WxSTAR 3000 with Animated Backgrounds, 1986, Part IV

In the mid to late 80s, during the local forecast, TWC would air a decorative background. Each cable headend's WeatherSTAR III unit would then output the local forecast text over top of the background. Backgrounds and songs would be assigned to one another, but a song could be used for more than one flavor. For example: Stein & Walder's "The Underground" was always shown with the desert floor background, but sometimes as an E flavor, and others as a D. Part IV.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Weather
• Channel
• WeatherSTAR
• 3000
• III

[krushsister]

Ok, what is the song from the clip beginning at 4:21? I've just got to know. And the song before it is, I think, a variation of the theme of a popular movie -- which one is that? I swear my mom and I saw it in the theater when it was released, so it would've been fairly recent at the time.

[theweatherchazz]

Hey Krushsister - the song is called "Zanzibar Breeze" by Billy Cobham. I hope that helps! :-)

[krushsister]

theweatherchazz: Deity bless you for your assistance and information! I used to be obsessed with the Weather Channel, but I don't remember a lot of these soft jazz songs. Some of them do sound familiar, yes, but not that particular one, and I was so very much, "Wow, that song is really catchy. I've got to check out more." So now I can, thanks to you! And thanks for the nostalgic trips!

[theweatherchazz]

More than welcome!

[theweatherchazz]

LF openers weren't introduced until mid 1990. That is a station identification... the same length and format to what is used at :57 after each hour currently.

[theweatherchazz]

Backgrounds in order of appearance (Note: only the last LF with the waterfall is animated in this clip): Ferns blowing in the wind, surf crashing the shore, a tree lined sunset/rise, a cabin next to the river with sunlit mountains in the background, snow drifts, leaves falling around an unidentified circular structure, leaves in a tree, a lighthouse in the fog, *a waterfall.

[mark40511]

In 1986. I was 14. I vaguely remember the animated backgrounds. "I think" I mostly remember it being blue. I also remember it was 1990 or 1991 when Brevard NC went to weatherstar 4000.

[iloveoreo31]

i'm in love with TWC and all my friends make fun of me for it, but idc!!

[Dac719]

@zjc92 I see.  As for "Local On The 8s", I've seen them. I see them all the time and I wish the old "Now, your local forecast, accurate and dependable on The Weather Channel" forecasts would come back. What system do you have on your Weather Channel?

[zjc92]

@Dac719 No, dude, I mean, they no longer do localized weather. I've heard this is a nationwide deal, but at the very least I haven't seen the "Local On The 8's"

[Dac719]

@zjc92 I know what you mean. I, too, miss the old TWC back in the 80s and 90s. Ever since they replaced WeatherStar 4000 in the late 90s or early 2000s (except in small town cable systems), the station went downhill from there in my opinion. Now, it's...well, I can't say because I don't want to offend anyone who likes the newer TWC of today. I love these old clips from TWC. I really miss the old days.

[zjc92]

Hey, remember when TWC had WEATHER FORECASTS? Those were the days man.

[Jazzoulphrodisiac]

part IV?

where's the other three?

[twcclassics]

@pythonfan1 "I Had A Farm In Africa" by John Barry, from the "Out Of Africa" soundtrack.

[twcclassics]

@emulatorking1192 "El Solitario" by Michel Colombier & Larry Carlton, from the "Against All Odds" soundtrack.

[epzik8]

Scary intro at the beginning :O

[jeshpeter146]

the weather channel has changed so much and i miss it