NBC Universal announced it will purchase the Weather Channel for an undisclosed amount. The Atlanta based channel that offers weather news & information 24-hours a day in both standard and high definition, was first put up for sale back in January. Other potential buyers of the channel included Time Warner (who apparently backed out because the price was too high), News Corp., Viacom and CBS Corp.
The Weather Channel recently finished building a $60 million high-definition (HD) facility that includes a ground-breaking giant $400,000 HD screen, which will be used in broadcasts to display radar, maps and graphics.
According to an article by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jeff Zucker, president and CEO, NBC Universal, said in a statement, “This will further position NBC Universal as the leading provider of news, information and weather, both online and on television.”
Frank Batten Sr., Landmark’s former chairman and chief executive officer, is “grieving about the sale, but he supports it,” said Richard Barry, vice chairman of Landmark.
