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| We love the Weather Service. Businesses are calling for sponsorships. That's never happened with our previous services. | | Douglas A. Raab | | WSVX | | Indianapolis, IN | | | | Your Radio Forecast Network has been on top of every weather event (Thank goodness, very few of them) and you have given us new credibility with an audience that relies upon our station for accurate and up to date forecasts. | | Roger W. Morgan | | Paradise 93.5 FM | | U.S. Virgin Islands | | | | The Radio Forecast Network has provided top notch weather programming for our station from day 1...Our forecasts have been perfect! | | Justin Kaiser, Director of Operations | | WGFA Radio 94.1 FM - 1360 AM | | Watseka, IL | | |
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Radio Forecast Network Signs Letter of Intent
to Join with a Public Company
SCOTT, LOUISANA, April 23, 2007 --Radio Forecast Network (www.radioforecastnetwork.com), which provides "recorded-live" weather reports to radio stations in exchange for advertising inventory it sells to clients nationwide, has signed a non-binding letter intent with Bentley Commerce Corporation (OTC:BLYC) (www.bentleycommerce.com) in a first step to join with this public company. It is dependent on the Parties completing due diligence and executing a final agreement.
Radio Forecast Network, founded by Larry Usner in 2004, currently earns over $600,000 per month in radio spot advertising inventory on 216 radio stations in 37 states in addition to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands that it then sells to advertisers. It receives the advertising inventory in exchange for delivering over 40,000 professionally recorded-live weather reports that air about 500,000 times each month. It has been growing at the rate of 40% per year, adding an average net gain of four to five new client stations per month.
Bentley Commerce Corporation, a public company that is a pioneer in online barter, provides trade and alternative capital financing for companies to expand liquidity and improve bottom line profitability. It will provide additional resources to RFN, such as expanding the base of media buyers for RFN's earned advertising inventory and enable RFN to promote proprietary products and services. In addition, plans are underway to expand RFN to other countries, as well as provide services to emerging new media, such as the Internet in exchange for advertising inventory.
RFN's rapid growth is due to a unique combination of bartering its recorded-live forecast services for advertising time on the stations, and its proprietary ManageWX™ software. With its software, more than 80 professional announcers and meteorologists now provide client radio stations with "recorded live" weather feeds specific to their coverage areas, using their call letters, a custom open and close that can include a sponsor, and a jingle, all at 100% barter.
ManageWX™ announcer software, allows the 80 meteorologists and forecasters on the RFN team to see, in one screen shot, exactly how each affiliate station wants their weather presented -- the open, the close, the sponsor, the length of the feed, the daypart in which it airs, and, of course, the weather data specific to that station's coverage area. Once recorded, it's uploaded to RFN's website and available for download by the station, either through RFN's partnership with Digital Jukebox and their "Radio Spiders" software and the station's automation system or manually by a station staff member.
Many radio stations, which have been reducing their own staffs, have leapt at the opportunity to obtain the weather forecasts with bartered time instead of cash. The radio stations can then attract cash-paying advertisers to sponsor their local weather forecasts, which typically have resulted in RFN receiving long-term contracts. The advertising space RFN receives airs at excellent times, between 6am and 6pm. It sells this advertising for cash, or can use it to sell others' products and services for a revenue share of sales.
About Radio Forecast Network:
Radio Forecast Network, which began with one station and one announcer in February 2004, has grown to more than 80 professional announcers and meteorologists. It uses its own proprietary announcer software, ManageWX™, to deliver and monitor nearly 40,000 forecasts a month, as well as advertising insertion orders along with proof of performance affidavits. Its announcers deliver personalized weather feeds for local radio stations for their precise coverage area that can include the stations' call letters, an open and close, a weather jingle and even a sponsor, all at 100% barter.
Forward-Looking Statements:
The information in this Press Release includes certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of Federal Securities Laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances after the date of this release except as required by law.
Contact:
Radio Forecast Network
Larry Usner
Larry@RadioForecastNetwork.com
Phone: 337-886-9323
Bentley Commerce Corporation
Bruce Kamm
admin@BentleyCommerce.com
Phone: 941-870-4952
www.radioforecastnetwork.com
www.bentleycommerce.com
| | | Radio Forecast Network & Radio Weather Network Merge
Combined Company Serves Over 200 Radio Stations with Recorded-Live Weather Reports
Scott, Louisiana -- January 31, 2007 -- Radio Forecast Network (RFN) has acquired Radio Weather Network (RWN) of Winnsboro, Louisiana, to create a weather forecasting and alerting service spanning over 200 radio stations in 37 states and Puerto Rico.
"We're excited to cross the two-hundred station mark," said Larry Usner, founder & CEO of RFN. "And adding RWN's founder Tony Doherty to our team is a big coup, as he's a radio veteran with substantial expertise in delivering compelling live, local weather information.'
"We're thrilled to be joining forces with RFN," said Tony Doherty, founder and CEO of RWN. "We've witnessed their rapid growth and are happy to be part of their future plans."
RFN now has seventy professional announcers and meteorologists with over 1,000 years of combined Radio and TV experience. These announcers use ManageWX™, the firm's proprietary web-based announcer software, which allows RFN™ to manage and deliver over 30,000 forecasts every month.
