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Severe Weather Coverage

I spent a restful 5 days in Georgia last week golfing and eating some pretty good seafood. But as much fun as my trip was, I was ready to come home and get back to work.

I watched on CNN, video of the tornadoes that hit Tennessee. I called home to make sure everything was OK in Knoxville. I know the folks in Crossville may disagree, but I think we were pretty lucky in East Tennessee. The video of the devastation in Middle Tennessee was pretty horrific. The 11 deaths a tragic exclamation point.

I wasn't here, but I understand we broke into programming with our coverage. So did the other stations. Viewers often get upset with us when we do that. Unless there's a tornado bearing down on their homes, they don't really care about severe weather in the area. I guess I understand the sentiment. When you're looking forward to watching one of your favorite programs, it can be aggravating to see wall-to-wall doppler images instead.

But if we didn't provide coverage of severe weather we would not be fullfiling our mission. People's lives are often endangered by these storms. 11 people died in Middle Tennessee.

What we provide is information that we hope will keep the public safe. If you know it's coming, you have time to prepare.

Trust me, if you're in the path of a tornado and you live through it because you watched our coverage, you'd never complain again when we cut into programming to tell you about bad weather.

Even so, we don't cut-in unless it's necessary and important. Last week, it was both.

Comments

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Comments

GOLF! I remember that,

GOLF! I remember that, something I got to play before knee surgery! Reports are I will be back by the end of June, looking for those old man fees and playing after 3!

Caught the story on the web about the meth bust and the kid with all the blisters, or bites?

Wonder why the story (that one) didn't a little bit on a child in a home with an aledged meth lab cooking away? Also why did grandmother cover half the kids back and keep his shirt on when she showed the bites/blisters? Yep, according to the story on WATE experts still don't know if they were blisters or bites?

Here is the real problem with the story, some dork took a shot of grandmothers lap and it looked like she left her shorts on the bed post! Folks, don't go showing grandmothers without their shorts, you have no idea what that can do to children watching at dinner time!

Loved the Masters! Lefty did look like he had two fang marks on his neck (check it out) and he did wear black. Oh and think about it, we NEVER saw him near a mirror or a clove of garlic!

"shot of grandmothers lap

"shot of grandmothers lap and it looked like she left her shorts on the bed post"
I give up! I can't figure out what this has to do with weather coverage???
I thought the weather coverage was excelent. I even put down my computer to watch it.
I was a little worried as the storms crossed Lake Cherokee and my boat in their path! But it was fine and so am I but I feel for the folks that lost their , family members and everything they owned. One minute everything was fine, and the next, they had nothing.
I appreaciate the warnings and coverage and hope they continue.

“shot of grandmothers

“shot of grandmothers lap and it looked like she left her shorts on the bed post”

HI DAVID!

Sorry, I was talking about a story where a woman reported to be a grandparent of a child reported to be the baby of two reported meth cookers (lots of reporteds here) was taped by WATE and the shot was her lap. Nothing wrong with that but the lady looked like she didn't have on her shorts. Again, not her fault, but more the fault of the editor who should have cut that out when they saw how they messed up the shot.

As for storms and bad weather, it is Gods way of reminding us how small we are! I am sorry if any of your family members were hurt in the wild evening and wish nothing but good things for all of those who got caught in the storms.