Glazer: A Call for Sanity in TV Weather Warnings

polar-bear-dnr-hoaxIt finally happened…

The weather people got one upped on Saturday. After about 40 or more over the top snow storms being forecast for this winter, finally people went ENOUGH ALREADY!

Some of us have been screaming that nearly every week we get weekend SNOW reports that either don’t happen at all, or are not much. The public panics and doesn’t go out at night. They cancel plans, trips, and even schools are closed. All of this based on snow and ice storms reported by the tv news, radio and even online. As we’vee all learned, while Kansas City gets it share of cold days and nights, we’re NOT a big time snow spot.

We haven’t been for years.

Once again this weekend the media spent much of the time warning us of a big all day and all night snow event coming as early as Friday night, all day Saturday and then Sunday – today – was gonna really get hit.

In the end, as usual, it was mostly much about nothing.

The main part of our city got some “wintery mix” as the media has dubbed it now.

What that really means is, “We don’t know what’s gonna happen so we cover the news with scary predictions.

We did get about an inch early on.

Then the temps climbed and the light snow did not make the roads too bad.

In fact, the major streets on the Kansas side had little at all by late afternoon. You just had to slow down a bit, thats all. FINALLY the public said to itself, “These almost phony weather panic attacks need to stop, lets go OUT.”

Yes, business was down somewhat around town, but not nearly like it had been with other reports where almost nothing happened.

Last Friday the weatherman called for snow and even ice storms. It just rained. That was it. Yet as an example Stanford’s had a big star, Dave Coulier of Full House fame, who had been sold out on paper.

But only half the people showed up for our 9:45 pm show, due to the blizzard and ice storm coming. Yet nothing happened. Even our full shows on Saturday didn’t cover the losses. That goes for all restaurants and evening spots around town.

These way over the top reports and the fear placed by local media costs our city many millions of dollars each week.

How-To-Dress-Warm-In-Cold-Weather-Infographic-Base-Layer-Insulating-Layers-Outer-ProtectionI was proud of the public for not buying in this time.

I thought most of us would lose 50% or more of Saturday night’s business. We only lost about 25%.

I spoke to Bill Nigro in Westport and he said ditto for them this time.

“Maybe the public is just fed up with having to stay home and then it’s nothing, they lose their one main night of going out.” Nigro said.

Hey, it’s the Midwest,

Kansas City gets cold in the winter and warm in the summer – we all know that.

Most people have vehicles that are made for winter weather.  This winter we’ve had some cold days, as always, very little snow and not one blizzard, ice storm or heavy snow.

So there’s no reason not to go out. Just drive carefully. Sure there have been like three or four nights or days were there has been some white stuff but NOT 50.

minimum_recommended_northern_lights_clothing1The media needs to be fair.

They need to stop spending all day of scaring the hell out of all of us for no reason.

A simple, “Hey we might get some light snow, but just drive carefully and you should be fine” would suffice.

I’m glad most Kansas City people finally are figuring out it’s more about television ratings not protection for the ad nauseam snow warnings.

http://www.mb-kc.com/
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39 Responses to Glazer: A Call for Sanity in TV Weather Warnings

  1. Agree. Nevertheless, dozens of accidents happened on KC roads because of the weather. Some people should stay home regardless of weather.

    And, weather forecasters and local ‘news’ celebrities don’t need to tell me how to drive when it’s bad out. Or raise my kids. Or anything else. Just the news.

  2. paulwilsonkc says:

    I made a ton of money this weekend. I took a tease bet on our snow fall, the temperature in Havana, Cuba at 3:00 pm Saturday , and the likelyhood of the New Madrid fault opening from stem to stern. I’m up $5,000! You can’t listen to these guys, if you want the real facts email me at kingofglean4life@yahoo.com.

  3. hahhararley says:

