Posts tagged ‘local’
Broadcasters Give Back During the Holidays
Each holiday season, local broadcasters focus their efforts on bringing their communities together by giving back to those in need. Stations dedicate air time and resources to organize fundraisers, food drives and toy drives to ensure viewers have a happy holiday.
Through this commitment from local broadcasters and the eagerness of our neighbors to give back, thousands of families are able to celebrate the holiday season with presents under the tree, warm clothing or a family dinner.
Local broadcasters – television and radio stations – are among the largest public service contributors, generating more than $10.3 billion in public service activity in a single year.
From Philadelphia TV station WPVI’s Dunkin’ Donuts Holiday Food Drive, which is striving to provide more than 175,000 meals to residents, to Lancaster, Pa., station WGAL’s “Coats for Kids” coat drive and telethon, which raised $229,000, local broadcasters are dedicated to helping the less fortunate in their communities, especially during the holidays.
Visit your local broadcast TV stations’ website to see what you can do to make a difference this holiday season.
Local Broadcasters Continue to Help with Northeast Relief Efforts after Hurricane Sandy
It has been over a month since Hurricane Sandy hit the Eastern seaboard but rebuilding efforts continue, and local broadcasters are doing everything they can to help their local communities and those devastated by the storm.
As Sandy approached, local TV and radio stations provided critical information about the storm path to inform citizens. When the hurricane bore down on the area, other forms of communication failed, but broadcasters were there to provide a lifeline to residents. Now, it is time to rebuild, and once again local stations are pitching in to return normalcy to the area. From fundraisers to food drives, stations are asking their listeners and viewers to donate nonperishable items, clothing and batteries to help their neighbors in need.
To read about their efforts, click here.
Latest Mobile TV Devices Will Bring Your Favorite Content to You Anywhere, Anytime
Wouldn’t it be nice to take your favorite morning show with you on the commute to work – not missing a minute of the breaking news or local weather?
With more than 120 stations across the country broadcasting mobile television signals, the future of TV is here – and it’s mobile. With numerous local broadcast stations transmitting mobile TV signals, and more consumer devices and adapters coming to the market, soon it will be very easy for consumers to get free mobile broadcast television on their laptops, tablets and smartphones. Best of all, the service does not require a data plan or hefty mobile data charges, because the signal is sent for free over-the-air.
Check out our new video that features mobile television providers Dyle mobile TV and the Mobile 500 Alliance demonstrating the devices and adapters built by manufacturers like Samsung and Belkin that run their mobile TV services. Watch the video below to see how you can get your local news, sports, weather, entertainment and lifesaving emergency information anywhere, anytime:
Mobile DTV from NAB Studio on Vimeo.
Congress recognizes broadcasters’ ability to reach mass audiences in times of crisis
The beginning of June marked the official start of hurricane season, and once again, local radio and television stations are ready to keep their communities safe and informed wherever and whenever weather emergencies strike.
Ten members of Congress delivered statements on the House floor acknowledging the vital role that broadcasters play during severe weather emergencies by providing early warnings and disaster relief when the unthinkable happens.
The following members delivered statements (view video of members’ statements):
Reps. Gus Bilirakis (FL-09), Hansen Clarke (MI-13), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Billy Long (MO-07), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Ted Poe (TX-02), Laura Richardson (CA-37), David Scott (GA-13), Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Todd Young (IN-09).
In addition, four members submitted statements to the Congressional Record:
Even Federal Emergency Management Association administrator Craig Fugate has acknowledged that broadcast radio and TV is the best way to stay up-to-date on severe weather information when disaster strikes. And broadcasters are now poised to deliver this lifesaving information to Americans on the go.
There are more than 100 TV stations nationwide delivering mobile signals to smartphones and tablets, and several models of smartphones feature broadcast radio. Because broadcast signals are sent “over the air,” even when cell towers are congested or down, local broadcasters are able to reach mass audiences with critical information through smartphones and tablets. Make sure you’re prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you this summer, and don’t forget to tune into your local broadcast stations to get all the information you need to stay safe.
Hold onto your hat – hurricane season is on the way
The bad news is that June 1 marks the start of hurricane season. The good news, however, is that you can stay safe by tuning in to your local TV and radio stations to get critical emergency information. And many of you can tune in on the go using your smartphone or tablet, even if power lines are down and cell networks are congested.
How is that possible? More stations than ever before are broadcasting mobile channels. Mobile TV is delivered from your local stations to your mobile device using over-the-air technology, not wireless networks. Not only does that mean you can still receive local emergency information even when cell towers are down, but it also means there are no additional data streaming charges.
Your phone will need to be enabled with a chip – check here to see if your device already has those capabilities built-in. If it is not, consumers in many areas can purchase a USB flash drive-sized mobile TV receiver for their laptop or tablet, like the DTV111 from Coby Electronics. Watch this short video to get a glimpse of how this technology works.
