Who Profited From Irene? The Weather Channel

This weekend's massive storm could cost more than $7 billion in losses. But for the Weather Channel, the bigger the storm the bigger the ratings:

the Weather Channel's ratings are never higher than when a hurricane is making landfall. Like Home Depot selling plywood for windows or Wal-Mart selling jugs of water, the Weather Channel sells coverage of weather-related disasters. Delivering on its promise to take people into the path of Mother Nature is what makes the channel a must-carry for cable systems across the United States, and what allows it to sell so many storm-related ads to insurance companies and home improvement stores before, during and after storms.

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.