{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.021159153633854646, 'fraction_numerical': 0.011959521619135235, 'mean_word_length': 5.112359550561798, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Television Weathercasts and Their Role in Geographic Education

Abstract Television weathercasts provide an effective means for furthering place name and physical geography; the training of weathercasters can promote interaction between geographers and journalists. This paper summarizes the development and present status of weathercasting in the U.S. as well as the role geographers can play in the training of weathercasters. Since its development in the 1940s, weathercasting has been strained by the desire to be meteorologically correct and to provide an entertaining presentation. After a decade of “weather clowns,” the American Meteorological Society through its Seal of Approval program and direct input has steadily improved the training of weathercasters so that today, 55 percent have the equivalent of a B.S. in meteorology. Still, 19 percent never have had a single course in meteorology. Most weathercasts consume 3.5 minutes of the 22.5 net minutes of the local news. Weathercasts are shorter in the larger, more urban market areas and contain less applied weather in...