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Met Office loses BBC contract


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Posted
  • Location: Evesham/ Tewkesbury
  • Weather Preferences: Enjoy the weather, you can't take it with you 😎
  • Location: Evesham/ Tewkesbury

As I said earlier, I really welcome a change , and the BBC although itself far from perfect need to stay alive too in these days of high competition. Re-organization / Change, call it what you will ,this needs to be done . and long overdue too! So a massive blow to Exeter today, will be interesting to see what changes in the months ahead. The BBC and Met Office  are British instututions  , both have seen massive cracks in there foundations in recent years, perhaps we will see something different and better from both organizations as a result of this.... :) As far as Im concerned this change is a Breath Of Fresh Air :)

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

I do agree with the sentiment that the Met Office shouldn't be infallible, if they are deemed inferior to a rival then they should be ditched. If that is the case here, rather than cost-cutting, then I fully agree with it.

 

Although we have no evidence to suggest that the Met Office charged too much to be fair, all conjecture!

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Posted
  • Location: Aviemore
  • Location: Aviemore

As with any change, it's maybe best to see what happens, have an open mind and judge after the event rather than pre-empting what may happen. 

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Posted
  • Location: Near Romford Essex.
  • Location: Near Romford Essex.

FWIW I think the Met Office forecasters are the best of the best! So with their standards being so high I would guess they have to turn down many applicants that don't quite reach the level required :)

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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

As I said earlier, I really welcome a change , and the BBC although itself far from perfect need to stay alive too in these days of high competition. Re-organization / Change, call it what you will ,this needs to be done . and long overdue too! So a massive blow to Exeter today, will be interesting to see what changes in the months ahead. The BBC and Met Office  are British instututions  , both have seen massive cracks in there foundations in recent years, perhaps we will see something different and better from both organizations as a result of this.... :) As far as Im concerned this change is a Breath Of Fresh Air :)

 

What massive cracks would they be? It has a well earned global reputation for excellence in a number of fields. A discussion on losing a contract with the BBC. a contract that has caused not a few headaches over the years, seems to have turned into a general criticism of the METO by people generally coming from a position of ignorance.

Edited by knocker
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I do agree with the sentiment that the Met Office shouldn't be infallible, if they are deemed inferior to a rival then they should be ditched. If that is the case here, rather than cost-cutting, then I fully agree with it.

 

Although we have no evidence to suggest that the Met Office charged too much to be fair, all conjecture!

 

I hope it is not Exacta Weather!!!!

 

(Wonder who it could be though in all seriousness.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

I hope it is not Exacta Weather!!!!

 

(Wonder who it could be though in all seriousness.

 

Haha. From what I've heard, I would put MeteoGroup as the favourites.

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .

Jeez is any thing sacred. This new provider what models will they have access to? A terrible decision but I sense this was politically motivated. Just wait for the furore when the BBC threaten to drop Strictly Come Dancing and Wimbledon under the guise of cost-cutting!

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

Jeez is any thing sacred. This new provider what models will they have access to? A terrible decision but I sense this was politically motivated. Just wait for the furore when the BBC threaten to drop Strictly Come Dancing and Wimbledon under the guise of cost-cutting!

 

Any weather forecasting company worth their salt will have paid access to the full model suite.

 

Some clients for forecasting companies will have pre-requisites, requiring the winner of the contract to have the full data available. I am certain the BBC will have this too.

Edited by Nick L
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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Even the American Military have ditched there own for Meto, That contract alone must be worth gordknows what. 

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

I don't think people realise just how many public, taxpayer funded services rely on private sector weather forecasts. You'd be surprised!

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .

Any weather forecasting company worth their salt will have paid access to the full model suite.

 

Some clients for forecasting companies will have pre-requisites, requiring the winner of the contract to have the full data available. I am certain the BBC will have this too.

Will the BBC still have to pay for using UKMO weather warnings as they've apparently said they will continue to do that? And if they have so much faith in the new provider it seems not enough when it comes to weather that could have a big impact. So in a sense this new provider is given a free pass on the most important aspects of what the UKMO does and won't get it in the neck if things go pear-shaped with those UKMO warnings. So the UKMO will lose a pile of money and then likely be sold off to the Chinese by the Tories who want to rid Britain of most British institutions! The Queen should be worried, I hear Buckingham Palace is to be sold off to Donald Trump!

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Posted
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.
  • Weather Preferences: Varied and not extreme.
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.

neither Michael Fish nor John Kettley were fully qualified meteorologists (is that  BSc, MSc, PhD?) , they were Met Office trained Weather Forecasters. 

 

Interesting.  For some reason I hadn't twigged that - though Michael's comments after he went on one of Paul S's storm-chasing trips should have told me. :oops:

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Posted
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.
  • Weather Preferences: Varied and not extreme.
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.

Such as

 

"Extreme weather warnings, where harm or death may result, I can understand.

Beyond that, weather forecasts are amongst the most inane things in existence.

I cannot comprehend the mindset of halfwits who watch, listen to or read weather forecasts. These imbeciles should be sterilised so their idiot genes do not condemn another generation to live in moronity."

 

Anyway i was shocked to hear this, maybe some competition is good. The BBC is struggling to keep on the good side of the public regarding finances so i guess this is a inventible reaction to that. I just hope the BBC play this smart. Usually cheaper means worse quality.

