Broadcast spectrum to be utilized for the new mobile service will come from the three owned-and-operated station groups — Fox, NBC & Telemundo, and ION — and the nine local broadcast groups, which are Belo, Cox, E.W. Scripps, Gannett, Hearst, Media General, Meredith, Post Newsweek and Raycom. Separately, these nine local broadcast companies formed Pearl Mobile DTV Company LLC as a vehicle for their involvement in the venture.

By aggregating existing broadcast spectrum from its launch partners, the new venture will have the capacity to offer a breadth of mobile video and print content to nearly 150 million U.S. residents. In addition to broadcast spectrum, the partners will commit content, marketing resources and capital to the new venture. The service will employ ATSC-M/H, an open broadcast transmission system developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) specifically for mobile devices.

The venture is designed to complement the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Initiative by giving consumers mobile access to video content while reducing congestion of the nation’s wireless broadband infrastructure. In addition, the service’s mobile content network will have the capacity to deliver local and national time-sensitive emergency information to citizens across the U.S.

Regarding the announcement, Jack Abernethy, Chief Executive Officer of Fox Television Stations, stated: “We are excited about building a platform that makes mobile television universally available and economically viable. This venture is the first step in forging cross-industry and company partnerships to deliver content to consumers.”

“This initiative offers a path for the next generation of video consumption, and will help the FCC in its goal of ensuring efficient and reliable broadband service for US consumers,” said John Wallace, President, NBC Local Media.

“Local broadcasters are the backbone of the U.S. media industry,” said David J. Barrett, President and CEO of Hearst Television Inc. “This sharing of content, broadcast spectrum, marketing resources and capital is unprecedented, and underscores U.S. broadcasters’ commitment to bringing vital local news, weather, and emergency information to increasingly mobile U.S. consumers. This is a critically important initiative that holds great promise for our audiences and the television industry. This is truly the next generation of local television service.”

“This venture takes to the next level the work we embarked upon three years ago with the development of Mobile DTV technology, in anticipation of digital TV capabilities and consumer mobile demand,” said Brandon Burgess, CEO of ION Television.

“Mobile digital television places each of our companies at the center of a consumer transformation, putting us on cell phones, netbooks, DVD players and even in-vehicle entertainment systems,” said David Lougee, President, Gannett Broadcasting, Gannett Co. Inc. “And it’s the consumers who are the big winners. From news and entertainment to emergency information, virtually all U.S. consumers will soon be able to bring their most valuable content with them wherever they go.”

Information regarding a dedicated management team that will focus on securing additional content, spectrum and distribution partnerships for the venture will be made available at a later date.

FMG chief marketing officer Chris Hoerenz said, “Bitbop is an on demand subscription-based service that delivers on the promise of making the smartphone an easy-to-use entertainment device for television programs and movies. We are able to give mobile audiences the wide range of content they want, when and where they want it, with all the customer friendly features they expect.”

Added Joe Bilman, executive vice president global products, FMG, and chief architect of the Bitbop service, “I was in a meeting with a group of executives when I realized that most people carry their devices with them 100% of the time and had no idea what they could do with them. We created Bitbop to offer an eye opening experience to consumers who thought their smartphones were only for email and web access. The marriage of on demand content and mobility has the power to ignite a fire in the smartphone space.”

Bitbop Service and Experience

Bitbop’s mobile video subscription service is simple to use, allowing consumers to browse content from a searchable menu of high quality, full-length television programs for streaming or temporary download. Users can manage a personal queue of viewing choices from their 3G or Wi-Fi enabled smartphones. Bitbop’s service will work on most advanced technology handsets with nearly every major telecommunication carrier.

FMG chief technology officer Markus Thorstvedt explained how Bitbop’s platform will elevate the viewing experience. “Working across most carriers and a wide variety of devices, Bitbop’s technology can move the data robustly over the pipeline, providing a picture that exceeds expectations. Whether downloading or streaming, it will bring viewers the content they want and the ability to access it anywhere.”

Bitbop subscribers will choose from a selection of exciting programming from numerous top-notch content partners.

About Bitbop

Bitbop is a new wireless subscription service delivering on demand mobile TV and movies directly to U.S. consumers’ smartphones. The company’s state-of-the-art platform puts the flexibility of a home-based media center right in the user’s pocket. Bitbop’s service is accessible from any 3G or wireless network and features unlimited streaming or downloading of selected content from quality partners.