
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 30, 1995                   TAG: 9505300028
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WEATHER CAN BE A SELLING TOOL

Q: Both WDBJ (Channel 7) and WSLS (Channel 10) recently ran tornado watches. Channel 7 said the National Weather Service had issued the tornado watch. Channel 10 said their report was from the Channel 10 weather office. Can just anyone issue a tornado watch if he sees the weather is bad enough? Are we getting our information from the weather service or from the weather office at a TV station?

P.K., Botetourt County

A: Broadcasters cannot properly issue weather watches on their own. The National Weather Service must issue the watch or warning first.

Differences you notice in the broadcasts are a marketing competition.

Both stations heavily promote their weather broadcasts, which, for the most part, use information sent by the National Weather Service.

Channel 10's strategy is to emphasize that Bill Meck is in the office checking data when the notice about severe weather is broadcast.

"We will put on, `From Channel 10 Meteorologist Bill Meck: the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch,''' Meck said.

Channel 7's approach is to get the severe weather notice on the air as quickly as possible by an automatic, computerized process, said Channel 7 weather anchor Robin Reed.

Stations originate their own weather information when an experienced spotter reports hail or snow in a particular area.

Both stations emphasize their people when they promote their news and weather coverage, but Channel 10 tends to use the personality angle a bit more.

Named for fresh air?

Q: Where did the name for the Airpoint community on Bent Mountain come from?

A.R., Roanoke County

A: The name dates back at least to 1878, when the Airpoint post office was established.

Neither written nor oral history seems to have recorded why local residents liked the name.

A couple of dozen phone calls to longtime residents of the area revealed only that many of them share a theory:

Airpoint probably was named for the fresh air at its site on the point of Bent Mountain's plateau.

We can experience this today by driving south on U.S. 221 from Cave Spring. Roll down the window so the wind hits your arm. By the second curve of Bent Mountain, you'll start to feel cooler.

From the plateau's edge at 2,600 feet elevation, Airpoint farmers and orchardists, on a clear night in the 1870s, probably could see a few lights in Big Lick 12 miles away.

Prominent names among Airpoint farmers in the 1890s included Coles, Woodrum, Powell and Terry.

The Coles family later operated an egg farm, and the Woodrums became known for law and politics.

Airpoint's post office closed in 1954.

Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.

by CNB