Viewers are Pissed
It is something that TV stations have to deal with when severe weather moves into the area.
Interrupt the big game or not?
Lansing's WILX broke into the Michigan/Norte Dame game to update viewers on the weather and the viewers were not happy.
WILX's general manager defended a meteorologist's decision to interrupt Saturday night's NBC prime time broadcast of the Michigan-Notre Dame football game for about 20 minutes.
WILX-TV's audience needed to be informed about tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings in parts of mid-Michigan, GM Debbie Petersmark said.
"Our severe weather policy allows the meteorologist on duty the discretion to interrupt programming based on their expert opinion of weather conditions, and the risk to people’s safety," Petersmark said.
The live weather alert from meteorologist Dustin Bonk appeared on viewers' screens at 7:47 p.m. and continued until 8:07 p.m. during the first quarter of the game broadcast from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish beat the Wolverines 24-17.
Petersmark said WILX's weather alert Saturday evening gives the station "an opportunity to evaluate best practices," including the appropriate length of warnings that interrupt programming.
Bonk apologized early Sunday morning to football fans for his interruption the previous evening, but said the storms merited the interuption.
"I had a job to keep our viewers informed across all Mid-Michigan," Bonk wrote on Twitter, and also explained his decision on Facebook. "Thank you our many supportive viewers that extended their gratitude for our weather coverage!"
Plus, the fact that it was just a Michigan game and not a real team like Ohio State should have viewers stopping their whining.