Mobile TV thinks local

Despite slumping mobile TV adoption, not one but two new standards made a splash at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Digital broadcast service provider MobiTV, electronics firms Samsung and Rohde & Schwarz, communications solutions provider Nokia Siemens Networks and satellite communications company SES Americom formally debuted Advanced Vestigial Sideband (A-VSB [1]), a Samsung-developed [2], backward-compatible enhancement of the existing U.S. digital TV broadcasting system that promises to deliver local and national programming as well as interactive applications to mobile devices "in-band"--i.e., on local stations' transmitters and spectrum. Not be outdone, LG Electronics and broadcast solutions provider Harris Corporation unveiled MPH (Mobile-Portable-Handheld), another in-band system which offers pretty much the same bells and whistles as A-VSB but boasts a far cooler acronym.

Both A-VSB and MPH enable broadcasters to deliver mobile TV while bypassing wireless operators. Setting aside the question of which standard is more promising and robust--and right now, your guess is as good as mine--the other issue to consider is whether local broadcasters can truly compete against carrier-supported mobile TV platforms like MobiTV and MediaFLO, which stack the deck with hand-me-down primetime hits and late-night programming from the networks and cable. But not only can local content battle for mobile TV viewers, it may well trump the familiar MobiTV and MediaFLO channel lineups.

Independent telcos seeking a competitive edge against cable and satellite providers have long made local programming a cornerstone of their IPTV efforts--after all, any cable or satellite service can deliver network sitcoms, premium dramas and Hollywood blockbusters, but only a broadcaster rooted in its community will offer on-demand viewing of the high school football team's thrashing of its cross-town rival or a particularly heated city council meeting. It's a situation mirrored in the current mobile TV environment, where operator-backed services deliver programming selected for maximum demographic-wide appeal, offering little that isn't already available via other national broadcast platforms. A-VSB and MPH promise something truly different, expanding the personal relevancy of what mobile subscribers watch as well as when and how they watch it. For example, a local affiliate could make the latest headlines, traffic and weather available on-demand immediately after the traditional newscast airs, enabling viewers to tune in and catch up via mobile whenever the opportunity presents itself. Add search and advertising revenues to the mix, and local-centric mobile TV seems even more lucrative.

Sure, local content isn't flashy, but that's the point. With its emphasis on talking-heads close-ups and its dearth of fancy-pants visual effects, it's programming that's tailor-made for the limitations of the mobile handsets. Small-town content for the smallest screen--sounds like must-see TV to me. --Jason [3]