AccuWeather’s all-new interactive weather system developed for local television stations was fully implemented and on-air in two days to meet Media Gateway client WRDE-TV needs. 
AccuWeather Global Weather Center – November 18, 2016 – AccuWeather, the global leader in weather information and digital media, announced the launch of the revolutionary StormDirector+™ system. This is the new digital broadcast weather solution introduced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show earlier this year. From its introduction at NAB and since, it has received rave reviews admiring its high level network-quality presentations, user-friendly interface, interactive local weather features, and customization capabilities. AccuWeather claims it is a weather system like no other. AccuWeather client Media Gateway in Little Rock, AR went live with StormDirector+ after the second day of training, just in time to replace some old, failing system, delivering the most interactive and engaging local weather presentations to viewers in the market.
Jeff Lyle, Chief Technological Officer for Media Gateway which provides WRDE-TV news and weather content, knew Media Gateway’s old, competing weather system was outdated, requiring daily rebooting to keep it running. The switch to AccuWeather’s complete weather solution StormDirector+ could not have come at a better time — While the AccuWeather team was on-site to complete StormDirector+ system installation and training, the existing weather system became non-operational. Through expert training by the AccuWeather team, meteorologists were able to stay on schedule and go on-air with StormDirector+ without missing a broadcast.
“StormDirector+ is very nimble and efficient, effective, and easy to use. We love the look and the speed of the graphics and radar — It is so much faster than our old system,” Lyle said. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the quick action of the AccuWeather team to have us up and running 100% so quickly.”
AccuWeather’s StormDirector+ provides a network-quality solution that uniquely transforms weather presentations to differentiate stations from the competition and dominate in their market. Its intuitive, user-friendly interface and time-saving workflow tools make it fast and easy to customize each broadcast presentation, complimenting a station’s branded look and feel, for complete local weather coverage first and fast.
“We now have tools we never had before and it gives us the advantage,” said Lyle. “It’s great to have this new technology and the simplicity and convenience of all the software running on one platform in one box with the option to use the green screen or touchscreen.”
Developed by the most knowledgeable minds and leaders in the industry, StormDirector+ was built for meteorologists by meteorologists. StormDirector+ allows the user to create engaging weather presentations quickly and easily including customized local weather forecasts using mapping with radar, satellite, severe weather watches and warnings, comprehensive model data, health indices, social media, hourly and extended forecasts, and much more.
StormDirector+ depends on reliable cloud-based solutions to ensure greater availability than satellite delivery when severe weather occurs. It is the only weather system built to run on a green screen, video wall, or touch screen.
Lyle is currently running the StormDirector+ system through green screen technology, but is excited for the touchscreen capability in the future. Media Gateway is based out of Little Rock, AR and serves as an outsourced broadcast and master control facility for television stations. WRDE-TV is supported by Media Gateway for weather and news content.
About AccuWeather, Inc. and AccuWeather.com
Over 1.5 billion people worldwide rely on AccuWeather to help them plan their lives, protect their businesses, and get more from their day. AccuWeather provides hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute forecasts with Superior Accuracy™ with customized content and engaging video presentations available through smart phones, tablets, free wired and mobile Internet sites via AccuWeather.com, award winning AccuWeather apps, connected TVs, wearables, smart homes, and connected cars, as well as radio, television, newspapers, and the AccuWeather Network cable channel. Established in 1962 by Founder, President, and Chairman Dr. Joel N. Myers – a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society who was recognized as one of the top entrepreneurs in American history by Entrepreneur Magazine’s Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs book – AccuWeather also delivers a wide range of highly-customized enterprise solutions to media, business, government, and institutions, as well as weather news, content, and video for more than 180,000 third-party websites. AccuWeather’s CEO, Barry Lee Myers, is an award winning leader in global weather information issues and one of the world’s most recognized advocates for cooperative relationships between government weather agencies and the weather industry. He is a leader in the digital weather information space.
Visit www.AccuWeather.com for additional information.
