WPEC-TV CBS 12, Freedom Communications’ CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach, announced its new mobile news app is now available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows smartphones, with availability on Palm webOS coming soon. The app is available as a free download by texting CBS12APP to 56654 or through cbs12.com/mobile.
The news app provides instant access to the latest news, weather, events and information for the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast, and includes the following tabs: Top News, My News (allowing users to customize news by specific sections or blogs), Video, Latest, and More (to access settings, provide feedback on the app, access other apps or saved articles, and view account information). The app also includes share options, such as sending to Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.
The mobile news app is part of a larger digital strategy by Freedom to deliver local news and information instantly across multiple platforms.
Says Mark McEachen, EVP and COO at Freedom: “Growing numbers of people prefer to receive locally-focused news and information on their mobile devices, and we are launching several news apps and mobile services to serve these audiences,” McEachen said. “Freedom is moving aggressively into mobile as another means of delivering our trusted content to the communities we serve, wherever and however people prefer to receive it.”
“We’re excited that our flagship station, WPEC CBS 12, is the first station in our broadcast group to launch Freedom’s mobile app. It is a great opportunity for CBS 12 to extend its reach and connect with the growing number of mobile users in the West Palm Beach market,” said Doreen Wade, president of Freedom’s Broadcasting Division. “We look forward to rolling out mobile news apps in the rest of our six TV markets in the near future.”
To celebrate the launch of the app and generate local interest, CBS 12 is hosting a “Download and Win” promotion. Anyone who downloads the news app can enter to win a Bahamas Cruise from Palm Beach, courtesy of Celebration Cruise Line. Mobile users may enter the contest daily. Contest promotion will include ads and banners on the cbs12.com website.
Freedom is partnering with mobile app developer Handmark in the creation and distribution of apps for its newspapers and broadcast sites. Mobile news apps have been launched at a dozen other Freedom locations, including The Orange County (Calif.) Register, The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo., Daily Press in Victorville, Calif., and several of Freedom’s newspaper businesses in Texas and North Carolina. Several other launches planned across Freedom’s newspaper and broadcast entities in the coming weeks.
