WeatherBug(R) & LIN Television Corporation Expand Partnership

WeatherBug(R) & LIN Television Corporation Expand Partnership

LIN Television Expands its Live, Local Weather Suite of Products from WeatherBug to 11 DMAs Across the US and Puerto Rico

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- WeatherBug, the brand from AWS Convergence Technologies, today announced an extended partnership with LIN Television Corporation through 2008. Through the partnership, 11 LIN owned television stations will enhance their coverage of live, local weather by integrating WeatherBug's suite of exclusive products and services.

LIN stations will have access to over 800 WeatherBug Tracking Stations and cameras placed in the 11 television markets that LIN serves, including Indianapolis, IN, Buffalo, NY, Austin, TX and Norfolk, VA. These stations, already part of the exclusive WeatherBug Network, will deliver hyper-local real-time weather conditions and images for on-air use through the all-digital WeatherBug Zoom graphics system. Additionally, LIN will be the exclusive local broadcast partner on the WeatherBug desktop application, which is used at home and at work by approximately 3.4 million registered users in their 11 DMAs.

"Since signing with WeatherBug twelve years ago, their array of products has grown with the needs of broadcasters in mind and has proven itself to be an important part of our weather coverage in our local broadcast and cable stations," said Paul Karpowicz, VP of Television at LIN. "WeatherBug's live, local data and images help us amplify our brand and better reach consumer and business users on-air and online, and enable us to better connect with the communities we serve."

WeatherBug owns and operates a proprietary network of nearly 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations and over 1,000 cameras that are strategically placed at schools throughout the nation. This allows partner television stations to report neighborhood-specific weather conditions that differentiate their weathercasts as a more personal, relevant experience for viewers from their local market and across the nation. In addition, broadcasters can now stay connected with their viewers throughout the day online via prominent branding and advertising in the WeatherBug desktop application, so even if the television is not on, the broadcaster is still top-of-mind to the at-home or at-work consumer.

"We have enjoyed a 12 year partnership with LIN and are pleased to be expanding the relationship to bring their reporting of weather to the next level for an additional four years," said Bob Marshall, President and CEO of WeatherBug. "Our goal with all our broadcast partners is to offer an arsenal of tools to attract viewers and generate revenue while connecting them to the community in a distinguished and meaningful way. LIN has always been in the forefront of these efforts."

LIN stations that will be adopting the new WeatherBug suite of products include: KXAN-TV in Austin, TX, WAND-TV in Decatur, IL, WANE-TV in Ft. Wayne, TX, WAVY-TV in Norfolk, VA, WISH-TV in Indianapolis, IN, WIVB-TV in Buffalo, NY, WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, MI, WTNH-TV in Hartford/New Haven, CT, WWLP in Springfield, MA, WUPW in Toledo, OH and WAPA in Puerto Rico.

About WeatherBug

WeatherBug (http://www.weatherbug.com/) ensures that individuals, schools, businesses and communities always get the most precise live weather conditions, the most relevant reports, and the earliest weather warnings to safeguard their property and their lives. WeatherBug owns the world's largest exclusive weather network, which has nearly 8,000 live WeatherBug Tracking Stations and over 1,000 cameras that generate neighborhood level reports every second (other weather data is up to an hour or more old). This network powers various products and services, including: WeatherBug, the number one weather Internet application, with over 53 million downloads, that streams live neighborhood conditions to its home and work users; WeatherBug Media Services, which delivers live weather information to over 80 million U.S. households through partnerships with more than 100 local television stations; WeatherBug Education, which provides engaging weather information and educational tools to schools and colleges, including an online learning program for K-12 schools called WeatherBug Achieve; and WeatherBug Professional Services, which uses the company's unique weather network and software to provide high-value solutions for vertical industries such as energy, transportation, and first response. WeatherBug is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (http://www.aws.com/).


Source: WeatherBug

CONTACT: Steve Rubel, +1-212-455-8085, srubel@cooperkatz.com; Meredith
Topalanchik, +1-212-455-8018, mtopalanchik@cooperkatz.com, both of CooperKatz
& Company for AWS

Web site: http://www.weatherbug.com/
http://www.aws.com/


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