather News
- Travellers Forecast
- International Forecast (Weekday Afternoons and Weekends)
- Weather In-Depth (Weeknights)
- School Day Forecast (Weekday Mornings)
SPRING/SUMMER
- Pollen Forecast
- Lawn & Garden Forecast
- UV Report
FALL/WINTER
- Highway Conditions
- Ski/Snowboard Conditions
- Flu Report
Special Weather Features
- Weather Wise
- Climate Change
- Weather & Your Home
- Under the Weather
- Pets and Weather
- Facts of Fishing (Summer)
- Golf Tips (Summer)
- Lawn & Garden (Summer)
- Vacation Bound (Winter)
- Ski Safety Tips (Winter)
Criticism
The network has gained some criticism for its excessive use of advertising through commercials and forecasts that are brought to you by various companies. There is less time for detailed forecasts and more time spent on advertising. The same problem also occurs in the U.S. based Weather Channel. In the past, there was little to no advertising.
Current On-Air Personalities (Last Updated: October 10, 2006)
Weekdays
| Timeslot (All Times Eastern) |
Hosts | CMOS Certified? |
On TWN Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 - 9:00 am | Ross Hull | No | 2005 - Present |
| Carrie Olver | No | 2004 - Present | |
| 5:30 - 9:00 am (GTA) | Karen Johnson | Yes | 2002? - Present |
| Tom Reynolds, Traffic Specialist | No | 1995? - Present | |
| 9:00 am - 2:00 pm | Kim MacDonald | Yes | 1998 - Present |
| Chris Murphy | Yes | 1999 - Present | |
| 2:00 - 6:00 pm | Suzanne Leonard Feliz | Yes | 1999 - Present |
| 6:00 - 11:00 pm | Sheryl Plouffe | Yes | 2000 - Present |
| Chris Scott, On-Air Meteorologist | Yes | 1998 - Present | |
| 11:00 pm - 5:00 am | Anne Marie Sweeney | No | 1999 - Present |
Weekends
| Timeslot (All Times Eastern) |
Hosts | CMOS Certified? |
On TWN Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am - 3:00 pm | Chris St. Clair | No | 1996 - Present |
| 3:00 - 7:00 pm | Kevin Yarde (Saturday) | No | 2001 - Present |
| Michelle Leslie (Sunday) | Yes | 2004 - Present | |
| 7:00 - 11:00 pm | Candice Batista | No | 2004 - Present |
| 11:00 pm - 6:00 am |
Bureau Correspondents
- Kelly Noseworthy (2006—present) (Toronto Bureau Correspondent)
- Oga Nwobosi (1998—present) (Western Bureau Correspondent)
- Shelley Steeves (2000—present) (Maritimes Bureau Correspondent)
On-Call Presenters
- Anne Gaviola (2006 — present)
- Rosalie Ferguson (2006 — present)
- Chris Mei (2006 — present)
- Michelle Jobin (2006 — present)
On-Camera Meteorologists and CMOS Endorsed Presenters
Chris Scott is The Weather Network's on-camera Meteorologist. He and six other TWN presenters are members of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS). TWN has more CMOS based presenters than any other Canadian weather media sources.
Former On-Air Personalities (In Alphabetical Order)
- Zuraidah Alman - Now Citytv Toronto/CP24 News Anchor/Reporter
- Debra Arbec - Now CTV Montreal News Anchor
- Gary Archibald - Now A-Channel Barrie York Region Transit Reporter
- Nadine Blayney ( ? - December 2, 2005)
- Jane Brown - Now with Newstalk CFRB 1010 News Anchor on Ted Woloshyn Morning Show.
- Rene Brunet - Former On-Camera Meterorologist until 1998. Now an Environment Canada meteorologist.
- Frank Cavallero - currentely at CFCF (CTV Montreal)
- Rina Chandarana - Now A-Channel London News Weather Anchor/Reporter
- Sherrie Claridge
- William Coulter - Now Global Ontario Weather Anchor
- Helena DeVries ( ? - June 29, 2006) Now with Shaw Community TV in Calgary
- Camilla Di Giuseppe - Now CTV Winnipeg News Reporter
- Al Dubois - Former gameshow host, and narrator on History Television shows - Now Global Quebec This Morning Live Weather/Sports Anchor
- Lila Feng - Now CNN Asia Weather Anchor
- Linda Freeman - Former Good Morning Toronto Host
- Liza Fromer - Former Good Morning Toronto Host
- Martine Gaillard - Former Good Morning Toronto Host - Now Rogers Sportsnet Sports Anchor
- Anton Granic
- Rob Haswell - Now WITI TV FOX Milwaukee On-Air Meteorologist (formally with WOKR?)
- Carolyn Jarvis - Now Global Edmonton News Anchor/Reporter
- Colette Kennedy - Former On-Air Meteorologist
- Anwar Knight - Former Global Ontario weather anchor. Now Daytime Co-Host on Rogers Television Mississauga
- Les Krifaton - Former Western Bureau Correspondent and Sea to Sea Host - Now KVVU-TV Las Vegas News Reporter
- Jordanna Lake - Now Producer for CBC Weather Centre
- Michael Kuss - Now Citytv Toronto On-Air Meteorologist
- Marcia MacMillan - Now CTV Newsnet Anchor
- Jackie Meretsky ( ? - September 18, 2005) - Now NBC Weather Plus Meteorologist
- Rory O'Shea - Now voice-over actor
- Leianne Pereira - Former Toronto Bureau Correspondent
- Irene Preklet - Now A-Channel Barrie Morning News Anchor
- Natasha Ramsahai - Former On-Air Meteorologist - Now CBC Newsworld On-Air Meteorologist
- Randy Renaud - Now CHOM-FM Montreal Saturday Evening Announcer and That CHOM 80's Show Host and occasionnally seen at CFCF (CTV Montreal)
- Waub Rice - Former Toronto Bureau Correspondent
- Gary Ryan - Now Voice-Over Artist
- Michelle Schurman - Former Maritimes Bureau Correspondent, EarthWatch and Across Canada Host - Now News Reporter with Global Galgary.
- Cindy Sherwin
- Scott Simms - Now Member of Canadian Parliament.
- Sonya Singh - Now Global Ontario Weather Anchor - Former NewRO Weather Specialist
- Jill Taylor - Now CFTR AM 680 Toronto On-Air Meteorologist
- Kim Taylor
- Gwen Tolbart
- Robin Ward - Former Good Morning Toronto On-Location Reporter
- Elaine Yim
Former Programs (In Alphabetical Order)
- Across Canada
- EarthWatch (East)
- EarthWatch (West)
- Good Morning Toronto
- May 26, 2000 - Show expanded its coverage area to include Georgetown, Acton, Ancaster, Dundas, Milton and Erin
- January 2, 2001 - Debuted with a fresh, new look that included a state-of-the-art cyberset
- 2001:
- Sheryl Plouffe (Anchor),
- Tom Reynolds (Commuter Reporter),
- Rob Haswell (Weather Presenter),
- Robin Ward (On-Location Reporter)
- Morning Report
- Sea to Sea
- This Weekend
- First show debuted on Saturday, March 24, 2001
- Weekend Report
See also
- The Weather Channel, the American equivalent of The Weather Network.