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Open Mobile Video Coalition Gathers Momentum by Doubling Its Membership
Joining the Coalition are the television station groups of Cox Television, Dispatch Broadcast Group, Freedom Broadcasting, LIN TV Corporation, Meredith Corporation, Media General, Post-Newsweek Stations, Raycom Media, Schurz Communications Coalition growing from 9 to 19 members, increasing the number of TV stations from 281 to 422, as well as gaining the support from APTS which represents 361 additional public U.S. TV stations
Washington – July 24, 2007 – Nine more major television broadcaster station groups have joined the Open Mobile Video Coalition (“OMVC”), taking the group from 281 stations to 422 stations, the Coalition announced today. The new members are the television station groups of Cox Television, Dispatch Broadcast Group, Freedom Broadcasting, LIN TV Corporation, Meredith Corporation, Media General, Post-Newsweek Stations, Raycom Media, and Schurz Communications.
In addition, the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) will also join the Coalition. APTS is a nonprofit corporation which provides public advocacy and other services for the 361 public television stations in the U.S.
These groups are joining Belo Corp., Fox Television Stations, Gannett Broadcasting, Gray Television, ION Media Networks, the NBC and Telemundo Television Stations, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Broadcasting Company, in an unprecedented industry alliance to accelerate the development of mobile digital broadcast television.
“We are joining forces with a group of forward-thinking television leaders to explore the exciting new frontier of mobile digital television,” said Alan Frank, President of the Post Newsweek Television stations and TV Board Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters. “This coalition unifies our collective goal of embracing technology that unlocks the full potential of our digital broadcast spectrum.”
“Public television stations have long embraced DTV as a means to provide a new generation of content and services to the American public, and mobile video is such an opportunity. We are excited about the participation of APTS member stations in the Coalition and salute the leadership of our broadcast colleagues in forming it,” said APTS President and CEO John Lawson.
“Working together on a mobile DTV standard, broadcasters can become a major factor in the mobile video arena”, added Brandon Burgess, CEO of ION Media Networks, who has been facilitating bringing the broadcast Coalition together. “We are looking forward to working with the technology industry on delivering mobile digital television to consumers.”
Since its launch on April 13, the OMVC has shown positive industry momentum and consensus-building, including technical meetings, presentations to industry groups, as well as a recent executive kick-off session to discuss a steering process for managing the Coalition.
The Coalitions’ industry outreach has resulted in endorsements from the National Association of Broadcasters’ David Rehr, the Association of Public Television stations’ John Lawson, and Maximum Service Television’s David Donovan, as these industry groups plan on actively collaborating with the OMVC.
The group has established a timeline that calls for parallel development of standards, devices and business models with the goal of a 2009 launch. With that goal in mind, the group has also launched two test markets in Tampa, FL, and Washington, D.C.. The Coalition has received significant interest from hardware and transmission manufacturing communities and continues to plan active dialogues regarding opportunities in the second half of 2007.
Estimates for 2007 U.S. sales of portable and mobile devices capable of video playback run as high as 100 million units. These include sales of video-capable mobile phones, personal media players, portable game players, imaging devices, notebook PCs, and in-car entertainment devices. With the addition of a low-cost receiver module, each of these devices could be built to receive DTV broadcasts from any of the 1,600 digital television stations in the U.S. that choose to transmit mobile capable signals. DTV spectrum is ideally suited for mobile video. It supports good picture quality, reliable reception inside buildings and on fast-moving vehicles, all using antennas small enough to fit in almost any portable device.
The Coalition’s work will include promoting development of technical standards; defining technical objectives and requirements of broadcasters; accelerating the development of new technology, solutions and content; driving regulatory support and promoting consumer adoption of mobile digital broadcast television. Membership in the coalition is open to all U.S.-based television broadcast stations.
About the Open Mobile Television Coalition Members The station groups in the Open Mobile Television Coalition collectively own and operate 422 television stations in 142 U.S. markets (including Puerto Rico), covering 103 million television homes, or 92% of total TV households. This includes coverage of at least one station in all top 50 DMA markets and 96 of the top 100 markets. The current members own or operate an average of 6.0 stations in the top 10 markets, 5.7 stations in the top 20 markets, 4.8 stations in the top 50 markets, and 3.5 stations in the top 100 markets. These figures do not include the 361 public stations represented by APTS.
About the Open Mobile Video Coalition The Open Mobile Video Coalition is a voluntary association of television broadcasters whose mission is to accelerate the development of mobile digital broadcast television in the United States. Membership in the Coalition is open to all U.S.-based television broadcast stations. Members are committed to fostering open competition in the development of products and services related to television. Website www.openmobilevideo.com
