Press Releases

Press  >  April 10, 2006 Release

WeatherBug® to Showcase On-Air and Online Multi-Media Solutions at NAB, Proven to Win Weather, News for Local Broadcasters

Live Severe Weather Alerts Notify On-Air Meteorologists of Incoming Severe Weather Earlier Than Any Other Source

-- WeatherBug Zoom™ Delivers Industry’s Only Live Motion Cam Video and Conditions to Broadcasters via Enhanced, Easy-to-Use Innovations --

Germantown, MD – April 10, 2006 – WeatherBug®, the leading provider of live, local weather information services, today announced that WeatherBug now offers TV broadcasters a number of unique and compelling enhancements for on-air, online and mobile weather delivery which have enabled broadcast partners to win and secure their local weather, news time slots.

As broadcasters strive for supremacy in their respective markets and search for innovative solutions to grant them greater audience reach, penetration and loyalty, WeatherBug is uniquely qualified to offer broadcast partners integrated, rich multi-media programs enriched by technical innovation and excellence. These solutions meet the demands of the broadcaster while also targeting a broader spectrum of demographics.

Meteorologist, Terry Eliasen of WBZ-TV (CBS/Boston) said, “We love our WeatherBug Zoom system, best upgrade we have ever made! We have strategically positioned cameras and weather WeatherBug stations all around our DMA. We have the ability to get streaming video up in ski country at Stowe Mountain Resort, Bretton Woods and Sunday River. We also have a zoom camera overlooking Logan Airport and the Boston Harbor area. Not to mention our weather stations and cameras at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, and over 100 schools and businesses. Our network is amazing, and we blow away the competition when it comes to be live and local with our weather coverage!”

The convergence of new media, including the Internet and mobile technologies, with traditional broadcast, has created new business and technology challenges: News-hungry consumers are demanding live real-time information any where any time, forcing broadcasters to rethink and redesign how they communicate and market to their audiences. Now, virtually all traditional broadcast stations host have their own websites where they keep their audience abreast of news via news feeds, RSS, blogs and mobile alerts when they are on the go. The lines between broadcasters and the audience have blurred, inviting participatory journalism and closing the gap between the two factions. WeatherBug is meeting that challenge via new technologies, business strategies to stay current, meet the growing demand while staying profitable.

• WeatherBug Zoom™ now features:
  • custom alerts that allow TV meteorologists at WeatherBug partner stations to program their Zoom system to notify them of severe weather. A partner meteorologist simply sets parameters such as rainfall, wind gust and heat index, as well as limits for those parameters.
  • Partners can sign up five email, pager or cell phone “addresses” to receive alerts when the parameter limits are exceeded. This immediately alerts WeatherBug TV partners of existing or potentially severe weather threats, often even before the NWS has issued a warning. This enhancement is crucial as the country enters the 2006 tornado and hurricane season and meteorologists are virtually “on call” 24/7.
• WeatherBug Zoom now provides live video from MotionCams within the WeatherBug Network... Responding to broadcast demand for “true neighborhood” conditions and images for area viewers, WeatherBug Zoom now enables meteorologists to incorporate a truly personal, live motion perspective of area conditions within the viewer neighborhoods into their on-air slideshows.
• WeatherBug Zoom enhancements also include an easier selection process and ready access to WeatherBug Tracking Stations, InstaCams and MotionCams within the broadcaster’s DMA. WeatherBug’s television partners can now highlight real-world weather conditions with live MotionCam video on-air, as weather events are happening. The user-friendly Zoom interface even offers an "auto mode" option for digital channels to automate round-the-clock, live weather information. Other Zoom upgrades include the ability to plot historical weather data (to compare with live data) and a new outline display to change the look of temperature, wind or other parameters on-screen.

WeatherBug also offers a variety of ways for consumer and business users to access its rich, proprietary weather information 24/7. This includes free and premium versions of its downloadable software application WeatherBug, as well as station-branded, mobile alerts, and on-air distribution through broadcast partnerships with over 100 local television station affiliates.

people need reliable weather data relevant to their location. WeatherBug is often the only weather source that can provide truly local data at the neighborhood level. Alternative sources are typically based upon computer modeling from airport data, which can be up to an hour old. Weather conditions across a broadcast viewing area can differ greatly in intensity and appear or disappear at a moment’s notice, so this precision and accuracy is not only preferable but crucial when people are confined to their homes or have evacuated and are trying to determine whether their neighborhood or residents are in harm’s way.

WeatherBug’s commitment to quality content and user experience has established its consistent ranking as one of the top news and information properties on the Internet* and a fiercely loyal and engaged customer base with an extraordinary, 93 percent satisfaction score.* To subscribe to WeatherBug, go to www.weatherbug.com.

About WeatherBug^®

WeatherBug ensures that individuals, schools, businesses and government agencies receive the most precise live weather information, the most relevant weather reports, and the earliest weather warnings to safeguard property, lives and to plan with confidence. With 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations and over 1,000 cameras primarily based at neighborhood schools and public safety facilities across the U.S., WeatherBug maintains the largest exclusive weather network in the world. The live, local weather conditions are delivered to millions of consumers via the Internet and mobile devices, more than 100 state and local government agencies including the National Weather Service, and to broadcast television stations, schools, and businesses. As such, WeatherBug is the #1 distributor of severe weather alerts to the public. WeatherBug data is unique as it is the only live, neighborhood weather available anywhere. WeatherBug is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc.

Press Contact:

Alyce Menton
WeatherBug
301-250-4127 - Office
301-648-5102 - Cell
amenton@weatherbug.com

Source: Internet ratings by comScore Media Metrix. Customer survey report by Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc.