• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, December 28, 2007

It gives new meaning to the daily traffic report.

The Tribune-owned CW station in the Houston market has launched a "traffic jam" service on mobile devices, giving residents access to views from 600 cameras, where they can check out any stalling for themselves and then potentially alter their routes.

The ad-supported "KHCW Traffic Jam Cell Cams" is free, and can be downloaded from the station's Web site. Access is also available by calling a station number.

New York's WCBS radio station began with a similar service earlier this year--the only other media outlet in the country to offer it. But the company that developed the technology, 3rd Dimension, is planning a substantial rollout next year, looking to stitch together a program that allows an advertiser to buy all markets at once.

The service is another example of local stations looking for new revenue opportunities in the digital space, as the growth rate in on-air ad dollars seems to be ebbing.

"This is something that isn't dependent on having a morning news show to offer traffic to commuters," said Roger Bare, general manager of KHCW. "This service gives people real-time traffic information anytime, anywhere and should prove to be popular with local commuters."

The Houston area, with an estimated 2 million commuters, is known as a traffic-clogged city on roads like "The Loop" and Beltway--both covered by the "cell cams."

Cameras are actually located in six counties in the sprawling Houston area, and come via a partnership with a consortium of government agencies that operate in the transportation arena.

The KHCW service is available to customers of four different wireless providers and those with BlackBerries and other handheld devices, as well as phones.