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CBS News strikes deal with Weather Channel for content

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xchtGwToPU

CBS News has struck a partnership with the Weather Channel that will allow both networks to share on-air talent and content, the brands announced on Monday.

“This new partnership combines the expertise and technology of two award-winning news organizations to provide viewers with leading in-depth weather reporting and immersive storytelling,” a CBS News spokesperson said in a statement.

As part of the collaboration, CBS News will get access to certain technology produced by the Weather Channel, including a product called “Immersive Mixed Reality” that gives television watchers and streamers a “virtual view” of weather conditions playing out around the world.

CBS News, a subsidiary of Paramount Global, said segments produced by the Weather Channel will be incorporated into many of its flagship news products, including the CBS Evening News, CBS Saturday Morning and CBS News Digital.

It is the second time in the last two decades that the Weather Channel has formalized a partnership with a traditional television broadcaster. In 2008, a consortium of media companies and private equity firms purchased the network from Landmark Communications. One of those media companies, NBC Universal, tapped into on-air talent and weather technology provided by the Weather Channel to supplement news segments on natural disasters and climate change.

In 2018, Allen Media Group acquired the Weather Channel for more than $330 million. On Monday, the company’s CEO Byron Allen said climate change was a critical factor in his investment in the Weather Channel, which he said was more of a “technology platform” than a cable television network.

“We’ve won three Emmy Awards — two of them since I’ve owned it — for technology,” Allen said on CBS’ morning news program.

In a separate statement on Monday, CBS News President Neeraj Khemlani said the partnership between the two brands was “holistic.”

“Together we will deliver deeper coverage of one of the most important stories of our time — the impact of the climate on the communities we live in,” Khemlani said.

It was not clear from the announcement if the partnership will extend to local or international channels owned by Paramount Global.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys covers the business of broadcast and streaming TV, radio broadcasting, social media, technology and telecommunications. A journalist for over 15 years, Matthew previously worked at Thomson Reuters, KGO-TV in San Francisco, KTXL in Sacramento and McNaughton Newspapers. He received 9 California Journalism Awards between 2018 and 2020, and is a member of IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors).
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