Was ‘Hercules’ A Branding Win for The Weather Channel? Haniya Rae  | January 3, 2014 There was a time when snowstorms were not news. They were just what happens in winter. That time is not now. Last night, a storm swept through the Northeast, delivering between five and 20 inches of snow to several states. The Weather Channel has branded the storm “Hercules,” part of a yearlong program to name winter storms — and drum up excitement (and ratings) in the process. The reaction to the effort has been decidedly mixed. Some see it as harmless fun — wh...