RFN™ provides "recorded live"mp3 quality weather forecasts, in every daypart, seven days a week. The firm delivers its client radio stations weather feeds specific to their coverage areas, using their call letters, with a custom open & close that can include a sponsor and a jingle, all at 100% barter.
RFN™ utilizes live data from the WeatherBug™ Network, which has 8,000 professional-grade weather tracking stations across the United States, each reporting data every second. Other weather information providers rely on just airport weather, which is only some 1,100 government points-of-presence that typically report just hourly.
About RFN™
Radio Forecast Network began operations in February, 2004. The firm delivers short-form weather content, including reports and forecasts, to terrestrial and Internet radio stations across the USA. RFN™is based in Scott, Louisiana.
RFN™is a trademark of Radio Forecast Network. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact:
Larry Usner
Radio Forecast Network
337/224-8888
larry@radioforecastnetwork.com
| | | Subject: Radio Forecast Network Announces Severe Weather Alerts product
Radio Forecast Network Launches Nationally-Sponsored, Recorded-Live Severe Weather Alerts
Empowers Participating Affiliates to Sell to Local Clients with "Baked-In" Custom Taglines
Contact:
Larry Usner
Radio Forecast Network
337/224-8888
larry@radioforecastnetwork.com
Scott, Louisiana, February 22, 2007 -- Radio Forecast Network (RFN) has launched its 24/7 Severe Weather Alerts service, whereby its meteorologists create recorded-live MP3s reflecting dangerous weather, and make this short-form content instantly available to participating stations in the relevant geography, in all parts of the United States.
RFN will cover all manner of weather that could potentially destroy lives or property, including:
Extreme Heat & Cold
Winter Storms
Hurricanes
Tornadoes & High Winds
Floods
Icing
Lightning
Air Quality
Marine Warnings.
"We've been tuning our Severe Weather offering for months, ensuring it's the right kind of just-in-time content for America's terrestrial and Internet radio stations," said Larry Usner, founder & CEO of RFN.
"Under the stewardship of our Tony Doherty and his meteorology team, we believe this service will help save lives and protect property in all fifty states, day in and day out."
Stations can sign up for RFN's free severe weather alerts service at http://promo.radioforecastnetwork.com/about_us.php .
When severe weather is in a participating station's geographic area (or moving towards the area), RFN automatically contacts one or more indicated station employees via email, cell phone text message and/or an automated phone call, to report the availability of their MP3 file. The recorded-live severe weather alerts are customized for each participating station, and the station can sell local tags relating to the national sponsor in the outro.
RFN has seventy professional announcers and meteorologists with over 1,000 years of combined Radio and TV experience. These announcers use ManageWX™, the firm's proprietary web-based announcer software, which allows RFN to manage and deliver over 40,000 forecasts and severe weather alerts every month.
RFN also provides "recorded live" mp3 quality weather forecasts, in every daypart, seven days a week. The firm delivers its client radio stations weather feeds specific to their coverage areas, using their call letters, with a custom open & close that can include a sponsor and a jingle, all at 100% barter.
RFN utilizes live data from the WeatherBug Network, which has 8,000 professional-grade weather tracking stations across the United States, each reporting data every second. Other weather information providers rely on just airport weather, which is only some 1,100 government points-of-presence that typically report just hourly.
###
About RFN
Radio Forecast Network began operations in February, 2004. The firm delivers short-form weather content, including reports and forecasts, to terrestrial and
Internet radio stations across the USA. RFN is based
in Scott, Louisiana.
RFN is a trademark of Radio Forecast Network. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
| | | Radio Forecast Network News
WeatherBug Press Release:
Lafayette, La -- March 4, 2005 -- Radio Forecast Network announces partnership with WeatherBug™!
Radio Forecast Network has begun a partnership with WeatherBug™, owner of the largest weather sensor network in the world.
Radio Forecast Network provides mp3 quality "recorded-live" weather forecasts to stations throughout the country. "We started with three stations the first week in february 2004. One year and 45 stations later, we're taking it to a new level," said Larry Usner, operations manager of RFN. "We've partnered with WeatherBug™ in order to deliver more accurate forecasts for our stations."
WeatherBug™, the leading online weather information provider, with over 8,000 of its own professional-grade weather tracking stations across the usa, reports data every second from virtually everywhere. "stations within the Radio Forecast Network demand on up-to-the-minute, hyper-local weather information for their listeners," said Usner.
WeatherBug™ Media Services delivers live weather information to more than 80 million U.S. households through partnerships with over 100 local television stations. And WeatherBug™ is the leading desktop application for live local weather conditions, forecasts and alerts, with 20 million monthly active users according to comscore media metrix.
How do RFN stations benefit from this partnership?
An association with WeatherBug™, the leading source of weather data in the country with over 8,000 tracking stations throughout the USA.
In addition to regular forecasts, access to special reports from WeatherBug's meteorologists during severe weather events.
"Live" interactive on-air interviews with weatherbug's meteorologists during certain weather situations for your area.
Separate WeatherBug™ hurricane reports for stations near the coasts.
On-air promotional give-aways for RFN station listeners (WeatherBug Plus "ad-free" desktop weather software---a $19.95 value)
The WeatherBug™ storm chase truck travels the USA and, from time to time, will be available at RFN station remotes.
An "html WeatherBug™ sticker"can be added to the RFN station's website providing live online current weather conditions, cam images, etc.
Many other features, including even helping our stations step into the booming new podcasting arena..... | | | |
