WLKY-TV 1995: never ending severe weather coverage

From 1995...the severe weather coverage that would not end brought to us by "32 For You". Long after the other stations had resumed regular programming, the tireless anchors, reporters, and weathermen at WLKY-TV in Louisville, KY hammered on with a round robin of reports that made no sense at all. They threw it to the riverfront where the sun was shining, they went to the newsroom not once, but twice to find out that "lightning was dangerous" and to be told that "there is a road closed". Wow, thanks for those breaking updates.

In this last 7 minutes of coverage, there was no new information, and the meteorologist even tried to tell the news folks that the threat was over, but they weren't listening...we had to be reminded not once, but several times by the anchorwoman that they would "stay on the air until every warning had expired". I am somewhat certain that the folks at the weather service may have cancelled the warnings early just to get them to go back to network programming.

This is an example of "weather overkill" and should be a textbook study case for all of those gung ho assignment editors and news producers/directors that think that being the last one to sign off is a good thing. Don't do it. Don't make yourself the laughing stock of the market.

This particular station did an admirable job of providing the public with critical information during the height of the storms, but the last 6 or 7 minutes that I have posted here helped make that be easily forgotten.

Anchors Rick Vanhoose and Vicki Dortch and meteorologist Kevan Ramer don't have anything new to say, and poor Liz Everman in the newsroom is reduced to almost begging for someone, anyone to rescue her from the misery of this torture.

Rule of thumb for those in TV land...if you have nothing intelligent to say, go back to regular programming.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• WLKY
• TV
• LOUISVILLE
• KENTUCKY
• SEVERE
• WEATHER
• COVERAGE
• 1995

[mst3k4evr]

Man, they really took "32 For You" literally in this video. I bet even severe weather and tornado buffs were like, "ENOUGH ALREADY!"

[indylre]

yeah this was not a shining example of their coverage by any means. I mean did they really ask if lightning was dangerous?

[indylre]

It is amazing how large the coverage area of many of the Louisville stations is, extending in many cases all the way to Bowling Green and south on 65 all the way to the TN line. They have a responsibility to make sure those counties are warned as well, but in many cases WHAS and WLKY in particular go into overkill.

[indylre]

I think it must be the anchor clearing his throat.

[CommunieNetwork]

ahhhh....2pac and biggie were alive then

[anythingnew]

Make that clear: Lightning IS dangerous.

[KarenHlly]

They only do this when it's convenient. On 8-15-10 there was a tornado warning for an area northeast of Louisville...and WLKY didn't bother to break in (let alone "stay on the air until the warning expired") from the golf tournament.

[chasecroan33]

it was an f2

[sebrian]

I remember that one!

[ReuWil]

That was 1996.

[iMovieFreak3891]

Do you have any videos from the Bullitt County tornado, I believe it was 96' or 97' Not positive which. It was an F3 / F4... I hope you do! Keep em' Coming!