AT&T: MediaFLO to go live in May with LG, Samsung phones

It seems AT&T Mobility and MediaFLO USA Inc. didn’t want to risk getting lost in the glare of next week’s CTIA Wireless 2008 trade show; the companies rushed out news this afternoon that AT&T Mobile TV with FLO will be launching this May.
The service will launch on the Vu from LG Electronics Co. Ltd. and the Access from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
None of the companies pointed to a specific date for launch, nor what content would be featured on two channels that will be exclusive to AT&T’s service.
Indeed, AT&T doesn’t appear to be holding itself to a specific deadline of any sort. The carrier’s rollout has suffered months of delays, having been initially slated for launch late last year.
“The service and the device will be available at the same time,” AT&T Inc. spokesman Mark Siegel told RCR Wireless News.
The carrier plans to announce pricing and exclusive content at a later date, he said.
AT&T’s service will include the same eight-channel lineup — CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC News 2Go, NBC 2Go and Nickelodeon — as MediaFLO’s offering on Verizon Wireless, which launched a year ago.
However, one of AT&T’s two additional, exclusive channels is expected to include concerts from big-name artists. Indeed, Qualcomm hinted at such news in its filing with the Federal Communications Commission prior to the 700 MHz auction.