THE WEATHER CHANNEL LAUNCHES ITS FIRST FREE APPLICATION FOR BLACKBERRY

The Weather Channel Mobile today announced a new ad-supported version of its popular weather application for BlackBerry.  The Weather Channel for BlackBerry includes features such as GPS-based Location Tracker and interactive radar maps.  With the addition of expandable banner advertisements, it is free for customers and available via mobile phones from the BlackBerry App World and from the BlackBerry browser.

The Weather Channel for BlackBerry includes interactive radar maps as well as current conditions, hourly, 36-hour and 10-day forecasts to help customers plan their daily and upcoming activities. Customers can share severe weather alerts, current conditions and forecasts with friends and contacts via e-mail or text message directly from the application.  Integration with the BlackBerry calendar and address book allows customers to check weather for daily appointments as well as stored contacts.

“Developing and releasing an ad-supported app enables us to deliver the most accurate weather content available to millions of BlackBerry users in the format they prefer,” said Cameron Clayton, vice president of mobile at The Weather Channel Interactive. “This increased accessibility is part of our ongoing effort to give more consumers useful, relevant weather content on every platform.”

The Weather Channel for BlackBerry application includes expandable banner ads that allow users to click directly to Web, to video, to locations or to call – all without closing the weather application.  This creative execution was based on industry feedback that shows advertisers are looking for solutions where consumers can interact with the creative without being redirected to another site.

Known for its precise weather data, The Weather Channel for BlackBerry application continues to offer consumers accurate, localized weather data through enhanced features such as the proprietary TruPoint technology that provides detailed conditions within two kilometers of a customer’s location, a convenient home screen temperature indicator that turns red when severe weather threatens, and the option to save and nickname favorite locations.

This free application is available from the BlackBerry App World and from the BlackBerry browser – m.weather.com/bbapp [1] for Curve, Bold and Tour customers and m.weather.com/stormapp [2] for Storm customers.  The premium, ad-free version The Weather Channel for BlackBerry is still available for a one-time fee of $3.99, also at www.blackberry.com/appworld [3].

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About The Weather Channel Interactive

The Weather Channel Interactive (TWCi) is the leading provider of broadband and wireless weather products including weather.com [4], The Weather Channel Desktop [5]  and The Weather Channel Mobile [6]. weather.com [7], the Web site of The Weather Channel, is the ultimate source of weather on the Web helping users plan their lives by delivering timely current conditions, expert forecasts and relevant lifestyle content for 98,000 location IDs worldwide.  TWCi reaches more than 38 million unique users online each month and is the most popular source of online weather, news and information according to Nielsen//NetRatings.  TWCi also provides consumers with unique and customizable products such as Desktop Weather, toolbars, extensions, widgets, gadgets, and a full lineup of mobile services including downloads, messaging, mobile Web, and mobile video.  Other TWCi sites include forGetaway.com [8], a vacation home rental site, Forecast Earth [9], a site dedicated to the discussion of climate change, and a series of international sites, including www.weather.co.uk [10], www.meteo123.com [11], www.wetter123.com [12], www.canaldotempo.com [13] and www.weather.com/espanol [14]. 

For more information on The Weather Channel Companies, including press releases, images, executive information and backgrounders please visit www.weather.com/press [15].