Weather Channel Politics....

[Ksyrup]

This is what goes through your mind while cooped up for 36 hours watching the rain and wind and your 69th straight hour of Weather Channel coverage of a hurricane.

I was imagining what the politics of getting assignments for coverage of hurricanes is like on The Weather Channel. For instance, we know that Jim Cantore calls his own shots - he gets first pick of where he wants to be stationed. He's becoming the weather version of Geraldo - looking like he feels a little too self-important, not minding if he died during coverage because it would only serve to elevate his stature as Weather Channel God. His reports are getting a bit too dramatic, and the close-up shots of his bald head with sunglasses on top...well, frankly, they aren't too flattering on his nose. I thought I was looking through the peephole on my front door, his face looked so distorted. Enough with the close-ups.

But the rest of these guys...what's the protocol? Last year, Stephanie Abrams was the up-and-coming star - merely a year out from doing time at the local Tallahassee ABC station, she's out there having her 69 lb. body thrown all over the place. This year, she's behind the desk. Hmmmmm. Was she scared shitless last year, and vowed never to do that again? Or did the more established field reporters stage a revolt, refusing to cover the storms unless she was put in her rightful place and did her time before seeing the spotlight? Did Jeff Morrow threaten to quit, or did they think he was more photogenic sopping wet with a coat and hood covering his features?

I also notice that the Goddess Heather Tesch and her geriatric partner Marshall Seese came in on Sunday afternoon to cover the landfall. Hmmmmm. Was this just the result of everyone having to work overtime, or did they pull a power play and refuse to come in unless they got to cover the landfall? After all, they're the weekday morning crew. You don't see Charlie Gibson or Katie Couric working Sunday afternoons.

And if you're Warren Madden, pulling down the midnight shift on Friday night, are you looking for a new job, or vowing to hit the vending machines a little less this year?

These are the things that run through your mind at 5pm on a Sunday afternoon filled with rain and wind and The Weather Channel....

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

And if you're Warren Madden, pulling down the midnight shift on Friday night, are you looking for a new job, or vowing to hit the vending machines a little less this year?

Warren Madden... never saw his appeal, really... he was bland when he was here in Dayton, OH a few years ago and still is on TWC. All I know is he disappeared, and then 3 months later, there he is on The Weather Channel at 11 PM.

How do you get a job at The Weather Channel? Do they have talent scouts poring over local news broadcasts? Advertising in Meterologists Monthly? Aggressive recruiting involving chaffeurs, hookers, and blow?

[Ajaxab]

I only saw a bit of the coverage this weekend, but did notice that Stephanie Abrams appeared to think that she was actually outside while on camera. Her gestures were so exaggerated it seemed as though she was stuggling to express herself in the midst of a torrential downpour and gale force wind. I half expected her to stagger off the set under the power of Dennis.

[Ksyrup]

Maybe she was having flashbacks. I do recall her making a comment about being the "mother hen" while in the studio and worrying about everyone in the field. I'm thinking she didn't enjoy the "thrill of the chase" too much last year and that she asked not to do a second tour of duty.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I also notice that the Goddess Heather Tesch and her geriatric partner Marshall Seese came in on Sunday afternoon to cover the landfall. Hmmmmm. Was this just the result of everyone having to work overtime, or did they pull a power play and refuse to come in unless they got to cover the landfall? After all, they're the weekday morning crew. You don't see Charlie Gibson or Katie Couric working Sunday afternoons.

No, but CNN had there main weekday people in on Sunday to cover it, and they were on the desk some ten hours. This kind of thing is as big as it gets for TWC, so they put there best people on at the prime times for people watching. The same is true for CNN to some extent since they are losing ratings fast and need to do all they can on these big stories to draw people back.

[LloydLungs]

Originally Posted by Ajaxab

I only saw a bit of the coverage this weekend, but did notice that Stephanie Abrams appeared to think that she was actually outside while on camera. Her gestures were so exaggerated it seemed as though she was stuggling to express herself in the midst of a torrential downpour and gale force wind. I half expected her to stagger off the set under the power of Dennis.

You people lay off Stephanie! She will be mine someday! She will!

Anyway, Ksyrup, you're not the only one contemplating this stuff. You can pretty much see Cantore's ego swelling more and more with each hurricane. Plus, he always looks like he wants to punch somebody -- this is clearly his "intense, in the midst of a huge storm" persona. And yeah, I also wonder about the guys that get stationed in the places where the hurricane doesn't hit. Their live reports are uneventful, it's drizzling, nobody cares, etc. I was definitely detecting bitterness from Mike Seidel yesterday.

[heybrad]

Do we really even need anybody standing in the middle of a hurricane to tell us that there is a hurricane? Anderson Cooper looked like a giddy schoolgirl while he was yelling, "LOOK AT THE PIECE OF METAL FLYING DOWN THE STREET!!!"

Its just stupid.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Last year, Stephanie Abrams was the up-and-coming star - merely a year out from doing time at the local Tallahassee ABC station, she's out there having her 69 lb. body thrown all over the place. This year, she's behind the desk. Hmmmmm. Was she scared shitless last year, and vowed never to do that again? Or did the more established field reporters stage a revolt, refusing to cover the storms unless she was put in her rightful place and did her time before seeing the spotlight? Did Jeff Morrow threaten to quit, or did they think he was more photogenic sopping wet with a coat and hood covering his features?

Maybe she is knocked up. If you haven't noticed, those Weather Channel women are knocked up very often.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by LloydLungs

You people lay off Stephanie! She will be mine someday! She will!

You should have been a student at FSU a few years back. Apparently she taught a few classes and was more than willing to trade flirting remarks with the guys in class. I assume after class, because the chicks would have obviously complained...

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

You should have been a student at FSU a few years back. Apparently she taught a few classes and was more than willing to trade flirting remarks with the guys in class. I assume after class, because the chicks would have obviously complained...

This goes back to all the women on that channel always getting pregnant. Cause and effect.....

[Craptacular]

BTW, Warren Madden is an Air Force Reservist who flies on the hurricane hunter aircrafts (along with Nicole Mitchell).

As for Ms. Abrams, I do remember seeing her literally thrown out of the camera's view at one point last year.