DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- KPWB-TV/Channel 23, Pappas Telecasting Companies' WB affiliate in the Des Moines, Iowa Designated Market Area (DMA), today announced that it has initiated a free text message service for its viewers via TextCaster(r) software. The new feature, "MyAlert," delivers information and program-oriented text messages to cell phones. Viewers may sign up for this free service by visiting http://www.kpwb.com, then clicking the "MyAlert" link. Using industry leading software powered by TextCaster(r), KPWB text messages instantly reach the mobile phones of users who opt-in.
The features available through "MyAlert" are:
-- AMBER Alerts - Immediate notification if a child is missing in
the area.
-- KPWB Daily WeatherBreak Forecast - The day's forecast sent right
to viewers' phones.
-- Weather Watches & Warnings - Notification of severe weather in
the area.
-- "What's Booking" - The scoop on KPWB contests, events, and
appearances by Nicole.
-- Programming Updates - The latest info on all your favorite KPWB
programs.
-- "What's Brewing" - Central Iowa entertainment updates and
information from KPWB.
-- Restaurant Specials - Money-saving mobile coupons from local
merchants sent right to your phone!
-- Early School Outs - Notification to parents of early school
dismissal due to severe weather or other issues causing a school
to close early.
In making the announcement, Rosemary Danon, Vice President/Online and New Media of Pappas Telecasting, said, "We're very happy to be able to offer this exciting new service to our viewers in Iowa. With cell phones in such wide use -- by nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population, according to some estimates -- it makes sense to expect that people will keep relying on cell phones as a staple of their communication needs. We expect 'MyAlert' to be an important way for our viewers to be informed and entertained."
Ted Stephens, General Manager of KPWB-TV and Vice President/Director of Business Development of Pappas Telecasting Companies, added, "'MyAlert' gives our viewers an opportunity to get important information as it breaks, no matter where they may be. Of particular significance are our Weather Watches & Warnings, which will give people advance notice so they can take cover when thunderstorms or tornadoes are approaching. We're also very proud to offer AMBER Alerts, which have proven to be so effective in aiding the recovery of abducted children from dangerous predators."
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which championed the development of AMBER Alert plans throughout the United States, describes AMBER Alerts as "emergency messages broadcast primarily via radio and television, and in some areas post(ed) on electronic highway signs, when law enforcement determines that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger. The broadcasts include information about the child and the abductor, such as physical descriptions, as well as information about the abductor's vehicle, which could lead to the child's recovery and the apprehension of the suspect."
The AMBER Alert notifications offered by KPWB are of particular significance, especially when considering that time is of the essence in child abduction cases. A study released by the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Washington reported that, while murders of abducted children are rare events, "74 percent of abducted children who are murdered are dead within three hours of the abduction." Getting information out to the public as soon as possible is vital. NCMEC's Web site reports that 215 children have been recovered since the AMBER Alert plan was established.
Pappas Telecasting has already initiated text-messaging service at KTNC-TV, the Azteca America affiliate in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose and Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto DMAs, offering the first text service with AMBER Alerts in Spanish, and KMPH FOX 26 in the Fresno-Visalia, California DMA. The company previously announced plans to offer text-messaging service at KDBC-TV/El Paso, Texas, KSWT-TV/Yuma, Arizona, and KHGI-TV/Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney, Nebraska.
Station Profile
KPWB WB 23 has served as The WB affiliate for the Des Moines-Ames Designated Market Area since going on the air in 2001. KPWB's mix of network and syndicated programming has proven to be particularly appealing to viewers, enabling the station to outperform the market's Fox, PBS, and PAX affiliates within 18 months of its launch. KPWB is involved in its local community, as well, by partnering with such worthy organizations as the Iowa State Fair, Des Moines Parks & Recreation, Iowa Youth Chorus, and Skywalk Golf Tournament, and by participating in activities benefiting Blank Children's Hospital and Prevent Blindness Iowa.