Where Is the Weather Channel Located?

The company that owns The Weather Channel, known as The Weather Channel Companies, Inc., is located at 300 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30339.

When the weather channel began, the chosen headquarters for The Weather Channel was in Cumberland Mall, an area in northwest Atlanta. The city of Atlanta was chosen for two reasons:

• A stable and reliable satellite so that John Coleman, the meteorologist who pioneered the channel, could uplink and still fulfill the obligations of his contract with Good Morning America.
• The temperate weather that occurs in Atlanta, Georgia made the area a good place from which to broadcast about weather.

So, now we know that the headquarters of the Weather Channel is located in Georgia. However, there is a lot more to know about the weather channel than just where it is located.

History of the Weather Channel

The concept of The Weather Channel was first pioneered by a meteorologist

for ABC’s Good Morning America by the name of John Coleman.

• He had the idea that the people of the United States and around the world would be interested in an-around-the-clock cable station that offered nothing but weather information.
• Although he believed in the idea, he found others reluctant to agree with his concept.
• Despite pitching his idea to multiple communication companies, they kept turning him down.
• However, he finally caught the interest of Frank Batten, Sr. who was the chairman of Landmark Communications.
• Batten had an interest in the weather that was stronger than most because he was an experienced sailor. At the time, he realized that the three minute spots given to weather reporting on networks was lacking and primitive.
• Approximately $40 million was raised to launch the network and so began the history of The Weather Channel that we all know today.

Statistics on the Weather Channel

As of 2010, the Weather Channel has existed for approximately 29 years.

On the eve of this landmark for the company, here are some statistics and more history about the company.

• The Weather Channel first went on the air on May 2, 1982. Far from the large broadcast room that exists now, the first broadcast was aired from a tiny room called the Weather Closet. This room measured approximately 15 feet by 15 feet.

• Within the first year of operation, The Weather Channel was in a financial crisis. The plan had been to garner enough money from advertisers on the network to pay for the programming. However, advertisers were not warming up to the idea behind the concept of The Weather Channel.
• The company ended up in a financial pinch. To fix the problem, The Weather Channel began charging cable providers five cents per cable customer to carry the channel. This allowed them to recover from the financial situation they were in. Advertisers are now more confident in the idea behind The Weather Channel, after its proven success.

• In 1995, The Weather Channel began including live weather reports from field reporters. Revenue from advertising exceeded $40 million and subscriber fees bought in another $48 million. The company also created revenue by creating CD-roms, books, and other weather related materials and selling them to the public. During this same year they also launched their Internet website.

Today the Weather Channel is a huge success. The company employs approximately 900 people and its sales exceed $302 million. The channel reaches more than 70 million subscribers and receives more than 350 million hits on its Internet website. It has quickly become one of the most popular channels and its highest ratings occur in the mornings and during points of severe weather when it occurs throughout the United States.