(Michael P. Smith)
Broadcasters and newspapers entering the video production arena should be encouraged by the fact that consumers want news programs first and foremost, when asked what kind of video programs they want delivered to their phones.

I was a speaker at the huge mobile industry trade event in Barcelona (see below because I don’t want to bury the lead) and sat in on as many sessions as possible. David Willan of Circle Research gave the highlights of a study called Mobile Services Report – A Global Perspective. Theirs is a global study that includes the United States and Canada, Europe and Asia.

One question they sought to answer is -- what types of mobile video programs do consumers want? The result: “Programs can be clearly segmented,” Willan said, “in terms of appeal, so that operators and content providers can differentiate between those which should form an essential part of a mobile TV offering and those where the potential is more limited.” The content types, in order from most preferred to least preferred are:

1. News (later described as “everyday news where you need it”).
2. Weather
3. Comedy
4. Documentaries
5. Sports (results)
6. Music videos
7. New programs made exclusive for mobile
8. Extra entertainment features (previews, behind-the-scenes)
9. Sports (events)
10. Quizzes

The survey also explores where revenue will come from to support new services and content. That is where we Americans put our foot down. People across two continents (Europe, Asia) agree that it should be advertising funded with 58 percent and 57 percent of all respondents saying it should be free to view. In North America, 54 percent of the people prefer paying for advertising-free content. Willan suggested that the reason for the difference is that we Americans are already immersed in advertising on our regular (I want to say real) TV screens.