Forget the Verizon Wireless slogan: “Can You Hear Me Now?” Soon it will be: “Can You See Me Now?” At the National Association of Broadcasters convention earlier this month, the TV industry hopes to go wireless. This might have something to do with a decline in ad revenue for local TV. According to the Television Bureau of Advertising, ad revenue for the Top 100 TV Stations went down 17 % in the 4th Quarter of 2007. So what’s the solution? Sending digital TV signals to cell phones and mobile devices.
This is pretty cool, but can it really work?
Courtesy: Sharp Aquos
The goal is to make this a reality by the time the Digital Switchover takes effect (February 2009). Mobile TV is growing, and testing in Europe and Asia proves it. In an article in LiveScience, consumers in Asia buy a cell phone then receives free broadcasting on the phone. Cell phone carriers hope this generates revenue by selling ads, and broadcasters need to profit from it as well.
I’m in favor for TV on the go. But it’s hard enough to stay focused on one channel on television as it is. I couldn’t imagine flipping through 50 channels on my cell phone and then trying to call people or send text messages. TV broadcasters hope this increases sales for the business of local TV, and it can if local stations adopt this idea with original content sent to the phone. So when February rolls around we might need to keep those rabbit ears handy, and hook it up to the cell phone. Good luck walking around with that.