 

I suspect the "halfwit" here is the commenter rather than the targets of his/her rant.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

Will the BBC still have to pay for using UKMO weather warnings as they've apparently said they will continue to do that? And if they have so much faith in the new provider it seems not enough when it comes to weather that could have a big impact. So in a sense this new provider is given a free pass on the most important aspects of what the UKMO does and won't get it in the neck if things go pear-shaped with those UKMO warnings. So the UKMO will lose a pile of money and then likely be sold off to the Chinese by the Tories who want to rid Britain of most British institutions! The Queen should be worried, I hear Buckingham Palace is to be sold off to Donald Trump!

 

Bit of an OTT and melodramatic post, don't you think? I don't even know what the bit in bold means! 

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Posted
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.
  • Weather Preferences: Varied and not extreme.
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.

 

 

Some very good points there Alex, and agree with all of them. The temperature issue is well known that 'Best Data' underestimates daytime maxima and even more grossly overnight minima -  sometimes by as much as 8C etc. That's why you can't just rely on pure model output all the time, you have to do intervention - else what's the point of the human forecaster?! When I'm on TV shifts I will act as a forecaster, not just a messenger, and will tweak the temperatures etc to what I think is more likely to happen and thus hopefully producing a much more accurate forecast for my region. There are certain days when you'll never hit the top temperature forecast bang on, 1st July was one of those days - I don't think anyone was brave enough to go for 37C for that day.

 

With regards to the contract, the BBC are seeking an all inclusive data/guidance and graphics package as one contract, instead of the separate ones currently with Metra and the Met Office. And that is where, I believe, the Met Office was rejected, on the grounds that their graphics options were not good enough to replace the current WeatherScapeXT suite - I haven't heard anything about the BBC being dissatisfied with the accuracy or the quality of Met Office forecasts. Cost may have been part of it also, I don't know... 

 

 

Thanks Dan; most informative.  Other than yourself and the rest of the forecasters using data from Metra/Netherlands, will we see any significant changes to our regional forecasts?

Edited by chrisbell-nottheforecaster
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Posted
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.
  • Weather Preferences: Thunder, snow, heat, sunshine...
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.

Jeez is any thing sacred. This new provider what models will they have access to? A terrible decision but I sense this was politically motivated. Just wait for the furore when the BBC threaten to drop Strictly Come Dancing and Wimbledon under the guise of cost-cutting!

I agree. The cack must stay, at whatever cost,  but the quality can get flushed down the capitalists' toilet...

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Posted
  • Location: Evesham/ Tewkesbury
  • Weather Preferences: Enjoy the weather, you can't take it with you 😎
  • Location: Evesham/ Tewkesbury

Will the BBC still have to pay for using UKMO weather warnings as they've apparently said they will continue to do that? And if they have so much faith in the new provider it seems not enough when it comes to weather that could have a big impact. So in a sense this new provider is given a free pass on the most important aspects of what the UKMO does and won't get it in the neck if things go pear-shaped with those UKMO warnings. So the UKMO will lose a pile of money and then likely be sold off to the Chinese by the Tories who want to rid Britain of most British institutions! The Queen should be worried, I hear Buckingham Palace is to be sold off to Donald Trump!

Im afraid its early news and let the dust settle, The Beeb have already got a draft to follow and so as the Met Office... :closedeyes:

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Posted
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.
  • Weather Preferences: Varied and not extreme.
  • Location: South Norfolk, 44 m ASL.

Even the American Military have ditched there own for Meto, That contract alone must be worth gordknows what.

 

Apparently, it's the USAF in Europe - still important, but not as eyebrow-raising as you suggest! :D

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .

Bit of an OTT and melodramatic post, don't you think? I don't even know what the bit in bold means! 

Whats melodramatic about it. If the BBC have so much faith in the new provider why don't they use their weather warnings. So its clear to me that this decision is not based on the best provider but the cheapest. The BBC hope that the public won't notice the dodgy new forecasts most of the time. They then can use the UKMO for weather warnings where the consequences are much greater. If they go wrong the UKMO takes the flak.

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Posted
  • Location: Norwich
  • Location: Norwich

Thanks Dan  most informative.  Other than yourself and the rest of the forecasters using data from Metra/Netherlands, will we see any significant changes to our regional forecasts?

As far as I'm aware, any changes would be minimal as most regional presenters are hired by the BBC (or in our case through a contract with other private weather companies such as Weatherquest). The only change would naturally be the graphics package (should they change of course...)

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Posted
  • Location: Hanley, Stoke-on-trent
  • Location: Hanley, Stoke-on-trent

I wonder where the savings will go? And will the 'customer' benefit mmm.. Maybe this could highlight the options of private company's more to the public, Which is a good thing.

Paying for television licences for old people I imagine?

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Posted
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.
  • Weather Preferences: Thunder, snow, heat, sunshine...
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.

Whats melodramatic about it. If the BBC have so much faith in the new provider why don't they use their weather warnings. So its clear to me that this decision is not based on the best provider but the cheapest. The BBC hope that the public won't notice the dodgy new forecasts most of the time. They then can use the UKMO for weather warnings where the consequences are much greater. If they go wrong the UKMO takes the flak.

Take the credit for normal forecasts; blame the MetO, when warnings don't come to fruition...It's the capitalists' dream come true!

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