Scripps TV stations to stream live video to mobile devices

E.W. Scripps Co. said it plans to begin streaming live news video from its TV stations to viewers with mobile devices, making it the first station group to deliver programming to viewers with an Apple  (Nasdaq: AAPL)  iPhone or iPad or mobile devices running Google's Android platform.

Scripps will stream live video from local stations to mobile devices "when circumstances warrant" (Image source: Scripps.com)

But Scripps, which owns ABC and NBC affiliates, won't be streaming Dancing With The Stars or The Office. The company said it will only stream live video from its stations "when circumstances warrant--such as periods of breaking news or severe weather."  Scripps said it will stream live video from stations in Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa, Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City, Mo. Cincinnati, West Palm Beach and Tulsa, Okla.

Scripps' mobile strategy may prove to be popular with local viewers, and provide a service during major breaking news stories. But the fact that it won't stream entertainment programming from NBC and ABC, or even its daily local newscasts, illustrates the rights issues preventing more TV programming from being streamed to mobile devices.

One of the reasons programmers have resisted the idea of delivering live video to the iPad and smartphones is concern about a lack of ratings data available from mobile devices. But Nielsen is teaming up with Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) to begin testing the measurement of video delivered to the iPad. Once TV networks and local stations can include viewing data from mobile devices in ratings that they pitch advertisers, more live video content could find its way to mobile viewers.

For more:
- see the news release
- Broadcasting & Cable has this story

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