The Weather Network
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 The Weather Network logo | |
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | National/Regional |
| Headquarters | Oakville, Ontario |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (2011–present) 480i (SDTV) (1988–2023) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Pelmorex |
| Sister channels | MétéoMédia |
| History | |
| Launched | September 1, 1988 |
| Former names | WeatherNow (1988–1989) |
The Weather Network (TWN) is a Canadian English-language weather information specialty channel. It provides weather information across various platforms including television, and digital platforms. As of 2024, The Weather Network is available in Canada. The channel previously operated online-only services in the United States and the United Kingdom, but these have since been discontinued. The Weather Network is part of a family of weather information brands operated by Pelmorex, including MétéoMédia (French-Canadian).
Pelmorex Media, the parent company, is headquartered in a 100,000 square foot media center in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. While expanding globally through various weather brands, Pelmorex maintains its strong position within the Canadian market.
The Weather Network's specialty television network is among the most widely distributed and frequently consulted in Canada. The channel’s online presence is also significant, with theweathernetwork.com being a leading web service and its mobile web property holding a top ranking in the weather category and among the largest mobile websites in Canada.
History
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) licensed what would become The Weather Network on December 1, 1987. The channel began broadcasting on September 1, 1988, initially under the name WeatherNow, six years after the launch of The Weather Channel in the United States. WeatherNow was initially owned by the engineering firm Lavalin Inc. (now SNC-Lavalin) and Landmark Communications.[1] The channel adopted its current name, The Weather Network, on May 1, 1989.
In its early years, The Weather Network (TWN) and its sister channel, MétéoMédia, shared a single television feed via an analogue transponder on an Anik satellite. During this period, computer-generated local forecasts were broadcast on one of the channels, while a live video feed featuring a forecaster or commercials aired on the other. The two services began operating separately in 1994, though both remained based in Montreal. Initially, The Weather Network’s local forecasts utilized systems derived from The Weather Channel's WeatherStar technology.[2] In 1996, TWN transitioned to its proprietary system, PMX, which continues to be used.
Pelmorex acquired The Weather Network from SNC-Lavalin in 1993, two years following the merger of SNC and Lavalin.[1] The channel launched its website, theweathernetwork.com, in 1996.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, The Weather Network utilized distinct programming blocks, each targeting specific regions or themes. Notable examples included "EarthWatch," which evolved from a news segment on environmental and weather issues into a full nighttime block, with its news component eventually becoming the "WeatherWatch" segment. Other programming blocks included: "Morning Report" (focused on Eastern Canada), "Sea to Sea" (focused on Western Canada), "Across Canada" (a daytime block spun off from "EarthWatch"), and the "Weekend Report" (later "This Weekend"). The channel also briefly aired "Good Morning Toronto," a morning program tailored to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These programming blocks were discontinued in 2002, although "This Weekend" continued for some time afterward.
On May 2, 1998, The Weather Network relocated its national broadcasting operations from Montreal, Quebec, to a new studio facility in Mississauga, Ontario. This move resulted in changes to on-air personnel, with some presenters leaving and new ones joining the network.
Beginning in late 2000, the channel introduced gradual programming enhancements, including seven-day and short-term precipitation forecasts within local forecasts, and new weather icons. In 2002, the "Metacast Ultra" system was introduced, featuring higher-resolution graphics and weather maps for over 1,200 communities, as well as animated icons.[3] On March 29, 2004, a 14-day trend outlook was added to local cable packages, providing a forecast of how weather conditions would differ from normal averages.[4]
In June 2004, the network took legal action against Star Choice (now Shaw Direct) over the unauthorized relocation of the channel to a more expensive package. In late 2004, the network enhanced its local forecast coverage to include more localized forecasts in up to 1,200 communities.
The Weather Network relocated its headquarters to Oakville, Ontario, in November 2005. National programming began broadcasting from the new location on December 2, 2005. Subsequent upgrades have included an hourly forecast for the next 12 hours (2006),[5] long-term precipitation forecasts (2008), and improved satellite and radar maps (2009).
In 2009, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) granted The Weather Network must-carry status (9(1)(h)). This was conditional on Pelmorex developing a national system for disseminating localized emergency alert messages.[6][7]
In early 2013, The Weather Network launched regional feeds for Alberta and the Maritime provinces, which included their own regional forecasts, weather stories, and traffic information (where available).
