AccuWeather Unveils World's First Native High-Definition System for 24-Hour-a-Day Custom Weather

New System Enables Television Stations, Cable Companies and Satellite DBS Providers to Offer Custom HD Channel of Weather

(State College, PA, October 24, 2003) - AccuWeather, Inc. today announced the deployment of the world's first high-definition (HD) digital weather system, CustomWeather HD™. The system enables television stations, cable companies and satellite DBS providers to offer their viewers a high-definition channel of custom weather.

The new system includes AccuWeather's weather graphics and animations, along with optional voiceovers and video reports from AccuWeather broadcast meteorologists or customer broadcasters. This is combined with the very latest sound and video technology to produce a unique system that gives the user an edge in the relatively new HD television market. The HD format is especially appealing to consumers because of its enhanced, sharp picture and theater-quality sound. Clients purchasing the system can be the first in their market to create an HD custom weather show.

The system offers the following technological features:

- 1080i HDTV video, which enables the highest possible (1920x1080) screen resolution for extremely sharp high-resolution graphics, including animations. - Video format in non-interlaced 1920x1080 UXGA, RGBHV, the most cutting-edge available. - Ability to auto-insert special weather graphics and new data at any time into the weather show with no station action needed, enabling quick updates during severe weather events without interruption in program playback. - Complete turnkey solution that operates on its own, including automatic updates of data and graphics, offering customers a great amount of weather information, paired with outstanding visuals, with no effort on the part of the user.

Along with the cutting-edge technology of HDTV, the content from AccuWeather's forecasting and graphics team enables clients to provide their customers with a 24-hour channel of highly-watchable and accurate weather information. Users can choose what would be of interest to their viewers to create a custom weather show for their market. They can choose from the following elements:

- Up-to-date official National Weather Service severe weather warnings, to the county level, for each client's region. - Regional forecasts for any area of the United States. - Local forecasts for any zip code. - International forecasts for any place in the world. - Travel weather, including travel weather conditions, flight delay information, and forecasts. - National, regional and local satellite and radar loops - Any other desired content.

With this amount of information in a cutting-edge format, CustomWeather HD also provides users with additional promotional opportunities. Along with including opportunities for additional avails during the weather show, it can also be promoted as the first HD custom weather channel in a station's market.

"CustomWeather HD has all the tools needed to win viewers with a comprehensive amount of custom weather information and the sharpest graphics available," Dr. Joel N. Myers, Founder and President of AccuWeather, Inc., said. "HDTV is capturing a lot of attention from the public, and it will replace the old analog format as the only source of television by the end of this decade. Offering a channel right now that takes full advantage of this technology will establish the broadcaster as a leader in their market."

About AccuWeather and AccuWeather.com

AccuWeather.com, The World's Weather Authority®, provides a portfolio of products and services through the airwaves, via the Internet, in print, and behind the scenes that benefit hundreds of millions of people worldwide. AccuWeather.com services more than 130,000 paying customers in media, business, government and institutions, and millions more through the website. AccuWeather.com also provides content onto more than 1200 Internet sites including CNN Interactiv, ABC's owned and operated stations, The Associated Press©, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

To speak with an AccuWeather meteorologist about breaking weather news, contact 814-235-8650.

For additional information on AccuWeather and AccuWeather.com, please contact Emily DiTomo or Tony Defazio at 610-642-8253.

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