Local Weather Radar Disappears

On May 1, WISE-TV  added 5 new "channels" to their line up. Good news for "cord-cutters" abandoning cable, but bad news for people concerned about blizzards and tornadoes. 

By adding the new services on 33.2, 33.3, 33.4, 33.5 and 33.6, and dumping the radar from 33.2, WISE (now owned by former competitor WPTA) has alienated a segment of their viewers who, as the Maven understands it, are rather angry. 

In comments seen on related Facebook pages, a station spokesperson responded to concerns of viewers in a rather "corporate" way by, in essence telling viewers that the radar channel is going away and to get over it. 

This is the same "radar" that WPTA once promoted as "an extra layer of protection". 

While concerned viewers can contact the station(s) locally, there are other avenues available to them. 

For those who feel motivated to make a phone call or write a letter, the FCC website is a good source of information about an individual station. Each broadcast station is required to keep a "Public Inspection File" which, among other things, contains ownership information, a copy of their current license, and other helpful items. Public files are now required to be accessible via the internet, saving viewers a drive out to 3401 Butler Road. Keep in mind that this information mirrors typical government forms so they may take some time to digest. 

The Ownership Report for WISE-TV is available at this link (as a .pdf):

https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/tv-profile/wise-tv/ownership-reports/

The Ownership Report for WPTA TV is available at this link (as a .pdf):

https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/tv-profile/wpta/ownership-reports/