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NBC's Storm Rangers, Weather Expansions and NBCU Model


rkolsen

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Earlier this month we discovered that WCAU/WWSI in Philadelphia launched their X-Band mobile radar truck Storm Ranger 10. It appears that the truck has two siblings one that looks like it will be based at KXAS/KXTX in Dallas and another one that was just delivered to KNBC/KVEA in Los Angeles. For Telemundo's stations they are dubbed Caza Tormentas

 

WNBC's Creative Services Vimeo account has a promo up showing their fleet of three Storm Rangers :

 

[MEDIA=vimeo]176360359[/MEDIA]

 

It looks like the trucks will be shared among clusters of stations and based somewhere in the middle. NBC/Telemundo north east cluster has stations in four cities that are 339 miles apart I-95 in the ranging from Washington, DC to Hartford, CT. Once NBC Boston launches it will be 438 miles. NBC/Telemundo's California cluster stations that are 460 miles up the coast. Even though NBC only has one station in Dallas they have several Telemundo stations in Texas and they are in Tornado alley likely keeping it busy for a good part of the year. The distances make it easy enough for them to reach different cities within several hours.

 

Here's a link to an Instagram account showing the radar output from the Los Angeles unit - looks like it has a pretty decent range: [MEDIA=instagram]BIdPUqjgjwZ[/MEDIA]

 

Here's a picture showing the Los Angeles setup and unit being tested for the first time in the NBCUniversal backlot: [MEDIA=instagram]BIdEh47g9tu[/MEDIA]

 

This appears to be a pretty heavy investment in weather technology by NBC. WCAU's general manager posted on Facebook that the trucks were a million bucks a piece.

 

It seems to me that the trucks are based in areas where stations don't operate their own Doppler radar.

 

With all that being said has WCAU found a use for their truck since they ran a promo almost a month ago touting its abilities? Seems to me whenever a station runs an ad for one of their new toys they use them almost everyday when they first get it.

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With all that being said has WCAU found a use for their truck since they ran a promo almost a month ago touting its abilities? Seems to me whenever a station runs an ad for one of their new toys they use them almost everyday when they first get it.

 

That promo was never released. I'm thinking it was just a rough draft. They recut it adding in the current weather graphics and new meteorologist Krystal Klei.

 

As for StormRanger, they officially launched it today: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/StormRanger10-Brings-You-Closer-Than-Ever-to-Severe-Weather_Philadelphia-388816301.html

 

I also wouldn't be surprised if the Dallas based StormRanger finds its way to Chicago or Miami when the weather warrants it.

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That promo was never released. I'm thinking it was just a rough draft. They recut it adding in the current weather graphics and new meteorologist Krystal Klei.

 

As for StormRanger, they officially launched it today: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/StormRanger10-Brings-You-Closer-Than-Ever-to-Severe-Weather_Philadelphia-388816301.html

 

I also wouldn't be surprised if the Dallas based StormRanger finds its way to Chicago or Miami when the weather warrants it.

 

Hold on one cotton pickin second....

 

What happened to Thunder Truck???

I'm feeling cheated here.

 

thunder-truck4.thumb.JPG.5ad741eb23a630c9199a07f2e2e4013c.JPG

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Why does KNBC need one...they haven't had any significant weather in years, and they certainly don't get tornadoes. It'd be most useful for Miami and Dallas. Philly, New York, and Chicago for winter storms. But LA? No.
I guess because of Los Niños (El Niño and La Niña). I also have to ask, are they useful in predicting earthquakes?
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Why does KNBC need one...they haven't had any significant weather in years, and they certainly don't get tornadoes. It'd be most useful for Miami and Dallas. Philly, New York, and Chicago for winter storms. But LA? No.

I don't believe that it belongs exclusively to any one station. It's just that they are based there...most likely due to location. But, NBC LA always gets everything. If there's something to be had, KNBC will take 2 of each. Nevermind, if the other O&O's go without having the extras, they sure don't.

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I guess because of Los Niños (El Niño and La Niña). I also have to ask, are they useful in predicting earthquakes?

 

I genuinely can't tell if you're being sarcastic about the earthquake thing or not, but just in case you're not, no, radars can't predict earthquakes. :p

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I don't believe that it belongs exclusively to any one station. It just that they are based there...most likely due to location. But, NBC LA always gets everything. If there's something to be had, KNBC will take 2 of each. Nevermind, if the other O&O's go without having the extras, they sure don't.
Especially when you realize that NBC 7/39 is right down south and they share resources with KNBC.
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I thought that they did at least in weather staff, traffic and helicopter. I remember there was a whole thread section discussing this.

During the GE days, 2008-2011, weather was outsourced to KNBC. Once Comcast took over, they brought it back in-house. As far as traffic and helicopters, nope. They never have shared any of those. They might take the occasional feed when there is breaking news, but aside from that they don't share. Hell, KNBC will send their own crew down to San Diego to cover news here.

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During the GE days, 2008-2011, weather was outsourced to KNBC. Once Comcast took over, they brought it back in-house. As far as traffic and helicopters, nope. They never have shared any of those. They might take the occasional feed when there is breaking news, but aside from that they don't share. Hell, KNBC will send their own crew down to San Diego to cover news here.
They do, but not as often as they did 6 years ago.
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I wonder how much bandwidth is required to send data back.

 

I tweeted Hurricane and he said the system can plug data into their computer as if it were a fixed site

 

Yeah they had it up and running yesterday as some nasty storms rolled through the area and you could see it update right on screen. It was mentioned in one of the packages that the sweep only takes 10 seconds to complete. That's pretty fast in its own right but then add in the dual-pol technology, you can have a full 3D image of the storm and the precipitation it's delivering in a matter of seconds. That 'll be a great tool come winter time where they can station the truck where ever they think a snowstorm will hit the hardest.

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Related, but not enough for its own post because they don't even have an a -rticle on it. KCTV (CBS) unveiled their own storm chasing vehicle today. The INTERCEPTOR.

 

The INTERCEPTOR -Because our meteorologist will drive directly into a tornado and somehow stop it!!

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They must be borrowing from WCAU's. No mention its not theres though, they called it thier exclusive.

 

Exclusive technology that no other station in the market has or shares.

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During the GE days, 2008-2011, weather was outsourced to KNBC. Once Comcast took over, they brought it back in-house. As far as traffic and helicopters, nope. They never have shared any of those. They might take the occasional feed when there is breaking news, but aside from that they don't share. Hell, KNBC will send their own crew down to San Diego to cover news here.

 

Yup, and tell KNBC to bring their own porta-pottys.

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They don't, that's why they revised the purchase order to this...

 

[ATTACH=full]3233[/ATTACH]

 

We roll deep.

Even without that, it still would make more sense to name their StormRanger unit to StormRanger SoCal rather than StormRanger4, because it makes more sense not just because theres an NBC 4 in DC, but also, and more importantly, both the LA and San Diego areas both comprise of most of SoCal.
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