BROWSING: NBC

AT&T details MediaFLO launch for May: Verizon Wireless fires back with exclusive channels

AT&T Mobility and MediaFLO USA Inc. announced they will launch their long-awaited mobile TV service in May, but the details of the offering still remain somewhat unclear.Neither company pointed to a specific date for launch, nor what content would be featured on two channels...

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...

Content kings urged to share the wealth: Report encourages Hollywood to give content away in order to goose market

Hollywood content producers looking to cash in on mobile should take a cue from The Red Hot Chili Peppers and give it away - now.That's the message of a white paper released last week from Parks Associates and the think tank Entertainment Technology Center...

Report: Motricity plans major layoffs

Motricity is slashing roughly one-third of its workforce and considering moving its headquarters, according to a report from WRAL.com citing multiple sources. The Durham, N.C.-based mobile content company will eliminate roughly 200 jobs as it streamlines operations following the recent $135 million acquisition of...

WRITERS STRIKE OVER: Sides compromise on new media fees, including mobile

Clear the set. It's back to business as usual in Hollywood.Members of the Writers Guild of America last week voted overwhelmingly to end the 100-day-long strike that brought most TV and film production to a screeching halt on Nov. 5.As if on cue, a...

Entertainment industry ripe for change: Mobile seen as one avenue, though market remains small

LAS VEGAS - It is no doubt a tumultuous time for the television industry - writers' strike not withstanding - and NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker didn't mince words during his keynote address at the NATPE++ Mobile event when he described the...

Mobile TV space looks for growth in 2008: Players believe pieces in place, but awareness needed

Mobile television is all over the place, yet going nowhere fast all at the same time. Consumer choice for TV and video on cellphones is pretty robust, but that's only if users know it exists.Sure, mobile TV and video usage is growing month over...

NBC’s Zucker opines on the future of TV, mobile

LAS VEGAS -- It is no doubt a tumultuous time for the television industry -- writers' strike not withstanding -- and NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker didn't mince words in this morning's keynote here at NATPE when he described the struggle his...

AT&T Mobility set to join mobile TV space

AFTER NUMEROUS DELAYS, AT&T Mobility is preparing to launch broadcast mobile TV service from MediaFLO USA Inc. in early February, according to sources close to the situation.Leaked internal documents and sources indicate that AT&T Mobility is planning to launch the service with two exclusive...

Margins Check: ‘South Park,’ TiVo, SanDisk and more

Editor's Note: Welcome to On the Margins, a feature for RCR Wireless News' weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week, the RCR Wireless News staff considers events in the wider business world and how they could affect the wireless industry.--MTV Networks announced...

Margins Check: NBC’s interactive ads, ABC’s Facebook deal, and more

Editor's Note: Welcome to On the Margins, a feature for RCR Wireless News' weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week, the RCR Wireless News staff considers events in the wider business world and how they could affect the wireless industry.--NBC Universal said...

Mobile ads attract new guidelines: dotMobi group adds its rules to effort

Yet another set of mobile advertising guidelines will be released this week as the dotMobi Advisory Group (MAG) unveils a 44-page document for companies looking to target wireless users.The group, a nonprofit offshoot of mTLD Top Level Domain Ltd., hopes to foster growth of...

Writers’ strike impact creeps onto third screen: Late night content hardest hit, mainstream shows expected to follow

One week into a walkout, and plenty in the entertainment business are already feeling the pinch. Late night TV writers are being warned they'll be laid off next week, a slew of sitcoms-new and old-are quickly going dark and those who work outside the...

Venture capital financing wrap-up: 4INFO, MobileStorm, YouMail and more

The following list includes venture capital and other investments into wireless companies announced during the past week. The value of the investment is included when available.--4INFO: Peacock Equity, a joint venture of GE Commercial Finance's Media, Communications & Entertainment business and NBC Universal, invested...

Hollywood writers walk out

Despite 11th hour attempts to prevent a work stoppage, Hollywood writers went on strike today.Renewed talks between the Writers Guild of America and networks and studios failed to halt the guild's planned strike, despite the pressure of a federal mediator and a flurry of...

Writers strike could steer wireless into uncharted waters: Mobile distribution part of concerns, but could be answer for consumers

Just days after the smoke cleared from last week's devastating fires, Los Angeles began bracing for another firestorm-this time from the entertainment industry.The union representing the 12,000 film and TV writers who make the world laugh, cry and sing is going on strike for...

4INFO snags NBC investment, deal

NBC Universal took a minority stake in 4INFO and partnered with the San Mateo, Calif.-based startup to power its text message-based services.The broadcasting behemoth invested an undisclosed amount in 4INFO via Peacock Equity, a joint venture between NBC Universal and GE Commercial Finance's Media,...

SinglePoint nabs NBC deal

NBC Universal has consolidated all of its interactive TV and participation media campaigns under one roof: SinglePoint. The mobile marketing company has been ramping up to takeover all NBC property campaigns for more than four months now and waited until it was driving all...

Mobile TV prospects remain clouded

A party of five representing TV and cable networks and a diverse sampling of distribution providers failed to collectively define mobile television as it exists today or where it is going. All agreed that more needs to be done to inform large swaths of...

The text-to-vote cliffhanger

Text-to-vote campaigns are changing TV viewing habits dramatically, and TV programming is pushing the popularity of text campaigns.And so it was that I watched "Dancing with the Stars" last Tuesday. For the uninitiated, Wayne Newton got kicked off the contest. America voted correctly. If...

Hedgehogging

hedge*hog*ging v. Interrupting conversations in an office environment by poking your head over the top of the cube.The drastic drop in the price of the iPhone got us hedgehogging all week. It's evident an Apple/Verizon Wireless partnership never would have worked as Apple is...

Margins Check: NBC on iTunes, Internet radio, bendable batteries and more

Editor's Note: Welcome to On the Margins, a feature for RCR Wireless News' new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week, the RCR Wireless News staff considers events in the wider business world and how they could affect the wireless industry.--NBC Universal...

Networks differ on staffing mobile operations

One way to get a sense of how much priority Hollywood networks are placing on mobile is to look at the executives on board and how many people are working on their respective teams.The big four networks-ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox-each takes a different...

Carriers not equal in innovation

So who exactly are the innovators leading the pack in wireless entertainment?It depends who you ask.Few agreed to be identified as they talked about their experiences with carriers, for fear of upsetting their bedfellows, but the bulk of feedback RCR Wireless News gathered does...