Text of Ex-BBC Weather Boss's Criticism

Here is an edited version of the post on the BBC Weather Centre
website from former editor John Teather:

So far I have managed not to get embroiled in the debate over the new
weather graphics, as I knew I would only be painted as an old guy from
the past who cannot deal with change.

“I fully expect to be castigated for having made the following
comments. However, as the former Editor of the BBC Weather Centre, and
directly responsible for the ’old graphics’, the time has clearly come
for me to comment.

“It is not so much about graphics; it is wilful disregard for all that
we learnt over the past 25 years and the loss of the clear
responsibility the BBC has to its license payers.

“Public service broadcasting is about achieving the best on the
resources available.

“The clear job of the BBC Weather Centre is to provide the public with
the best possible meteorology on all platforms in a timely and
accurate manner.

“There is an implicit clear responsibility to support UK Ltd by
helping people with their lives and businesses. In particular this has
never been more important when we face the uncertain future of climate
change.

“But let me address this need to change. 3-D Fly-through graphics are
not new. I saw them over 20 years ago.

“Together with Bill Giles, my senior weather broadcaster, we would
regularly go to the American Meteorological Society annual conference
to look for new techniques and ideas.

“We would watch with awe at the tricks that could be performed; but we
always came to same conclusion – is it going to help us tell the
weather story.

“The answer to that never changed – a resounding NO. What we did learn
from our colleagues in the USA, was it was the news directors who got
excited over the graphics, and when the broadcaster did not use them –
they got instructed by their TV stations to use them – whether or not
they told the story!

“It was a case of ’style over content’, which was fine for the USA –
but not for the UK.

“So, when in 2001 the BBC Weather Centre’s ownership passed from the
presentation department to the news division, I wondered how long it
would be before this sort of graphics would be forced on the screen,
and style became all. I left the BBC the same year.

“The approach I took over the 25 years or so during which I was
involved with weather was ’evolution – not revolution’.

“Really the only major change was in 1985 when we moved from magnetic
rubber symbols to electronic symbols.

“At this point we developed a new visual vocabulary, which even
through later graphical enhancements, never changed. What we provided
to the duty broadcaster was a palette of graphics that would help tell
the ’weather story of the day’.

“I was never prescriptive over what graphics should be contained in
any forecast. It was driven solely by the meteorology.

“I fear now that the BBC weather forecasts have become prescriptive
’thou shalt not show a pressure chart – thou shalt not use weather
symbols – thou shalt not show any graphic which will help the viewer
understand the forecast’.

“But what we are left with is fly-throughs driven by Met Office Model
Output. We all know that the model gets it wrong, both in terms of
timing and detail.

“To base a complete forecast on this is an extraordinarily naïve
decision. So for example on the Sunday evening broadcast last weekend,
rain was shown for Tuesday morning over the south where I live.

“On the Monday evening there was no rain shown for Tuesday morning.
However, the reality was rain and gales on Tuesday ruining an outside
event in which I was involved.

“This is typical of the model at this time of the year, but to show it
in such detail on screen as if it is the gospel is ridiculous.

“So the meteorology has been thrown out together with the bath water.
The team of excellent Broadcast Meteorologists at the BBC are reduced
to describing what is on the graphic when they know the detail is
untrue.

“So, where from here? The BBC has got to get back to basics and know
what its job really is. Next, the graphics have to be re-designed and
re-thought so that rather than being in conflict with the weather
story there are fully in support of it.

“Finally, the project leader and his team responsible for this error
of judgement should consider their positions!”

(from The Scotsman)