My colleague Anita Hamilton breaks down the business of NBC Universal’s purchase of the Weather Channel. Or should we say, its purchase of weather.com:
NBC may have other motivations for its new acquisition — particularly on the Web and in digital broadcasts. While consumers have little reason to type nbc.com into their browsers, The Weather Channel’s site attracts some 40 million unique monthly visitors, according to Nielsen Online. The merger could help drive new traffic to NBC’s other digital content. What’s more, The Weather Channel, which is currently owned by Landmark Communications, has a brand-new $60 million state-of-the-art, high-definition recording studio in Atlanta, from which it can produce digital broadcasts both for television and the Web. Viewers can also look forward to long-form programming, like weather documentaries and dramas, that meld Weather Channel content with NBC talent.
Ann Curry: Tornado Chaser—bring it on!