A look at influencers’ perspectives on future.

With all of this in mind, The Weather Company, an IBM Business asked top broadcasters for their thoughts on what trends will change the industry. Here’s what they said.

1. "Expansion into OTT delivery systems" - Tim Heller via HellerWeather.

“Many TV stations are expanding their news coverage on OTT delivery systems like Apple TV and Roku. This creates a big opportunity for local TV stations and broadcast meteorologists. Just as weather is the reason people still watch local news, it can be one of the reasons people consistently check a TV station’s streaming app.

However, OTT news content must include something more than the standard webcast. Live storm coverage along with a library of relevant pre-produced videos can keep viewers engaged, even when the weather is quiet.

I am a big advocate for Max Reality. I believe it is the best story-telling tool available to broadcast meteorologists today. But it needs to be more than eye candy. Long-form explainer scenes might not fit within the time-constrained news broadcast, but they can be customized to play forever online."

2. "Quality and timeliness of information" - Terry Eliasen (link resides outside IBM), WBZ/CBS Boston (link resides outside IBM)

“The broadcast media industry is changing at a rapid pace. With so much weather and news available to everyone at their fingertips, the focus will likely shift to the quality and timeliness of the information.

The most successful media outlets will be those that can deliver accurate, local and up-to-the-minute updates. For instance, weather forecasts that are as much as a few hours old and for areas too broad will likely no longer be relevant.

New innovative ways to disseminate information, like CBS News Boston, a 24-hour streaming news service, will become much more valuable. Improvements in weather technology and modeling will be vital in the pursuit of delivering the accurate, local information that people are now craving and expect.”

3. "Steady incorporation of digital platforms" - Justin Gehrts, KCRG

“The steady incorporation of digital platforms has altered workflows, and COVID really accelerated that trend. Research from Magid now shows users' preference to get severe weather information on digital has finally reached parity with the preference for broadcast–a noteworthy change from when that was true only on quieter weather days. It's apparent that workflows, as well as mental models, will need to pick up the pace in being truly digital-first. Instead of digital being seen as something that complements linear, the time has arrived to perhaps consider linear as a supplement to digital. Station owners will need to invest in the right training, compensation and resources (e.g. technology and staffing) to facilitate that. Otherwise, I see only a continuation of employee burnout and churn, which erodes users' trust. Without that trust, local media loses the bedrock it needs more than ever.”