SpotCrime Strikes Deal with Nexstar Broadcasting

Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. has signed a partnership deal with Baltimore-based SpotCrime, an independent data and news company mapping crime worldwide.

Under the new agreement, SpotCrime initially will provide local crime data to KAMR, Nexstar's NBC television affiliate in Amarillo, Texas. Nexstar, which is headquartered in Irving, Texas, owns, operates, programs, or provides sales and other services to 54 full-power television stations and Nine digital multicast channels in 34 markets nationwide.

"The deal with Nexstar means that SpotCrime is now partnering with more than 70 media outlets in the U.S. to make crime data available," says SpotCrime Founder and President Colin Drane.

SpotCrime recently announced a partnership with Local TV LLC, a broadcast holding company which owns and/or operates broadcast outlets in 19 markets nationwide.

SpotCrime has also signed major deals with Newport Television, which owns stations in 22 markets nationwide; Fisher Communications, which owns or manages 28 television and radio stations in the Pacific Northwest; and Capitol Broadcasting Company, with stations in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Durham, NC.

Other media partners include WBAL-AM in Baltimore, NBC-29 in Charlottesville, The Austin Statesman, The Lakeland Ledger, and KLAS-8 Las Vegas.

"SpotCrime was founded on the principle that information is power, and it is the right of every citizen to have easy access to crime information in their neighborhood," explains Drane. "We believe that with our information, citizens' awareness of their surroundings will increase and, as a result, they will be able to make safer decisions. There is wisdom in the noise and we hope to draw attention to crime hot spots to help direct policy and resources in the prevention of crime."

As an unbiased crime source, SpotCrime noted, it does not selectively report or judge crimes and is the only company mapping crime that does not partner with local police departments. "Though we have great relationships with the police, we believe in complete transparency and independence, which ensures that we remain unbiased in our reporting," noted Drane.

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