Close to the edge

To be successful, broadcasters must make their services available on portable devices. The end of the analog broadcast era finally has some broadcasters thinking about what being digital will really mean for an industry that has thrived for decades by delivering linear entertainment and news to local television markets. There is widespread interest in developing the standards for broadcasting to mobile and handheld devices. It is less clear, however, what the interest level is among consumers to buy products that support these standards. To date, consumer interest in paid video subscription services through cellular telephone providers has been minimal. Most of these services do not offer localized content, an area that local broadcasters may be ideally suited to develop. This article discusses the question: What kind of content can broadcasters create to serve these markets?