Digital weather enterprises are popping up that are separate or are working alongside traditional TV stations. Many will provide streaming services and an app.
In early July, former WTVA Chief Meteorologist, Matt Laubhan, of Tupelo, Miss., began a new business known as Mississippi Live Weather. It will cover the north half of the state for now but could expand.
Then there's Gulf Coast Weather Solutions that Beaumont, Texas-based KFDM Chief Meteorologist Greg Bostwick, and others recently unveiled. It will provide weather consulting and will deliver weather coverage for Southeast Texas initially, but eventually is to cover a larger area from Houston, Texas, to Lafayette, Louisiana.
In August, ABC 33/40's Chief Meteorologist James Spann (shown right), of Birmingham, Alabama, will launch The Alabama Weather Network and will provide statewide coverage.
He will serve as chief meteorologist for the network, which begins in August, and will remain at his station. He says a group known as Tennessee Valley Weather started the concept a few years ago.
Spann has backing from his television station’s ownership group.
"It's a win-win for everybody and I'm very delighted and I think Sinclair, the owner here, is very delighted,” he said. “What we'll do is take the best of the new world and take the best of the world that I came from.”
The new world is quickly gaining traction.
“The one thing that's changed, for example, if we had a big national event with severe weather, more people watch (digital weather entrepreneurs) Ryan Hall and Max Velocity today than The Weather Channel,” Spann said.
Regardless of the format, peoples reactions to important weather information remain the same.
“If you show people the weather, they'll do something. If they're (just) looking at radar, there's a good chance they won't do anything. There's a lot of rural communities that are underserved. I'm from rural Alabama. I'm from Greenville, Alabama, and it is exciting to me to be able to help and cover them just like we cover larger cities."
Weather start-ups nationwide
According to the National Weather Network, other digital weather businesses can be found across the country.
Retired news director and former TV Meteorologist Neal Barton said there are too many places to get news now and nobody wants to wait until the evening news. He said the old model is like the "horse and buggy" and digital media has changed the industry.
"Television news at the local and network level is dead. If it's not dead, it's on life support. You spend all this blood and treasure learning your craft, and you now work in a television station, which is primarily focusing on social media. You realize this is not going to last forever, so to stay viable and make a living, the meteorologist becomes the entrepreneur."
