John Lawson, the executive vice president at ION Media Networks, says mobile television employing the ATSC Mobile DTV protocol “represent[s] the biggest financial upside for the television broadcasting industry since the invention of the 30–second spot,” according to Broadcasting & Cable magazine.
“We see tens of millions of mobile DTV users in a few short years, an audience much larger — and much younger — than the remaining over-the-air viewer base today,” Lawson says. Lawson certainly isn’t a disinterested observer; just a few days ago ION launched Mobile DTV in New York City and in Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., as I wrote.
ION is a founding member of the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), which promotes the Mobile DTV standard. Also, Brandon Burgess, the chairman and CEO of ION, is the president of the OMVC.
ION’s Chapter XI
ION certainly would like mobile TV to become a big money-maker. A few weeks ago the company filed for Chapter XI, and its financial status is unclear.
As I previously wrote, ION’s DTV effort is part of the company’s “triple play” offering for which it also launched a regular high definition channel and two digital networks.
Comments