The Weather Channel has pulled the plug on one of its shows, taking a familiar TV personality off the air as part of what appears to be a broad refocusing of the network’s priorities. CNN reports that the cable channel canceled Sam Champion’s morning newscast.
Champion has been at the channel since January 2014, when he took over the franchise morning show “AMHQ: America’s Morning Headquarters.” He has been the network’s managing editor, and has also made appearances on NBC’s “Today” show. NBCUniversal is a part owner of the Weather Channel.
Champion’s move to the Weather Channel followed a 25-year career with ABC. He was a fixture on ABC’s flagship station WABC-TV and widely seen on the network’s “Good Morning America.”
In addition to canceling Champion’s morning newscast, CNN notes that the channel is “replacing reality shows with more weather coverage, cutting TV production costs and laying off some staffers in a sweeping adjustment to changes in the cable business.” The channel unveiled its plans to staffers this morning.
About 50 of the Weather Channel’s 1,400 employees will reportedly be heading out the door.
CNN notes: “The plan calls for a singular focus ‘on our unique strength — and that is the weather.'”
“The plan calls for a singular focus ‘on our unique strength — and that is the weather.’”
Hope they didn’t spend a lot on research and focus groups to reach the obvious. Just another good example of how companies loose their focus, make so many mistakes and suffer substantial financial losses before realizing that perhaps they should return to what them successful in the first place.
Correct, Dan and the same could be said for other channels like Discovery, A&E, History and Animal Planet. They all seem to have lost their focus as well.