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TS News - Snow Makes Weather Channel "Must-See-TV"

TELE-satellit News, 14 November 1996

Snow Makes Weather Channel "Must-See-TV"
  ATLANTA, Georgia, USA, 96/11/13 (TS) -- Snowstorms and bad weather are
good news for the folks at The Weather Channel. According to Nielsen's
November 1996 Cable Universe Estimate, The Weather Channel's household reach
increased from 60 million last December to over 65 million this month. This
is in common with other periods of bad weather which send ratings of the
network through the roof, often beating out other established entertainment
and news networks.

  The growth translates into a 7.14% leap in only one year, edging out
CNBC's 7.13% increase, and other cable networks such as TBS (4.99%
increase), and CNN Headline News (4.83% increase).

  The network attributes the increase to a heightened interest in tracking
the latest weather information, something that may be due to this summer's
major storms such as Hurricanes Bertha and Fran. Many viewers seem to tune
in to feel closer to friends and family members; according to the network,
they want to know how the weather is in cities where loved ones live, even
when they are not threatened by severe weather.

  Increased viewership is expected to continue for The Weather Channel. As
winter arrives early in the Midwest and the paralyzing effects of the Cold
Wave and Blizzard of '96 remain still fresh in viewers minds, many people
will "chill out" in front of the television to stay informed.  Currently,
over 67% of television homes, and more than 93% of cable and DBS homes can
obtain the latest weather updates by tuning into The Weather Channel.  

  The Weather Channel is one of the most widely distributed cable networks
in America, reaching over 65.2 million households. It maintains a home page
at http://www.weather.com/ .

(c)TELE-satellit 1996. All rights reserved.
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