Weather on the Air

by Henson, Robert

• ISBN13: 9781878220981
• ISBN10: 1878220985
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-08-16
• Publisher: Amer Meteorological Society

Summary

From low humor to high drama, TV weather reporting has encompassed an enormous range of styles and approaches, triggering chuckles, infuriating the masses, and at times even saving lives. InWeather on the Air,meteorologist and science journalist Robert Henson covers it allthe people, technology, science, and show business that combine to deliver the weather to the public each day. The first comprehensive history of its kind,Weather on the Airexplores the many forces that have shaped weather broadcasts over the years, including the long-term drive to professionalize weathercasting, the complex relations between government and private forecasters, and the effects of climate-change science and the Internet on today's broadcasts. Dozens of photos and anecdotes accompany Henson's more than two decades of research to document the evolution of weathercasts, from their primitive beginnings on the radio to the high-gloss, graphics-laden segments we watch on television every morning. This engaging study will be an invaluable tool for students of broadcast meteorology and mass communication and an entertaining read for anyone fascinated by the public face of weather.

Author Biography

Robert Henson is a science writer at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and a contributing editor to Weatherwise Magazine. His other books include The Rough Guide to Weather and The Rough Guide to Climate.  

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Photographs	p. 114
"And Now, Your Forecast": A Whirlwind Tour through TV Weather History	p. 1
The Big Picture: The When, Where, and Who of Weathercasting	p. 23
The Invisible Weather Team: How Public and Private Meteorologists Shape the Weathercast	p. 45
But Seriouslyà: Attitudes and Approaches to Conveying the Weather	p. 65
Blue Skies and Green Screens: The Technical Side of Weathercasting	p. 85
Breaking Through the Glass Map: Diversifying the Ranks of Weathercasters	p. 109
Coast to Coast: The Nationwide Approach to Weathercasting	p. 129
When Minutes Count: Getting the Word Out during Severe Weather	p. 147
Voices of Weather: The Story of Radio Weathercasting	p. 175
Cloudy and Warmer: Climate Change and Weathercasting	p. 189
The Extended Outlook: Whither the Weathercast?	p. 201
Notes	p. 209
Index	p. 235
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