TV Traffic Reporting Incorporates Live Social Media Updates for First Time

The first TV traffic reporting to incorporate live social media updates into a broadcast debuted June 8 on KING 5, thanks to a beta partnership between the station’s parent company and Radiate Media.

KING 5 is the first station in the country to use CommuteVantage CONNECT, a new traffic-reporting tool from Radiate Media. CONNECT allows traffic reporters to merge live Twitter activity with on-air broadcasts.

“We are constantly looking for ways to further enhance our standout traffic coverage, so this tool is a perfect fit for us,” said Mark Ginther, KING 5 executive news director. “Adding the capabilities of Radiate Media’s CONNECT to Tracy Taylor’s comprehensive traffic reports allows us to provide true ‘As-It-Happens’ incident coverage to our viewers when they need it the most.”

KING 5 newscasts that incorporate CONNECT air Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on KING 5 and from 7 to 9 a.m. on KONG 16. Throughout the newscasts, and as safe conditions allow, viewers can tweet KING 5 traffic anchor Tracy Taylor at @King5TracyT with issues they encounter on their commute. Taylor uses CONNECT to incorporate the tweets directly into her traffic maps, giving commuters immediate information for their morning drive. The Twitter feed and maps are also available online at KING 5 traffic.

“We’re excited to debut CommuteVantage CONNECT with a forward-thinking news organization like KING 5,” said Jennifer Colleran, Vice President of Television at Radiate Media. “The immediacy of social media makes CONNECT a perfect complement for live TV, and especially useful for something as ever-changing as traffic.”

In addition to CONNECT, KING 5 uses Radiate Media’s complete CommuteVantage broadcast system as well as its TrafficOne Web and Mobile products. KING 5 is currently the only partner in the nation testing the new capabilities of CONNECT.

About Radiate Media

Connecting businesses with customers on air, online and on the go, Radiate Media (www.radiatemedia.com) provides hyper-local content, traffic information, advertising and interactive marketplace solutions to top-rated television, radio and print media partners nationwide.

About KING-TV / KONG-TV (or Belo Corp.)

KING 5 is part of Belo Corp. (BLC), one of the nation's largest pure-play, publicly traded television companies that owns and operates 20 television stations (nine in the top 25 markets) and their associated Web sites. Belo stations, which include affiliations with ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW and MyNetwork TV, reach more than 14 percent of U.S. television households in 15 highly attractive markets. Belo stations rank first or second in nearly all of their local markets. Additional information is available at www.belo.com.