Capitol Broadcasting’s WRAL just got a little more connected, with its latest headlines read by WRAL’s anchors and reporters through Amazon's voice service, Alexa.
DMA 24: RALEIGH, NC
WRAL News, Weather On Amazon Echo
Technology is constantly evolving and changing the way news is consumed, and the NBC affiliate in Raleigh, N.C. (DMA 24), is staying on the leading edge of this evolution with its integration into Amazon’s Echo platform.
Amazon Echo is a hands-free, always-on speaker that responds to voice commands, and delivers information requested by the user through interaction with Amazon’s voice service, Alexa.
Much like Apple’s Siri and Google’s OK, Google, Alexa is a cloud-based virtual personal assistant that provides voice feedback to user interaction.
Among its features is automating a home’s connected devices, ordering necessities from Amazon.com, hailing an Uber, ordering pizza, playing music, setting a timer or alarm, checking the time, providing weather and traffic updates, and reading the news.
More than 65% of Echo users have asked Alexa to read the news. Now, for the first time, the news will be localized for Echo owners in the WRAL viewing area.
By simply adding WRAL to Echo’s Flash Briefing, users can hear the latest headlines read by WRAL’s anchors and reporters. Echo users can also enable the WRAL skill, which offers even more content, including weather updates from WRAL’s team of expert meteorologists.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
“We are excited to offer WRAL News on Amazon’s Echo platform and other Alexa-enabled devices,” said Jake Seaton, digital product manager for WRAL.com. “This is new territory for everyone, and we think that the growing user base here in the Triangle will find value in on-demand access to the local news they know and trust.”
To access WRAL news and weather, user can simply say: “Alexa, enable WRAL.” Echo owners also can use the Alexa app on their smartphone or tablet to enable content from WRAL. Tap Skills from the main menu, search for WRAL and enable the skill.
Once the WRAL skill has been enabled, users can say, “Alexa, open WRAL,” or “Alexa, ask WRAL for the weather,” or “Alexa, ask WRAL for my news.”
To enable WRAL news headlines as part of Echo’s Flash Briefing, open Settings from the left sidebar in the Alexa app, tap Flash Briefing, tap Get more Flash Briefing content and search for WRAL. Once enabled, Echo owners can get WRAL News by asking, “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?” or “Alexa, what’s new?”
Alexa is built into the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap, Fire TV (second generation), Fire HD 8 tablet and Triby, a portable smart speaker and message board.
Comments (6)
Wagner Pereira says:
December 9, 2016 at 1:33 pm
If you believe @JDSHAW this is just Weather Hype. Shows how much he understands how important images are to a Station.
Cameron Miller says:
December 11, 2016 at 4:51 pm
Go away Insider and stop attacking us as stupid, misinformed, uninformed, ignorant people, stop with the smuggy behavior, STOP IT ALL!!!!
Scott Cote says:
December 9, 2016 at 2:37 pm
Ok. Glad to hear this. But KNBC in Los Angeles has this Flash Briefing capability also. What’s so special about RAL?
Wagner Pereira says:
December 9, 2016 at 3:54 pm
Unlike KNBC, WRAL stays on the cutting edge of Technology.
Veronica Serrano Padilla says:
December 10, 2016 at 8:45 pm
With your lack of reading comprehension once again you missed that the poster stated KNBC has the same technology. How very typical of you…
Wagner Pereira says:
December 12, 2016 at 5:09 am
KNBC has an ATSC 3.0 Station on the air currently? KNBC has done 4K Newscasts? KNBC has m-dtv? KNBC was the first to Broadcast ATSC 1.0? No, just like you have no understanding of Broadcasting Innovators while you still are SD, WRAL ALWAYS Innovates. KNBC does years later. You do it a Century later.