It usually means missed network TV programs.
The question is:
When is severe weather coverage "too much"- especially when that severe weather is more than 50 miles away from Metro Kansas City and not heading for the Metro.
To be fair- Kansas City television's "DMA"- demographic market area- includes large parts of northern Missouri.
Last night- a "small" tornado touched down northwest of Chillicothe-MO and threatened that Livingston County town of around 9000.
Chillicothe is about 65 miles northeast of downtown KC-MO..
The storms causing the tornado were moving east and southeast- far away from any part of Metro K.C.. Though most of Metro K.C. was under a Tornado Watch until 8pm- there was no storm or even shower activity threatening Metro K.C..
The estimated population of the areas threatened by the severe weather or in the path of the storms was around 40000 (probably very generous) or about 2% of the total Metropolitan Kansas City population of around two-million.
Yet- all 4 network TV stations in Kansas City went "wall to wall" with severe weather coverage- depriving network programs to about 98% of their OTHER viewers not threatened by even a rain shower.
To their credit- KSHB NBC-41 and WDAF Fox-4 ended the weather orgy earlier than KCTV CBS-5 or KMBC ABC-9.
Sure- the TV stations have an obligation to warn ALL viewers in their DMA if potentially deadly weather heads their way (cloud to ground lightning too?).
The BIG question in the minds of Metro K.C. TV viewers Thursday evening was:
Did a small tornado nearly 70 miles away in the other direction warrant continuous severe weather coverage?
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