MediaFLO USA to expand to new handsets in Q4

Qualcomm's mobile broadcast unit MediaFLO USA will expand to two new handsets during the fourth quarter, announced SVP of programming and advertising Jonathan Barzilay during his appearance at Tuesday's Mobile Entertainment Live! event. While Barzilay (click here for photo and bio) was unable to address specifics of the handset deals, he did confirm the MediaFLO mobile TV service--presently available in the U.S. via AT&T and Verizon Wireless--will be available across the country in February 2009, in tandem with the Congress-mandated switch from analog to digital broadcast television. (MediaFLO will use frequency spectrum 716-722 MHz, which was previously allocated to UHF TV channel 55.)

Expect more opportunistic programming efforts from MediaFLO, Barzilay said, citing the success of the network's recent broadcasts spotlighting the Summer Olympics and ESPN's X Games. "We're trying to figure out the holes and increase the number of brands we offer," Barzilay said, pointing to MediaFLO's recent decision to spin off cable channels CNBC, MSNBC and Fox News from the existing NBC and Fox mobile networks. "The mobile platform shines with live news and sports," Barzilay said. "It's a simple use case. Having the ability to tune in to a game or the Super Tuesday primaries is very compelling."

While Barzilay said he believes the current scope of MediaFLO's programming slate is properly sized for the mobile platform--"People get 200 channels at home and only watch 12 of them"--he said Qualcomm is presently exploring new methods to exploit 3G technology, which would offer MediaFLO the ability to feature on-demand content alongside its live streaming service. For now, however, MediaFLO USA's broadcast partners are increasingly high on the possibilities of mobile TV.

"We feel like the wind is at our backs with programmers," Barzilay said. "They're so excited to have a new field to play on, and to figure out things like what is the mobile equivalent of primetime. We're starting to see a lot of counter-programming on mobile--you see things like people putting [CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman] on against dramatic hours on other networks. They're trying to figure out the right windows."