OPELIKA, Ala., Sept. 14, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- WLGA-TV/Channel 66, Pappas Telecasting Companies' UPN affiliate in the Columbus, Georgia 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, "WLGA Text Alert," delivers news and program-oriented text messages to cell phones, including AMBER Alerts, breaking news alerts, entertainment news, a daily AM weather forecast, sports headlines, updates on UPN programming, WLGA contest information, the WLGA "Deal of the Week," and weekend entertainment for the area. Viewers may sign up for this free service by visiting http://www.wlgatv.com, then clicking the "WLGA Text Alert" link. Using industry-leading software powered by TextCaster(r), WLGA text messages instantly reach the mobile phones of users who opt-in.
In making the announcement, Rosemary Danon, Vice President/Online and New Media of Pappas Telecasting, said, "We're always looking for ways to better serve our viewers. People are constantly on the go these days, and it's not always convenient for them to be near a television. 'WLGA Text Alert' allows us to bring news and information to where our viewers are, any time of day, and users can read it whenever and wherever they want."
Michael Brooks, General Manager of WLGA-TV, added, "'WLGA Text Alert' gives our viewers an opportunity to get important news as it breaks, no matter where they may be. It's also a great way to keep up on sports, local entertainment, weather and WLGA programming. Additionally, we're very proud to be able to distribute 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 WLGA 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 KPTM-TV, the FOX affiliate in the Omaha DMA; 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; KMPH FOX 26 in the Fresno-Visalia, California DMA; NTV, the ABC affiliate in Lincoln-Hastings-Kearney, Nebraska; and KPWB-TV, The WB affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa.
Station Profile
WLGA/Channel 66 (formerly WSWS) is the UPN affiliate for the Columbus, Georgia Designated Market Area. The station is owned by Pappas Telecasting Companies, the largest privately-held, commercial television broadcast group in the United States. In the fall of 2005, WLGA will begin broadcasting from its new 1,760 foot-tall tower, which will enable the station to nearly double the number of households in its coverage area. WLGA's programming includes network standouts such as Veronica Mars and the new Chris Rock sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, plus off-network syndicated fare like Friends, Frasier, Fear Factor, That '70s Show, and Malcolm in the Middle. WLGA is an active steward of the community, as well, hosting its own Canned Food Drive around the holidays, and supporting The Salvation Army's "Adopt-a-Family," Opelika Chamber of Commerce's "School-to-Career Transition Workshop," Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce's "Business Expo," Muscular Dystrophy Association's "Lock Up," and many more worthy organizations and projects.