WCBS-2/THE WEATHER CHANNEL From Station-Ary Front

(From ShopTalk)

WCBS-2 New York has escalated the local weather wars by partnering with THE WEATHER CHANNEL.

The new deal, revealed officially yesterday, will have the cable network's logo appear on the station's five-day forecasts and have Weather Channel meteorologists occasionally appear on Ch. 2.

"There's over 100 meteorologists at our fingertips on location without having to send people there," Ch. 2 President and General Manager PETER DUNN said yesterday.

For instance, over the past weekend, viewers saw a couple of Weather Channel meteorologists turn up reporting on the effects of ERNESTO on the East Coast.

Under the terms of the deal, Ch. 2 gains access to
The Weather Channel's vast forecasting and reporting operation.

In exchange, The Weather Channel has access to Ch. 2's staff and can get the information from Ch. 2's Doppler radar system.

"We're going to be able to give you the most accurate forecasts right here in the tri-state area," Ch. 2's weathercaster AUDREY PUENTE told viewers yesterday in revealing the deal.

Ch. 2 staffers will still travel to cover weather events, Dunn said. And once on the scene, they'll have the capability of using
The Weather Channels's remote broadcasting equipment.