The results of research on the amount of information retained by television viewers from weather broadcasts suggest that audiences retain little information on weather conditions even though they are interested in it, and that more information is retained when the report is presented via the spoken word than with extensive use of visuals. An analysis of the content, format, and speech rates of weather bulletins in Europe (including Great Britain) and the United States showed that, in general, weather reports typical of the areas investigated were ineffective. Further investigation of the effect of delivery rates of weather bulletins from which excessively detailed information had been removed found that, although the percentage level of performance in answering questions about these bulletins improved, the increase was not significant. A slow, carefully segmented delivery of a pre-prepared text with less information than television weather bulletins usually convey was found to be a more effective format than the others examined, and it is suggested that a sequence of simply-labelled maps would produce the most appropriate visuals to accompany this message. It is concluded that fact-filled, rapidly delivered, slick presentations of the weather are minimally successful in conveying their message, and that broadcasters should be more concerned with the effective communication of information than with elaborate special effects. Analyses of the data are presented in four appended tables. (CGD)