TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Verizon Wireless to Deliver CBS Clips to Phones

Verizon Wireless to Deliver CBS Clips to Phones

Reuters News Wire (reuters@telecom-digest.org)
Fri, 9 Dec 2005 16:47:28 -0600

Verizon Wireless plans to start sending clips of popular CBS shows
"CSI," "Survivor" and "Late Show with David Letterman" to mobile
phones, marking CBS's first foray into wireless video, the companies
said on Wednesday.

The clips will be available to customers of Verizon Wireless's V Cast
video service and are aimed at luring more consumers to use a
high-speed wireless network it is building.

Mobile providers are moving beyond traditional phone calls in the hope
of boosting revenue with features like video.

TV networks like CBS see this trend as a way to win new viewers and
give new options to existing ones. Some, like NBC, are also making
agreements with Apple Computer Inc. to have whole shows or clips run
on its video iPod device.

While the iPod needs to be connected to a computer for video
downloads, clips are delivered to cellphones wirelessly.

Rather than airing full shows, V Cast will carry shorter clips,
including part of Letterman's monologue from "Late Show" and
highlights from other shows. It will run preview clips of CBS series
"CSI" and "Survivor."

Customers will also start receiving video news segments from CBS News
and Paramount TV's "Entertainment Tonight," the companies said. The
news clips will include breaking news as well as features from "CBS
Evening News" and "The Early Show."

CBS, now a unit of Viacom Inc., will become a publicly traded company
next year; Paramount TV is also a Viacom unit. Verizon Wireless is a
venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc.

Reuters/VNU

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

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