The Weather Channel

by Frank Batten, Jeffrey L. Cruikshank

Former Weather Channel Chairman and CEO Batten recounts the first twenty years of the popular cable network, discussing the business, technological, and meteorological innovations responsible for its success.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

304 pages, Hardcover

Published May 2, 2002

Reviews

[Supratim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come soon! :)

[William Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's enough here for many types of readers: history buffs, TV addicts, Weather Channel addicts (you know who you are), electronics (audio and video) types, even business types. This book is surprisingly easy to read, and very enjoyable. You could write a "100 things you didn't know about the Weather Channel" with this book, maybe even a 1000. This story is as good as Ted Turner's TBS, CNN, TNT, TCM, etc. saga.

You could read this book in a single sitting. Despite it being "out of date," most of it is still relevant, and explains much about how things work there behind the scenes (and behind the cameras).

[pianogal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this book if you would like to know everything there is to know about starting a cable company in 1982. Do NOT read if you want some fun weather stories about your favorite meteorologists. Because there aren't ANY!!! None. Not one. How do you write a whole book about The Weather Channel and have no stories about weather in it. I already went to B school. I know how that works. If I wanted to read a business book, I'd read Good to Great or that Ship book.

Also this book is now 12 years old and seriously out of date. Batten spends a decent chunk talking about how they avoided alternative programming and being bought by NBC (to the good)...and now they've both been bought by NBC and have alternative programming. Sigh. Why couldn't the book have talked about that?

Was one Cantore story too much to ask?

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very fascinating history of The Weather Channel! It’s very interesting to learn that it nearly shut down but got saved.

[MothAngels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I HAVE A SIGNED COPY AND YOU DONT NAH NAH NA BOO BOO

[Wren · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intesting explaination of how entrepeneur's pitched an idea before really getting the technology pinned down. The early days of the Weather Channel were "making it up" as they went along, but in the process created star anchors and must-see-TV for an entire nation. I'm a weather fanatic, so I was very interested to read a behind-the-scenes tale of one of my favorite cable shows.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted more of the book to be like the closing chapter, "Behind the Scenes". Too little about the on air production for my liking!

[Lori Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A should-read autobiograpy on leadership for knowledge workers, managers, directors, C-levels, and entrepreneurs.

[Heather Landskro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm am a big fan of the weather channel!! this book is amazing to read to find out about the weather channel and also tell you how they start.!! I think I will read it again soon. I recommend this book!