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NBC's Storm Rangers, Weather Expansions and NBCU Model


rkolsen

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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.

 

The problem is that all the weather people in Socal are a bunch super hot chicks...or super lame guys.

It's tantamount to showing up on my little pony...somebody is gonna get their ass kicked...and "pink dopplerr weather pony" is gone!

 

Off to some "chop-shop" in Pomona.

 

Besides, we have radar platforms on top of high mountains, it's not like we have a bunch of dead zones for radar on the land.

 

They really should make a 1-25th scale Tonka or Hot Wheels version of this thing...cause I bet that would sell.

I know I would buy a few to play with in my "alone time".

Pose-able Dagmar, Fritz, etc...

(Remember, action figures sold separately)

 

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WMAQ just upgraded their own radar to a high frequency S-Band radar. (Which now competes with WLS's Doppler 7 Max (also S-band radar)) They've been heavily promoting it during the Olympics. They also have Storm Chaser 5. A new promo during the opening ceremony promoted their new Live Doppler 5, Storm Chaser 5 and Storm Ranger 5. So it looks like WMAQ has theirs or will have theirs shortly. They haven't shown it on air other than the promos.

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I don't want to burst her bubble, but I would tell her that technically it doesn't belong to KNSD...but whatevs. Anyways, it looks like they pasted a StormRanger station logo sticker on the side, do a few promos and off it goes to be used by the next O&O.

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A few thoughts/questions came to mind...

 

1. How long before the O&O's start bitching that the other station is not sharing the Storm Ranger? I can just imagine the call/email to mama Valerie in New York...

2. How long before one of the photogs gets into a wreck? and will it be an automatic dismissal, seeing as that this beast costs more than several houses...

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[MEDIA=instagram]BI549_uDhIZ[/MEDIA]

I don't want to burst her bubble, but I would tell her that technically it doesn't belong to KNSD...but whatevs. Anyways, it looks like they paste a StormRanger station logo sticker on the side, do a few promos and off it goes to be used by the next O&O.

 

Looks like a thick magnet.

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A few thoughts/questions came to mind...

 

1. How long before the O&O's start bitching that the other station is not sharing the Storm Ranger? I can just imagine the call/email to mama Valerie in New York...

2. How long before one of the photogs gets into a wreck? and will it be an automatic dismissal, seeing as that this beast costs more than several houses...

 

There isn't going to be any sharing eventually. I referenced this earlier and no one caught it but every O&O is eventually getting their own StormRanger.

 

From TVNewsCheck: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/mobile/index/article/id/96728

 

NBCU O&Os will use the next few months to gain experience with StormRanger vehicles as stations put the three initial vehicles through their paces, Morris says. “We need some time with some bad weather to prove exactly how they work.”

 

“Of course we want to take all the feedback we get and make improvements to the next ones,” says Morris, who adds that the station group is aiming to add more StormRanger vehicles in the fall.

 

“It’s possible we made everything right, but it’s also possible we want to make a few changes along the way.”

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There isn't going to be any sharing eventually. I referenced this earlier and no one caught it but every O&O is eventually getting their own StormRanger.

 

From TVNewsCheck: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/mobile/index/article/id/96728

I got to see the stormranger in person today, and it's quite impressive. KNSD reporter Vanessa Herrera gave my cousins and myself a tour of the truck. I asked her about the sharing and she said that KNSD will share with KNBC; KXAS will share with WMAQ; WCAU will share with WNBC and WRC. Due to logistics in getting the truck back to the other California O&O's, she said that the Storm Ranger will not be shared with KNTV. She doesn't know what the eventual plan is in regards with these trucks, although she's out of of the loop on whether or not every NBC O&O will get one. Here in CA at least, there is a photographer that is assigned to the truck. So he will drive it all around Southern California, depending on which station requests it.

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I got to see the stormranger in person today, and it's quite impressive. KNSD reporter Vanessa Herrera gave my cousins and myself a tour of the truck. I asked her about the sharing and she said that KNSD will share with KNBC; KXAS will share with WMAQ; WCAU will share with WNBC and WRC. Due to logistics in getting the truck back to the other California O&O's, she said that the Storm Ranger will not be shared with KNTV. She doesn't know what the eventual plan is in regards with these trucks, although she's out of of the loop on whether or not every NBC O&O will get one. Here in CA at least, there is a photographer that is assigned to the truck. So he will drive it all around Southern California, depending on which station requests it.

 

Thanks for the inside info. That being said I know it's a bit of a hike to get from LA to KNTV in San Jose but it can't be worse than Fort Worth to Chicago. The distance between KXAS and WMAQ is 950 miles and based on the current conditions it will take 15 hours + the require DOT breaks for their drivers. I imagine the truck requires a commercial license based on its weight.

