大象传媒

11 January 1954 was the moment the 大象传媒 Television launched its weather forecasting service – where a forecaster could be seen!

Pre-war 大象传媒 television had attempted weather forecasts, with simple hand drawn maps and symbols, but to many these were more akin to radio with pictures, resembling little of what we understand television weather forecasting to be in the 21st century.

From black and white to digital

Former 大象传媒 News correspondent Nick Higham looks at 70 years of weather on 大象传媒 Television in this updated archive report, and speaks with veteran forecasters about just how different TV forecasts were in the early years. Sadly Jack Armstrong died in 1984, and George Cowling in 2009.

Early attempts

In the early 1950s executives at the 大象传媒 Television Service began an extensive review of the visual appeal and style of the channel.

They analysed the quality of the announcing and promotion of programmes and channel identity. As weather forecasting came under the control of the 大象传媒鈥檚 Presentation Department, the manner and effectiveness of forecasters also came under the spotlight.

In this rare footage Jack Armstrong attempts a natural and relaxed forecasting style, with mixed success.

Here, 大象传媒 Television Service (Scotland) newsreader Henry Gray announces the weather, out of vision. The footage is the first known recording of a broadcast TV weather bulletin at 大象传媒 Archives. It would have followed the in-vision national weather broadcast from London. A few silent frames of this can be seen before the Scottish weather starts.

The first 25 years

On 9 January 1979, the current affairs programme Nationwide sent presenter Bob Wellings to the roof of 大象传媒 Television Centre, to meet all the 大象传媒 weather forecasters for their first major on air anniversary.

Here they recall the sometimes hair raising moments of live TV weather forecasting.

This is the only televised moment where all 大象传媒 weather forecasters up to that point were seen together. There were 25 forecasters present, a mixture of retired staff and those still on air, an apt number given the anniversary.

Michael Fish - a life in weather forecasting

Michael Fish, one of the 大象传媒's longest serving weather forecasters remembers the high and lows of his career, including his legendary great storm of 1987 broadcast.

Barbara Edwards - the 大象传媒's first women weather forecaster

Barbara Edwards started giving the weather forecast on 大象传媒 Radio in 1970, moving into continuity announcing on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in 1972. It was back to weather forecasting in 1974, but this time for television, a first for UK broadcasting.

Here she recalls the obstacles of being a woman in a male dominated environment, and recalls comments from viewers, mainly concerned with what she was wearing, rather than what she said.

When television weather was 50

For many years, in addition to weather broadcasts, the 大象传媒 made its own programme dedicated to everything you wanted to know about the weather. It was called The Weather Show.

In this special edition, the 50th anniversary of weather forecasting on television is being celebrated.