• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 12, 2010

Clear Channel Radio's Total Traffic Network has struck a deal with TomTom, which operates a service that provides driving directions via mobile devices. It will allow TomTom to offer lifetime traffic updates from TTN as an option on its RDS-TMC devices. The new real-time traffic information offering expands an existing agreement to offer TTN updates by subscription.

Various GPS-based navigation services have placed increasing emphasis on integrating real-time traffic information over the last couple of years, using the speed, coverage and accuracy of traffic updates to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Tom Murray, TomTom's senior vice president for market development, explained: "Our continued partnership ensures customers have hassle-free navigation over the life of their device."

Overall, TTN's traffic data reaches over 125 million people through a number of partnerships with carmakers and device manufacturers.

News of the Clear Channel TTN-TomTom deal comes a few months after Westwood One bolstered its traffic news content with the acquisition of Sigalert from Jaytu Technologies, LLC. That arrangement gave Westwood One control of Sigalert's digital system for collecting and distributing traffic information for various areas in Southern California, Northern California and Arizona. Westwood plans to expand Sigalert's coverage from its eight current markets to a total of 65 markets by the end of the year.

Sigalert's content offerings include freeway and highway maps with traffic speed, accident details and other relevant information in a display that is compatible with the Web, mobile, phones, PDAs and TV traffic reports.

It can also personalize traffic alerts for drivers based on their daily routines, which Westwood One will now be able to offer to radio, TV and digital affiliates.