    glaze….its the money game for the tv stations.
    They need viewers and the networks are losing viewers constantly.
    So they dream up these weather stories…which realistically they don’t
    predict but which are fed to them.\
    They play it up to get viewers.
    As Harley (and the only one who has outlined this) the stations are
    now “growing” their viewership. Insteadof just news in kc area they
    are going out 100 miles or more. Sawa story about a shooting in
    Nevada Missouri several nights ago. They needthose viewers so they
    cover the news on these small towns. They talk of weather in
    cities 1=2 hours away…why? to get more viewers in those areas.
    And its their hype…their selling you on watching the news for
    important weather information…..
    On weekends there’s little if any news. They have skeleton staffs.
    but they’re using hype and b.s. to get people to watch their weather
    stations. Themes like “calm during the storm”….most accurate
    weather forecasters…..etc…all just abunch of b.s. to get more viewers
    to watch their stations.
    It’s no different than your hype. You go station to station with your
    comedians to hype the shows. It’s called public relations. You hype
    your stars on social media…radio…tv….etc.
    They’re just doing what they need to do to sell the vieewers on watching
    their news…remember…February is a huge ratings month.
    We got rid of the worst one…Katie horner…who scared the hell out of
    people on a routine basis. A small shower turned into a hurricane with her.
    The tv statons need viewers…they’re using the weather to bring them in…
    the same technique you use.
    They use it to get viewers…you use it to get people into your comedy shops
    seats.
    On a sadder note…a real weatherman…and a great guy passed this week.
    Dan Henry…who was the nicest man in this town passed. He didn’t have
    the highly scientific equipment meteorologists have today…and I don’t
    think he ever referred to himself as a meteorologist…but a nicer…more
    intelligent man in his field will be very hard to find.
    And he was a great singer.

    GLAZE THIS IS NOTHING NEW…YOU’VE BEEN HERE MANYMANY
    YEARS…IT WON’T STOP….ITS WHAT GETS VIEWERS…AND THEY’RE
    GOOD AT TAKING A MINOR STORM AND MAKING IT LOOK
    BAD.
    That’s life!!!!!!!
    And while many businesses are affected…they don’t care.
    Hope things get better for ya.
    I did hear that screech was on his game…a riot!!!!
    good luck….50’s predicted next weekend.
    your friend
    Harley

  4. Duke says:

    A friend of mine who used to do the weather on TV was threatened with a lawsuit by the carwash owner association if he didn’t stop predicting so many shower events. Just enough to drive people away from their business. Maybe you should try that approach.

    • CG says:

      Its not a bad idea but you’d need everyone to team up..its so hard on night business that your idea is a good one. They, weather people and those who tell them to hit it hard, need to be much more responsible for their actions..its out of hand. TODAYS STORM WAS A SURE THING, its nice out.

  5. Weather? No thats not why. says:

    Weather is a science not a certainty. They call it a forecast and predictions for a reason. Just like sports betting there are no guarantees just odds. If people aren’t visiting your venue when the weather is bad its not the weather man’s fault. If your excuse for the poor performance of your venue is due to the weather prediction you’ve got more problems then just snow.

  6. Super Dave says:

    Not the first time Craig has had issues with snow….Snort! Snort!

    Prediction 7 – 10

  7. bob says:

    Not a single forecaster predicted a blizzard.

  8. artemmis says:

    Sad how things turned out for this CG fella —

    blessed with being “born on third base” in the “1%er ‘burbs” in JoCo —
    son of a wealthy businessman – who was a respected restaurateur…retail entrepreneur .. comedy club owner.. mayoral candidate .. had Hollywood connections … etc etc..

    somehow … someway … 60 years later — this geezer is now saddled with having to squander his senescence running an obscure strip-mall mid-western comedy club ..

    and .. being a crotchety old man blaming ” TV weathermen” for his clubs misfortune.

    sad story.

    (p.s. — has anyone actually sat in front of a TV and watched for 10 minutes to get a weather prediction in the last..oh..15 years? — with all the instant, accurate weather websites and smartphone apps available these days?)

    • mike t. says:

      and I wouldn’t trust a one of them. so, yes, i’ll spend 10 minutes watching a locally produced weather segment.

      the advantage local forecasters have over some “service” out of Atlanta is the local interpretation. forecasting today relies primarily on looking a several different models which often don’t agree with each other. the trick is to determine – for your area – which model, or combination of models, seems most likely. experience makes a difference.

      that said, it’s still a forecast; you’re predicting the future. I don’t like “the sky is falling” over-the-top warnings anymore than anyone else, and resent being told to BUNDLE UP! when it’s e’fn 15 degrees outside with -5 degree wind chill.

      but I’d still take that over a service that determines a particular model is correct and goes with it, providing no in-depth analysis, let alone scrutiny.

    • the dude says:

      Ding Ding winner here.

  9. Gravitas says:

    “Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple.”

    Barry Switzer — great quote !!

    also – as a taxpayer — I try to get a little return on my part of the $5.5 BILLION/yr budget for the NOAA – “www. weather.gov” — the govt weather service that the astronauts use..

    they seem to be spending it well —

    http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2014/20140930_hrrr.html

  10. Hot Carl says:

    The only thing more certain than Lezak and the rest f*cking up a local forecast is Glazer writing this exact same story over and over again.

    • Gravitas says:

      LOL! –yep –thought i saw “this exact same story” here — maybe a year or so ago..

      personally — i don’t care enough about it to waste the time googling it — but your observation saves me the effort –thks!

