Weather Channel Uses BGAN

US HDTV weather channelchases storms with BGAN

US meteorological experts are using BGAN to support their storm-chasing activities for a new high definition (HD) TV weather channel.

Based in Miami, The Weather Channel (TWC) HD is the US$60 million brainchild of the TWC TV channel, which since 1982 has provided localised weather reports to audiences around the world.
For outside broadcasts it shoots with Panasonic AJ-HPX2000 P2 cameras and when the weather gets really rough it relies on BGAN to beam footage from the heart of the storm.

Tropical Storm FayThe Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June to November, has been keeping the station’s reporters busy, with Tropical Storm Fay the latest wild weather to hit, first making landfall in south-west Florida on 19 August.

The storm inundated roads, cut power and unleashed tornadoes as it moved across the state throughout the following week.

TWC’s vice-president of production, Nathan Smith, said: “We’re protecting our equipment with thousands of dollars of rain and cold weather protective gear.

“Our field crews are also in constant contact with our meteorologists, who are helping them determine the best and safest vantage point for capturing severe weather, like blizzards and hurricanes.”

And “if winds are excessive”, says Smith, TWC relies on satellite services such as Inmarsat BGAN to relay the coverage.