In an industry that is in need of much needed disruption, iK's Weather Insights is a revolutionary platform breaking traditional weather broadcast technology.
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In the constantly evolving field of technology, there is always the pursuit of simplicity. Once considered the domain of experts, Weather broadcasting has now reached a tipping point. It is ready for some disruption.
In this article, we delve into how Weather has been broadcasted traditionally into people’s homes and how it can be revolutionized using iK Weather Insights.
Join me on this journey where we explore the exciting possibilities that are now available to the Broadcasters.
Traditionally, good weather broadcasts on television have been a combination of weather science, software and hardware technology, broadcast production and effective communication. Viewers depend on Meteorologists to translate complex weather data and convert it to something actionable. Example, today I will have to take my umbrella to work as it is going to rain or I better carry a light jacket to my dinner engagement as the winds are going to pick up tonight.
Some of the broad steps in getting weather to a television viewer’s home have been:
A way Meteorologists at large broadcasters gather weather data is directly from sources. This includes but not limited to National Government departments, weather satellites, weather stations, radar systems, weather balloons, and computer models.
Data gathered include information about temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and much more.
Meteorologists analyze the collected data to create weather forecasts. They use computer models that simulate the atmosphere's behavior based on the current conditions and historical data. These models help predict future weather patterns.
Since weather generates tons of raw data, weather broadcasts heavily rely on visual aids and graphics to present information to viewers in an easily digestible manner. Meteorologists use computer software and graphics tools to create maps, charts, and animations that illustrate weather conditions, including temperature maps, radar images, and satellite imagery.
Meteorologists often use teleprompters or scripts to deliver their forecasts. They write and prepare their forecasts ahead of time, ensuring that they communicate the information clearly and concisely.
Meteorologists present the weather forecast on camera, standing in front of a green or blue screen. Chroma key technology is used to replace the green or blue background with graphics and animations. This technique enables meteorologists to appear as if they are standing in front of a weather map or animation. This requires a lot of training to do well.
Weather broadcasts may also incorporate multimedia elements, such as videos and photographs, to provide visual context and enhance the presentation.
After recording the weather segment, post-production teams may further enhance the visuals, add graphics, and fine-tune the presentation before broadcasting the weather report.
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As we have explained, traditional weather broadcasting is expensive. There is significant investment required in hiring and training meteorologists, buying expensive software and hardware. Technology that keeps the broadcaster tied to it long past its due date. To the viewer, the graphics might look a bit fancier, but the basics of weather broadcasting have not changed in decades. The traditional way of weather broadcasting can be quite onerous especially for smaller local broadcasters. The smaller broadcasters typically have little CAPEX and / or OPEX budget to invest and as a result their weather broadcasts during the evening or nightly news looks like a glorified PowerPoint presentation.
How can we get the Weather Broadcasts from small local broadcaster looking as professional as the ones from larger broadcasters with deep pockets? Enter the ‘iK Weather Insights Application’.
With iK Weather Insights, all your organization needs are a Web Browser, an Internet Connection, and a Touch Screen (as big as you would like). iK uses Industry leading Cloud Service Provider like Azure to be up 24x7 with lots of redundancies and the latest security to protect you. Leave all the hard work to us. There is no need for any software to install or hardware to buy or green screen to work with.
iK partners with Industry Leaders such as MapBox for latest Maps and weather data providers like AerisWeather for up-to-date weather data. Data gathered include information about temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and much more. Some of the data provided could be quite esoteric such as whether today’s weather is going to be suitable for Construction, Golfing, Kite flying and most importantly that weekend barbecue.
If you have your own weather data provider that you already have a contract with; no worries, we can very quickly integrate to that too. Weather Insights is a very powerful platform which can be customized very rapidly.
Weather broadcasts often provide real-time updates especially during severe weather events. Meteorologists may interrupt regular programming to provide urgent weather warnings or updates.You always have access to live real-time updates for severe upcoming weather events.
Thanks to the iK Control Room (one of the two modules of iK Weather Insights), a Producer can create a multi-view Weather Segment within a few minutes thanks to available templates for various views such as ‘MapView’, ‘DailyForecastView’ or ‘HourlyForecastView’. More views can be templated to suit your custom needs. You can create multiple segments for your different needs and have them handy. All you need to do to deploy a Segment for Live TV is to press the ‘Activate Segment’ button and everything else is taken care for you.
Using the iK Presentation App, weather broadcasts incorporate interactive elements. This may involve on-screen touch screens or digital applications. Gone are the days of the green screen. The host can even create smart mark-ups on the touchscreen to point out important information. The host can really immerse the viewers by zooming in / out or simply changing the pitch and bearing of the map on the screen live during broadcast. Try doing that on a green screen.
This is just a small sample of how iK Weather Insights can make your life so much easier while producing and broadcasting Weather Segments.
Hopefully, this article has convinced you that there is no good reason to stay tethered to the old ways. Enjoy the benefits of quick production, interactivity, low costs while at the same time providing your viewers with immersive visualizations. This is the way of the future for Weather Broadcasting. Get on board and gain the competitive edge now.
Please reach out to iK for a Demo and let us show you all the bells and whistles of our Product.