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Thanks for the inside info. That being said I know it's a bit of a hike to get from LA to KNTV in San Jose but it can't be worse than Fort Worth to Chicago. The distance between KXAS and WMAQ is 950 miles and based on the current conditions it will take 15 hours + the require DOT breaks for their drivers. I imagine the truck requires a commercial license based on its weight.

I think aside from the distance, the fact that 3 stations would share the truck would be a logistical nightmare in trying to move it from one place to another in such a tight time frame. Plus, this is the testing phase, eventually every NBC O&O will have the opportunity to use it one way or another. She did make mention that NBC made it very clear to them, that the main focus of the storm ranger in California should be for tracking smoke from wildfires. Not to say that they can't cover severe weather, but being that these areas are prone to wildfires, their focus/use will differ from the other regions.

 

I should add that this truck has Live capabilities. It has a satellite, a dejero and a LiveU, I believe. The truck has 3 cameras. One outside, and two inside-one on the passenger side facing the talent and the other camera behind the rearview mirror looking forward.

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Here's a Facebook Live video that KXAS did describing it and the features in a bit more detail. Essentially when it comes to a storm they will park it adjacent to say a tornado cell but no where close to the actual twister. The truck can with stand 70mph gusts but will rarely experience those situations. The truck has a 75 mile radius but is most effective within 30 miles (where they'd likely place it for tornadoes). It takes about 15-20 minutes to set up and a commercial drivers license is needed. They mentioned that it's not a glamorous position since they have to stay with the truck - making it seem to me that it may not be used in tandem with a meteorologist or reporter. There are no safety concerns in terms of radiation caused by the radar and that your home microwave at home emits more radiation than the truck.

 

The Texas Thunder Truck will still be in use and will still be heading inside the storms.

 

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Here's a Facebook Live video that KXAS did describing it and the features in a bit more detail. Essentially when it comes to a storm they will park it adjacent to say a tornado cell but no where close to the actual twister. The truck can with stand 70mph gusts but will rarely experience those situations. The truck has a 75 mile radius but is most effective within 30 miles (where they'd likely place it for tornadoes). It takes about 15-20 minutes to set up and a commercial drivers license is needed. They mentioned that it's not a glamorous position since they have to stay with the truck - making it seem to me that it may not be used in tandem with a meteorologist or reporter. There are no safety concerns in terms of radiation caused by the radar and that your home microwave at home emits more radiation than the truck.

 

The Texas Thunder Truck will still be in use and will still be heading inside the storms.

 

 

Where are all of these people coming from that are driving and operating these things? Who has all these extra bodies just sitting around. Most took buyouts or got canned.

Sure I would love to see this in full action, but if it's just gonna be a 2 box liveshot machine then what's the point? At least pretend that you will get sucked away in a tornado like that idiot on that tornado chaser show.

 

Maybe i'm just too critical.

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I got to see the stormranger in person today, and it's quite impressive. KNSD reporter Vanessa Herrera gave my cousins and myself a tour of the truck. I asked her about the sharing and she said that KNSD will share with KNBC; KXAS will share with WMAQ; WCAU will share with WNBC and WRC. Due to logistics in getting the truck back to the other California O&O's, she said that the Storm Ranger will not be shared with KNTV. She doesn't know what the eventual plan is in regards with these trucks, although she's out of of the loop on whether or not every NBC O&O will get one. Here in CA at least, there is a photographer that is assigned to the truck. So he will drive it all around Southern California, depending on which station requests it.
I think that with KNBC and NBC 7/39, they're relatively close, with both NBC 5s, the cities they're in are both in tornado alley, which goes into Indianapolis, (though, that one makes the least sense seeing as how far they are from each other. But even then, NBC 5 DFW shares many of its resources with the telemundo stations across Texas), with NBC 10, WRC, and WNBC, they're lined up together (I'm assuming NBC Connecticut is also sharing that stormranger which for now I call it "stormranger northeast"), and thats why I think those specific stations share their respective stormrangers with nearby stations (except for the NBC 5s, because, as I said earlier, niether of which are close to each other).
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NBC made it very clear to them, that the main focus of the storm ranger in California should be for tracking smoke from wildfires. Not to say that they can't cover severe weather, but being that these areas are prone to wildfires, their focus/use will differ from the other regions.

.

 

Is this like those "drones" we heard sooooo much about last year. "Every station will have one"....

 

Tracking smoke???

So while every other photog is chasing the flames...lamer photogs from NBC will be chasing smoke.

We sure as hell can't use a satellite for that right?

 

Ohhhh I get it...

It's in anticipation of California Voters passing a recreational pot initative ....in such case we should just mobilize these.....

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=jiUhhDeIvFA;m=1;s=22

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Is this like those "drones" we heard sooooo much about last year. "Every station will have one"....

 

Tracking smoke???

So while every other photog is chasing the flames...lamer photogs from NBC will be chasing smoke.

We sure as hell can't use a satellite for that right?

 

Ohhhh I get it...

It's in anticipation of California Voters passing a recreational pot initative ....in such case we should just mobilize these.....

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=jiUhhDeIvFA;m=1;s=22

For real. I was like WTF. Whatever, ain't my money. I brought up to Vanessa that NBC would have been better off putting a doppler on a chopper, LOL. Call it Doppler Chopper or Chopper Doppler.

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For real. I was like WTF. Whatever, ain't my money. I brought up to Vanessa that NBC would have been better off putting a doppler on a chopper, LOL. Call it Doppler Chopper or Chopper Doppler.
But wouldnt that put too much weight on a helicopter? Besides, I think that a dodge ram or a ford f-150 svt raptor are the best vehicles for being stormrangers
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For real. I was like WTF. Whatever, ain't my money. I brought up to Vanessa that NBC would have been better off putting a doppler on a chopper, LOL. Call it Doppler Chopper or Chopper Doppler.

 

But wouldnt that put too much weight on a helicopter? Besides, I think that a dodge ram or a ford f-150 svt raptor are the best vehicles for being stormrangers

 

He's being sarcastic.

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I'm wondering if they could connect the truck to shore power and leave it for a time being or does an operator have to be in the truck whenever it is in use? I'm thinking of situations such as hurricanes or when there's significant snowfall when the truck will be in place for a while. Possibly parking it outside the hotel/motel the crew is staying at and allowing the radar to do its thing overnight.

 

I just ask because the stationary radars don't need someone onsite for them to operate and I imagine the people back at the station can control the Storm Rangers. Now if the truck was being powered by the generator I would want someone nearby.

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I'm wondering if they could connect the truck to shore power and leave it for a time being or does an operator have to be in the truck whenever it is in use? I'm thinking of situations such as hurricanes or when there's significant snowfall when the truck will be in place for a while. Possibly parking it outside the hotel/motel the crew is staying at and allowing the radar to do its thing overnight.

 

I just ask because the stationary radars don't need someone onsite for them to operate and I imagine the people back at the station can control the Storm Rangers. Now if the truck was being powered by the generator I would want someone nearby.

 

You just can't leave something like that unattended in/ or during any kind of disaster. I also don't think the insurance carrier would be to willing to pay out on a toy you just abandon and then looters took your" Super Dope Doppler 28inch Spinner Rims."

 

No way in hell unless you give me a waiver protecting my job when this thing floats away into the gulf.

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No way in hell unless you give me a waiver protecting my job when this thing floats away into the gulf.

 

That could be an idea... Remember how during the BP Oil Spill where the networks would set up on barges in the gulf? This thing could have given them hyper local data as to how the weather would effect cleanup.

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Looks like the Bay Area stations are getting the low down on the Storm Rangers as well:

 

This was filmed at Universal City

 

[MEDIA=twitter]768202746101063681[/MEDIA]

 

And here it is in use in Twin Peaks in San Francisco:

 

[MEDIA=twitter]768284538355068929[/MEDIA]

 

An Explainer:

 

[MEDIA=twitter]767597283290583040[/MEDIA]

 

And here is KNBC using the truck to track smoke from the Blue Cut Fire. They parked it on the shoulder of a highway. Even though there's no one on the road it seems dangerous.

 

[MEDIA=twitter]765864181551751168[/MEDIA]

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I'm wondering if they could connect the truck to shore power and leave it for a time being or does an operator have to be in the truck whenever it is in use? I'm thinking of situations such as hurricanes or when there's significant snowfall when the truck will be in place for a while. Possibly parking it outside the hotel/motel the crew is staying at and allowing the radar to do its thing overnight.

 

I just ask because the stationary radars don't need someone onsite for them to operate and I imagine the people back at the station can control the Storm Rangers. Now if the truck was being powered by the generator I would want someone nearby.

 

These things probably draw enough power that you need special hookups for them. Unless the hotel happens to have a three-phase power hookup conveniently available, shore power outside of the truck garage is probably not doable.

 

I just want to know what the long term plan is with these vehicles. Is the gimmick going to be worth the upkeep? What's going to happen the first time one of these trucks malfunctions in the field (like regular trucks do on a normal basis)? What does NBC plan on doing with these things when they're due for replacement?

 

It's probably been said of other things before, but I feel like this is truly the "jumping the shark" moment of local television news.

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