If you spend a lot of time watching hotel cable TV, or if you need to plan an outdoor event the odds are good that at some point you have consulted The Weather Channel at one point or another. If you’re not familiar with them, or if you just are not too familiar with the workings of the company here is a look at how they have chosen to describe themselves, “Since 1982, The Weather Channel has brought timely weather information to the world. Beginning as a 24-hour, 7 day television network devoted entirely to weather, it has expanded across several mediums to bring the breaking weather to its viewers and users. Cable Networks Through the WEATHER STAR ®, the immediate real-time relay of severe weather watches and warnings is the most vital service provided by The Weather Channel. Information from the National Weather Service, such as severe weather alerts and current conditions, is transmitted to custom equipment at each cable location, as are thousands of customized weather forecasts prepared by The Weather Channel meteorologists.”
Sadly the company is getting ready to cut back on enough workers to qualify as a mass layoff action. For those of you who are not familiar with the idea of a mass layoff action here is a look at how the federal government defines the term, “The Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program collects reports on mass layoff actions that result in workers being separated from their jobs. Monthly mass layoff numbers are from establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a 5-week period. Extended mass layoff numbers (issued quarterly) are from a subset of such establishments—where private sector nonfarm employers indicate that 50 or more workers were separated from their jobs for at least 31 days.” The company is getting ready to cut back on between 75 and 80 workers in a move to reduce its costs.

Interestingly enough in its most recent release the company choose, in its most recent release, to talk about winter storm names instead, “The Weather Channel announced today its new naming system for winter storms, making it the first national organization in North America to proactively name winter storms. In time for the start of the winter season, naming storms makes communications and information sharing  easier, enabling consumers to better understand forecasts that could significantly affect their lives. “On a national scale, the most intense winter storms acquire a name through some aspect of pop culture and now, social media, for example Snowmaggeddon and Snotober,” said Tom Niziol, winter weather expert for The Weather Channel Companies. “Retrospectively naming lake effect storms has been a local success at The National Weather Service office in Buffalo, NY as well as with Weather Services throughout Europe and we believe it can be a useful tool on a national scale in the U.S.” The Weather Channel has the meteorological ability, support and technology to bring a more systematic approach to naming winter storms, similar to the way tropical storms have been named for years, staying true to its mission to keep the public safe and informed in times of severe-weather events.”