Can you say WTF Accuweather?

[Slappie 9]

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Feds' weather information could go dark

By Robert P. King

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Do you want a seven-day weather forecast for your ZIP code? Or hour-by-hour predictions of the temperature, wind speed, humidity and chance of rain? Or weather data beamed to your cellphone?

That information is available for free from the National Weather Service.

But under a bill pending in the U.S. Senate, it might all disappear.

The bill, introduced last week by Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., would prohibit federal meteorologists from competing with companies such as AccuWeather and The Weather Channel, which offer their own forecasts through paid services and free ad-supported Web sites.

Supporters say the bill wouldn't hamper the weather service or the National Hurricane Center from alerting the public to hazards — in fact, it exempts forecasts meant to protect "life and property."

But critics say the bill's wording is so vague they can't tell exactly what it would ban.

"I believe I've paid for that data once. ... I don't want to have to pay for it again," said Scott Bradner, a technical consultant at Harvard University.

He says that as he reads the bill, a vast amount of federal weather data would be forced offline.

"The National Weather Service Web site would have to go away," Bradner said. "What would be permitted under this bill is not clear — it doesn't say. Even including hurricanes."

Nelson questions intention

The decision of what information to remove would be up to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez — possibly followed, in the event of legal challenges, by a federal judge.

A spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said the bill threatens to push the weather service back to a "pre-Internet era" — a questionable move in light of the four hurricanes that struck the state last year. Nelson serves on the Senate Commerce Committee, which has been assigned to consider the bill.

"The weather service proved so instrumental and popular and helpful in the wake of the hurricanes. How can you make an argument that we should pull it off the Net now?" said Nelson's spokesman, Dan McLaughlin. "What are you going to do, charge hurricane victims to go online, or give them a pop-up ad?"

But Barry Myers, AccuWeather's executive vice president, said the bill would improve public safety by making the weather service devote its efforts to hurricanes, tsunamis and other dangers, rather than duplicating products already available from the private sector.

"The National Weather Service has not focused on what its core mission should be, which is protecting other people's lives and property," said Myers, whose company is based in State College, Pa. Instead, he said, "It spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year, every day, producing forecasts of 'warm and sunny.'"

Santorum made similar arguments April 14 when introducing his bill. He also said expanded federal services threaten the livelihoods of private weather companies.

"It is not an easy prospect for a business to attract advertisers, subscribers or investors when the government is providing similar products and services for free," Santorum said.

AccuWeather has been an especially vocal critic of the weather service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The company has accused the federal agencies of withholding data on hurricanes and other hazards, and failing to ensure that employees don't feed upcoming forecasts to favored investors in farming and energy markets.

Weather service expands data

The rivalry intensified last year, when NOAA shelved a 1991 policy that had barred the weather agency from offering services that private industry could provide.

Also last year, the weather service began offering much of its raw data on the Internet in an easily digestible format, allowing entrepreneurs and hobbyists to write simple programs to retrieve the information. At the same time, the weather service's own Web pages have become increasingly sophisticated.

Combined, the trends threaten AccuWeather's business of providing detailed weather reports based on an array of government and private data. AccuWeather's 15,000 customers include The Palm Beach Post, which uses the company's hurricane forecast maps on its Web site, PalmBeachPost.com.

NOAA has taken no position on the bill. But Ed Johnson, the weather service's director of strategic planning and policy, said his agency is expanding its online offerings to serve the public.

"If someone claims that our core mission is just warning the public of hazardous conditions, that's really impossible unless we forecast the weather all the time," Johnson said. "You don't just plug in your clock when you want to know what time it is."

Myers argued that nearly all consumers get their weather information for free through commercial providers, including the news media, so there's little reason for the federal agency to duplicate their efforts.

"Do you really need that from the NOAA Web site?" he asked.

But some weather fans, such as Bradner, say they prefer the federal site's ad-free format.

Another supporter of the weather service's efforts, Tallahassee database analyst John Simpson, said the plethora of free data becoming available could eventually fuel a new industry of small and emerging companies that would repackage the information for public consumption. He said a similar explosion occurred in the 1990s, when corporations' federal securities filings became freely available on the Web.

Shutting off the information flow would stifle that innovation and solidify the major weather companies' hold on the market, Simpson said.

