weather.com(R) Reigns as Most Trusted Source of Online Weather Information in Recent Study Conducted by Nielsen Media Research

weather.com(R) Reigns as Most Trusted Source of Online Weather Information in Recent Study Conducted by Nielsen Media Research

ATLANTA, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- A study conducted by Nielsen Media Research confirms what usage numbers have indicated for years -- weather.com, the Web site of The Weather Channel(R), is the most trusted source of weather information on the Web.

In the study, which took place in October and is being made public for the first time today, weather.com was overwhelming selected as the most trusted source, with more than one-third of the participants (39%) choosing the site. weather.com outscored other commercial weather providers five to one. Weatherbug, Accuweather and Weather Underground received seven percent, five percent and three percent of the vote respectively. Respondents who selected weather.com indicated that the site's accuracy and frequency of updates contributed most to its trustworthiness. A large percentage of people also highlighted the fact that weather is the company's sole business.

Nielsen Media Research also found that consumers with specific interests and concerns trust weather.com most to provide them with information related to what is important to them. The study included the following results:

- Among allergy sufferers, weather.com is the most trusted online source
for weather information (47 percent)

- weather.com is also the site of choice for allergy information with
respondents choosing the site over the allergy or health-specific sites
listed

- weather.com is the most trusted online weather provider among those
planning to travel, either for business or pleasure (41 percent)

- Among golfers, weather.com is the most trusted source of online weather
information (43 percent)

- Skiers trust weather.com more than the other weather Web sites listed
(44 percent)

- weather.com is also the most trusted source of online weather
information among gardeners (35 percent) and those preparing to watch
an outdoor sporting event (41 percent)



"We take our job very seriously as no one knows better than The Weather Channel how powerful and impactful the weather can be," said Joe Fiveash, senior vice president and general manager for The Weather Channel Interactive, which operates weather.com. "After more than 20 years on cable and nearly 10 years on the Internet, we have clearly demonstrated our expertise and genuine care for our viewers and users. They have obviously taken notice and appreciate our efforts. We are pleased that our dedication and commitment to providing the best weather information across all platforms has resulted in a weather Web site that people trust more than any other. We will continue to make this our priority in 2005 and the years to come."

weather.com's content is currently ranked the 10th most popular on the Web by Nielsen Net//Ratings. Routinely, more than 25 million users rely on weather.com's comprehensive weather reports to help them plan their lives or stay ahead of the storm. During this year's incredibly active hurricane season, weather.com reached more users than ever before. In September, weather.com achieved its highest Nielsen ranking in site history -- number nine.

About The Weather Channel Interactive

weather.com, a product of The Weather Channel Interactive and the Web site of The Weather Channel(R), is the ultimate source of weather on the Web. The site helps users plan their lives by delivering timely current conditions, expert forecasts and relevant lifestyle content for 98,000 locations worldwide. weather.com reaches more than 25 million unique users each month and is the most popular source of online weather, news and information. Its content is currently ranked the 10th most popular according to Nielsen//NetRatings. The Weather Channel Interactive is the leading provider of broadband and wireless weather products and also provides consumers with unique and customizable products such as Desktop Weather by The Weather Channel and Notify! by The Weather Channel, a personalized weather alert service. The company's partnerships include America Online, Yahoo!, Excite Networks, MSNBC.com, USAToday.com, AT&T WorldNet, ABCNews.com, Digital City, Road Runner, Verizon Wireless, Cingular, AT&T Wireless, Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile and Palm Computing.

For More Information Contact:

Stacy Kirk weather.com 770-226-2611 skirk@weather.com


Source: The Weather Channel Interactive

CONTACT: Stacy Kirk of weather.com, +1-770-226-2611, or
skirk@weather.com

Web site: http://www.weather.com/


-------
Profile: intent