An overview of news broadcast templates and graphics for weather

The broadcast world is changing at a rapid rate. Nowadays, broadcasters are expected to create more content to stay competitive, and across a wider variety of channels than ever before. One of the most pronounced additions to assist with the increased rate of production is the use of broadcast graphics and templates. While these tools can absolutely make producing news broadcasts for weather easier, more productive and more professional, many broadcasters may have questions about where to start, and who to partner with.

Read on for a comprehensive overview of available news broadcast graphics and templates for weather so you can identify the ones that are best for you and your broadcast needs.

What components make up a news broadcast for weather?

While weather broadcasts vary from station to station, they all share a few common components, which include the following:

Branding

A good broadcast is well-branded. While broadcasts are meant to be informative and useful for viewers, they’re also a company asset, and they need to be branded accordingly. Branding can include a station’s talent, logo and colors.

Graphics

Graphics, particularly weather graphics if it’s a weather news story, are another essential component of a good news broadcast. Again, a functional broadcast is meant to be informative, and graphics are a key pillar to good communication. Good graphics are eye-catching, easy to understand, relevant and up-to-the-minute.

Storytelling

Last but not least, modern news broadcasts should include an element of storytelling. Telling a compelling story engages viewers and helps differentiate broadcasts from one another while also keeping viewers engaged.

What are broadcast graphics?

Broadly speaking, broadcast graphics are the visual and animated elements used in television or video broadcasts. Broadcast graphics serve several important purposes, including enhancing the presentation of on-screen information and engaging and informing viewers.

Broadcasters usually display broadcast graphics on screen alongside the main content, including but not limited to sports events, live shows or news production.

Here are a few more specific examples of broadcast graphics and how they can be used to enhance every broadcast:

Weather graphics and visualizations

Weather graphics and weather map software are excellent ways to add more depth to a presentation. According to research from Magid and The Weather Company, viewers want to see better graphics and maps, as well as quicker updates.

That’s where tools like Max Sky and MAXimum Earth come in. Max Sky uses the Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System (GRAF) weather model to provide hyper-local landscape designs and weather forecast visualizations. Designed to allow broadcasters to use more than 200 cloud templates, advanced particle animations and atmospheric effects, Max Sky is the perfect way to stand out in your local market.

MAXimum Earth, on the other end, provides broadcasters with high-resolution terrain images, blended maps and insets to cover major cities around the globe all in 4k resolution to keep presentations exciting.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality has become a popular element in broadcast graphics. Ideal for overlaying information on visuals, augmented reality tools, like Max Reality, are a great way to provide deeper and more detailed insights for viewers. With dynamic graphics, including 3D images of severe weather, Max Reality serves to keep your viewers engaged and tuned into your broadcast for longer.

Traffic

For many people, tuning into a regular news broadcast is their primary source of traffic information. Fortunately, a tool like Max Traffic makes it possible to provide real-time traffic graphics that display bottlenecks, back-ups and accidents so commuters can make informed driving decisions and better plan their commute.

Branding

Last but not least, your team can use broadcast graphics to create custom formats that reflect your branding, including colors and logos. This is a great way to simplify your broadcasts and ensure each one is immediately recognizable. Max Velocity is a video production tool that allows your team members to produce graphics and templates based on your brand needs. It is offered through Max Cloud, allowing remote access to your system and assets wherever the weather takes you.

What is a broadcast template used for?

Broadcast templates, such as those produced through Max Velocity, allow news stations to quickly adapt to changing news and weather stories or to create new content across various channels. They also provide a standardized, fundamental structure for the graphic elements used in television broadcasts, creating a cohesive brand design.

Using broadcast templates for cross-channel content

For many broadcasters, it’s important to create content that can be used across various channels because viewers are engaging with weather information in various places. According to our research with Magid, local television and mobile apps tie when it comes to preference in consuming severe weather data.

Ashton Altieri from CBS4 also noted how important it was to create content for linear TV and his station’s digital platforms. However, content needs to be specific to each channel and the desires of each audience. For example, digital videos may focus on breaking news and actionable weather updates.

When creating a cross-channel strategy, graphics and videos will need to be reformatted and resized for each platform. With the right broadcast template tool, videos can automatically be tailored to fit their appropriate formats. Templates also make it easy to quickly produce custom videos.

