CHCH Joins Waze for Broadcasters to Bring Complete Traffic Intelligence to Golden Horseshoe Drivers
Partnership Delivers Real-Time Road Updates Straight From Drivers to Viewers
HAMILTON, ON, April 3, 2017 /CNW/ - CHCH-TV today joins Waze for Broadcasters powered by Waze (http://www.waze.com), the real-time, crowdsourced navigation app backed by the world's largest community of drivers. With over 400,000 Wazers in the Golden Horseshoe Region, Waze for Broadcasters provides CHCH instant access to Waze Complete Traffic Intelligence, a combination of historical and real-time traffic information directly from the source: drivers themselves. This broadcast partnership is the first of its kind in Ontario; thus CHCH will be among the first to know about breaking news from the roads, and its anchors will be the first to report on changing conditions affecting viewers.
Beginning today, CHCH viewers will benefit from enhanced Traffic reports featuring Waze for Broadcasters throughout Morning Live and the CHCH Evening News. At 6AM every weekday, CHCH Traffic & Weather Reporter Brian Wood will prepare viewers for the morning commute using real-time data from Waze on Morning Live. These enhanced traffic segments will quickly inform viewers of accidents and road closures in real time, while suggesting alternate routes and problem areas to avoid before they head out the door.
Simultaneously, viewers will be able to work collaboratively and save time on their daily commute by becoming "CHCH WAZERS" and proactively report problem areas while on the road. Brian Wood will monitor these traffic patterns and resume fully-interactive broadcasts on the CHCH Evening News at 6PM. This two-way communication encourages broadcaster and viewer to work together towards a common goal: beating traffic.
"Traffic congestion is an all-too-common problem in Hamilton and across the entire Golden Horseshoe region," said Chris Fuoco, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Channel Zero. "By joining Waze for Broadcasters, we're actively trying to solve this problem, working together with our viewers. We will be able to provide them with accurate, up-to-the-minute information, using real-time data collected from citizen journalists on the roads."
"Traffic reporting has always been a high priority for our newsroom, and our viewers have echoed this sentiment," Fuoco added. "Providing enhanced segments opens the door for integrated sponsorship opportunities with our advertisers as well."
"We're thrilled to be the first in Ontario to join the Waze for Broadcasters program," said Mike Katrycz, Vice President, News, Channel Zero. "We're looking forward to making the roads in our community a little easier to navigate, and hopefully a little safer, too."
Joining more than 150 broadcast partners across the globe, CHCH now has access to a suite of Waze Complete Traffic Intelligence tools including the new W on Air iPad app, optimized for television to supercharge on-air reporting with Waze real-time data. The app gives anchors access to:
- Real-Time Traffic Insights: Instantly inform viewers of unusual traffic conditions as Wazers experience them and share Waze user photos, comments and reports directly from accidents and incidents to enhance bigger stories.
- Dynamic Routes: Provides main and alternative routes directly to anchors, as well as drive times on the fly from any start point to any destination in a quick, visual way.
- Waze Teams: Viewers can join the CHCH WAZERS team to contribute live reports to live traffic broadcasts on CHCH. All participating team members will carry the station logo on their Wazer image.
"Waze was founded on the belief that we can outsmart traffic together," said Flavia Sasaki, Head of Business Development at Waze. "W on Air provides anchors with the most accurate view of road conditions today which helps them to deliver faster routes and alerts of traffic, real-time road closures and emergency incidents that may impact a commute. W on Air provides CHCH with unprecedented free access to our data to quickly and effectively analyze traffic in their area."
To see how CHCH-TV is helping viewers outsmart traffic, visit http://www.chch.com/traffic. To find out more about Waze for Broadcasters, visit https://www.waze.com/broadcasters. To download the free Waze app for iOS or Android, visit http://www.waze.com.
About CHCH-TV
CHCH-TV started broadcasting in 1954 and is proud to be the news leader for Hamilton and the surrounding Halton and Niagara regions. CHCH produces over 24 hours of original local news programming each week. With a primetime line-up anchored by movies, news magazine shows, and hit dramas, CHCH is available to over 92% of Ontario households and is viewed by millions nationally each week. CHCH News is produced daily out of its broadcast studio located in Hamilton, Ontario. For more information, please visit chch.com.
About Channel Zero
Channel Zero is an independent Canadian media company that owns over-the-air channel CHCH-TV and a growing bouquet of specialty channels including Rewind and Silver Screen Classics. Bloomberg TV Canada is the first of several platforms under Channel Zero's leadership that combines the best of Bloomberg's global branded content with Bloomberg original and local Canadian subject matter. Channel Zero's digital sales agency Junction Digital offers advertisers marketing solutions on Bloomberg.com, CHCH.com, Andpop.com and ChartAttack.com, as well as the top ad exchanges. Other divisions of Channel Zero include Channel Zero World Media, which operates Halla Bol – Canada's first South Asian HD TV channel – and TV Asia; and Ouat Media, an Academy Award® winning film sales and distribution company. Channel Zero's head office is located in Toronto, Ontario. For more information, please visit chz.com.
About Waze
Waze is the social navigation pioneer, leveraging mobile technology and a passionate global community to redefine expectations of today's maps. Waze is home to the world's largest network of drivers who work together daily to outsmart traffic and save time and money. The app consistently recommends the fastest routes based on real-time driving and data from millions of users. From traffic reroutes to low gas price alerts and relevant offers from favorite brands, Waze is one of the most comprehensive driving companions in the marketplace. To download the free Waze app for iOS or Android, visit http://www.waze.com. For more information on Waze privacy policy, visit https://www.waze.com/legal/privacy.
SOURCE CHCH Television
Nick Bannard, Coordinator, Marketing, Channel Zero Inc., 416-492-1595 x 249, [email protected]; Mona Weng, Manager, Global Strategic, Waze, 650-440-3151, [email protected]
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