TV in Your Pocket Is the Next Small Thing

[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Meg James]
Welcome to the age of fast-food TV: nuggets of news and entertainment that can be consumed on cellphones, video game consoles and digital music players. Whether the programming is downloaded via iTunes software or over a cellular network, the trend is changing where -- and how -- TV watchers are tuning in. "The notion of a particular screen being tied to a particular kind of content is breaking down," said Van Baker, an analyst with Gartner Inc. "It's what kind of screen is available to me right now, and that's what I'll use." For Hollywood, cellphones with color screens and the ability to download video files couldn't come at a better time. Executives are under pressure to find new revenue as the industry's most powerful profit engines -- DVD sales, 30-second commercial spots and syndicated TV reruns -- lose steam. Broadcast networks and cable channels, wary of losing advertising dollars to the Internet, have been experimenting for months to learn what works -- and what doesn't -- on an itty-bitty screen. "What are the three things that you always have with you? Your money, your keys and your cellphone," said Lucy Hood, president of Fox Mobile Entertainment. "If we can deliver a fun entertainment experience on this device, that will make it a very powerful medium." TV stations affiliated with the major networks also are worried about the effect of cellphones and digital video players. Specifically, they fear an erosion of their ability to charge premium rates for commercial time during popular programs. Some executives say fears that shows lose their value when they are distributed on other platforms are overblown.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-mobile1nov01,1,5788...
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