Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: John Higdon Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: TV News Mates With Cellular Phones Message-ID: <2615@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 5 Jan 90 10:17:20 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 23 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 7, message 5 of 10 Wayne Hamilton writes: > They (WCIA, Channel 3, Champaign, IL) have arranged with Ameritech > Cellular for "*3" dialed on cellular phones in this area to connect to > WCIA news, toll-free, so that motorists can report unusual news events > as they happen. About two years ago, Cellular One set up a similar service with a "newstalk" radio station in San Francisco. To report (mainly traffic) events one dials "*KGO81". The airtime is picked up by the station. Not to be outdone, Mobilnet turned around and offered a similar arrangement with the other "newstalk" station. Mobilnet customers dial "*CBS" and of course, KCBS picks up the tab. Apparently this arrangement has paid off, since both operations are still in force after these two years. They usually give air credit to a "traffic spotter" when the report they are giving comes from a cellular subscriber. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !