Directv dumps the Weather Channel

I know,big deal,but to me it is.
I used to be a huge weather geek and spent many a late night watching The Weather Channel and early morning for my job to know weather conditions for my clients.
I enjoyed learning more (It should never stop,folks) about weather,found it interesting and like any other channel that employs personalities had my favorites and those that I didn't like as much.

However,it was an affair that quickly went sour.
NBC bought TWC and added it to its family of channels and quickly began to reassemble what had been built for almost thirty years.
Longtime fan favorites began to watch their careers either end at TWC or see their roles reduced by being shuffled to unfamiliar time slots in favor of other less talented weatherpersons,some of which that weren't even AMS certified and in one case,included hiring a dancer from Las Vegas with zero weather experience.
TWC began to shove Stephanie Abrams as their main weather star and despite her obnoxious behavior and less than popular style continued to do so along with increasing the exposure of Al Roker from the parent network at NBC.
I was already losing interest when they did not renew the contract of Nicole Mitchell (see our interview series with Nicole for more),but the final straw was when TWC became less than weather.
Multiple reality shows aired every day and on occasion,weather related films were shown.
Not exactly what you expect from the Weather Channel.
It became a chore to watch and that isn't what television is supposed to be all about.

Directv and TWC began to squabble about their new contract.
Directv and all cable/satellite providers are constantly raising prices and this is over the price each channel charges them.
It's all a shell game,but Directv has drawn a line in the sand,dropped TWC,despite the network's claims of being a public service and appears to be not turning back.
In the past when these contests occur,Directv will take the channel and run ads for you to contact the network in question and talk to them so an agreement can be worked out.
This time,the new network (Weather Nation) was simply dropped in the TWC channel slot without a trace or acknowledgement of the change,
The new channel owned by Directv in Weather Nation has appeared and despite it being bare bones,looks to have some of what built TWC.
I haven't watched much,so I'm not sure of its quality,but I'll give it a chance.

The Weather Channel did this to themselves with their decision making and its sad to see it go,even being a rusted shell of its former glory.
Good for Directv for refusing to pay for past performance.
Here is hoping that it stays the course....

Editors Note: I swapped e-mails with Nicole on this topic and she informs me that "the founder of WeatherNation was a long-time MN Meteorologist who seems very passionate about weather"
I'm looking forward to giving Weather Nation a full chance this week! 

Photo Credit:Nicole Mitchell

Nicole Mitchell Interview-Part 5

I was doing some cleanup around here and discovered that I am A) a nitwit and B) Read A!
I say this because I never posted the final portion of our interview with Nicole Mitchell.
Since I posted the last part,Nicole has been hired by Al-Jazeera America as one of their on-air meteorologists and can be seen there on weekday mornings.

I have deleted a few questions that Nicole answered no comment to in order to compact space.
Thanks again to Nicole for taking the time and apologies from me for not finishing this earlier as I am ,after all, an idiot.

TRS: You were going to law school while at TWC and earned your degree from Georgia State,do you have any interest in practicing law?

NM:  I never planned to practice full-time. Most of the optional classes I took in law school related to social service, as a background for the types of volunteer work I have done. (At the time I was volunteering with CASA-Court Appointed Special Advocates, which advocates for abused and neglected children in the court system.)

TRS: How many hours a week did you have free between the reserves.TWC and law school? Was the time management difficult?

NM:Sometimes it felt like a negative number! Yes, I was very busy, but I like being busy and challenged.

TRS: Would you be willing to go to a local affiliate if that is what it took to re-enter the game?

NM:  I would consider any job that I thought would be a good fit for me.

TRS: What have you been doing since leaving TWC?

NM:  Among other things, I’ve had the time to do a lot more military work and be far more active during hurricane season.

TRS: What do you like to do in your spare time for fun?

NM: Hiking, reading, and spending time with my friends and family.

TRS: TWC has went downhill quickly since the NBC purchase with pushing less than talented (I'm referring to Stephanie Abrams) hosts beyond their abilities and a less than sharp focus on the weather with movies and reality shows. Any thoughts on the NBC decision making?

NM: Many…but I’ll leave it at that!

TRS: What is your stance on the ridiculous naming of winter storms that TWC has begun than the National Weather Service has brushed off?

NM:  I don’t know of any meteorologists who agree with that decision or who see it as more than a gimmick.

TRS:  Finally,if you look back to the beginning of your weather interest, did you ever see yourself getting to the point that you have?

NM: No, I never imagined some of the things I’ve had the opportunity to do. With that said, I believe in staying open to all possibilities, because sometimes life has an ever better plan for you than you might have thought of yourself!

