New broadcast coalition could threaten entrenched mobile TV players

Rather than ceding control of the mobile TV market to the nation’s wireless carriers, nine U.S. television broadcast groups have formed an industry alliance called the Open Mobile Video Coalition to speed the development of a mobile variant for digital broadcast TV.
The broadcasters, which combined own 281 television stations in 110 U.S. markets, made the announcement from Las Vegas in conjunction with the National Association of Broadcasters 2007 show, which starts there today.
The coalition’s aim is to realize the “full potential” of digital broadcast television spectrum in the United States. The spectrum is currently used for stationary TVs, and the current technology does not lend itself to mobile applications. The coalition hopes to rally support around one of the recently announced technologies that will allow local digital TV broadcasters to beam their offerings to portable devices like cellphones.
Already, LG Electronics Co. Ltd. and Harris Corp. announced their Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld technology, an in-band mobile digital television system making its debut at the NAB convention in Las Vegas. Samsung also has announced a similar technology that will allow local TV broadcasters to offer their content to mobile devices.
So far, no cellphones have been announced that support the new technologies.
According to the Open Mobile Video Coalition’s charter, the group urges a forum for members and affiliates to discuss product requirements and technology specifications related to mobile digital broadcast TV; promotes the development of products, services and standards enabling mobile TV; and aims to educate broadcasters, technology developers, consumers and regulators about the value, benefits and applications of mobile TV.
Belo Corp., Fox Television Stations, Gannett Broadcasting, Gray Television, ION Media Networks, the NBC and Telemundo Television Stations, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Broadcasting Company all spearheaded the formation of the alliance. The group is hopeful its membership will grow in the coming weeks.
The move comes as a variety of companies take aim at the mobile TV market. Already Verizon Wireless is offering mobile TV through Qualcomm Inc.’s MediaFLO network, and AT&T Inc.’s Cingular Wireless plans to do the same later this year. At first glance, the goals of the Open Mobile Video Coalition appear to stand as a threat to the carrier-dominated mobile TV market by providing an alternate, potentially free mobile TV service comprised of local TV channels.