Global Traffic Network

Global Traffic Network is a traffic reporting service that provides reports to radio and television stations across Australia, Canada, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The company was formed in 2005 by principals from Westwood One and Metro Networks, both of which provide direct traffic and news programming to their affiliate stations in the U.S.

Global Traffic Network also has four subsidiaries, Canadian Traffic Network, Australian Traffic Network, Global Traffic Network UK and the Brazilian Traffic Network.

Global Traffic Network was established to be a worldwide aviation company providing helicopter traffic and news reports on the radio and television. It is the leading vendor for radio traffic reports in Canada and Australia.

Global Traffic Network is also attempting to expand its market reach in the televised media through its Australian subsidiary. Combined with the radio affiliates, Global is the dominant ENG helicopter vendor in Australia.

Global Traffic’s media reach, as a helicopter company, is the largest in the world, an idea first hatched by vendors of Metro Networks in 1999.

Global Traffic Network was incorporated in Delaware in May 2005 by William L. Yde, III, who had sold a traffic company to billionaire David I Saperstein, the former CEO of Metro Networks, in 1996.

Yde, who had been living in Las Vegas, Nevada assembled a management group from within Metro Networks and Westwood One, including Shane Coppola, Westwood’s CEO, and Gary Worobow, who was Westwood One’s general counsel.

Yde united four helicopter traffic companies that had been operating in Australia, Canada and Europe. Those four helicopter companies are now subsidiaries of the parent, Global Traffic Network.

Although Global Traffic Network was originally established to serve only the Canadian provinces, Australia and Europe, the company signed advertising and broadcast management agreements with Westwood One and Metro Networks in November 2005, essentially making Global Traffic Network the aviation arm of Westwood and Metro.

Global Traffic Network now owns dozens of Robinson R44 helicopters to service affiliate contracts in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe, according to the 2007 Rotor Roster, a helicopter industry publication that reports annually on the ownership and registration of rotorcraft.

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