The Weather Channel is cutting back on much of their current programming to focus on their main offering: information about the weather. As publishers grow, so does the temptation to expand beyond their foundation. Virtually all successful brands face this temptation at some point in their growth process, regardless of whether they are selling shoes or windows.
Broadening horizons may lead to further growth but it also may not be sustainable in the long-term. When a brand is making adaptations to the ever-changing market, they need to maintain a laser focus on their core business. Ricardo Bilton (@rbilton) has a great discussion of this issue over at Digiday.