TRS: Any thoughts on the Pat Tillman game (Flag football game to benefit veterans) that you played in? We cover Ohio State here regularly,what was your time with Urban Meyer like?

NM:  My favorite part was meeting and getting to spend time with a lot of other great veterans. And that all those people came out to support us was overwhelming! As for Coach Meyer…he definitely wanted to win.

Thanks again to Nicole for her time and best wishes in her return to TV with Al Jazeera..

Photo Credit:Nicole Mitchell

Nicole Mitchell Interview-Part 4

We continue our interview with former Weather Channel meteorologist Nicole Mitchell.
I've drawn this out longer than I had hoped, so hopefully, the final two parts will be posted quicker than the current ones.
Thanks again to Nicole...

TRS:  One thing as an old watcher was the difference in the ladies dress, During one lawsuit against TWC,it seemed that every lady in the studio was dressing in more conservative clothing, Was this a response to the suit and mandated by the management or was this just the style of the times?

NM: No comment

TRS: At TWC, was there a wardrobe department or were you responsible for buying your own things?

NM: Sometimes there were shoppers to help us and sometimes we bought our own things.

TRS: I could not do this without asking about the release from TWC, I don't expect you to answer considering the impending case, but to catch people up, you are suing TWC for releasing you for your military service and not for job performance, Do you think this was also the reason for being moved from mornings to late nights?

NM: Yes, I believe it was a factor. My press conference is on line, I think it lays out pretty well some of what happened.

TRS: What was the reason given for the breakup of you and Paul (Goodloe)?
Had they already told you that they were not going to renew your contract?

NM: Yes, they had already told me I would be terminated. Moving me off my show with Paul came shortly after I refused to sign away my legal rights.

TRS:  Nicole, this is one that you can write as much or as little as you wish on the basics of your case, etc,
I figure it would work better to have you write what you want to get across than for me to ask a general question

NM: Right now I am in the process of a lawsuit against TWC and NBC. The short version is that I faced repeated harassment surrounding my military service and eventually I was terminated. I believe the inconvenience of my military schedule motivated the decision, and if so, that is unlawful under federal protections for military service.
For specific details of what happened to me at TWC, and explanation of the law, etc., my press conference is available at:

My lawyer lays out my case, then I start at about 19minutes in and talk about what some Reservists go through with civilian employers.

TRS: After you left TWC, Samantha Mohr made a post on her TWC approved Facebook page that you had left to do "films in Hollywood" and you responded on that page with something along the lines of "I barely know Samantha Mohr, haven't been in contact with her and have no idea why she would say that".
Do you remember this and do you think that it could have a TWC issue to downplay your leaving?

NM: I recall someone making a comment like that, I thought it was Heather (Tesch). Regardless, yes, my termination was obviously downplayed. There were untrue rumors allowed to circulate on everything from me being called to active duty to me quitting TWC to practice law.

TRS: How did TWC tell you that you were not having your contract renewed?

NM: I was called in for what I was told was my mid-year review, but instead, I was told I would be terminated. It was just days after returning from 2 weeks of military duty.

Photo Credit: Nicole Mitchell

Nicole Mitchell Interview-Part 3

We continue our chat with former Weather Channel anchor Nicole Mitchell with part three and the beginnings of her career at TWC.
Thanks again to the Major for her time.

TRS: Moving on to your career at the Weather Channel,how did you receive the opportunity to move to what is considered the big leagues of televised weather?Did you contact them or vice versa?

NM: One of their managers spoke to me at a weather conference and got me thinking about it, then I reached out to them a year or two later when I was job hunting.

TRS: My job entails watching lots of TV and I discovered you on the morning show "Your Weather Today" as the travel analyst,did you find that title demeaning or just a title?

NM: I was fine with the title, although it didn’t begin to cover everything I was doing on the show (like my hurricane coverage, etc.)!

TRS: On Your Weather Today,that show was the flagship program for the station,what was it like being an integral part of the most important show for the network?

NM: I was really honored to have the opportunity, and especially to get such a big promotion after only being with TWC for a couple months.

TRS: What were your relationships with co hosts Marshal Seese and Heather Tesch? Did things go well and were you friendly away from the set?

NM: We had a lot of fun, and yes, sometimes socialized outside of work. I actually just had lunch with Marshall a couple months ago.

TRS: As much as I enjoyed your work on YWT, I loved the pairing of you and Paul Goodloe on the overnight shift even more,as our readers know that is when I am at work.
The chemistry that you had together created a fun atmosphere that I thought made the overnight crew and the viewers a type of niche' group that has not been on the network before or since.
What are your thoughts on Paul Goodloe and that program on late night?

NM: Paul and I hit it off right off the bat, and we had a great time working together.

