NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center is planning to discontinue its space weather message broadcast, which airs on radio station WWV on minute 18 and on WWVH on minute 45.
Technically these are called “synoptic Geo-Alert products.” The broadcast is to be discontinued in Sept. 6. The Space Weather website states that the information remains available via other channels including its Product Subscription Service — the WWV product can be found under the “Forecast and Summaries” section — and at its website.
The SWPC, part of the National Weather Service, generates space weather alerts, watches and warnings. Space weather includes solar and geophysical events that affect satellites, power grids, communications, navigation and other systems. SWPC also explores and evaluates new models and products and transitions them into operations.
Radio World sent an inquiry e-mail and received this response from Patrick V. Gajdys of the SWPC:
“The reason for discontinuing this service is entirely budget-driven. As we begin to receive reductions to our funding levels, we are forced to examine our entire program and make cuts. The WWV service costs are quite high and the information we provide on it is currently duplicated via the Internet service we listed on the spaceweather.gov/wwv web page. A very large majority of our customers use our Internet feeds, so when comparing the two duplicate services it was clear to us that the WWV service was that most logical service to cut.”
Gajdys said, “All comments received will be compiled and presented to NWS before stopping the transmissions.”
The center invited e-mailed comments and questions to [email protected].
— Paul McLane
