WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE® brought to you by The Weather Channel [View all]

[Renew Deal]

I live in NY and am affected by this storm, but this post is a long time coming. The Weather Channel is no longer a meteorological reporting channel with elements of entertainment. Now they are an Entertainment and Fear network with elements of meteorology. The coverage of this storm and others has been all about drama and fear. The first bad sign was the naming of storms.

Naming a winter storm? Meteorologists are appalled by Nemo

BOSTON -- Meteorologists might not be sure whether the storm heading into the East Coast will drop 12 inches or 24, but they are sure about one thing – this storm is definitely, absolutely, not called Nemo.

But that’s what the Weather Channel has decided to call it, part of a policy announced in the fall in which the TV station will give names to winter storms so that people can more easily follow them.

It’s angered a few meteorologists, and has spurred a Facebook page, "STOP the Weather Channel from naming winter storms."
<snip>

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nemo-winter-storm-20130208,0,401412.story

But is it any surprise considering that the Weather Channel is now owned by Comcast and Bain?

The weather is no longer something to be aware of. It is now something designed to entertain and terrify (not in any particular order).

Don't believe me? Look at weather.com over the last couple days. Besides the scientifically unsupported naming of winter storms, there's the blaring headlines:

"Live Threatening Storm Closes in?
"Blizzard Imminent!"
"Watch: 19-Car Pileup"

I understand the storm is "a big deal." NutmegYankee makes an important point.
I see the weather outside and it is significant. I get it. We're going to get a lot of snow and wind and ice in some places. But we have gone past information and awareness to alarmism and hype.

In America, nothing is safe from corporate exploitation including the weather. We're one step closer to Idiocracy.