Weather boosts channel’s ratings

Hurricane season has battered Florida, but it’s been more than kind to the Weather Channel, which posted its biggest ratings month ever in September.

The Atlanta-based cable channel’s staffers know that hurricanes are nothing to celebrate. But there’s no question that five major storms in six weeks means a sunny payoff for them.

“This was a history-making event from a weather perspective, and for the Weather Channel it was a record-breaking ratings season,” said general manager Terry Connelly.

The network posted a single-day record, reaching 1.9 million households the day before Hurricane Ivan made landfall. The next day, as Ivan roared ashore, the Weather Channel beat all other news channels.

The network also posted a weekly ratings record between Aug. 31 and Sept. 5, when Hurricane Frances hit Florida’s east coast. For the third quarter, July through September, the Weather Channel’s ratings were 43% higher than in 2003.