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Mobile DTV gains national mobile content service, broadcast group support
If there's one thing a fledgling technology needs, it's good marketing. That aside, the next most vital thing is industry support. Today, an even dozen broadcast groups have banded together in order to back the soon-to-launch Mobile DTV format (ATSC-M/H), with Belo, Cox, E.W. Scripps, Fox, Gannett, Hearst, ION, Media General, Meredith, NBC, Post-Newsweek and Raycom forming a joint venture to develop a "new national mobile content service." The service will utilize the broadcast spectrum already set aside in order to allow member companies to "provide content to mobile devices, including live and on-demand video, local and national news from print and electronic sources, as well as sports and entertainment programming." That's pretty big news for a tech that's been struggling to gain acceptance in America, and if all goes to plan, Washington, DCers will get a chance to indulge first when it goes live in the nation's capitol on May 3rd. A showcase on that date will demonstration a Mobile DTV-capable Samsung Moment and Dell Mini 10 (amongst others), though we're still having a tough time digging up firm pricing for any of those. Get ready, folks -- Pimp My Ride is about to get a huge second wind.
Most Belo-owned stations finally permitted for transmission on Charter
It's been a long, long time since Belo-owned stations were transmitted on Charter systems (what, two years or something now?), but the two are finally burying the hatchet before 2009... or partially burying it, anyway. According to Belo, 11 of its 15 markets can finally see Belo-owned locals in SD and HD on Charter, including KMOV-TV in St. Louis, WFAA in Dallas / Fort Worth, WCNC-TV in Charlotte and KONG-TV in Seattle / Tacoma. Few details about the actual agreement were made public, but we're just stoked that the two have finally made amends.[Thanks, Shane]
Broadcasters and Cable continue to not get along
The more people that run out and buy HDTV the more valuable HD content becomes and a few savvy greedy media companies intend to capitalize on it. Of course the Cable companies have been carrying these local channels for years and haven't been paying a dime, so they are obviously not too keen on the idea of paying to carry local channels. This isn't anything new, but as more and more people buy HDTV's it will be a bigger issue. Mediacom (a cable company) is pulling all of their Sinclair channels from their lineup after not being able to come to an agreement. Belo is at it again after trying to charge Charter for KMOV in St Louis, this time it's WFAA in Fort Worth. For the sake of our cable bills lets hope all the cable companies hold their position and refuse to the pay ransom. In the meantime, you can get by with an antenna, but don't tell Belo or Sinclair. If your trying to figure out why your local channel isn't carried in HD by your cable company you may want to check out Belo's site to see if they own them.Read - Mediacom: Sinclair Says Pull PlugRead - Charter pulls WFAA in HD[Thanks, Chip]