TRS:  One thing that has stood was the night you danced behind the screen as Paul talked.I'm sure that was improv,but what made you do that and Paul's deadpan response is what made it as well.What are your memories on that night?

NM: We tried to keep it fun, especially on Friday nights. We always thought they should have filmed our commercial breaks, because we always kept each other laughing.



TRS: One thing that changed was the change from the newsroom type studio mostly sitting down to the High Definition studio with lots of walking and standing,Which did you prefer and why?

NM: Both had advantages and disadvantages. I think the movement helps with energy, but it means you are away from computers more in times when you need to look up weather updates.

More on Nicole at TWC in upcoming part four....


Photo Credit;Nicole Mitchell

Nicole Mitchell Interview-Part 2

We continue with our interview with Nicole Mitchell with some of her experiences with the Hurricane Hunters.
Tomorrow will begin our series on the Pirates prospects....

TRS: Part of the Hurricane Hunters is about literally flying through Hurricanes,which has an element of danger inherent to it,have you ever felt in danger of crashing and if so,what weather event was involved?

NM: No.

TRS: Anytime a hurricane comes,the first name that comes to mind is Katrina,were you involved with the Hunters or were you on camera with TWC (The Weather Channel)?
If so any memories?

NM:I wrote this article recently, and I write about Katrina pretty extensively.
http://www.mydigitalrendition.com/publication/?i=139668&p=35

TRS: With the Hunters,you actually fly inside storms and deal with anything that occurs over water,what type of data do you measure and how is it used by the NWS and other media?

 NM:Winds, pressures and temperatures are some of the main elements. The data tells you both what the storm is currently doing, but can also go into computer models to improve forecasts.

When we post the next installment of our talk with Nicole,we will discuss some of her career at the Weather Channel...

Nicole Mitchell Interview-Part 1

We start our recent interview with former Weather Channel meteorologist Nicole Mitchell.
Ms.Mitchell was a standout at TWC and is currently involved with the Air Force Reserves as a member of the elite group known as the "Hurricane Hunters".
Major Mitchell is also involved with a suit against TWC that alleges that her contract not being renewed was due to her involvement with the military that currently is still in the courts.
There are a few questions that she was unable to comment on due to the impending case and I have asked her to return in the future when she can talk more freely after the case reaches its conclusion.
Thanks to her to taking the time to talk with us.

Nicole decided to answer our first few questions with a paragraph that answered all four at once.
To have the interview exactly as it was done,I have entered it in that manner.

ThoughtsofRS; Tell me what made you want to get into the field of studying weather,was it an instant love as a child, and if so,when did you know?
TRS: You grew up in the upper Midwest Was the importance of weather there to farmers and the everyday routine a help in making you decide to get into the weather field?
TRS: At what age did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in the weather field and if there was a change in direction,what did you originally want to do?

TRS: When you joined the Air National Guard to help with college at the Minnesota,did you then think your future was in the weather field or television/radio since you majored in speech communications?

Nicole Mitchell: It was actually the military that got me into weather. I scored well on the military entrance test (ASVAB), which qualified me for weather which required higher test scores. Of the jobs the recruiter offered me, weather sounded the most interesting. I loved science and the outdoors, so it seemed like it would be a good fit.
After college, I started at my first TV station as an Assignment Editor and fill-in producer and reporter, and got to be friends with the Chief Meteorologist where I worked. I hadn’t planned to do weather in TV, but he trained me as a fill-in meteorologist, and I enjoyed it.

TRS:  Do you consider yourself a proud alum of the University of Minnesota or was it more or less a place to get your degree?

NM: I’m very proud to be from MN, and I think the state has a great public education system, including the University of MN.

TRS: Being a member of the reserves and the Hurricane Hunters currently,was this a goal of yours to reach this level with the Hunters or was there another part of the military that you were interested in?

NM: I thought it was an incredible job, but I had never really thought about it as I was in the Guard system and lived nowhere near Mississippi. As I moved with my TV jobs and ended up farther South, I was going to have to commute to stay in the military. Once I knew I would have to commute anyway, the Hurricane Hunters because my first choice.

TRS: What would you recommend most about the activities that you do in the Air Force to anyone interested in the field?

NM: My favorite part is being right inside the weather, and knowing that what we do saves lives along the coast.

TRS: You have risen through the ranks to become a Captain (Editors Note: Since this interview was conducted,a promotion to Major has occurred), have you found the military to what you had hoped it to be and would you recommend it to other young women?

NM: The military is definitely still male-dominated, so I would love to see more qualified women! With that said, the military isn’t for everyone, so you have to know what you’re getting into.

Watch for more on the Hurricane Hunters and her career at TWC in future editions of our interview with Nicole Mitchell....

I may be back today with either a signing front or one of our planned features....