  11. CG says:

    BOYS WE are full up on crazy and thats you trolls. Thanks.

    • Jess says:

      I do not think you know what the term “troll” means. Trolling means that someone is trying to piss people off by speaking non truths….

      • CG says:

        Uh, yep. I know what it means and we wrote about it here before. If you want to call them haters thats fine. Most of what they write are attacks. And most of that is b.s. Understand.

        • Gravitas says:

          “Hate”! — LOL — most folks reserve their hatred for those who have wreaked havoc on millions — like Stalin, Hitler, LBJ, OBL etc..

          but some utterly inconsequential dbag spouting off on a local blog? –more apt words would be

          ‘scorn’..’annoyance’…’pity’.. i.e. — definitely not hate-worthy.

      • the dude says:

        In the glazerverse ‘troll’ means one who disagrees whether they are right or not. Get up to speed jess.

  12. hahhararley says:

    Glaze is not alone. He’s abusinessman worried about paying bills/payroll/
    .and the expenses to run a business.
    And he has a valid point. We went out Saturday night and the roads were
    not bad at all…in fact in my 4 wheel drive it was easy.
    For the rest of you who have never owned a business…never done anything
    besides get your check from the “man” ….never gambled life savings for
    a dream or toopen a business….never had the balls to try something new…
    you will never understand the stress and part of being your own boss for
    24.7.
    Glaze is right…he’s put his life/money/future on the line withthat
    place. It’s a brutal industry…but he’s made it when others haven’t.
    I suggest you don’t shoot off your mouth unless you’ve been there.
    Hopefully glaze can recover those loses with the nicer weather…
    but really when you’re in that biz its a 24/7 battle to stay alive.
    Something many of you were either too scared to try or were
    too lazy to attempt.
    Yes…we’ve heard the story from glaze several times. The weather
    people over exaggerate the storms and in kc that can kill off business.
    But he was not the only one affected.We ate at one of the large
    places on the plaza and they were half full.
    the dude has balls…..and wih glaze its “no guts …no glory”.
    I give the guy a ton of credit along with his brother.
    give credit where credit is due. Being self employed can sometimes
    be a bitch.
    but the rewards can also be immense.

  13. husbanddadesq says:

    First time in the history of ever – I agree with CG. We went to Independence Mall on Saturday during the Great Blizzard of late February, and it was actually pretty busy. I am not sure what it looks like on an non-snowmageddon weekend, but it generally didn’t seem to be phasing people at this mall.

  14. Hot Carl says:

    Oh, I agree with him. It’s just that I also had to agree the 16 other times he’s written this story. “The Chiefs don’t have any stars (Jamaal Charles is good not great)” stories will be coming any day.

    • the dude says:

      A little early Carl, more like the Royals season is over before it begins time or they need to hire some rando that sells shoes.
      I guess what glazer is trying to say is he has a fetish for people that sell shoes.

  15. hahhararley says:

    and its baseball season and Harley will have to instruct the glaze to say
    “ITS OVER” thousands of times during the season.
    Oh what joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • the dude says:

      I bet that crow tasted nice and good for him too.

      • hahhararley says:

        NO CROW….just some fun.
        And I’m sure we’re in for another fun season.

        • CG says:

          Harley you are the funniest guy on this comment space.

          • hahhararley says:

            glaze…I only charge $200 a week and all the
            dr. pepper ribs I can eat to perform my
            comedy on stage….
            you truly need Harley…I’d pack em in
            I’d get standing ovations….after the jokes
            flop the audience stands and leaves.
            p.s. nice article in leawood paper…and someone finally took a really good pic
            of you.
            go to a pro photo guy….vedros…get a great
            pic of yourself in different areas/posses etc…
            give them to media to use…that way you’re
            guaranteed a good pic.
            pic on pitch cover was bad…never cross arms…
            its bad body language…like “don’t come near
            me…or I’m not interested”…
            good luck.
            by the way…saw chilis advertising dr. pepper
            ribs…sue those bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
            harley

          • the dude says:

            I am not sure that is a compliment you chucklehead.

  16. The Truth says:

    CG is right on this one and so is Harley (shit, here comes the lightening strike).

    It’s a game for the TV news wonks. TV research says listeners care about the following in this order: Weather, Weather and more weather. That’s why they lead with Weather, place it across the :15 on the hour (2 qtr hours) and do cut ins to hype a weather event.

    Think about it, in modern media world, most people only know the names of the weather people on TV, not the main anchors like it used to be.

    As far as a way to change it CG, you know as well as anyone it’s about the $$$. Until advertisers start cancelling their spends in protest of the affect on their business, nothing will change.

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