TV and radio programming syndicator Westwood One Inc. on Tuesday said that it had acquired the popular Sigalert service, which provides on-air, on-line and mobile traffic information throughout Southern California.

The deal with Sigalert owner Jaytu Technologies LLC of San Diego gives the New York syndicator control of Sigalert’s digital system for collecting and distributing traffic information for various areas in Southern California, Northern California and Arizona. The service gets its name from the iconic alert system pioneered by the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1950s and now used by the California Highway Patrol.

Sigalert displays freeway and highway maps with traffic speed and accident details in on the Web, cell phones, PDAs, and television traffic reports. It also can create personalized traffic alerts to enable users to identify and avoid traffic delays on their daily routes. Westwood said it plans to expand Sigalert’s coverage from its current eight markets to 65 markets by the end of the year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“It is a perfect platform for Westwood One to expand our digital business and provide the most useful on-line traffic information to our radio, television, and digital affiliates,” said Chief Financial Officer Rod Sherwood.

The service was launched in 1998 by Jonathan Berke and Joel Johnstone, who will be joining Westwood One.