Newsprint Going Web & Cell TV

There are definite signals that indicate the interest the traditional press has in the emergence of Web and Cell TV. The New York Times has appointed Vivian Schiller, the general manager of the Discovery Times Channel, to the new position of senior vice president for television and video. The Financial Times made a similar move this week – and at a Digital Media Conference held by Reuters that PSFK attended yesterday, Reuters’ Azhar Rafee spoke about the evolution of digital content into TV for broadband and the phone.

It appears that the media want their news available: ‘Any time, anywhere’ – and in any format you wish.

One of the interesting points made at the conference was an insight into future media consumption was made by Cameron Clayton of the Weather Channel. The Weather Channel have a long history of trialing mobile phone content and even offer advertiser supported video reports for your phone. Clayton told the audience that the type of content changes depending on the user’s situation: getting ready in the morning, a user may just want instant facts about the news; and waiting for an airplane, a user may stream video to her or her phone. Users are using their handsets differently depending on where, what and when.