The weather channel LAUNCHES PILOT PROGRAM to AID EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT professionals

ATLANTA– August 5, 2006 – The Weather Channel today announced the introduction of its Emergency Manager Program, a pilot program designed to connect emergency managers with resources from The Weather Channel during hurricane season. The program will give emergency managers an additional source of information through conference calls, emails and the Web, with the goal of them having the broadest data set possible to assist in their critical decision making

The Weather Channel is proud of its longtime relationship with the public sector and after the unprecedented 2005 hurricane season was looking for new methods for sharing information with vital constituents. This first year of the Emergency Manager Program will be a pilot, serving a limited number of professionals and relying on continuous two way communication to determine the best methods for making the program a success.

In its first year, the Emergency Manager program will offer the following resources:

Regular conference calls with The Weather Channel severe weather experts – held twice a day during the approach and landfall of tropical systems
Secure, password protected access to The Weather Channel’s internal website with comprehensive information regarding tropical systems and the most detailed forecast we have available
Regular email updates from The Weather Channel meteorologists with tropical cyclone forecasts that include expert, value-added insights
Complimentary subscriptions to our Notify! â Alert service, Desktop Max, and weather.com â Gold products

A limited number of emergency service professionals have been invited to participate in the Emergency Manager Program in its first year. To better understand how it can succeed in the future these charter members will represent different municipalities from a wide range of locations on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. The program will continue to evolve based on needs and feedback during the hurricane season with the goal of the program expanding in 2007.

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About The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel, a 24-hour weather network, is seen in over 90 million U.S. households. Its Web site, weather.com, reaches more than 30 million unique users per month. Its content is currently ranked the 11th most popular in the U.S. by Nielsen//NetRatings. The Weather Channel also operates Weatherscan, a 24-hour, all-local weather network is available to 22 million households, The Weather Channel Radio Network, The Weather Channel Newspaper Services and is the leading weather information provider for emerging technologies. This includes broadband and interactive television applications and wireless weather products accessible through high-speed Internet services, phones, and mobile devices. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, VA-based, privately held media company.