Why we on the west coast must endure those goddamn east coast local weather reports

We've been bitching lately about the eastcoastcentricity of national media..(we despise any weather news unless the weather is slapping us in the face... and not some punk in Paducah). 

From BlatherWatch friend Roger Simon at Politico: 

The rest of the nation might wonder why East Coast stories, especially New York City stories, get so much TV coverage and the answer is twofold. First, almost all of TV news is headquartered in the New York area, and that’s where the TV execs live. If your basement floods, it’s a problem; if their basements flood, it’s a major news event.

Second, look at the numbers. Here is the breakdown of U.S. population by percentage in each time zone, as provided by my crack research assistant (Google.)

Eastern: 47.0 percent

Central: 32.9 percent

Mountain: 5.4 percent

Pacific: 14.1 percent

Alaska and Hawaii: 0.6 percent

So you can see why the East Coast gets most of the coverage and when you add in the Midwest (stand-ups of reporters being blown around by blizzards and making snow angels) you get 80 percent of the U.S. population.

True, the West Coast gets earthquake aftermath coverage, but since there is no reliable method of predicting earthquakes, the networks cannot station reporters up and down the coast to scare the hell out of people days in advance.

Comments

[The Original Andrew]

It bothered me that CNN and MSNBC were preempting everything for coverage of their silly little earthquake, but then I figure, they're all about ratings, and if it's a good business decision, then it's a good business decision.

[StarTheWonderDog]

It's ALL about money; always was and always will be. If you havent already heard Einstein, we live in a capitalistic society. DUH!!

[Pete]

It's true for sports, too; it's the same reason either the Yankees or Red Sox (or both) are the national games of the week every week. One of the reasons I like college football is that the East Coast is irrelevant, and places like Tuscaloosa and Norman matter. And even then, West Coast teams not named USC rarely get any respect.

[Jovita]

Go lick yourself pooch.

Randi Rhodes talked about this yesterday on her show. She pointed out that even in the media nYc was the most important story, over anyone else along the coast. once they figured out NYC would be fine, they stopped their coverage even though Vermont was flooded. Self absorbed assholes.

[StarTheWonderDog]

Anyone remember way back when our Supersonics won the NBA Championship. Even though we were the champs you couldn't tell it by the cover of Sports Illustrated, as they ( on cover and article) highlighted the Bullets (Wash DC) more. I was so pissed. I saved that copy of SI and could probably get a good price for it on E-Bay or Craigslist, but I realized then that the E coast still thinks the W coast is uncharted territory. They HATE it when a team like the Oregon Ducks kick National ass.

[Johnny Sombrerro]

so?

[Mike Barer]

Hey, Seattle hates it when the Oregon Ducks kick national ass. Nothing new there.

[joanie]

Sirota spent several minutes agonizing over all the weather news, too. Then, he said, when it was Vermont that took the big hit, nobody's talking about it again.

I wonder how much talk radio was focused on dissing the east coast talkers for over-reacting and much ado about nothing?

[Vermont Country Store]

40+ people died.

[joanie]

I'm sorry. Vermont isn't even on the water, is it? Landlocked as I recall.

[Vermont Country Store]

Landlocked from the ocean, but hudreds of streams, many rivers overflowing because of the high volume of rain. Some communities are stranded and are having to helicopter in medicine and food. Several beautiful covered bridges were damaged. But we are a small state with a small population. We don't attract media attention even now. Nor are the families of the 40+ people who died as a result of the storm, so it isnt really "much ado about nothing" to them.

[sparky]

I dont think joanie is dismissing the number of deaths. Randi was right, when it no longer affected New York, the media lost interest.

[joanie]

You got it pretty much, Sparky. In the hinterlands, weather happens a lot more than most people. But I guess the only people who matter are the East Coast aristocrats when it comes to media. And when anybody loses their life, it is important.

[joanie]

Listening to Bernie today on Ed, it is worse than I realized in Vermont. Very sad, indeed.

I remember the Chehalis floods of a few years ago. My mom and dad had a retirement farm down there so I knew the people. I don't remember any people dying but farms were underwater and livestock died. Recovering from the Chehalis Flood

I remember hearing about livestock. Not people but devastating and tragic all the same.

Mother Nature usually gets her way.

[EvergreenRailfan]

Interesting story Amy Goodman had on Tuesday on the WDEV-AM/FM in Waterbury, VT. It was the only station in the area not off the air, and it managed to stay on without power(through generators). WDEV is family owned, by the same family for 80 years. If it had been owned by one of the media conglomerates, a good chance that it would have been automated.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/blogs/the_angle/2011/08/vermonts_unsung.html

[KS]

So go complain about Cliff Mass and his weather regime (tongue in cheek).

Yes, the East Coast includes the black hole known as Washington DC, the cesspool of political stench. Who makes that possible ? you/we the people who elect the Guvmint we deserve. :(

[escort bayan]

Evet, East Coast, Washington DC, siyasi kokusu lağım çukuruna olarak bilinen kara delik içerir. Kim bu mümkün kılan nedir? Guvmint seçerler / biz insanlara hak ediyor. : (