The Weather Channel

Twenty years ago, who'd have believed that millions of viewers would follow the twists and turns of storms developing across the globe with the rapt attention once reserved for thriller movies? That a single television channel could simultaneously inform and entertain us, enrich our lives and, at times, help save them?

This is the remarkable story of The Weather Channel, a cable network that succeeded when almost all the experts predicted it would fail. Told by one of the key figures in the network's success, former Chairman and CEO Frank Batten, this is at once a deeply personal account of high-stakes entrepreneurship and a fascinating case study of a media business both experiencing and driving major change.

There are colorful personalities — from the on-camera meteorologists to the whiz kids recruited to help build the company's core technology. There are adventures and dramas — from the glitch-filled national launch that was saved by luck and a mysterious stranger, to the Weather Channel's near-death experience as its owner, Landmark Communications, was poised to lose its entire $31 million investment in the network. There are unexpected plot twists, risky ventures, failures, and victories.

Batten's engrossing narrative reveals for the first time how The Weather Channel works its magic — and the technological, meteorological, and business innovations that have made it all possible. He takes us behind the scenes as his unique network evolved from struggling start-up to media powerhouse, from editorial cartoon fodder to vital public service.

Along the way, he shares hard-won business lessons on breaking from convention and taking educated risks; bringing a great idea to market; strengthening a brand; leveraging disruptive technologies; managing through failures; preserving a spirit of risk-taking through periods of intense growth; and more.

An absorvbing tale of success against the odds, this book will appeal to entrepeneurs in all industries, as well as to the millions of fans of The Weather Channel.

"Despite gusts of widespread skepticism and downpours of derisive one-liners, The Weather Channel found an audience....Severe-storm coverage became riveting, breaking news, and the channel's meteorologists became minor celebrities. But The Weather Channel had a far more profound influence on mainstream culture. It didn't just feed farmers, pilots, and weather enthusiasts who had been hungry for more information. It created weather consumers by convincing ordinary people that they needed more weather information than they had been getting." Chuck Salter, Fast Company

"Whether it's tracking a hurricane or pinpointing severe weather or just predicting the daily parade of high- and low-pressure systems, The Weather Channel has become a grand master of the weather game." David Laskin, Smithsonian

Batten, a retired chairman and CEO of the private media company that owns The Weather Channel, tells the story of a cable network that succeeded despite the dire predictions of experts, offering a glimpse of the world of high-stakes entrepreneurship and a case study of a media business experiencing and driving major change. Color photos are included. Cruikshank has written numerous business books.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)