Santorum's bill also would require the weather service to provide "simultaneous and equal access" to its information.

That would prevent weather service employees from favoring some news outlets over others, which Santorum and Myers said has happened in some markets. But it also could end the common practice of giving one-on-one interviews to individual reporters who have questions about storms, droughts or other weather patterns.

"What we want is to make sure that whatever information is provided to one source is provided to all," Myers said.

But Johnson said it's importanst to answer reporters' questions so the public receives accurate information — especially when lives are at stake.

"We are not interested in turning off our telephones," Johnson said. "I would be concerned that that would actually be dangerous."

edit to add this tidbit.. I don't understand how this guy keeps getting elected http://www.spreadingsantorum.com/

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[Rebecca 0]

Hey, google Santorum, see what you get.

If you reach what I'm talking about, it was all started by Dan Savage, author of the Savage Love weekly sex advice column and a couple of books. He's awesomely funny.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[sabr190 0]

"But Barry Myers, AccuWeather's executive vice president, said the bill would improve public safety by making the weather service devote its efforts to hurricanes, tsunamis and other dangers, rather than duplicating products already available from the private sector."

What a crock of shit I am pretty sure the funds spent on the NOAA website are just a drop in the bucket compared to the other services. Why can't this asshole just say " we want the mney and don't want to compete with a free website "

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one" - rehmwa

[ScubaSteve 0]

I dosnt think it was free. I thought we paid for it with taxes. And do we get refund if the data is wrong?

[Rebecca 0]

Have you googled Santorum yet?

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[Brains 2]

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Have you googled Santorum yet?

LOL, he put a link to it in his original post.
And that, young lady, is disgusting.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[Rebecca 0]

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Have you googled Santorum yet?

LOL, he put a link to it in his original post.
And that, young lady, is disgusting.

HAhahahaha! Hey! I'm not the one who came up with it - just making sure all you fine folks are up on the lingo, that's all!

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[Slappie 9]

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Have you googled Santorum yet?

No but I put a link at the very bottom of my post all about him

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[sabr190 0]

I'm not sure that was a word I wanted to know the definition of

But, now I have a new word to insult people with

"Get out of the way you santorum stain!!!"

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one" - rehmwa

[Slappie 9]

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"But Barry Myers, AccuWeather's executive vice president, said the bill would improve public safety by making the weather service devote its efforts to hurricanes, tsunamis and other dangers, rather than duplicating products already available from the private sector."

What a crock of shit I am pretty sure the funds spent on the NOAA website are just a drop in the bucket compared to the other services. Why can't this asshole just say " we want the mney and don't want to compete with a free website "

I agree 100% this is a waste of tax money to be arguing about Accuweather in the house.

I can't stand Accuweather anyways. I love the NOAA site! I can't get bouy infomation off Accuweather like I can the NOAA site. That seriously great info if you live on the coast like I do and like to offshore fish!

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[Slappie 9]

Actually it's not a true deffinition. Just some sick humor I happen to agree with.

From www.dictionary.com No entry found for santorum.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[sabr190 0]

Thats OK, I can still yell it at people and make them wonder what it means

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few, or the one" - rehmwa

[Tink1717 2]

So if Santorum has his way, the sole source for weather information(the NWS) will be available only to private contractors. Typical. This is the same party the advocates competition as a way of improving good and services, yet sponsors anti- competitive bills to protect a local contractor. How does this go unnoticed by the electorate?

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[Remster 24]

This is a cool discussion, but its getting moved to Speakers.

Remster

[masterrig 1]

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Thats OK, I can still yell it at people and make them wonder what it means_______________________________--

I'll know what it means, too!


Chuck

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[Slappie 9]

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This is a cool discussion, but its getting moved to Speakers.

Ugh you tricked me into the Speakers Corner.. and these tools won't post to it because it's above their level of thought...

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[Kennedy 0]

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Ugh you tricked me into the Speakers Corner.. and these tools won't post to it because it's above their level of thought...

Tools? Me gots lots o shiny tools. Pretty new wrenches. And me guns is only tools, and anti-gunners is tools, and...

dang, lost that train of unter-thought...

oh, and one thing us "lowly SC posters" can agree on:

Bite Me!!

ps - like Tink said, this is crap. It isn't protecting business from government, it's protecting big business from better business.

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
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