• by Erik Sass , March 5, 2012

While Cumulus Media is cooperating with Clear Channel Radio in digital media, the two radio groups are still competing in other areas. That includes traffic information, where Cumulus announced its plans to launch a new traffic reporting service, “Right Now Traffic,” which will compete with Clear Channel’s own traffic reporting operation, recently bolstered by the acquisition of Westwood One’s traffic division.

Created in partnership with Radiate Media, Right Now Traffic will be carried on Cumulus and Radiate stations in 75 top U.S. markets. It is scheduled to debut in April. The service will also be syndicated to other radio stations.

Radiate Media’s traffic reporting capabilities include real-time traffic information, current and predictive travel times, incident updates, mapping, routing, search, commute management, and personalized alert services, with data supplied by Navteq. Radiate distributes the information in a variety of formats, including mobile and online as well as broadcast and digital distribution channels such as HTML email, text email, and SMS text message.

Right Now Traffic is launching just as the traffic information marketplace appears to be becoming smaller through consolidation.

Clear Channel Radio recently merged Metro Networks Traffic, acquired from Westwood One in April 2011, with its own Total Traffic Network. In an earlier round of consolidation, Westwood itself had acquired Sigalert from Jaytu Technologies back in January 2010.

Cumulus and Radiate estimate that the traffic information business is worth up to $300 million a year, via advertising sales and syndication deals.