Weather Or Not?

Written By Tim Hanlon

Local TV weather forecasting plays a crucial role in keeping communities safe, especially during severe weather events. These forecasts provide timely and accurate information that can help people make critical decisions to protect themselves and their property. Local meteorologists understand the specific weather patterns of their regions, allowing them to offer tailored warnings and advice that national forecasts might miss. This localized knowledge is indispensable when severe weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, or severe thunderstorms, threatens.

Broadcast TV has traditionally been the fastest medium for disseminating this crucial information. The immediacy of live broadcasts ensures that viewers receive real-time updates, which is vital during rapidly changing weather conditions. When seconds count, the swift delivery of warnings and instructions can save lives. For instance, if a tornado is spotted, a local TV station can interrupt programming to alert viewers immediately, giving them precious minutes to seek shelter.

However, the rise of streaming TV platforms has introduced a potential delay in the delivery of weather information. Streaming services often buffer and experience lags, which can result in delays of up to several minutes compared to live broadcast TV. This delay can be dangerous in severe weather situations. A few minutes can mean the difference between safely getting to a shelter and being caught in a life-threatening situation. For viewers relying solely on streaming platforms, this lag can result in missed warnings and a lack of preparation time.  And for on-air meteorologists, a new conundrum on how best to update crucial information across a splintered distribution landscape (SOUND UP!):

WMAQ-TV/NBC5-Chicago's Brant Miller, February 27, 2024

Interestingly, the slow-but-inevitable transition of broadcast television to ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV holds the potential to address the latency issues associated with streaming platforms - promising significant improvements in both video and audio quality, as well as enhanced data capabilities. One of the key advantages of this new standard is its ability to integrate with internet-based services while maintaining the immediacy of traditional broadcast delivery - a hybrid infrastructure that combines the reliability and speed of over-the-air broadcasts with the interactive features of internet streaming. 

This integration means that viewers could conceivably receive real-time weather alerts directly through their NextGen TV broadcasts without the delays typically seen on streaming platforms. In the event of severe weather, NextGen TV could push instant notifications and updates, ensuring that viewers get the information they need without the latency issues that can occur with purely internet-based services.

Even more intriguing is the standard's potential ability to geo-target, which could allow broadcasters to send hyper-localized weather alerts to more specifically defined geographies far more granular and precise than traditional Designated Market Area (DMA) contours.

If there ever was a "killer app" to help catalyze the rollout and commercialization of NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 - let alone one that checks the value boxes for stations, consumers, regulators, and public service officials alike -  this is most definitely it. Even if nothing else were ever to come from the transition to TV's next digital standard, improving the integrity and delivery of actionable weather information would alone be worth the cost/hassle of implementation.

Tim Hanlon

Tim Hanlon is the Founder & CEO of the Chicago-based Vertere Group, LLC – a boutique strategic consulting and advisory firm focused on helping today’s most forward-leaning media companies, brands, entrepreneurs, and investors benefit from rapidly changing technological advances in marketing, media and consumer communications.

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