Trafficlink

Last updated

Trafficlink
Founded1995
Parent INRIX
Website www.trafficlink.co.uk

Trafficlink, now called INRIX, is the former name of the British company specialising in providing real-time traffic information. Clients include the BBC, ITN, ITV, Sky News and Transport Direct. In partnership with Global Traffic Network it provides traffic and travel information to the majority of UK commercial and community radio stations including Bauer Radio, Global Radio, Absolute Radio and GMG Radio. Since January 2012, the company has been known as INRIX following the acquisition of Trafficlink in summer 2011.[ citation needed ]

Contents

History

The company was founded in 1994, by Ben Budworth, as Metro Networks Ltd, loosely based on the American company Metro Networks US. As a direct competitor to the then market-dominant AA Roadwatch, the company negotiated a number of contracts with local commercial radio stations in its early days, and benefited heavily from an agreement to supply all BBC local radio stations with travel data in 1998. In 2001, Metro Networks was rebranded as Trafficlink and, a year later, was co-awarded an enlarged BBC contract, which saw the company supplying data to the corporation's national stations, with the Serco group. In September 2011, the company was acquired by the US-based INRIX. [1]

From 1 June 2020, all INRIX-voiced bulletins for BBC local radio stations were dropped resulting in a number of redundancies and office closures. While INRIX continues to supply data to the BBC and all major commercial radio groups, INRIX radio bulletins now only appear on a small number of commercial radio stations including LBC News, talkSPORT and talkRADIO.[ citation needed ]

UK wide

Trafflclink has offices in: London,[ citation needed ] Altrincham[ citation needed ] and Bristol,[ citation needed ] and a base within Traffic Wales' Control Centre in Cardiff[ citation needed ] and a base within Traffic Scotland's Control Centre in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Network Rail</span> State-owned company that manages rail infrastructure in Great Britain

Network Rail Limited is the owner and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's length" public body of the Department for Transport with no shareholders, which reinvests its income in the railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Television</span> Television service of the British Broadcasting Corporation

BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 1932, although the start of its regular service of television broadcasts is dated to 2 November 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Radio News</span> British radio news service

Independent Radio News provides a service of news bulletins, audio and copy to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom and beyond. The managing director, Tim Molloy, succeeded long-term MD John Perkins in November 2009. Perkins had been MD of IRN since 1989. IRN's shareholders are Global (54.6%), Bauer Radio (22.3%), ITN (19.7%) and The Wireless Group (3.4%).

Westwood One was an American radio network that was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, and was later purchased by the private equity firm, The Gores Group. Due to purchases, mergers and other forms of consolidation in the 1980s and 1990s, at one time or another, it had ownership stakes in or syndication rights to some of the most famous brands in network radio, including CBS, NBC, Mutual, CNN, Fox, and Unistar. The company was one of the largest producers and distributors of radio programming in the United States. It broadcast entertainment, news, weather, sports, talk, and traffic programming to about 7,700 radio stations across the United States. The company was the top provider of local traffic reports in the U.S. through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks, Shadow Broadcast Services, SmartRoute Systems, and Sigalert.com. Westwood One also offers weather services; originally using Accuweather, Westwood switched to The Weather Channel in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic message channel</span> Technology for delivering traffic and travel information to motor vehicle drivers

Traffic Message Channel (TMC) is a technology for delivering traffic and travel information to motor vehicle drivers. It is digitally coded using the ALERT C or TPEG protocol into Radio Data System (RDS) carried via conventional FM radio broadcasts. It can also be transmitted on Digital Audio Broadcasting or satellite radio. TMC allows silent delivery of dynamic information suitable for reproduction or display in the user's language without interrupting audio broadcast services. Both public and commercial services are operational in many countries. When data is integrated directly into a navigation system, traffic information can be used in the system's route calculation.

Metro Radio is an Independent Local Radio station based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to County Durham, Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear.

Out-of-home (OOH) advertising, also called outdoor advertising, outdoor media, and out-of-home media, is advertising experienced outside of the home. This includes billboards, wallscapes, and posters seen while "on the go". It also includes place-based media seen in places such as convenience stores, medical centers, salons, and other brick-and-mortar venues. OOH advertising formats fall into four main categories: billboards, street furniture, transit, and alternative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Radio Birmingham</span> Radio station in Birmingham, United Kingdom

Free Radio Birmingham is an Independent Local Radio station based in Birmingham, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Birmingham and the West Midlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">News broadcasting</span> Medium of broadcasting news events

News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network. A news broadcast may include material such as sports coverage, weather forecasts, traffic reports, political commentary, expert opinions, editorial content, and other material that the broadcaster feels is relevant to their audience. An individual news program is typically reported in a series of individual stories that are presented by one or more anchors. A frequent inclusion is live or recorded interviews by field reporters.

Newstalk is a national independent radio station in Ireland. It is operated by News 106 Limited, a subsidiary of Bauer Media Audio Ireland, and broadcasts under a sound broadcasting contract with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

In the broadcasting industry, an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television or radio station owned by the network with which it is associated. This distinguishes such a station from an affiliate, which is independently owned and carries network programming by contract.

Radio Clyde is a group of two Independent Local Radio stations serving Glasgow and West Central Scotland. Radio Clyde is owned and operated by Bauer, based at studios in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire and forms part of Bauer's Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio Network of local stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic reporting</span> Communication of road conditions

Traffic reporting is the near real-time distribution of information about road conditions such as traffic congestion, detours, and traffic collisions. The reports help drivers anticipate and avoid traffic problems. Traffic reports, especially in cities, may also report on major delays to mass transit that does not necessarily involve roads. In addition to periodic broadcast reports, traffic information can be transmitted to GPS units, smartphones, and personal computers.

Shadow Broadcast Services was a broadcasting outsourcing company based in Rutherford, New Jersey. It was a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications. Together with its sister companies Metro Networks, Metro Source, Total Traffic Network, SigAlert and Traffax, the company operated a number of local and regional news and traffic operations that provided regular reports to affiliates.

The Radio Independents Group, or RIG, is the trade body that represents the interests of the independent radio producers of the United Kingdom. Established in June 2004, RIG is mandated to negotiate terms with broadcasters and audio consumers such as digital publishers, that are to the benefit of its members. The organisation is a non-profit making body, solely financed through membership fees and donations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth Scotland</span> Radio station in Glasgow, and Edinburgh

Smooth Scotland is a Scottish Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Smooth network. The station replaced Saga 105.2 FM in 2007.

Greatest Hits Radio Teesside is an Independent Local Radio station serving Teesside, as part of Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global Media & Entertainment</span> British media company

Global Media & Entertainment Limited, trading as Global, is a British media company formed in 2007. It is the owner of the largest commercial radio company in Europe having expanded through a number of historical acquisitions, including Chrysalis Radio, GCap Media and GMG Radio. Global owns and operates seven core radio brands, all employing a national network strategy, including Capital, Heart, Gold, Classic FM, Smooth and LBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Scotland</span> Radio station in Glasgow

Capital Scotland is a regional radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by Global. It broadcasts to Scotland's Central Belt, an area surrounding the two cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

TFM is an Independent Local Radio station for Teesside, England, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. The station is owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to areas of County Durham and North Yorkshire.

References

  1. "Trafficlink owner to be sold to US firm". Radio Today. 28 July 2011.
  2. Julie Currie (17 February 201). "A behind the scenes tour of Traffic Scotland's National Control Centre". Falkirk Herald. Retrieved 3 August 2023.