The Weather Channel up for sale: report

Reuters ^ | December 3, 2008 | Ritsuko Ando

[NRG1973]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. cable channel The Weather Channel is to be put up for sale and could fetch more than $5 billion, The New York Times said in an online report on Thursday, quoting people briefed on the auction.

Media companies such as NBC, a unit of General Electric Co. (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research), News Corp. (NWSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research), and Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) are interested in The Weather Channel and its popular Web site, weather.com, the report said.

A representative for the company, a privately owned cable channel, was not immediately available for comment.

The report quoted sources as saying the sale was part of a break-up of the Weather Channel's parent, Landmark Communications, a privately held company based in Norfolk, Virginia, that owns community newspapers and other media assets.

JPMorgan Chase is advising Landmark on the sale of The Weather Channel, while Lehman Brothers is advisor on the sale of its other media assets, it said.

[Gulf War One]

Nothing against pregnancy - but why are the Weather Channel gals pregnant 98% of the time?

'Cause they're hot?

[DBrow]

Algor could put blue flashing police lights on the weather channel website when there was breaking weather news, and red ones when there was a climate crisis!

[RetiredArmy]

NBC interested?? Right, so they can do more global warming hoax crap under the disguise of a weather station.

[cva66snipe]

I’d keep weather reporters away from the forecast map completely and use computer enhanced cursors. I’d also get better maps. Nothing is worse than them yakking about the weather while taking up half the map standing in front of it. The second worse thing is maps that do not overlap enough and cut off parts of states to where you can’t really tell anything anyway.

[RckyRaCoCo]

If I was rich, I would buy this just to get the opportunity to fire that lady ( Heidi Whatzername) who does the global warming reports.

Indeed, and if I had a dime for every time that morning weather gal Heather Tesh(sp?)said the word "here"....i'd be rich.

[Gamecock]

but why are the Weather Channel gals pregnant 98% of the time

Cause they're cute and their husbands love them?

[plsvn]

This is disturbing news. Heidi will be harder to track on NPR than if she returned to the caves of Tora Bora.

Shame on you! You shouldn't be listening to NPR in the first place :)

[tarheelswamprat]

Nothing against pregnancy - but why are the Weather Channel gals pregnant 98% of the time?

Have you forgotten just how boring talking and thinking about the weather is? I mean, "nice weather we're having" or "lousy weather today, isn't it?" just don't translate to thrills and excitement for women. If they're forced as a career requirement to endure this mind-numbing repartee all day long it's bound to generate a need for an outlet and a craving for other forms of excitement... /grin

[dirtbiker]

Imagine 24/7 showings of his movie, his boring speeches and animated cartoons of drowning polar bears being clubbed and harpooned by global warming deniers.

That channel already exists

It's called "Current TV", and I think Albore has something to do with it, too....

[dirtbiker]

Shame on you! You shouldn't be listening to NPR in the first place :)

Know Thy Enemy! ;-)

[plsvn]

Know Thy Enemy! ;-)

Dammit you're right!

[citizen]

They used to do a lot of weather on the Weather Channel.

[rockinqsranch]

Hopefully whomever purchases the Weather Channel will hire staff that can actually produce accurate predictions of the weather as we had 25 years ago with lesser technology.

Seems to be a contest between broadcast stations in our locale of which “Weather Chick” has the best curves.

Apparently we guys are supposed to not care about the weather if the “Weather Chick” looks like (Name your favorite Babe), and has a bar babe voice.

[pepperhead]

They used to do a lot of weather on the Weather Channel.

Oh how I miss the good ole days....

I now find it takes me less time to find out what is going to happen by turning on my computer and going to accuweather.

[Badeye]

Given what I’ve seen the past year from the Weather Channel, I though Al Gore already owned it....(eyes rolling)

That Heidi chick is a running punchline.

[1Old Pro]

5 BILLION for the “Weather Channel”??? I wouldn’t give you a dime. Nowadays if I want weather I punch up the NWS website and look at the radar and forcast myself. I could care less what the weather channel offers.

[devane617]

This is rich...The Weather Channel does every thing but weatherforcasting these days. They deserve what they get....They allowed the Libs to destroy the channel, as is happening with HGTV (Homo and Gay TV) and DIY.

[devane617]

I thought I was the only one that noticed that.

[Doc91678]

Your out of luck. Al Gore wants to buy it so he can push he Global Warming.”
Problem is he can’t explain why our winters are just as cold and the snow just as deep.

[bert]

The terminally left wing board oF General Electric will hire her and provide a raise and bonus..