Peace Communications announces its sponsorship of the local Chattanooga Weatherphone service.
The trusted service has been a part of the Chattanooga community since the 1960s and still receives a daily average of 4,000 to 5,000 calls, according to Randall Hinton, spokesman for The Weatherphone Company.
“Call counts show that time and temperature services are as popular as ever, mainly due to the
convenience factor,” said Mr. Hinton. “From Nome, Alaska to Miami, Florida more people call
Weatherphone sites daily than watch The Weather Channel on television.”
Officials said, "The Weatherphone number has been Chattanooga’s go-to source for time, temperature and the local weather forecast for nearly six decades, and years after it came into play, it’s still holding strong. Many people recall teaching their children to use a telephone with the number.
"In addition to meeting a basic community need, the service has been especially useful to citizens with special needs, such as Alzheimer’s disease and blindness. Those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease often use the number as a reminder of the day and date, and for the blind, a simple day-part reference (morning, afternoon, evening) can be a big help."
The number, 423-265-1411, will remain the same going forward, and Peace will use its own Hosted PBX Infrastructure to add additional overflow numbers to handle the fluctuating call volume.
“The service was on the verge of going away forever if the Weatherphone Company didn’t find a new sponsor,” said Jim Peace, founder, and CEO of Peace Communications. “We are happy to step in and support this valuable community service for Chattanooga and surrounding Hamilton County."