HD Series Marks Most Watched Premiere for The Weather Channel

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When Weather Changed History on The Weather Channel drew the most viewers of any show launch ever aired on the all-weather network. Launch week for the first episode featuring the space shuttle Challenger began January 6.

“Nothing like this series has ever been seen on TWC, and its compelling content, insider interviews and amazing HD visual footage have struck a chord with viewers.”

“The launch of When Weather Changed History was seen by more people than any other show in the history of The Weather Channel,” said Kaye Zusmann, VP of programming strategy and development at The Weather Channel. “Nothing like this series has ever been seen on TWC, and its compelling content, insider interviews and amazing HD visual footage have struck a chord with viewers.”

The cumulative number of viewers for the program during the launch week was more than 21 million. Other noteworthy results include:

Cumes increased at least 27 percent on average per day across all demographics and households.
The average rating for the program increased 21 percent in households and 30 percent in A25-54 in comparison to the averages for the same time periods in fourth quarter of 2007.
The Sunday 9 p.m. premiere program outperformed the same time period on TWC by 26 percent in households and 38 percent in A25-54 in comparison to the average in fourth quarter of 2007.

When Weather Changed History, the newest high-definition series from The Weather Channel, depicts suspenseful dramas offering the often-surprising effects of weather on well known historical events. TWC uncovers key moments with rare insider and first-person stories that disclose unexpected facts about history, focusing on the epic, and often heroic, struggle of man against the power of nature – and the dangers of underestimating that power. The dramatic documentary series premiered on the all-weather network Sunday, January 6, with an episode on the space shuttle Challenger. The one-hour series airs every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET.

In conjunction with the new series, The Weather Channel also launched a new When Weather Changed History Web site, which looks to be the channel’s best performing promotional microsite ever created to support a series. The site, at www.weather.com/history, includes The Weather History Quiz, a sweepstakes and special online content.

About The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in more than 96 million U.S. households. Its Web site, http://www.weather.com/, reaches more than 30 million unique users per month. Its content is generally ranked within the 15 most popular in the U.S. by Nielsen//Net Ratings. The Weather Channel also operates Weatherscan, a 24-hour, all-local weather network available in 22 million households, The Weather Channel Radio Network, The Weather Channel Newspaper Services, and is the leading weather information provider for emerging technologies. This includes broadband and interactive television applications, with wireless weather products accessible through high-speed Internet services, phones, pagers and personal digital assistants. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, VA-based, privately held media company.