Westwood One and The Weather Channel Sign Agreement

Westwood One, an independent provider of network radio content and traffic information to radio, television and online media, and The Weather Channel announced that Westwood One will be the exclusive affiliate and advertising sales representative for The Weather Channel Radio Network.

TWCRN serves nearly 700 radio stations across the United States, and has a presence in 42 of the top 50 markets.

"We are excited about helping The Weather Channel expand its footprint in the radio industry," said Gary Schonfeld, president, Westwood One Network. "We can leverage 'must have' information from The Weather Channel to our network of more than 5,000 radio station affiliates and help serve their listeners - and our advertising customers - with unique branded content."

TWCRN provides a full range of weather forecasts and services including 24/7 live severe weather updates from the nation's best-known brand of around-the-clock weather information to millions of listeners every week. TWCRN has more than 30 radio broadcast meteorologists and the support of The Weather Channel meteorology staff, comprised of more than 100 professional meteorologists and experts.

"We believe our partnership with Westwood One will accelerate the growth of our radio network dramatically, and bring the most depended on source of weather information to an even larger radio audience," said Mike Pons, vice president and general manager of The Weather Channel Radio Network. "Weather information is an important element in the planning of our daily lives, and our content is an invaluable tool for radio stations and advertisers to further connect with their audiences."

The three-year agreement takes effect officially on January 1, 2010, and preparations are underway for a New Years launch.

Westwood One is an independent provider of network radio programming and a provider of traffic information in the U.S.

The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in more than 98 million U.S. households.

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