Weather Center Live

Weather Center Live
File:WeatherCenter2008.jpg
Presented by	Weekdays: Mike Bettes (7-10pm) Stephanie Abrams (7-10pm) Paul Goodloe (10pm-1am, 1-2am) Alexandra Steele (10pm-1am, 1-2am) Bill Keneely (weekends) Mike Seidel (weekends)
Country of origin	United States
Production
Production location	Atlanta
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	Weekdays 7:00pm-10:00pm, 10:00pm-1:00am, 1:00am-2:00am Weekends 11:00pm - 2:00am
Original release
Network	The Weather Channel
Release	March 10th, 1998

The title card to a 1998 overnight broadcast

Weather Center is a news/weather program produced by The Weather Channel in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally the lone constituent of the TWC programming day, it now exists as a nine-hour program during the week and for three hours on weekends.

Program History

In 1995, The Weather Channel introduced WeatherScope, programming on an hourly "wheel" format. WeatherScope was carried through the 1996 channel redesign. In its early days (before 1996), WeatherScope This Morning was a morning version, differing only in presentation. In 1997, the weather wheel system was retooled with a new TWC programming schedule.

"Weather Center" debuted on The Weather Channel on March 10, 1998 as the bulk of the channel's schedule, running for the entire program day (excluding the 30-minute overnight The Weather Classroom/Weather in the Classroom program for Cable in the Classroom) and essentially a retitling of WeatherScope. TWC's meteorologists would show weather forecasts and current conditions around the United States as well as international forecasts. From its debut in 1998 through early 2000, the program was divided into 3 blocks: "Weather Center AM", "Weather Center", and "Weather Center PM". January 2000 saw a change in the block schedule of Weather Center, with the debut of Your Weather Today at 7AM Eastern Time. March 2000 saw the debut of First Outlook at 5 AM Eastern Time. By now, much of Weather Center AM had been replaced. A revamp of the channel's presentation in the summer of 2001 dropped the "AM/PM" distinction. Eventually, more programs chipped away at the time slots held by Weather Center, including Weekend Now and Evening Edition (this accelerated upon the channel's 2003 graphics relaunch).

In February 2009, The Weather Channel's media kit began showing a different logo for the program; the most notable change to come from this, however, was an addition, showing the program's name as "Weather Center with Abrams & Bettes". Changes to electronic program guide systems revealed that Weather Center would absorb the repeating overnight hour on weeknights, and that Weather Center was becoming an evening program (which correlates to the removal of Evening Edition and A&B). The expansion of Weather Center reverses a trend of partitioning that took place between 1998 and 2003. The changes themselves are some of the most far-reaching since the 2003 addition of Day Planner, Afternoon Outlook, and Weekend Outlook, itself a casualty of the changes (being replaced by Weekend View).

Overnight hour history

File:OvernightOutlook.png

Title card to Overnight Outlook

• Between 1998 and 2003, the overnight programming was branded Weather Center.
• Between 2003 and 2005, the overnight hour was branded as its own program, Overnight Outlook.
• Between 2005 and 2009, the overnight hour was a part of Evening Edition.
• Since March 2, 2009, the overnight hour has been branded as Weather Center.

Schedule

All times are eastern time.

Weekdays 7:00pm - 10:00pm with Mike Bettes and Stephanie Abrams

10:00pm - 1:00am with Paul Goodloe and Alexandra Steele

1:00am - 2:00am with Paul Goodloe and Alexandra Steele+

+ This hour is broadcast live from 1-2am and is repeated again from 2-3am and 3-4am. Also, Goodloe and Steele alternate solo-anchoring this hour.

Weekends

11:00pm - 2:00am with Bill Keneely and Mike Seidel. This broadcast is repeated at 2-3 am and 3-4 am.