TV Q&A: Why do local TV stations employ so many weather forecasters?

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review.

Q: Why does KDKA-TV have so many weather forecasters? I know for a fact that I can get better weather forecasts for my exact location with my standard Apple weather app. Why do they need so many people?

— Justin, Westmoreland County

Rob: One could ask the same question and sub in WTAE-TV, as both KDKA and WTAE have five forecasters each (WPXI-TV has four).

As we’ve noted before, research shows weather is one of the top reasons viewers tune into local newscasts, so local stations prioritize weather in their efforts to woo viewers.

While five seems like a lot, when one considers how the number of hours devoted to local news has expanded on all three local stations in recent years, that number seems less excessive.

Q: Who does KDKA, WTAE and WPXI work with to help them craft their weather forecasts? Is it the National Weather Service or do they use someone like AccuWeather or the Weather Channel, or are there other weather services that assist? Or is it done strictly in-house?”

— Thomas, Pittsburgh

Rob: Once upon a time some local stations did use outside companies like AccuWeather in their forecast formulations.

Based on conversations with a few local TV forecasters, it sounds like now the forecasts are developed in-house with the option to confer with Pittsburgh’s National Weather Service office during significant weather events.

Q: Why does KDKA weather no longer show Bradford on their weather maps? They now only go as far north as Franklin. Did they maybe lose their forecaster up there?

— Leroy, Harmar Township

Rob: The station never had a forecaster based in Bradford.

McKean County, where Bradford is located, is not in the Pittsburgh market area so I wouldn’t expect it to be included on a weather map on a Pittsburgh TV station. KDKA’s current news director, Shawn Hoder, said Bradford has not been on the map since he joined the station in summer of 2022 (except maybe if a forecaster were to do a zoom in on the northern part of Pennsylvania).

Q: Will the Pirates be on DISH Network this year?

— Steve, Dubois, Pa.

Rob: I think the intended question is: Will DISH Network start to carry SportsNet Pittsburgh again this year? And the answer to that is no, because as we’ve stated in the past, DISH dropped most if not all regional sports networks.

If a Pirates game turns up on another channel that is carried by DISH, then you might see a few games. But since most of the games are on SNP, you’ll miss most of those games unless SNP offers the option of a subscription streaming service that you’d want to pay to get. So far SNP has not announced plans for such an offering but it seems inevitable.

Earlier this month Disney, Warner Bros. and Fox announced plans to join forces to offer a sports streaming service, debuting this fall, that will offer access to linear sports networks ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS and truTV with live streams of games from the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, College Sports, UFC, PGA TOUR Golf, Grand Slam Tennis, the FIFA World Cup and cycling. Subscribers to the new service will be able to bundle the product with subscriptions to Disney+, Hulu and/or Max.

Q: Is there any way to stream SportsNet Pittsburgh other than fuboTV or ATT DirecTV Stream? It is costing me 95 dollars a month to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins on fuboTV. I am looking for a cheaper way to watch them.

— John, via email

Rob: Currently the two options John mentioned are the ways to stream SNP. It seems likely that SNP will offer a direct-to-consumer streaming option similar to what its parent company ,Fenway Sports Group, offers for the New England Sports Network. A SNP spokeswoman did not respond when I sent John’s question to see if there is any update on if/when a DTC option may become available for SNP.

Q: Do you know when the Pittsburgh Penguins games will be on WTAE?

— Josh, via email

Rob: No one at WTAE responded when I sent Josh’s question over to ask about the station carrying Pens games this year. But it looks to me like just a few Pens games will air on ABC – and presumably get passed through by WTAE – on March 16, April 6 and 13.

Q: Game Show Network’s “Catch 21” is always advertised with Alfonso Ribero and the blonde girl, yet they only air episodes with Alfonso and Micky Podia. How come?

— Fred, Kennedy Township

Rob: Per a Game Show Network publicist, the network does air episodes of “Catch 21” with Witney Carson and episodes with Mikki Padilla (along with host Alfonso Ribeiro) at 8:30 a.m. weekdays.

Q: Any idea when Game Show Network is going to begin airing a new season of “America Says?” Or are they not going to tape another season?

— L.G., via email

Rob: Don’t hold your breath for more. Season four aired in 2021 and no additional episodes have been ordered. Per IMDB.com, 367 episodes were produced and continue to be televised so the network may not feel the need to add to that number.