KXAS-DT 5.2 Fort Worth: NBC Plus?

[txchipk]

With NBC having purchased The Weather Channel, NBC WeatherPlus was to be folded this month.  It looks like the old website now redirects to The Weather Channel's site.

KXAS was running WeatherPlus on 5.2 until a few days ago (though the on-air talent has been gone...just a continuing cycle of maps, etc. with the old WeatherPlus music as the audio).  Yesterday, the only thing on 5.2 was a live display of their radar.  Today, the old WeatherPlus-ish format seems to be back (same set of maps, W+ L-bar, etc.).  The audio is now the National Weather Service's weather band station in Fort Worth, KEC55 162.55 Crowley/Ft Worth (WFAA runs the audio from the NWS's KEC56 162.4 Dallas station on 8.2).  Instead of the old WeatherPlus logo, there is now a white logo of the NBC logo followed by "plus" (I guess to make it "NBC plus"). 

Is this just temporary or will 5.2 continue as some sort of weather station?

[Slambang]

I have a gut feeling they're going to stream Weather Channel w/ local break-ins

[tripinva]

NBC is not offering the Weather Channel for over-the-air use.

More likely is that it will be a local weather service of some type.  I know a number of stations are repurposing the WeatherPlus equipment and will be using it to provide a local weather service.

- Trip

[TexasTom]

If they keep doing what they're currently doing, 5.2 will continue being of use -- I like being able to quickly turn on the TV in the morning and get the current temperature, conditions for the next 12 hours, and a five day forecast.  And I don't really want the national stuff, so the purely local version that KXAS is now running is fine.

[Slambang]

Maybe they'll get smart and start using it to cover events (i.e. severe weather outbreaks, emergencies, the MDA telethon) that normally would be tied to the main channel, so they could focus their attention on network programing and not run wall to wall coverage. Alot of the O&Os on both coasts have been doing this and it would make the best sense.

[salemjedi54]

Maybe they'll get smart and start using it to cover events (i.e. severe weather outbreaks, emergencies, the MDA telethon) that normally would be tied to the main channel, so they could focus their attention on network programing and not run wall to wall coverage. Alot of the O&Os on both coasts have been doing this and it would make the best sense.

That would be a good thing to run the MDA Telethon on digital 5.2

[Horns]

Here in Tampa, WFLA (NBC) is putting RTN on their .2 channel Monday to replace Weather+. 

[donnyg]

Denver's 9news Weather Plus is now Accuweather.com

Donny G

[KTN Corp]

It seems that NBC took a cue from their fellow broadcasters in Public Television. NBC Plus is their version of the PBS-X service. It runs on the same principles of PBS-X--one day delay but with blanks in the schedule to be filled with subchannel-separate syndie, local, and public interest (such as the telethon) programming.

(They couldn't think of anything innovative considering that this is GE we're talking about here?)