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Long live The Weather Channel! (But Sci-Fi Channel's nosediving, baby!) (1 Viewer)

todd s

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The following was a quote from Bonnie Hammer who is in charge of Scifi channel...
"THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER observes that the Sci Fi Channel has taken moves of late to preserve the substantial audience growth stemming in part from the success of TAKEN last month.
Bonnie Hammer, president of the Sci Fi Channel, says, "We want to become more human, more accessible, more fun and just a bit broader, but not as broad as a general entertainment network."
This is a smart as her comment that if all of the people who wrote to save Farscape actually watched the show. They wouldn't have cancelled it. Uh! hello? I don't think anyone who would write and send things to you didn't watch.
Maybe, just maybe, the Neilsons are not getting all of the right information.
Hey Bonnie! If you want to change something. Fix that station bug in the corner. It used to be more translucent. Now, it is a solid white. :angry:
 

Jason Seaver

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Bonnie Hammer's a twerp. It's just that simple.

Of course, this just makes Sci-Fi like all sorts of other channels that started out filling a niche and have lost their identity trying to break out of that niche - TNN being the most obvious example, but MTV and VH-1 show less music, Comedy Central has Battlebots, ESPN having original movies.
 

MickeS

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Yeah, it's pretty funny with all the niche stations, eventually they all end up showing "Seinfeld" reruns and wrestling...

I'm guessing in Sci-Fi channels case it'll be "Third rock from the sun" reruns.
 

todd s

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I can't stand watching TNN. With that horrible black bar and large station bug. But, that is a whole other issue.
 

Adam Lenhardt

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I love it... they achieve success with a serious niche science fiction character study. So how do they interprete it? People must want non-scifi programming:rolleyes
 

Chris

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Comedy Central has Battlebots, ESPN having original movies.
Comedy Central doesn't have battle bots.. following an age-old tradition at CC, they have axed battle bots, and will not show any repeats. It was cancelled months ago.
 

Bryan Tuck

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I'm guessing in Sci-Fi channels case it'll be "Third rock from the sun" reruns.
At least that would fall somewhat within the "sci-fi/fantasy/horror" genre, unlike Braveheart, which they showed last month. Great movie, but it doesn't belong on the Sci-Fi channel.
Also, they'll have Apollo 13 on soon. They've showed some programs dealing with actual science before, so I guess this isn't that much of a stretch. But I find it amusing when I see films like Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff considered science fiction. We have actually been to the moon, you know.
On the plus side, though, they're showing Babylon 5 on weekdays again, in widescreen, no less. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

Brian Kidd

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Yeah, it's a shame. I had such high hopes for the channel when it came on, but it's a pale shadow of itself now. I never watch it anymore. :frowning:
 

DwightK

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What I wish is that there was some way we (I) could contact any given network for feedback. How can an industry make sweeping decisions like Bonnie does based solely on a few reality TV watchin' Nielsen families? what about the rest of us? Bah

Update to my post:

These are phone numbers where you can reach Scifi. The lady I talked to using the first number was quite friendly, sympathetic, in agreement, and was quite upset herself at the new logo. She said she has fielded many calls on the same subject and has forwarded them all up the chain.

One can only hope.

Viewer comment line: 212-413-5000
Programming line: 212-413-5821
Comments line: 212-413-5577
 

DeathStar1

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I can't stand watching TNN. >>
Agreed. It's only usefullness is the TNG marathons when there is ABSOLUTLEY nothing else on, and you don't have DVD Access. Besides, I thought they where trying to get away from the redneck mentality. So, why bother airing the Truck shows, the Hunting Shows.....etc.
As far as the Bug goes. There's got to be something we can do to get rid of the bugs. Either that, or convince them that if the bugs or so important, AIR THEM DURING THE COMMERCIALS as well. Heh, I like the fact that every now and then the Weather Channel will forget to remove it's information bar during the commercials as well :).
 

JeremySt

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Bonnie Hammer was largely responible for the demise of Mystery Science Theater 3000. When she took over back around 1998, one of her first acts of business was to axe all shows that did not have a growing audience. Just 1 year earlier, Sci Fi had received praise from critics and fans for saving MST3K from extinction. Saving MST3K was one of the things that put Sci Fi on the map. She will always be pure evil to me.
 

Malcolm R

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Of course, this just makes Sci-Fi like all sorts of other channels that started out filling a niche and have lost their identity trying to break out of that niche - TNN being the most obvious example, but MTV and VH-1 show less music, Comedy Central has Battlebots, ESPN having original movies.
And The Weather Channel. I'm sick and tired of flipping it on to try and get a weather update and finding some crap show like "Atmospheres" or "Storm Stories." Leave that sh*t to The Travel Channel or Discovery. :angry:
 

ThomasC

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And The Weather Channel. I'm sick and tired of flipping it on to try and get a weather update and finding some crap show like "Atmospheres" or "Storm Stories." Leave that sh*t to The Travel Channel or Discovery.
You get local weather reports every 10 minutes, what more do you want? 10 minutes is constant enough; any more frequent, and TWC couldn't air much more than local weather reports and commercials. "Thank you for watching The Weather Channel. Let's have a look at the national radar...your local on the 8s is next." Plus, it's not like you don't have internet access; you can check weather reports from all over the world in minutes, or even seconds. It's not like "Atmospheres" and "Storm Stories" aren't related to weather; they're directly related. It's The Weather Channel, not the Weather Reports Channel.
 

Malcolm R

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Again, weather reports are what they used to be about. It's not a change for the better.
 

ThomasC

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Again, weather reports are what they used to be about. It's not a change for the better.
"Storm Stories" and the like ONLY air during prime-time and the very early morning, the rest of the time, national weather forecasts take up the time that commercials and local weather reports don't use. Yes, TWC could be heading for the worse, but I don't see it yet. You still get 6 detailed (as detailed as they need to be, anyways) local weather forecasts/reports an hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365/366 days of the year. No other TV/radio station comes close to that, as far as I know. As long as they keep doing that and do the national weather reports (Weekly Planner, etc.) for a good portion of the day's time, I'm happy.
 

DeathStar1

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>As long as they keep doing that and do the national weather reports (Weekly Planner, etc.) for a good portion of the day's time, I'm happy. >

Yeah, true. But when there is a severe Thunderstorm going on around you, and lightning at every angle, you don't want to see Storm stories, but an up to date radar.

Thank goodness we have Metro Traffic and Weather..
 

ThomasC

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Yeah, true. But when there is a severe Thunderstorm going on around you, and lightning at every angle, you don't want to see Storm stories, but an up to date radar.
They do have weather alerts at the bottom of the screen if there is a watch or warning issued locally. They may even interrupt "Storm Stories" if a tornado watch/warning has been issued; I've never seen that happen, but "Storm Stories" is re-run three times each night, so it's not like the viewer can't watch it again, unless it's the second to last or last broadcast. Nevertheless, TWC is mainly a national channel without local affiliates, and can't tend to everything local; that's what your local broadcast affiliates are for, and I'm sure all of them do at least an adequate job of covering a severe weather event when it's in your area.
 

Adam Lenhardt

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You get local weather reports every 10 minutes, what more do you want? 10 minutes is constant enough; any more frequent, and TWC couldn't air much more than local weather reports and commercials.
Would that be a bad thing, really? I mean, when I turn the weather channel on, I don't give a shit if it's snowing on the other side of the country. I want to know whether it's going to be raining tommarrow here. If I happen to be going to Texas or California or Yugoslavia, I can hit the internet and research the weather there.
 

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