Mobile Networks Featured Article

A new national mobile content service is on its way after twelve top broadcast groups teamed up to form a standalone joint venture.

Belo Corp., Cox (News - Alert) Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Fox, Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., ION Television, Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., NBC, Post-Newsweek Stations Inc. and Raycom (News - Alert) Media came together to develop a new national mobile content service that utilizes existing broadcast spectrum and will allow member companies to provide diverse content to mobile devices.

Not only will the content be vast and varied, ranging from live and on-demand video, local and national news from print and electronic sources, but will also include sports and entertainment programming.

Around 150 million U.S. residents will benefit from this agreement.

In addition to broadcast spectrum, the partners will commit content, marketing resources and capital to the new venture. An open broadcast transmission system called ATSC-M/H will be used by the service. ATSC-M/H is developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and specifically designed for mobile devices.

This joint venture rightly complements the Federal Communication Commission's "FCC (News - Alert)" National Broadband Initiative and will allow consumers access video content through their mobile devices.

 "We are excited about building a platform that makes mobile television universally available and economically viable. This venture is the first step in forging cross-industry and company partnerships to deliver content to consumers," Jack Abernethy, CEO of Fox Television Stations said.