Weather Channel Returns To DirecTV, But With Less Reality Programming

Three months after a standoff over fees left 20 million DirecTV customers without The Weather Channel, the station is making a return to the satellite service. But in order to get that large audience back, the Weather folks have had to agree to some changes in its programming, which some had criticized as being too focused on things other than just telling people about the weather.

According to AJC.com, The Weather Channel will scale back its weekday reality programming by about half as part of this deal with DirecTV. Additionally, subscribers to the satellite service will reportedly get online live-streaming access to the channel on various devices, so long as they verify their DirecTV subscription.

Both sides apologized for the rather public finger-pointing and mud-slinging campaign each had waged over this dispute.

“Our viewers deserve better than a public dispute and we pledge to reward their loyalty with exceptional programming and more weather focused news,” said Weather Company CEO David Kenny, while DirecTV’s chief content officer Dan York said, “It’s a shame these disputes are played out on a public stage.”

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