MIAMI, FL – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Florida Association of Broadcasters (FAB) and Dyle™ mobile TV announced today that mobile TV devices will be provided to Florida's State Emergency Response Team (SERT) as part of a pilot program to assist first responders with accessing important information during the 2013 hurricane season. Details of the mobile TV pilot program were unveiled today at a joint news conference at Florida International University, Wall of Wind Research Center.
Bryan Koon, Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management, said emergency management officials are confident that mobile TV will provide another tool by which local officials can share valuable information before, during, and after a disaster.
"The June 1 kick-off of hurricane season serves as a reminder that Floridians must be prepared for disasters of all types. Providing timely information is a key element in our communication strategy, and we're grateful to Dyle mobile TV, the NAB, the FAB for giving SERT a chance to test mobile TV's emergency response capabilities," Koon said.
Local television stations in more than 140 cities are now delivering live, local TV to smart phones, tablets and other "on-the-go" devices. Broadcasters view the Florida mobile TV pilot program as an extension of the "first informer" role that radio and TV stations play during times of crisis.
"The unfortunate reality is that during an emergency weather situation, local broadcasters are often the only reliable source of information," said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. "It is common for cell phone networks to become over-loaded, resulting in customer delays in receiving valuable, timely information.
Meanwhile, cable and Internet connections can be spotty. But because of broadcasting's robust 'one-to-everyone' transmission architecture, mobile TV is designed to deliver live and local news and information to mobile devices reliably and without interruption."
NAB, in partnership with Dyle mobile TV, will provide as many as 100 mobile TV devices to the Florida Division of Emergency Management to be used throughout the 2013 hurricane season. Volunteer Florida will work with their member organizations to test the devices in the event of an emergency.
"Mobile TV's use of live and local communication is a critical leap forward in terms of immediacy, impact and simultaneous communication to potentially millions of citizens," said Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, co-general managers of Dyle mobile TV. "Dyle is pleased and excited to participate in this test with the Florida Division of Emergency Management."
The Florida Association of Broadcasters and Florida Division of Emergency Management have partnered since Hurricane Andrew to provide Floridians with critical information in a disaster, said FAB President Pat Roberts.
"Florida broadcasters have led the way in educating the public prior to a disaster and keeping them informed when an emergency occurs. Mobile TV is the next step in providing valuable, local, and timely information to our citizens and visitors during a hurricane. We are excited to continue the partnership with this pilot program," said Roberts.
About
NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association
for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests
in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education
and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities,
strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital
age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
About Dyle TV
Dyle™ mobile TV is offering consumers an easy way to experience and enjoy live broadcast television on their mobile devices at home or on-the-go. The Dyle app and Dyle Mobile TV compatible apps enable live broadcast programming – such as local and national news, as well as sports and entertainment content, utilizing the ATSC-Mobile DTV standard, on mobile devices featuring Dyle. With several compatible devices and accessories, Dyle is now available in 37 US markets, potentially reaching 57 percent of the population, with plans to add additional network programming and hardware in the future. Dyle is operated by the Mobile Content Venture (MCV), a joint-venture of 12 major broadcast groups including Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations Inc. and Raycom Media, all of which are part of the standalone entity known as Pearl, LLC, as well as Fox, ION Television and NBC. For more information, visit www.dyle.tv.
iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Press inquiries:
For Mobile Content Venture:
Nicole Matthews, 646-202-9773
Horn Group
Nicole.Matthews@horngroup.com
Follow MCV/Dyle on Twitter: @DyleMobileTV
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