Radio-enabled mobile phones provide another way for consumers to get vital emergency information when storms are looming. Again, even when cell towers are down or congested, radio-enabled phones are able to receive local broadcasts over-the-air, keeping you informed and safe. For a list of radio-enabled phones from major wireless carriers, click here.
Broadcasters take their role as first informers very seriously and local stations around the country are innovating to keep viewers safe and meet your needs of on-demand information.
Remember, when the storms roll in your local broadcasters will help you stay safe and stay informed!
The Mobile 500 Alliance to launch new mobile TV service this summer
The annual NAB Show always dazzles attendees with the latest broadcast innovations and gadgets, and this year was no exception. The growing adoption of mobile television took center stage at this year’s show, with many vendors demonstrating new consumer devices that will hit stores this summer.
We caught up with John Lawson from the Mobile 500 Alliance and asked about his company’s new mobile TV offerings. The Mobile 500 Alliance service includes 437 individual stations and reaches 94% of the U.S. population. This summer, it will also be available via an iPhone/iPad app with the purchase of a small adapter, and will include over-the-air mobile TV broadcasts with no monthly fees or hefty mobile data charges. It even includes DVR functionality to record and pause live TV!
Watch our interview with John Lawson and see a demo of the Mobile 500 service below:
Mobile DTV front and center at ATSC
Last week’s ATSC Annual Meeting featured discussions of mind-blowing future broadcast innovations such as UltraHD and broadcast 3D TV, but much of the attention of the meeting was focused on the emerging innovation of mobile DTV. This means live, local TV on the go straight from your local stations with no data streaming charges!
Following the event, we caught up with a variety of featured conference speakers, including:
- Mark Richer, President, ATSC
- Kelly Williams, Senior Director, Technology, NAB
- Erik Moreno, Dyle Mobile TV
- Jay Adrick, Vice President, Harris Broadcasting
We asked each of them about the impressive adoption of mobile DTV by broadcasters and the various consumer devices that are coming to market later this year that allow viewers to get over-the-air broadcast TV signals on their mobile devices without any hefty mobile data charges. I think you’ll be amazed at what mobile DTV has in store for viewers now and in the very near future:
Stay safe out there!
In times of weather emergencies you need immediate access to information that will keep you and your family safe. And more than anywhere else, Americans turn to their local TV and radio stations to keep them informed.
Broadcasters understand better than anyone that seconds count when a storm is approaching. As first informers, local TV stations around the country are innovating to keep viewers safe and meet your needs of on-demand information.
One station, KWCH in Kansas, is an excellent example of the hard work of stations to deliver critical information in emergency situations. Incorporating Facebook, Twitter, mobile apps for news and weather, and of course over-the-air AND live-streaming free and local TV, KWCH brings information to viewers in numerous ways to keep people safe and save lives.
Watch what it takes to quickly pull all the information together in real time and keep viewers up-to-date on changing weather conditions.
Tell us—how do you stay informed during times of an emergency? Have local radio and TV been a lifeline for you?
Exciting innovations in Mobile DTV showcased at CES on the Hill
Live TV on-the-go. Personalized television. Mobile DTV tuner devices. It’s pretty clear that “TV life as we know it… is about to change dramatically.”
Some of the exciting broadcast innovations debuted last week at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Nev., have come to Washington, D.C., and now lawmakers get a chance to see if they are ready to be rolled out to consumers.
The Consumer Electronic Show on the Hill will showcase some of the highlights from last week’s show, including demonstrations of the latest in Mobile DTV from the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC).
As much as we love being a part of cutting-edge electronic development, we know our viewers are going to love local television on-the-go and saving money without incurring costly mobile data bills even more! Mobile DTV is delivered from local stations to smartphones via over-the-air technology, not wireless, which means no data streaming charges.
Read more about the technologies that will be coming soon. Whatever your lifestyle, these innovations are bringing your favorite content to you wherever you are. That’s something we can all be excited about.
Summer 2012 – a blockbuster for consumers
Free, local television on the go. Tablets and other mobile devices with built-in TV tuners and antennas. New ways to avoid huge monthly data bills from wireless companies. The Future of TV blog has been keeping you apprised about new developments in mobile DTV technologies and now it’s time for consumers to start taking advantage of free, local TV in the palm of their hand!
At the NAB Show this week, broadcasters, vendors and technology organizations have been out in force… demonstrating the technology and new devices.
Some of the great new innovations include:
- Consumer electronics manufacturers are bringing new mobile DTV-capable devices to market and developing external devices that will allow existing iPads and smart phones to receive live broadcast signals.
- The Mobile500 Alliance is demonstrating its solution that offers live TV, DVR-type functionality for recording live TV, on demand programming, social media integration, closed captioning and interactive advertising.
- New tuner devices, which are small adapters/dongles for iPads and iPhones will be available through online retailers this summer.
Read more about what broadcasters are doing to deliver the entertainment you love and the information you rely on to your mobile devices!
