I Mock Your Tiny Doppler

OK, so it’s not cool to make fun of the size of somebody’s Doppler. I did this spot back in 2000 when WRGB erected their own Doppler radar outside their studio in Niskayuna. They went on the air claiming Doppler superiority —and we wanted to let folks know that their radar was more like a toy than a mighty tool for deeply probing the weather.

WRGB had just started airing a spot with meteorologist Steve LaPointe actually scaling the steel tower and then rappelling down. It was a meaningless but memorable stunt that demanded a firm response. Here it is:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/6899305]

It never aired. Management was leery of pointing and laughing at WRGB’s little radar —and since the consultants in Iowa agreed it was killed. That’s probably best. I don’t think anyone wanted to hear Channel 6 explaining that it’s not the size of your Doppler that matters, but how you use it. Even the weather war has rules of engagement.

8 thoughts on “I Mock Your Tiny Doppler

  1. This was obviously before WNYT erected (hah!) their own toy radar?

    Didn’t I see you at Jiminy Peak with a for-real toy radar? Why do I remember seeing a “How big is your doppler?” spot on air?

  2. I swear it never aired!

    The spots with the man-sized Doppler model -like the one we shot at Jiminy- used the line, “We have our own Doppler radar so you don’t have to.”

    One of the great dumb ideas of all time.

  3. Rob, you should take every spot you produced that S.B. looked at, shook his head and turn away and post them.. I know you kept them all.

  4. I don’t think there were many others held off the air —although one time a spot already airing got pulled because a focus group of my fellow employees found it objectionable. That’s a funny story… By the way, you were in the spot!

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