Mobile Phones Steer Listeners Clear Of LA Traffic -- KFWB Radio Station Launches Mobile Traffic Alert Service
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VIENNA, Va.--June 2, 2005--KFWB (http://www.kfwb.com), Los Angeles' station
for news, traffic and weather, The Mobile Media Company
(www.mobilemedia.com), Westwood One and 3United Mobile Solutions
(www.3united.com), today announced the launch of the KFWB Traffic On Demand
service that will help listeners dodge the infamous Los Angeles traffic by
receiving customized traffic text messages on their cell phones.
KFWB's Traffic on Demand goes live just as the 2005 Urban Mobility Report (http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/media_information/news_release.stm), published by the Texas Transportation Institute, announced that North America's traffic troubles are growing worse, costing Americans $63.1 billion a year. "For years, KFWB has been known as the station for `Traffic On The Ones,' traffic reports every ten minutes. Now we're excited to offer up to date traffic information whenever someone needs it," explains David Hall, VP of AM Programming from KFWB.
Available to the majority of Los Angeles mobile phone subscribers, KFWB Traffic On Demand can be easily accessed by sending a chosen route number via text message to telephone number 98011. The traffic status of that highway is then sent via return text message, at a cost of $0.75 per message(1).
In addition to KFWB's own traffic reports, further traffic information is supplied by Westwood One with 3United providing the application that enables the information to be used on mobile phones. Mobile Media is providing the connectivity to the mobile network operators and manages the mobile messaging platform.
"KFWB Traffic on Demand requires no initial subscriptions, no up front fees or complicated sign up procedure," explained Steinar Svalesen, EVP and General Manager of Mobile Media North America. "Being so easy to use, we expect to see LA drivers use the service on a very regular basis."
KFWB is the source for news in Southern California, with traffic on "the ones" -- traffic updates every ten minutes. Owned by Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, the station recognized a high demand for live traffic news that could be accessed anytime, from anywhere by their listeners.
"When Southern California listens for Traffic news, they listen to KFWB," explained David Hall of KFWB. "Commuters in L.A. are stuck in traffic 93 hours a year! The beauty of our mobile traffic alert service is that it will actually save people time and money by helping them to avoid jams."
For more information about the KFWB Mobile Traffic Information services, visit www.kfwb.com
About KFWB
KFWB News 980 is the place for Traffic On The Ones, breaking news, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
About Infinity Broadcasting
Infinity Broadcasting Corporation ("Infinity") is one of the largest radio broadcasting companies in the United States, and is a division of Viacom Corporation. The company, headquartered in New York City, owns approximately 180 radio stations located in 22 states in the nation's largest markets.
About Westwood One
Westwood One provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features, live events and 24/7 Formats. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic information centers for state and local departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and voice portal customers.
About 3united
3united Mobile Solutions AG is a market leader in premium SMS, m-commerce and mobile content solutions and serves as an international hub for all Central and Eastern Europe in the field of Premium SMS connectivity.
For more information, please visit www.3united.com or mail a.wiesmueller@3united.com.
About Mobile Media
The Mobile Media Company is the leading producer and global distributor of branded, made-for-mobile entertainment, interactive TV formats and mobile marketing concepts. Mobile Media is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.
For more information, please visit: www.mobilemedia.com or send an e-mail to info@mobilemedia.com.
(1) $0.75 does not include standard text message costs, charged by operators.
