Teaching

Most mornings the principal at my son’s school stands out front and greets the kids. About a week ago I teased her, after a cold front had come through that night, about standing inside the building rather than outside and holding the door.

On Tuesday we had a sharp cold front blowing through our city during rush hour.  The temperature dropped 11 degrees during the 10 minute drive to school.  This time, wearing only a sweater and standing inside the building, the principal saw me coming and with a smile, yelled out, “I should have listened to the weather!  I don’t have a coat this morning!”

The front had been well advertised.

If you’re thinking that I’m at fault for her not having a coat…you’re right.

Glasses

This presentation from Le Web has nothing directly to do with weather but I think it is well worth the 20 minutes if you put on your “What does this mean for me?” glasses.

(Found through Fred Wilson’s blog avc.com)

Evolution

I’ve gone on several rants lately on WeatherBrains about putting our content on Facebook and Twitter.  My comments can easily be misunderstood to mean that I don’t think we should be on those platforms.  Actually, in a way I don’t, but that is where the people are and if we want their attention we need to be where they are.

My biggest complaint, however, is how our industry, one of the most influential and powerful in the world, has let the current situation evolve without any input.  Twitter launched in 2006, Facebook in 2004.  The idea of serving users certainly pre-dates these services.  But, stations sat, and watched, until, for the early adopters, some sort of perceived critical mass was reached, or, everyone else was doing it.

Read the latest essay from Terry Heaton.  He writes about social media and the developing “second screen” experiences.  One of the most interesting quotes is…

“I’m an even bigger supporter of local media companies playing offense in this changing and chaotic world.”

The key word is “offense”.

Most of the essay is about social media and the developing “second screen” experience.  Take particular note of his discussion of the “attention” of the users.  He makes a compelling argument that these experiences, while popular at the moment, are really taking the attention of the user away from the one paying the bills, the advertiser.

I’ve started a few small businesses over the years and one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you can provide the best service or product in the world, but if the guy your are invoicing isn’t interested in paying, you’re dead.

So, what is the point?  The “new media” pundits I listen to call for “leaders” not “managers”.  Managers tack things on to other people’s products (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, second screens) and hope for the best.  Leaders create those things that managers tack on to.  The best way to forecast the future?  Create it.

Giving It Up

In one of the great scenes in the movies, Broadcast News, Albert Brooks says to Holly Hunter…

AARON

What do you think the Devil is going to look like if he’s around?  Nobody is going to be taken in if he has a long, red, pointy tail.  No.  I’m semi-serious here.  He will look attractive and he will be nice and helpful and he will get a job where he influences a great God-fearing nation and he will never do an evil thing…he will just bit by little bit lower standards where they are important. Just coax along flash over substance… Just a tiny bit.  And he will talk about all of us really being salesmen. (seeing he’s not reaching her) And he’ll get all the great women.

Tech Crunch reports that Facebook will launch a subscribe button for websites.  As I understand it this will allow users to place website content into their news streams (bypassing RSS).  Look for the button on your website soon…and “bit by little bit” we’ll continue to lose control.

Some

Beware the expert who says, “People want…”  There is no more “people”.

The web is the great equalizer.  You want to learn basket weaving, it’s on YouTube (I looked).  Scuba diving, no problem (I looked).

I had a broadcast executive tell me, “People want more detail and depth and context to their weather forecast.”  No “they” don’t.  As I listened further I realized that “he” wanted it, but “he” was projecting his desire on “everyone”.  In his model I get basket weaving along with my forecast.  I’m not really interested in basket weaving.

Do this.  Every time someone says “people want…”, put “some” in front of “people”.  Every time you say “people want…” but “some” in front of it.  It will change your perspective dramatically.  After you ad “some”, then ask yourself if you can afford the time in motion to service that group.

“People” will appreciate it.  (Yes, all of them.)

Irrelevance

Just started a new book (I’ll tell you if it is any good later).  I suggest you take the quote from the beginning of the first chapter, have it crocheted on a pillow, and display it prominently in the weather office.

“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”

General Erick Shinseki

Winning Digital

This video on Jeff Jarvis’ Buzz Machine is worthing watching (be aware that it is an hour and a half).

Digital First and the Future of News from CUNY Grad School of Journalism on Vimeo.

Jarvis interviews the leaders of two companies that are seeing success with their digital strategies.  Some of the interesting points to me are:

These companies were doing very poorly before executing their digital strategies.  In some ways they had no choice but to adapt.  This is an interesting problem that companies have and reflects some of the lessons of The Innovator’s Dilemma which describes the difficulty companies have in dealing with disruptive technologies.

There is a recognition that digital revenues are smaller (compared to the old model) and staff levels must reflect that reality.  Old model companies are bloated and the adjustments will continue until staff, or salary, levels work.  A difficult realization knowing that local television news viewership will continue to decline.

Attention

This sentence from a recent Seth Godin blog post jumped out at me…because it is important and true.  Load up all the weather stuff you want, on whatever platform you choose, but the fact is, there is no competitive advantage to automated data.

In a world where everything is a click away, and in a world where everyone can have their own YouTube channel, ten blogs and a thousand email accounts…the only thing that’s scarce is attention.

Our Warnings Are Only as Good as Our Signal

I have been intrigued over the past few years at a lot of the geek talk about mobile TV, particularly the ability of smartphones and other devices to pick up digital television signals.

I saw on a blog today a new product called a Boxee, which is a USB receiver for digital television (though it requires an antenna).

A television network exclusively for smartphones, broadcasting over terrestrial transmitters, exists in Japan.

Now, I’m not necessarily talking about signal feeding over WiFi, 3G, 4G, or whatever comes next, but actually getting the signal just like you used to (or mom and dad or grandma or grandad).

Over-the-air.

As a radio and broadcasting geek, the potential for this technology to be rolled out soon is exciting.

It’s also exciting because I am a firm believer that no technology can ever replace a human meteorologist.

No “app” will ever replace a trusted voice.

That person people turn to in a storm.

It’s not shameless self-aggrandizement to say that meteorologists save lives.  It’s been true time and time again.

Television meteorologists for the foreseeable future will have that critical role of explaining what is occurring in a language the public can understand.

But how do we get our message to the viewer?  Running outside and shouting into the wind like some sort of town crier doesn’t get the job done.

Delivering mobile television to the masses on their smartphones, tablets, or maybe on a Dick Tracy watch is where the industry must go to remain relevant.

And to continue to make money.

Now, the problem with so-called mobile TV is the fact that digital television signals are more difficult to receive than analog.  So some sort of hybrid system using cell towers would be the best way to augment local television’s reach.

I am heartened that it seems that’s where we’re going.

As far as how our jobs will change with “always-on” local television?

Get ready to work even harder.

Meteorologists have to embrace the fact that they’ve got to be ready to serve up the information on multiple platforms as soon as the viewer/user demands it.

They should have embraced it already.

Those who don’t embrace it will have to at least accept it.

Those who don’t accept it won’t be there when the viewer needs their “hand held.”

And any broadcasting veteran knows that it takes years to build viewer loyalty, but can take just one incident of failure to lose it.

Dark Skies

Kickstarter has an interesting project looking for funding.  Dark Sky is a predictive radar app being developed for iOS.

This is interesting on several levels but one of the most important to me is the two fellows who are creating the software.  I see no evidence (admittedly with little research) that either of them, or anyone on their team, has any background in meteorology.  I’m not saying they need one, the point is they are here, as are others.

The barriers to entry to many things continue to lower.  The old model protections are gone.  Adapt or get run over.