Weathernews LiVE
Weathernews LiVE (ウェザーニュースLiVE, Uezānyusu LiVE) (WNL) is a Japanese 24-hour live channel owned and operated by Weathernews Inc. (WNI), the largest privately owned weather company in the world. WNL started broadcasting 16 April 2018,[1][2] replacing the original BS Weathernews/WX 24 and SOLiVE 24, a similar streaming service also operated by WNI since 27 April 2009.[3] Though primarily an internet service, as of November 2024 WNL also does simulcasts or inserts some of its programmes in other paid TV or local television channels around Japan.[4][5][6] ProgrammingWeathernews LiVE broadcasts six live programmes of three hours each from 05:00 to 23:00 JST every day;[7] the programmes are routinely divided into 30-minute blocks (around 25 minutes of content and intervals of approximately 5 minutes). The remaining hours are filled with updated weather information graphics and no on-air talent; in case of an emergency, special programming is broadcast and, if necessary, a meteorologist and/or a presenter will provide updates. The channel is focused on weather and meteorological information for Japan, including typhoons, volcanic activity and earthquakes. Most of the content is provided by meteorology professionals by parent company WNI, with weather reports sent by users of the company's mobile app featured during the programming, including guides on how to use some of its features and how to send a report. Some segments, depending on the hour of the day, include the anniversaries of the day, the Japanese seasonal days, weather or Japanese culture-related quizzes, or simply ad lib by the presenters known as casters, who routinely interact with the audience through YouTube or Niconico's chat feature. As of November 2024, WNL broadcasts live on the internet through YouTube, Rakuten Channel (Japan only) and TikTok. It previously streamed on Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, Mildom, LINE Live and Niconico. WNL is home to Weatheroid Type A Airi[8] (nicknamed Ponko), a character based on presenter Airi Yamagishi, who also dubs her voice during her weekly programme on Thursday nights, broadcast since 2014 during the SOLiVE24 era and as of April 2023 preempting the last hour of Weathernews LiVE Moon. The character was introduced in April 2012. In late February 2021, a video where then presenter Saya Hiyama switches from light-hearted banter to an earthquake early warning in a few seconds became a viral phenomenon on internet and gave WNL some renown overseas.[9][10] The clip, shared by one of dozens of WNL fan channels on YouTube, has more than 28 million views as of April 2022.[11] Another clip of Hiyama posted 12 November 2021[12] has earned more than 13 million views on YouTube in part because it was featured on the Daily Mail website. Hiyama, who joined WNL in 2018, left the channel on 30 March 2024;[13] her last programme, Evening, reached 23,000 live viewers on YouTube.[14] WNL's YouTube channel reached 1 million subscribers 20 April 2023.[15][16] ProgrammesAs of November 2024:
TV simulcastsAs of October 2024, some WNL programmes are simulcast on:
PersonnelPresenters (casters)As of December 2024:[22]
On-air meteorologistsAs of September 2024:[22]
References
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