How does a broadcast template help with branding?

According to our research, 50% of viewers don’t have a preferred weather forecast. Branding helps viewers differentiate between different news stations while driving engagement in the following ways:

Automation streamlines branding efforts

Branding is a critical part of any good broadcast, but it’s also time-consuming. Fortunately, automation streamlines branding efforts and makes it easier to create consistent, recognizable broadcasts without investing too much time, energy and resources in doing so. With Max Engage, broadcasters can auto-generate mobile content, meeting audience demand and boosting engagement.

Provides a consistent look

Great broadcasts are recognizable and consistent. Fortunately, broadcast templates help ensure this consistency and make it easier than ever for publishers to achieve. Whether a station is using augmented reality or traffic graphics, broadcasts will be recognizable and reliable, which is essential for brand and station loyalty.

Optimizes resource use

Broadcast templates allow stations to optimize their resource use to create beautiful, attention-grabbing broadcasts without having to hire a specialized team. The result is easier, more streamlined broadcasts. Additionally, with The Weather Company’s cloud production tools, any member of the team can create and publish from wherever they happen to be.

Broadcast templates for severe weather presentations

What are severe weather graphics?

Severe weather graphics are visuals used by broadcasters and meteorologists to convey critical real-time information about weather conditions. Usually, severe weather graphics are displayed as emergency alerts on-screen during television or internet broadcasts. They may include any of the following types of severe weather graphics:

• Severe thunderstorm warnings
• Tornado warnings
• Flash flood warnings
• Hurricane or tropical storm warnings
• Hail warnings
• Blizzard warnings
• Severe weather warnings
• Radar imagery
• And more

How can broadcast templates help when forecasting severe weather?

Severe weather graphics are some of the most important and informative elements of any broadcast. They provide vital safety information to viewers, allowing your audience to make informed decisions regarding the weather. Additionally, broadcast templates can help you deliver timely updates as quickly as possible.

Here are a few examples:

• Broadcast templates deliver crucial information that is easy to understand.
• Templates can be automated and deployed at any moment, which is perfect for broadcasting information about rapidly changing weather events.
• Good broadcast templates increase audience retention and engagement, which allows your severe weather forecasts to reach more people.

According to Magid Research, viewers want to see more up-to-date reports on severe weather. Automating weather forecasts and the template process can help stations become a trusted source for their viewers, which has the potential to save lives and minimize damage during a severe weather event.

Integrating broadcast templates and severe weather graphics to heighten storytelling

If you want to make your broadcasts more impactful and informative, integrating broadcast templates is a great place to start. Because broadcast templates allow for customization, branding and integration of various graphics and visualizations, they’re the perfect tech stack addition for any broadcaster or publisher looking to enhance their storytelling and increase audience retention.

Using Max products to enhance your broadcasts

Looking for the perfect products to enhance your broadcasts? Look no further than Max products. Our broadcast templates and graphics allow you to maintain your competitive edge and publish informative, accurate and exciting broadcasts every single day.

Frequently asked questions about broadcast templates

How do news stations create a broadcast template?

For news stations interested in creating broadcast templates, the process is easier than it initially sounds. The important part is finding the right partner to support your station in the process.

Fortunately, Max Velocity offers several out-of-the-box templates that can be tweaked based on station needs and even needs across several brands.

Want to see an example of these templates in the real world? Check out this video of Tim Heller showing how to customize and refine templates to suit a station’s needs, branding and more.

What software is used for broadcasting?

There are many kinds of tools and equipment needed for broadcasting. However, broadcasters will need weather display software to easily create video templates and graphics to make it easier to update audiences across channels. Additionally, broadcasters will need accurate weather forecasting solutions so they can build trust with audiences. Emergency weather alert software can also automate severe weather warnings and help stations get to air faster.

Once you have the right tool sets, better quality content and storytelling as well as more audience and advertisers will follow.

HellerWeather: Making unique Max visualizations

Join Tim Heller, meteorologist, talent coach and weather content consultant, for a hands-on webinar that demonstrates how adjusting the settings of each layer in a scene can produce amazing weather visualizations for your daily weathercasts, webcasts, IDs and promos.