Virtual Weatherman Creates, Airs Real-Time Bulletins - Radio World

Virtual Weatherman Creates, Airs Real-Time Bulletins

Virtual Weatherman Creates, Airs Real-Time Bulletins
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Virtual Voice Technologies debuted Virtual Weatherman, a software system that provides automated weather forecasts for radio, TV and cable systems.
The company says it is the successor to the Digital Weatherman and requires no dedicated hardware.
Like the earlier product, Virtual Weatherman creates customizable local forecasts in real human voices in a station's desired length and format. Forecasts include live current conditions from local NWS offices or onsite weather sensors.
It maintains voice libraries and configurations on dedicated Internet servers; clients can load and run a tiny FTP engine to download completed weathercasts automatically. The ingest engine uses less CPU time than an open Web browser and can reside on most computers and operating systems, including the station's main automation system, the company says.
Virtual Weatherman lets users control voice talent, exact wording of forecasts and conditions in real time through a local software interface and also through a Web-based control panel.
Using that panel, on-air weathercasts can be heard, configured and controlled from an Internet-connected PC; the company says this means customers can write their own forecasts or use third-party forecasts, and change voice talent, the current temperature mentioned and length.
The system also creates real-time weather bulletins and airs them by interfacing with a stations' EAS system, or through optional relays. Stations can have weather coverage of several weather watches and warnings.