Hey Weather Channel, How Are You?

     This week, everyone seems to be talking about Hurricane Sandy, whether they are making Spongebob jokes about it or placing serious concern on it. Throughout this whole shebang, the Weather Channel's ratings have gone up.  The article states, "The Weather Channel’s coverage of Hurricane Sandy beat all the cable news networks in primetime among adults 25-54 and in overall day viewership." 
     I thought this article was interesting mainly because it is the perfect example of how society dictates what to watch and when. The ratings of the Weather Channel seem to only boost when there are people who are concerned about these events. They seemed focused on others' safety and the news report in general about this natural disaster.

     I just wanted to point out though, that after Hurricane Sandy, the Weather Channel's ratings will return to normal almost immediately. They would no longer have anything to offer their viewers. Thus, even though this story seems insignificant, it got me thinking. The Weather Channel has to deal with this rating influx with every natural disaster. Since ratings are important and this influx seems random (after all you can't predict and actually have a major hurricane every other week), how do they count their total viewers and how do they deal with the odd numbers? 
     Society also seems to deem what gets viral or not as well. They are the ones who allowed the Weather Channel's ratings to get this high, but they are also the ones who allowed Jersey Shore to have more than one season. As a student and consumer, it is interesting to see how what I watch on television impacts the show. As a filmmaker, it makes me wonder how to deal with issues such as the changing ratings. If I were on the Weather Channel team, I would attempt to do something in order to keep at least a majority of the audience even though it would be difficult since, well, it is the Weather Channel. The article is just some food for thought, or at least I believe so.