Re: The Weather Channel
hallrk
Contributor - Level 2

I watched Accuweather for a while to see if they had anything was localized for me. I didn't see it. I live in Northern Virginia. They have DC weather along with countless other cities that scroll through but nothing that pops up at incremental times like the 8's that the Weather Channel had. Also this Widget only works sporadically for me. Lately most of the time the Radar will not pop up when I click on it. IMO its fairly useles and very undependable. Many times the forecast is just flat wrong. Verizon has really dropped the ball with this change from TWC to Accuweather. 

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Re: Weather Channel
needmyweather
Enthusiast - Level 2

My family lives in Columbia,SC and Copperas Cove, TX.  The weather was very bad this year and no info was available on Accuweather.

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Re: The Weather Channel
needmyweather
Enthusiast - Level 2

I agree!!!

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Re: Weather Channel
needmyweather
Enthusiast - Level 2

My son and his family live in Columbia, SC.  The flooding there was terrible and we didn't know what was going on in their neighborhood. 

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Re: Weather Channel
rockvilleraven

We used to have a digital subchannel of WUSA 9 in Washington, DC which had a feed of WeatherNation with local cut ins every 10 minutes by the WUSA 9 Weather team, that was so good, I forgot about the Weather Channel back when we had Access 3 Media as our bulk condo cable provider, I wish that Verizon would continue  that arrangement instead of Accuweather, but we can't have everyting.

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Re: Weather Channel
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

That was not a Verizon arrangement. It was channel 9 that had it as a sub-carrier. They chose to replace it with Justice channel.

I leave near Baltimore. Channel 45 still has WeatherNation as a sub-channel so we get it.

From my understadning, Accuweather made Verizon an offer they couldn't refuse.

Otherwise, we may not have had any national weather channels.

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Re: The Weather Channel
CDR60
Newbie

If Verizon got an unrefusable deal from Accuweather because the cost was so amazingly low then this is a clear case of "you get what you pay for."   My next question then is, "What did Verizon do with the savings?"   I am lucky enough to have a choice three cable providers (not counting satellite options):  Verizon, Comcast, and RCN.   I have had tried all three at the same address.  Cost-wise, Verizon and Comcast are close in price around here, almost "six of one, half-dozen of the other." RCN is the  underdog and arguably cheaper than Verizon and Comcast but not as reliable as the other "Big Two."   Now, if underdog RCN can poney up for The Weather Channel, and Comcast doesn't charge appreciably more and gives both Weather Channel and Weatherscan (I don't see Weatherscan in my local RCN lineup, only Weather Channel,) on a similar tier that Verizon did,  then somebody other than we, as Verizon customers, are making out on this deal.

I suspect that Verizon was planning this deal for some time and had made up their mind long before March of 2015.   I suspect that Accuweather wanted to mimic the Weather Channel and was working on a project to directly compete with them, getting it done in time for a minimal offering and brokered a deal with Verizon to purvey the Accuweather product.   Competetion isn't always a bad thing and this could have given the Weather Channel a real run for their money and worked out much in the favor of Verizon customers if the new Accuweather product offered the same features in a better way or at least equal, especially if they had managed to roll out a competing product aimed at Weatherscan and did better with localized "minutecasts"  but it was hardly an acceptable subtitute for what we had with the Weather Channel.  I paid no real attention to the new Channel 619 for nine months after seeing how lousy it was, but this week noticed that Accuweather has tried to localize the "minutecast" a little bit better but they still seem to favor the Northeast with the main broadcasts and these new "minutecasts, while local, are too many in number.   It was a step in the right direction, even so, and the channel is a bit more watchable now.   Accuweather needs to give a good radar channel like Weatherscan.   The Weatherbug widget is pretty much useless and the radar doesn't move.   It's not possible to determine the path of impending storms.

Maybe Accuweather will improve as time goes on -- it looks like the Weather Channel will never come back.   If Accuweather comes up with a really good, comparible sets of products and the loose the widget, okay.

I am upset with Verizon, none the less.  We get less off a product with no break on the price and Verizon gets to save some money.   I might not have been upset if the loss of the Weather Channel meant a reduction on my bill.   I also find the "people get weather from other places" a bit insulting and presumptious.  If such were true,and perhaps it is, they wouldn't have bothered with replacing the Weather Channel with anything, and they could cut back on news and sports channels since many I know get their news and watch the game highlights or get scores and on their smart phones.   I, for one, do not have a smart phone so I am "not one of them" whoever "them" is.  I get the "crumbs" they decided to throw at me with Accuweaher.   I guess, in that sense, I am not part of the Verizon Community so I will think long and hard when the Verizon contract comes up for renewal.   I do have a NOAA NWS weather radio which is another alternative.

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Re: The Weather Channel
CRobGauth
Community Leader
Community Leader

So I happen to be travelling and the hotel had TWC.

lineup for tonight -

8pm - Weather Gone VIral

9pm - Natural Born Monsters - Brazilian Monster Spider

10pm - Natural Born Monsters - The Legendary Megalania

At least the first program is weather related.

We didn't get a cost reduction when TWC went away, but we also haven't gotten any price increases when other content has increased.

Made me realize why I didn't watch TWC much anyway.

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Re: The Weather Channel
silverado4x4
Contributor - Level 2

Well from what I have read the TWC is in big financial trouble and heading down and they started showing these shows to bring in money to stay a float. You know its bad at TWC when there are 2 people that use to be on TWC that are now on Weathernation.

As I said before TWC got way to big for there pants and are now paying for it. TWC doesnt show as near as much weather anymore its all about programs because they bring in money. I think Verizon did the smart thing by dumping them and TWC is not going to be around long UNLESS they get there act together.

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Re: The Weather Channel
NJgurl
Enthusiast - Level 1

As of the New Year I will be cancelling my Verizon contract with FIOS and going back to Optimum. They will pay for my cancellation fees and I will have my WEATHER CHANNEL back!! I always looked to Verizon for the best and they gave me a below grade weather station. SHAME ON YOU VERIZON for giving your customers less that the best!!

Good bye!!

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