On December 8, 2014, The Weather Network and CBC News entered a content-sharing partnership, with TWN providing national weather forecasts to CBC and CBC News content being syndicated on TWN platforms.[8]
In 2015, Pelmorex acquired The Weather Channel's remaining stake in the service.[9]
Programming
Local forecast
The Weather Network provides local forecasts tailored to specific areas. These forecasts are powered by the PMX system. This segment is noted for its background music. The Weather Network held online polls in 2010 and 2014, allowing viewers to select their preferred music for the local forecast during morning broadcasts.
Studio/Live Programming
The Weather Network broadcasts in a news-wheel format, featuring various forecast or weather-related segments throughout the hour.
TWN airs a variety of segments including:
- Force of Nature
- Weather Watch
- Storm Centre
- Science Behind the Weather
- The Regional
- Climate
- Beyond The forecast
- Captured
- Share Your Weather
The Weather Network has received recognition for its news reporting, including a Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Adrienne Clarkson Diversity Award for a series on weather and Black history, and a World Medal from the New York Festivals International TV Broadcasting Awards for stories on individuals adapting to weather conditions.
The Weather Network HD
The Weather Network launched an HD simulcast in 1080i on May 30, 2011. TWN offers regional HD feeds for Alberta, Toronto, Atlantic Canada and British Columbia.
Discontinuation of SD
The Weather Network's standard definition distribution ceased in late 2023. This discontinuation resulted from a combination of factors, including technical incompatibilities with modern cable networks and the aging SD PMX localization units, which were deemed unmaintainable as of 2022. While a transition to high-definition was planned for completion in 2025, a cyberattack on Pelmorex's data systems in 2023 accelerated the retirement of the SD equipment. Consequently, the network became unable to continue providing individualized local forecasts for every community via SD. The channel transitioned to high-definition signals, which sometimes provide forecasts for a group of communities or a particular region.
Satellite services
In 2006, Bell Satellite TV and The Weather Network jointly developed an OpenTV application that was displayed directly on viewers' receivers. This application allowed users to select their city, and then it would overlay their local weather information onto the national channel feed. Additionally, the application generated a unique local forecast segment specific to the selected city, effectively overlaying the national local forecast shown on the national feed. The service was discontinued in 2021.
Web and mobile services
In addition to its website, The Weather Network operates a number of digital platforms.
The Weather Network Mobile
The Weather Network Mobile (formerly WeatherEye Mobile) is an app available on most smartphones. The Weather Network Mobile is currently available on iPhone, and Android smartphones.
The Weather Network TV App
In November 2015, The Weather Network launched a TV app intended to serve as a platform for its video content. Initially available on Android TV and Apple TV, the app has since expanded its availability to include Google TV, Fire TV, and select cable television providers. The app offers on-demand local forecasts, and both short-form and long-form video content.
The Weather Network FAST Channel
The Weather Network also operates a Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channel, which provides a different approach to weather content compared to the traditional cable channel. The FAST channel is available on platforms such as Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Pluto TV, and Roku in Canada, and features 100% Canadian-produced series, in-depth features, and a redesigned version of the national morning show. The FAST channel provides national weather coverage, longer-form content, and engaging episodic programs, while the flagship cable channel remains the primary source for hyper-local forecasts, localized weather warnings, and live coverage of active weather events.
Criticism
The network has received criticism for its high volume of advertising, which has reduced the amount of time dedicated to in-depth forecasts, as well as a focus on Southern Ontario during national segments.[10]
See also
- The Weather Channel, the American equivalent of The Weather Network.
- MétéoMédia, French version of The Weather Network.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sarah Dougherty, Weather Network bucks media-business trend, Canwest News Service via The Gazette (Montreal), December 31, 2008
- ↑ "WeatherStar4000 In Canada" Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Press Release - The Weather Network like you've never seen it before - "[1]", March 27, 2002. Archived May 6, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Press Release - The Weather Network launches its spring programming - "[2]", March 29, 2004 Archived December 24, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Press Release - Spring has Sprung at The Weather Network - "[3]", March 29, 2006 Archived January 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Broadcasting Order CRTC 2009-340". CRTC. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ↑ "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-438". CRTC. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ↑ "Its outlook stormy, CBC turns to the Weather Network". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ↑ "The Weather Channel Sells Stake in Pelmorex Media". Broadcaster, December 22, 2015.
- ↑ "Complaints TWN focus on southern Ontario".
External links
- This article was originally retrieved from the "The Weather Network" article on Wikipedia, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License